Cost of Restoring Your Opel GT

[ourcrew]

Just started
$1336.00 to acquire 1969 Gt, 1972 GT , 197? GT parts car
$35.00 - 1972 Buick Opel Full-Line, Opel GT Service Manual
$7.00 -69-73 GT BODY, PARTS AND CRASH DATA SHEETS
$105.00 - media blaster
Total so far $1483.00 for 2 GT's

[blancojp]

Hello Guys!
I have had several medical problems (cancer, two heart attacks, a by-pass and a pacemaker installed) in the past two years and have been not able to post some of our in-house technical know how. I had my son take over our shop but did not turn out too well, if you know what I mean.

We restore and manufacture Hot Rods in our Leesburg shop and we also work on vehicles inported solely for restoration, mostly Opel Gt's. I own a '72 GT with a 285hp/400lbs torque buick V-6 and I smoke just about everyone out in the road.

In the past 20 years I have done over 50 Opel Gt's ranging from a stock unit to a full race vehicle. I have installed different types of engines (4,6 and 8cyl)ranging from 80-350hp. I have also done brakes and custom rear ends most all vehicles and the outcome has been always the same. To properly restore a stock Opel in fair condition, you will need approx. $15K depending on how much you deviate from the stock rebuild. Most of our Opels, including mine, have been done with an average cost of approx. $24K. Just adding vented front brakes can increase the cost $500 to $1000 depending on what you will use. Our typical or close to stock 240mm vented front disk brakes system goes for $325 and our rear 240mm units for $650 so it can be pricy.
This is why lots of people start hapilly, do some of the work and never finish because it becomes a money pit for them.

My email changed to blancojp@hotmail.com so if any of you folks need help with your vehicle, let me know.
Thanks
JB

[benncojr]

JP,
Thanks for the info!!

[OpelJim]

It takes much longer than you think it would to restore an Opel GT.

It takes much, much more money than you thought it would to do it too

[jlthunder]

Originally Posted by OpelJim It takes much longer than you think it would to restore an Opel GT. It takes much, much more money than you thought it would to do it too

This also applies to most things in life

[P-M0unt]

So far:

First GT (not running), primer and rust in color, early '70, $400 (only $200 so far, the other half when I get a title) from the Custom Exhaust parking lot (hadn't ever seen one before, thought it was a Z), BMW wheels and crappy tires from the junkyard, $50 - total $450

Second GT (running!), orange, later '70, $400 at an auction, including all fees, radiator and door from the first one, fuel tubing $14 for vent system, gasket material and o-ring for fuel sender $6, air filter, rotor, I think $25 or something like that.

So, for both cars, actual cost out of pocket so far: $685! although I'm sure this will soon triple - or more

[show no go]

Well, lets see here:

$65 hotel stay for the night after I brought the car home (she wasn't happy)
$950 Initial Purchase
$2280 Wheels and tires
$500 Sheet metal and tubing
$400 Welding gas and supplies
$200 4 piston front calipers
$180 rear calipers
$300 rotors
$500 Mazda RX7 13b motor
$230 Motor shipping
$400 Mazda wiring harness and guages/ etc.
$450 Bushings and bearings
$550 Lighting
$1650 Air suspension components
$300 radiator
$600 Seats
$1200 New custom interior parts
$600 Primer
$1800 Paint
$500 Paint booth rental
$1200 miscellaneous small parts
$650 sound and video system

It looks like a little over $15k and probably half of everything I own if she ever figures out how much I have into this little car.

[newman27]

Originally Posted by show no go $550 Lighting $1200 New custom interior parts $650 sound and video system

It looks like you've done a lot with the interior of your car. Can you elaborate on what you did? I'm intrigued by the video reference.

Thanks!

Matt

[70GTboy]

I estimate by the time i'm done i'll have spent about 5000-7500 so yeah....i put my vote up mostly just for a guess....

[Opel-GT-72]

were is the 25.000$ or more button ???

[bberger]

I am thinking of getting a GT like the old days, but you guys are scaring the hell out of me. Oh well, I am retired ,and I might as well spend it and have fun.

[jeff denton]

For some real fun at great expense, try racing one! It's a challenge like no other.
Don't be scared to get a GT. The 15 to 25 thou cars are likely way beyond what you really need. Of course, it may be what you end up with eventually, once you fall in love with a restorable $2000 car.

[jlthunder]

Originally Posted by bberger I am thinking of getting a GT like the old days, but you guys are scaring the hell out of me. Oh well, I am retired ,and I might as well spend it and have fun.

If you pay as you go, then it doesn't hit you that hard. A bill for 15-20K all at once is pretty scary. You can always's work at Mc D's to pay for the restoration

[yellaopelgt]

There should be a refresh button on this poll as I keep dumping more and more cash into this car!!! I jumped into a higher bracket quite a while ago!! And by the time I'm done?????? Whenever that is. I'll have to jump into another bracket....Some driving time would be nice too.....the bright side to all this is when I get it done I'll have a brand new 37 year old car!!
Joe

[GTJIM]

I used to advise people to cut a slot in the roof of the GT they have just bought and keep stuffing dollar bills in till the car is full - then burn them as it would be cheaper than a full rebuild .... and save all that labour!

Now I am well underway with rebuilding mine I see that I made a considerable error and think that stuffing $5 bills (OR even $10 bills ... ) through the slot would still be cheaper ......

[nobody]

Look at the bright side of restoring a GT, at least all the parts can still be had. Try one of the other model restorations to really test your determination/scavenger skills. Trust me, there are some rare parts out there. Guages and glass for a wagon are far more hard to get than GT stuff. GT owners should consider themselves lucky.

[tomking]

I am doing a full restore on a 69 rallye now and have a 67 wagon waiting. Nobody you are right on about scarcity of parts.

[namba209]

Originally Posted by yellaopelgt There should be a refresh button on this poll as I keep dumping more and more cash into this car!!! I jumped into a higher bracket quite a while ago!! And by the time I'm done?????? Whenever that is. I'll have to jump into another bracket....Some driving time would be nice too.....the bright side to all this is when I get it done I'll have a brand new 37 year old car!! Joe

Joe, welcome to the club. Gary, in his wisdom, hasn't put in a higher bracket than what me and 31 others are in. Soon, I hope, my driving time will be increased. Then there will be miles of smiles and perhaps a giggle or two along the way.

[dreamix]

mm expensive i never spend that much money.

the black one i posted photo's of yesterday i build for less then 10000 euro's
(car 3000 , paint 4500 )

My yellow i bought for 4750 and i hope to fix it up for about 2000.

i buy parts cheap on ebay do everything myself only paint job costs money.

But i live near germany lots of cheap spare parts have engine lying around doors everything . never use original metal for parts that i can make myself for example the downside of the car.

[automata3.0turbo]

our current opel was bought 6 years ago at 4,500 for a very good car with no rust, superb interior and mechanically sound engine. to revitalize it after spending so much time in storage, im about to spend about $300 on parts like battery, plugs, plug wires, points, etc to get her running again. and i estimate about another 500 to get it where i feel it will be reliable, and about 600 for new wheels and tires. so including the cost of the car, thats about $6000 total. i dont have any plans to take it beyond reliable daily driver at this time.

[opelwasp]

If you don't mind spending the money, get a 1000 cranking amp gel cell battery like Optima of the Exide Orbital. You wont be disappointed, last battery you'll every buy for your GT.