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Thread: Kermit will live again...

  1. #1
    Opel Nut in a Volvo world TallyOpel is on a distinguished road
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    Kermit will live again...

    and I'm more car savvy than computer savvy, so I can't save the pics of Kermit from my phone as a jpeg file on my computer...dang! Ah well...

    Hello, my name is Chris, and it's been 20 years since I had my last ride in my Opel GT. I'm about to fall off the wagon.

    I've had Kermit since I was 17 years old. I'm now 46. I continued to drive him, as a daily driver, until I had child #2, and as you know...a GT is only a two seater, and I couldn't exactly ditch the child. Besides, it was time to take him down to the metal for a full on restoration.

    Well...life happened, as it tends to do. Both of my girls are in college now, and I've had my fill of other sports cars, so it's time. The TR3 was a mistake. The Austin Healey Sprite, a larger mistake, and I so should've fixed Kermit instead of buying my dream car, a 1987 Lotus Esprit, last year of the flying wedge, Johnny Player Special Edition. My Dad worked on British cars. I was his apprentice for years and years. I freakin' knew better. "Why do British drink their beer warm?"

    I would love to sell Colin Lucas. My husband wants to keep him. It's a dilemma, but I digress.

    So...anyhow...Kermit's body has been restored to his former glory. Kermit's seats have been recovered. The machine shop of my choice has finally reopened, so I can finally finish building the motor my Dad and I began. In theory it never gained oil pressure, but I wasn't there when Dad started him the first time...with the performance cam, with the 50 over high compression pistons, with the dual webers. I often wonder if Dad fibbed after taking him down the road and deciding it was too much car for a 17 year old lead foot. A different, low mileage, stock engine was installed, and Kermit was back on the road after, to quote my Dad, "I drove the piss outta' my pistons." It was a sad day when rolling him down the hill and popping the clutch failed to bring about the appropriate response...and I digress again...

    I'll likely be checking in looking for parts that have been misplaced through the years, and probably offering extra parts to those in need. I've purchased four parts cars thus far, the latest of which was just this week, so I highly suspect I'll have left over pieces/parts.

    Thanks for letting me introduce myself, and digress...

  2. #2
    Trouble Maker Phoenix is on a distinguished road Phoenix's Avatar
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    Lime Green?

    Engines the easy part, sounds like you already got the hard part out of the way- the body.
    Needs a 2dr Ascona, everyone else has one.

  3. #3
    Opel Nut in a Volvo world TallyOpel is on a distinguished road
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phoenix View Post
    Lime Green?

    Engines the easy part, sounds like you already got the hard part out of the way- the body.
    Promise not to tell?

    1999 Ford Jalapeno Green Pearl

    Super close to the color he faded to, that I liked better than the color in the door jams.

  4. #4
    Opel Nut in a Volvo world TallyOpel is on a distinguished road
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    Figured it out.

    The leaves are falling. I couldn't take the pictures fast enough.
    Attached Images

  5. #5
    UFO pel investigator Aardvaark is on a distinguished road Aardvaark's Avatar
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    Aardvaark has made a donation to the forum!

    Hi Chris and welcome. Your story is interesting and it sounds like you are on track to driving your Kermit again soon!
    It's also nice to have another lady Opel enthusiast join us.
    -Mark
    '75 Manta

    Direct link to my album of Opel related parts catalogs
    and magazine articles for reference:
    http://www.opelgt.com/photopost/show...ser/23031/sl/a

  6. #6
    Opel Nut in a Volvo world TallyOpel is on a distinguished road
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    This is the one I just purchased.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWNX%3AIT

    (Posting the link does help.)

    It, and the extra parts that come with it, will be enroute to my Dad's shop (not my shop; my landlord would have a fit) next weekend. Where he will sit next to the next project AFTER Kermit. The 1958 Morgan +4, that Daddy left to me. I rather have Dad.

    The Morgan:

    My brother was determined that we'd find all the parts before leaving the shop, and he insisted we were missing the round body panel in the back. I asked, "You mean where the round spare tire goes?" He then told me to shut up.
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    Last edited by TallyOpel; 10-08-2009 at 08:02 PM.

  7. #7
    Opel Nut in a Volvo world TallyOpel is on a distinguished road
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aardvaark View Post
    Hi Chris and welcome. Your story is interesting and it sounds like you are on track to driving your Kermit again soon!
    It's also nice to have another lady Opel enthusiast join us.
    Thank you. I'm glad to be here. FINALLY!

  8. #8
    Southern Red Neck BQS4 will become famous soon enough BQS4 will become famous soon enough BQS4's Avatar
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    I hope you have a cover/blanket for Kermit, as he has no glass in/on him....
    "Yes, I do have a rifle rack in my Sportwagon"

  9. #9
    Opel Nut in a Volvo world TallyOpel is on a distinguished road
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    Of course I do.
    I'll actually probably be carting him up to my Dad's shop in Dublin, GA.

    I'd put him inside mine, but mine is an actively working shop, and if someone dinged or scratched him, I'd have to kill 'em.

  10. #10
    Opel Addicts saxybiker will become famous soon enough saxybiker's Avatar
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    Welcome

    Chris,

    Welcome...It is great to have another lady "Car Enthusiast/Opeler" aboard. Having a Morgan is awesome... perhaps the only wood-framed car still made! Very cool.

    The Opels, though, somehow they get in your blood, and by your recent acquisition I can see that Opelitis has already bitten you. If you are not careful, many more Opels will be following you home!

    Perhaps we will be able to meet at one of the Opel Events.

    Vickie

    1958 Rekord Olympia Newest Acquisition
    1969 Kadett LS Odette Showroom New Original
    1969 GT Omi The Grandmother
    1970 GT Octavia Streetrod
    1971 GT Opie DESTEC car
    1972 GT Olessja Under restoration from being rear-ended
    1973 GT Oscar Awaiting Restoration
    1975 Manta yellowOmaryellow The Bumblebee
    1975 Ascona Sport Wagon: Otto Colonel Mustard
    2008 Solstice yellowOliver - "Ollie"yellow

  11. #11
    Opel Nut in a Volvo world TallyOpel is on a distinguished road
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    Quote Originally Posted by saxybiker View Post
    Chris,

    Welcome...It is great to have another lady "Car Enthusiast/Opeler" aboard. Having a Morgan is awesome... perhaps the only wood-framed car still made! Very cool.

    The Opels, though, somehow they get in your blood, and by your recent acquisition I can see that Opelitis has already bitten you. If you are not careful, many more Opels will be following you home!

    Perhaps we will be able to meet at one of the Opel Events.

    Vickie
    That Opel is a parts car. My fourth GT parts car. It's sad why I felt I needed it. I've parted out two others. All of the parts from Kermit and those parts cars are sitting in bins...scattered by the winds of time. I've got one GT sitting at the shop in its rusted entirety, but it's got an automatic transmission, and I need all the missing bolts and sh*t for a manual. I've also got a Manta sitting at Dad's shop that the stock engine came out of.

    I do hope to get involved in Opel events, as time marches by. I must admit I feel a bit out of my league here. I've been working on Volvos for the past 18 years. I've lost my GT skills. It's time to find 'em.

    The Speedster could follow me home. I'd be totally okay with that.
    I wanna' be RallyBob when I grow up...

    1972 Opel GT "Kermit"
    1962 Volvo 544 "Sven"
    1967 Volvo 122S Wagon "Penelope Pitstop"
    1984 Volvo 245T "Abbie"
    1967 Datsun 2000 Roadster "Fair Lady Audrey"
    1987 Lotus Esprit JPS "Colin Lucas"
    1958 Morgan +4 "Unchristened"
    1994 Volvo 965 "Margo"

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