Malcolm's Targa is coming home to the US

[crliwa]

Again i have been fairly inactive in the OPEL community this winter.. We all have our personal lives to deal with and I'm no different. The Opel and all my other projects took a back seat to my family.
Having said that, I was just come from the Dr. w/my wife when I got a call from Jim Marchitto asking me if I was interested in buying Malcolm's GT/ Targa that is in England. Turns out Malcolm is moving to Belguim and the car isn't. It was the last thing on my mind but I had inherited some money when my parents passed away and I knew my Dad .. Who gave my son a Seamless BUGEYE for his high school graduation .. would be happy to know that his hard earned money was being spent on something worthwhile not waisted on something stupid like paying bills or a new kitchen or in some other sensible way.
I asked what questions I could and though I never met him, I trust Malcolm and I did meet Jim at OMC 25 and trust him as well. Thanks to this site I was able to contact Baz and he assurred me that the car is everything that I had hoped. Some people think I'm nuts buying the car (or any car) based on pictures and word of mouth without having actually seen or driven it..I am confident that the 2nd restoration that was done in Englnd had addressed the stiffness issue that Lenk had not.
If time and Family allow I will be taking the car around the country so I have to start planning which OPEL events I can get to. Naturally, Carlisle is high on my list..
Craig .. Long Island and Phoenix

[Gary]

Alright Craig!! Congrats!

[heimue]

Craig - I envy you! You could not "invest" your money any better in the Opel community!
This makes up my decision to not miss Carlisle for the world!!!

Dieter

[spdkilz02]

yea no kidding, i was actually thinking about not going cuz i prolly wont be able to take an opel now, but now that, that is going ill be there...

[Killer Texas GT]

Congratulations on the new GT, Now you have one in Phoenix and in New York, If you get to the Dallas area drop in and we will put a party on here at the house, and get a few locals from around to show up even if I have to drag them here, (which I won't, all I have to do is cut off their parts supply).
Rodney

[baronbors]

Originally Posted by Killer Texas GT Congratulations on the new GT, Now you have one in Phoenix and in New York, If you get to the Dallas area drop in and we will put a party on here at the house, and get a few locals from around to show up even if I have to drag them here, (which I won't, all I have to do is cut off their parts supply). Rodney

OOOPPPSSsss!! Looks like if it visits Texas, I wiill have to drive my GT out of town for the first time.

[crliwa]

Thanks for the support ..I really couldn't build the car for anywhere nesr what I paid...I can't say when but the car will be heading though the Dallas area and I'll definately stay for a day or 2. By the way I actually have 2 other GT's here in NY that I guess I'll sell since they'll never get restored at the rate I'm going. I was just going over my list and I now have 18 cars..I definately have to weed out a few.

[kwilford]

That's pretty cool, Craig. When I saw it for sale last summer, I have to admit I contemplated selling some assets (or at least some underperforming oil and gas stocks) and buy myself a mid life crisis. But, no, boring old Engineer that I am, I let it slide. Then, at the end of the OMC Picnic (just after we had finished playing with your GT), Jim Marchitto told me he sold it (that day, in fact) and mentioned a price. But I thought it was bought by Don Stewart (aka Fly Boy). Can you tell us the story?

[BQS4]

Originally Posted by heimue Craig - I envy you! You could not "invest" your money any better in the Opel community! This makes up my decision to not miss Carlisle for the world!!! Dieter

Dieter;
You can form up with me and Dan, I think Edwin too, as well as Andy Legee. I don't think it'll take too much arm twistin' to get Rick to go, so we can get a Southern Gang to go.YEEEEHHHHAAAWWWW!!!!!
Congratulations Craig, can't wait to see the car.

[benncojr]

Originally Posted by BQS4 I don't think it'll take too much arm twistin' to get Rick to go, so we can get a Southern Gang to go.YEEEEHHHHAAAWWWW!!!!! Congratulations Craig, can't wait to see the car.

I am still working on it!!

I think having this car at the show will put the show over the top!! (And me going also. .....I hope....I hope)

[heimue]

Originally Posted by BQS4 Dieter; You can form up with me and Dan, I think Edwin too, as well as Andy Legee. I don't think it'll take too much arm twistin' to get Rick to go, so we can get a Southern Gang to go.YEEEEHHHHAAAWWWW!!!!!

If somebody from the "Gang" wants to pilot up my Manta, I could bring my travel trailer, as our central headquarters in Carlisle. Does that make sense? Is there camping at the meeting, or is the hotel close (I define "close" as being in "5 minute or less walking distance") to the meeting place?

Dieter

[BQS4]

Originally Posted by heimue If somebody from the "Gang" wants to pilot up my Manta, I could bring my travel trailer, as our central headquarters in Carlisle. Does that make sense? Is there camping at the meeting, or is the hotel close (I define "close" as being in "5 minute or less walking distance") to the meeting place? Dieter

Dieter;
A pilot could be arranged, and there is camping on the Carlisle site. The hotel is about 10-15 minutes driving distance from Carlisle show field

[baz]

craig dont forget you could recover some of the costs by charging $100 a ride around carlisle that should get you a few hundred back
and i think malcolms moving to bulgaria not belgium

the main thing is
congratulations

[BQS4]

Originally Posted by baz craig dont forget you could recover some of the costs by charging $100 a ride around carlisle that should get you a few hundred back

What are you going to charge just to get one's picture taken just sitting in it with a s**t-eattin' grin on their face?

[baz]

doh why didnt i do that when i was working on it last year

[benncojr]

Originally Posted by BQS4 What are you going to charge just to get one's picture taken just sitting in it with a s**t-eattin' grin on their face?

with tears coming down face!!

I would sigh up for that one!!

[crliwa]

Keith/all
The story behind my decision to buy the Targa GT is a long and probably boring one. If you want to skip the boring part then just go to the last paragraph.
MY STORY: Some would say that buying the car was part of a midlife crises. It is somewhat deeper as events in my life over the last 5 years have changed my attitude and I treat each day as if it could be my last. As some of you know I used to race Bicycles on a national level, having been National Champion and placing 3rd in the 1980 Olympic trails. (The USA did not send a team to Russia... we sure taught them a lesson.. Thank you President Carter).. I continued to race (against guys half my age) until Sept 9th 2001 on that day I was hit by a car head on and it was touch and go for awhile. I was out of work for 2 years and I've had numerous operations, plenty of plastic surgery a hairvtransplantbto cover it all up and one operation to graft animal bone into my mouth so I could have teeth implanted. I lost my job and had bills that ate up over a hundred thousand dollars even after insurance. All things considered, I am doing fine, I see a doctor every week or 2 and have lost some use of my hand but look as good as new and with the help of a cabinet full of pills I get thru most days w/o any major problems.
As I recovered, my father had a stroke and then died in October 2003. My mother then had a stroke and died 1 year later. My Father was my coach and friend and I see that he put off many things until late in life. His advise (especially after the accident) was to take care of my family then to do what makes me happy and not to wait til I was too old or too sick to enjoy it. Luckily, like my father, what I enjoy doen't usually cost a fortune.. I don't own a boat or have a new car every 3 years. I work as a part time Real Estate agent, about 40 hours a week, and no longer worry about saving for the future, My IRA's and SS and some pension income will have to do in 10 years when I hit 65. I'm going to spend what I earn on anything that is fun and realistic. I'm not buying a Ford GT it's only and Opel GT.

The Targa Story: Yes, it was for sale at the show in California/OMC25. and I made a bid on it. Yes, I was hesitant about paying big money for the car site unseen. I had heard that perhaps the car was not perfect and that perhaps a better "doner" car should have been used. All that became a moot point when the price went above what I was willing to pay. Jim Marchitto said that he would keep his eyes and ears open for a Finished GT for me.. Throughout my time in Calif I also spoke to Gil and Dennis and tried to get Dennis to consider selling his car.. He wasn't interested in selling and I don't blame him. Gil said that if I was serious he was sure that I could find a GT in excellent condition that had what I wanted .. a 2.4 w /a gertrag and a mint condition body and interior REQUIRING NO WORK. I have spent a fortune on Opels and really don't have one that is where I want it to be.. I believe it was Charles who advised me to reduce my inventory and concentrate on just one ... but I have this sickness that many of you also have and giving up on an Opel is not easy. I have thousands into my Black GT and and I'm still Thousands of dollars away from having it the way I want it. I also have Thousands into a 1900 that's being totally rebuilt in Arizona. I also have a major expense ahead in restoring the Car and Driver Turbo 1900. I read and reread everything I could about the Targa and am convinced that it was just not done right by Lenk and that Malcolm was right to have it redone in England. It came out as near to a new car as you could want. It is as close to what I was looking for as I could expect. The call from Jim telling me that the car had become available again and that the original deal had died came as a complete surprise to me. I had just come home from the Doctor,(for my wife). She has just begun 6 weeks of daily Radiation and 5 years of hormone treatment to address what are currently NON cancerous lumps in her breasts and buying a car was not high on my list. Even though timing sucked, I couldn't just let the OPEL go so I asked a few questions. I even called Dennis and asked him again if he would consider selling his GT sometime in the future. He still said no. I've been married since I was 20 that's 34 years so there are no secrets. I told Diana that I was buying a another GT and she wasn't surprised. She and my son did ask what I was selling. I said I hadn't decided. Anyway, with her silent approval, I started talking to Malcolm. He is a really nice guy and is moving to Bulgaria ...not Belguim.. He has some health issues and has decided that keeping the Targa just doesn't fit in with his plans. He answered any questions and I think he is glad to see that it is going to someone that is going to hold on to it and give it a good home. I also pm'd Bazz and he had nothing but great things to say about the car. So I decided to go to the bank and do the money transfer. This was a bigger deal than I expected .. they said that since 9/11 you just can't send large amounts of money out of the country quickly. They sat on my money for a week while the exchange rate went down. Unfortunately this meant approx another $1000 but my mind was made up and I was not to be denied. The Car should be picked up next week and taken to the ship. The voyage is about 10 days. I have to go pick up the car in New Jersey... They'll let me know when. I expect it to be here by the end of the month. The next decision is where to keep it (NY or AZ). By the way I left the boat trailer that I used to trailer the Black GT all over with in AZ. My son bought a real car trailer to carry the 85 Mustang GT drag car so I'll be picking it up with that. I also got a Bronco to tow it since my Lightning is resting in AZ.


At Carlisle, Everyone is welcome to sit in the car for pictures, It's my pleaure. Driving it is not something that I plan on letting anyone else have the pleasure of doing for some time.. By the way I have a grandson that should be graduating high school in about 20 years ..which car should I give him for his high school graduation?

[azopelnut]

Craig
Congrats!!!
Paul here (the guy that scaled down the I-5 on-ramp in the dark to see if you and your stalled Opel were OK following our return trip to the OMC hotel last August)
Is the car going to be in Phoenix???...I would love to see it and I am only 3 hours west in Yuma!!

[saxybiker]

Craig

Congratulations! What a nice car. We are looking forward to seeing you and the car at Carlisle.

Vickie & Allen

[ronskydivepops]

Any pictures of the GT??