Remembering My Opel GT

[GatorDude]

My favorite times in my Opel GT were "possum dodging" in the middle of the night along the backroads of rural north-central Florida. If I drove like an idiot, my GT would develop some minor mechanical issue (like a loose spark plug or moisture in the distributor) and force me to drive home very sedately.

Here is a basic review of my old 1973 Opel GT:
Car Review: the 1973 Opel GT - Associated Content

I hope that someone is out there restored it and is having fun with it still!

[newman27]

That was a fun read and I can identify with many of the problems you had before my car was restored. But, you become attached and are willing to put up with a lot just to keep them going.

[GatorDude]

When a car has the lines of a GT, you'll definitely put up with a lot and it's much more fun to work on it. I enjoyed tooling around in my GT a lot. Of course, when you're Opel GT is only a tad better than a beater, you do tend to have lots of near disasters. Fortunately, the near disasters turn into fond memories after about a decade.

Here are my near explosive experiences with fuel leaks and my Opel GT:
Vintage Opel GT: The Fuel Leaks Problem - Associated Content

The take aways -
1) Replace those fuel tank vent lines
2) Don't drive your Opel like a jack-arse
3) Some Opel fuel pumps are a leeetle taller than others. I think I might have replaced a fuel pump for a 1.9 liter GT with a slightly taller fuel pump for a Manta(?).

[Jonzo]

Hey GatorDude,
I was prowling the streets of Gainesville around the same time as you in my own Opel GT. I had finally graduated from U.F. in June of '89, unfortunately my job prospects were not so great that summer so I continued living Gainesville and working at Leonardo's Pizza until I finally moved back to my hometown of Tampa on New Year's Day 1990. The management at Leonardo's was kind enough to let me load up on hours and by Fall of '89 I had saved up $ 1,200 and purchased my '73 Opel GT. It was painted midnight blue and had a white stripe painted across the rear panel to hide some minor bodywork.
Even in 1989 there weren't too many GT's in Gainesville. Do you have any recollection of my GT?
Jonzo

[GatorDude]

Originally Posted by Jonzo Hey GatorDude, Even in 1989 there weren't too many GT's in Gainesville. Do you have any recollection of my GT? Jonzo

I graduated in the fall of '89, but I'm thinking that I may well have seen that Opel GT drive by once or twice either in late '88 or early '89. Once you've got a car, you automatically pick up on the same car in traffic. I didn't have a campus parking permit so I usually commuted via bicycle to campus. I vaguely recall having a - "Wow, there's an Opel GT..." - moment or two as a dark colored GT drove by somewhere in the vicinity of Burrito Brothers. But, I never got a close look at it parked anywhere. I probably did see it around town. When I was in school, there was a pretty good mechanic who specialized in old sports cars near the UF campus. He was about 5 blocks from the old Burrito Bros location.