How old are you and tell us a story...

[tekenaar]

Looked at poll and got curious . . . so who's the oldest (birth mo/yr, state) Opeler among us?

(11/42, Germany)

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

I know I'm at least close, maybe?

12/40, CA

[b smith]

Im 19, this is my second car, first attempt at a fixer upper. Tryin to do things right, but let me tell your, payin for college and payin for everything that has to do with my car is not fun. No help from the parents, but wouldnt have it any other way.

[duaneb]

Im 59
Bought my first GT from the local Buick dealer in 1973. Drove it 3 yrs and 95000 miles. Bought my 2nd in 2003 with 67000 miles on the clock, and the same color as the first ( bright orange ) Its at least as much fun as the first.
Remember
Growing old is mandatory,growing up is optional !
Duane

[Mogus]

I have you beat by a year! I am 64 and just bought a 71 Opel 1900 four door sedan. In the 70's I owned 2 Opel Kadett 1900's and a 1900 sedan that I drove border to border and coast to coast to get to various ships. I am a retired Merchant Seaman. I am certain that if I could have maintained a parts source then I could have kept them going but it became difficult. It looks much simpler now that the interne is here.

[gtmax]

I had my 17th birthday just twentyfive years ago, so I am really still celebrating I convinced my mom to get a yellow '72 GT when she wrecked her Ford Ltd. that year. (I think she went along with it because of her own second childhood issues.) Now in culmination of my 17th birthday I have purchased what I will call my second GT currently in route from denver to Kansas City. Much work needed to do on it....but I will have it in Springfield if I have to push it.

gtmax
Max

[Crusher]

My first Opel was a 69 Kadett wagon..I was 18.
Dad told me not to by it due to all the fresh oil on the engine but I had to get it anyway....... It blew-up that day.
Dad showed me were the tools were and gave me the manual......I later converted it to a 2 seater panel wagon.....the rest is history. ( I'm 43 now )

71 GT Modified
72 GT Stock
73 GT Convertible in the works.

[71GT]

Im only 14, I have a 71 GT that my dad in the garage for 25 years (it's me and my brothers project car)

[nobody]

When I was 13 or 14 we lived next to a motorcycle dealership. There was a red oxidized 69 GT they had tried to get running sitting behind thier building. Two tires were flat and it had a minor altercation with a bridge. Ok it was maybe 25 feet from my bedroom window. 500 bucks and tightened the condensor and it fired. My mom demanded after seeing the speedo it have some sort of governor, I nodded in agreement. I never figured out how to govern the speed on one. I keep working on the limits, I'll be 42 here pretty quick.

[greenopelgt]

I'm twenty years older than my 39th birthday.

Bought my first Opel GT at the PX in Chu Lai, Vietnam and had the 1971 silver exterior with black interior Opel GT shipped back to Bethel, Ohio for $3107 including taxes. As an Adult Parole Officer, I drove her 244,000 plus miles and sold her for $1,200 after the family grew to three.

In 1990 I got a burr up my tail and bought a totally restored 1972 automatic red exterior with black interior Opel GT. I drove her daily and also put her in local car shows and did very well with the judges. After driving her for five years and 110,000 miles I sold her to my Plumber who gave $6,500 for her as a birthday present for his wife. She still has it but doesn't drive it that often.

In 1997, while putting down mulch for an elderly gentleman he showed me his 1969 Opel GT with a 1.1 Liter engine, only 13,331 actual miles and close to 100% all original including the original tires with inner tubes. After immediately offering to buy it he said he was going to give it to his grandson. We stayed in contact and out of the blue in 2001 he called me and said his grandson had been killed in a skiing accident and he asked me if I would buy the car and get it out of his garage immediately. The telephone never hit the receiver before I had the money in his hand and the car in my garage. Ms. Opel and I have been together ever since. She has been to Carlisle twice 2002 (Honorable Mention) and 2004 (First Place). She is scheduled for several shows (due to her uniqueness) in 2005 including the upcoming Import show in Carlisle where she will be in the field of 30 Standands of Excellence judging.

Last year, I was lucky enough to have a sponsor (Buick Dealership) for her but due to their budget situation I have assumed the self-funding of Ms. Opel effective April 1, 2005. I think I will keep it that way....too many scheduling conflicts.

I am pretty proud of Ms. Opel and have several pictures of her in the www.opelgt.com Photo Gallery under the name greenopelgt. I market Ms. Opel as America's Only 1969 Opel GT with the 1.1 liter engine that is 98% all original and known as the "Lean Green Mean Machine".

I would love to hear from other 1969 Opel GT owners.

Tom Adkins
Cincinnati, Ohio

[Gordy]

I'm 53 and got my first Opel Kadett Wagon in 1971 during the $1 per gallon gas crunch. Traded in a 1967 SS 396 Chevelle. Have owned Opels ever since. Bought a new 1973 Manta Luxus and a 1974 Opel 1900 Wagon. Just could never justify the $3300 for a new GT, but sat in them every time I went to the Buick dealer for parts for the other Opels. Got my first GT in 1979 and even back then they were rare to see. Have 2 real nice ones now, a red Oklahoma car with no rust, stick, and a Jaguar blueish silver California GT with no rust as well (automatic). Plus probably 2 complete cars in parts boxed up in my basement!

[robertmartinez]

Im 30 years od age and bought my first GT at 28, but helped my brother completely restore his when I was 10. I knew that I had to have one when I grew up.

[Shlickgt]

I'm 17. purchased my 71 GT on my 16th birthday. "what a cool first car" I thought.... now I'm still knee deep in the project, but I'm loving every minute of it.

[MikeyOne]

Im 47 and drive my 74 sportwagon everywhere I go. I can lay a 7 foot surfboard in the back easily and, with the passenger seat reclined, can put a 9 1/2 longboard inside.

My wife has a 71 GT that is also her daily driver. Hers was the first we owned.

I also own a 1949 Studebaker (inherrited from grandpa and restored it) and two late 60s Ford Vans - Ive had on of these since 1974 and the other is a show van (appeared in Hot Rod mag) that I paid one dollar for (owner thought it had a drive train problem - vacuum hose to the auto trans was deteriorated).

I wanted a kadette when I was a kid after I found out that my friends Kadette got over 40 mpg (in the 70's gas crunch) but couldnt find one and ended up with a MG Midget . It was fun to drive but the carbs made a solex seem like a dream and anyone who thought a distributor mounted at the bottom of the engine was a good idea lived in a desert or took too much LSD.

I also had several VW bugs and liked the relative simplicity and ease of maintenance - this is a virtue that I find appealing in the Opels also.

[tekenaar]

So, Mikey, we gonna see both cars at the OMC picnic?

[Mike Trout]

Im 19 soon to be 20. Picked up my First 69 GT for free from a family member in New Jersey its with me in PA now.
Mike,

[aknassassin]

I'm 19, rebuilt the '69 GT 4 years ago, still haven't driven it, grandpa took er out on the maiden voyage with no gear lube in the diffrential, well guess what the obvious happened, then a "old mechanic" went to go work on her and cut some important stuff off and i'm still trying to get those parts. haha This forum is great, getting all kinds of much needed help and insight.

[roundl]

I turned 40 in May but I'm going on 20. I've been driving/wrenching classic BMWs for about 8 yrs. Currently have am 87 535i as a daily driver. on my way back from picking up the kids from daycare this January I noticed a small pea green car sitting on a flatbed at a local salvage yard. I pulled over to check it out. it was getting dark but it looked pretty sound and relatively rust free (lower front rockers had a bit). The flatbed driver was getting ready to dump (literally) the car off and scrap it. I went in the office and asked if the car was for sale..he said everything is for sale and asked what i'd offer. I said $100 he said sure and the next day it was delivered with the title.

The car is a 1971 Kadett, 3-sp auto with 25,651 original miles. I called the PO (second owner) to inquire why he/she got rid of it. Turns out it was purchased from a little ol' lady from Woonsocket, RI who drove it occasionally around town and kept it in a gararge. His father bought it from her for $1,000 in 2002 and drove it until he died in 2004. the starter went and the owners son didn't want to deal and tried to sell it locally. No one bit so he decided to scrap it.

It needed a starter and battery, but I've replaced all vacuum, fuel and coolant lines, coolant, plugs, wires, fuel filter, oil filter, oil, diff oil, valve cover gasket, replace flexible brake lines and bleed brakes, rebuilt steering rack (replaced boots and repack), fuel vent lines, drain/remove/repaint gas tank, valve cover and air filter housing. Bought a used starter and service manual on e-bay. I removed the interior to inspect for hidden corrosion. i found none other than the previously mentioned lower quarters. The seats are mint, no cracks of blemishes in the dash. The tires are even original!

Even with all that i've done to it, i'm in it for less than $500 including purchase price. This weekend is the moment of truth. I install the new battery and crank it over. I've squirted Marvel Mystery Oil in the plug holes, let sit for a week and turned the motor by hand. turned nicely with good compression feel. I plan to drive the vehicle this summer and work out any bugs. Still has the original Solex carb. Looking at a 4-sp conversion. this was a rare find for the New England rust belt.

[tekenaar]

I turned 40 in May but I'm going on 20. I've been driving/wrenching classic BMWs for about 8 yrs. . . . I said $100 he said sure and the next day it was delivered with the title.

The car is a 1971 Kadett, 3-sp auto with 25,651 original miles. I called the PO (second owner) to inquire why he/she got rid of it. Turns out it was purchased from a little ol' lady from Woonsocket, RI who drove it occasionally around town and kept it in a gararge. His father bought it from her for $1,000 in 2002 and drove it until he died in 2004. the starter went and the owners son didn't want to deal and tried to sell it locally. No one bit so he decided to scrap it.

It needed a starter and battery, but I've replaced all vacuum, fuel and coolant lines, coolant, plugs, wires, fuel filter, oil filter, oil, diff oil, valve cover gasket, replace flexible brake lines and bleed brakes, rebuilt steering rack (replaced boots and repack), fuel vent lines, drain/remove/repaint gas tank, valve cover and air filter housing. Bought a used starter and service manual on e-bay. I removed the interior to inspect for hidden corrosion. i found none other than the previously mentioned lower quarters. The seats are mint, no cracks of blemishes in the dash. The tires are even original!

Even with all that i've done to it, i'm in it for less than $500 including purchase price. This weekend is the moment of truth. I install the new battery and crank it over. I've squirted Marvel Mystery Oil in the plug holes, let sit for a week and turned the motor by hand. turned nicely with good compression feel. I plan to drive the vehicle this summer and work out any bugs. Still has the original Solex carb. Looking at a 4-sp conversion. this was a rare find for the New England rust belt.

DON'T DO IT!! Take it from someone who owns a completely stock '69 Kadett LS 1.9 A/T, a car THIS ORIGINAL needs to be left alone . . . don't change anything, not even the Solex!! Trust me, you'll regret it.

I just drove mine 3,005 miles back and forth from Texas to Carlisle with ZERO problems and >24MPG 87RON at an average, on-highway speed of ~85MPH . . . that's right, with an old-tech, non-lockup automatic! Of course the A/T cars' 3.18 rear end helps a bit here, at 85 it's only turning ~3900RPM.

You don't need to change a thing!

[vauxoff]

im 27
ive owned 2 16 valve kadette,4 wheel drive vectra,2.0 16v corsa

currantly i own a 1973 gt,and a turbo corsa bakkie

im from sout africa