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

[Itsa '70 GT]

I'm 45, and my avatar says it all...

Bill B.

[perrydu]

I am 52 and when I was in high school (67-70) my dream car was a GT. When I got out of college I bought a 71 GT that had hit a tree head on. The long nose saved the engine and all I did was straighten it out enough to drive. Several years later I bought a restored 73 GT and parted out the 71. I still have the 73 in the barn and the engine from the 71. I pushed it out the other day for the first time in 7 years and washed it inside and out. It needs some work but it is all there. Seeing pictures here gets me thinking about a total rebuild.

[simplemind7]

i'm 17 now, my uncle offered me 2 GTs, a 69 (needing to be restored) and a 72 (parts) because they were just sitting around taking up space and my aunt was getting mad about the wasted space. so i gladly took them knowing little to nothing about opels. thanks you all of you here i'm learning pretty fast keep it comming

[jeff denton]

Notice in the polls age graph that I am in the biggest Opel age group, and next year when I am even older and grayer and stiffer and wiser and in the next age group that I will then be in the SECOND biggest Opel age group.
And still doing things that fifteen year olds are better than me at... dirt bike hill climbing, racing around an oval track, chasing elk up huge mountains, all that crazy stuff.... I'll sleep when I'm DEAD.

[kwilford]

Notice in the polls age graph that I am in the biggest Opel age group, and next year when I am even older and grayer and stiffer and wiser and in the next age group that I will then be in the SECOND biggest Opel age group.
And still doing things that fifteen year olds are better than me at... dirt bike hill climbing, racing around an oval track, chasing elk up huge mountains, all that crazy stuff.... I'll sleep when I'm DEAD.

When I answered this poll, I was 45, and so was in the biggest age group. But since I am now 46, I suspect that I am STILL in the biggest age group, since we are ALL a year older. Age is just relative. Relatively unimportant compared to NOT aging; which would make me DEAD!

[Killer Texas GT]

The big 50, been driving a GT since 72 (69)bought my second one(70) in 76 which is still in my possesion but has been modified slightly over the years, but in the stables now are 2 Asconas (74, 75), 7 GTs (2-69 one of which is for parts, 3-70 GTs, two of which are for parts, 2-72 GTs, one of which is for parts) this does not include my original 70 GT (Killer TX GT) and the 70 GT I gave to my nephew Phillip, also throw in a '68 Kadett wagon (parts) and a 72 Ascona wagon (parts), along with shop full of enough parts to build at least 4 to 5 more GTs.

An addiction with not enough time or money to enjoy 200%.

[Dallas]

I am 34 and saw my first Opel GT when I was 12. I have always wanted one. I am the proud owner of the only Roadster Opel GT ever made that I know of. I will have this car forever.

[Yoda]

I'm 32, live outside of Baton Rouge, LA, & purchased my 1972 GT when I was 15. Bought the car from one of my mentors, a man in Baton Rouge that used to work on my grandmother's Manta on the weekends.

Drove the car though high school and stored it for most of college. About a week after I took it out of storage, it was rear-ended in my parents yard by a rather large tractor. I've worked on it on and (mostly) off again ever since. I'm now married with three yr old twins. They love the GT as much as I do....a quick aside....we bought them matching electric PowerWheels Jeeps for their 3rd BD and stored them in my shop. When I rolled up the big door to the shop to show them, they ran past the Jeeps yelling "Opel. Red Opel. Daddy's Red Opel. Open doors! Open doors!"

I'm in the final throws of putting it back together and drive it occasionally. Unfortunately, the front of the car was wrecked a few times before I bought it so the headlight openings have never been quite right and probably never will. As I'm starting to have more time for my cars again, I really hope to start adding some more Opels to my collection.

Also own a 65 T-Bird convertible (my DD) and am working on a frame off of a '54 Belair. Also help my father with his recently acquired 1963 Triumph TR-4.

[N61WP]

Finally! An Opeler near me!

Yoda, I live in Covington. Let me know if I can be of help.

James
n61wp at aol.com

[69OpelKadett]

well im 19 years old .. i just got my first house nice lil 2 roomer with a 2 & 1/2 stall for my kadett ! and a few lil extras got a good girl who got me my kadett and also ended up with a pool not bad for bein this young .... i also own a 1980 monte carlo "350" & a 1975 chevy 10 short bed van im rebuilding for my brother in prison . about all there is to me .

[kevinfier]

69OpelKadett,
Welcome aboard. Where in IL are you, I am in East Moline and have 2 Kadetts, a 70 sport sedan, and a 69 wagon.
Kevin

[69OpelKadett]

im in pekin illinois .. near peoria ... and lookin for advice all i can get and a few friends aswell

[Wolf Spyder]

Finally! An Opeler near me!

Yoda, I live in Covington. Let me know if I can be of help.

James
n61wp at aol.com

I'm within 2hrs! I live near Jackson and went to SPHS there in Covington!


I'm 45, and got my first '72GT when I was 19 from a prof at the collage that I was attending. It was the old green and needed work. Turned the wrenches, learnd about bondo, cut a sunroof and painted it bright yellow. Loved that car....But had to sell it. My new job required that I have a 4 door. Found another '72 last summer as a project for bonding time with my son and have had a since!

Henri

[greensmurf20]

henri: my GT was also origionally green, and the PO bought it from her college professor in the late 70's, and decided to become a school teacher herself. the teaching industry has good taste in cars, and must like green eh?

[Yoda]

Glad there are at least a few of us in the Louisiana/Mississippi area.

[N61WP]

There is another fellow in Metairie. Maybe we could have a "mini show"
in, say Hammond?

James

waiting on parts.....

[tealcarver]

Fifty something. I bougt my GT new in 1971 ($3607.00 out the door), first, last and only owner. (can't blame anything on the P.O!) GT sat in the driveway for 15 years with the usual knock on the door "want to sell your car?" My niece is a cop, she knocked on the door and said if I didn't put the car in the back yard it would get towed. Rotten kid! (not really, she's a sweet heart). Moved the car to back yard and decided it was time to get her back on the road. That was two years ago and $17,000.00 ago. Picking up my 2.4 with Getrag from OGTS on Monday. Paint left to go, then put her back together. Everything is new from the ground up. Can't wait to finish her and ride the roads again. Learned a lot from many of the forum members, good place to be.

Bob

[Thom71GT]

Ok, with that description , youd better be posting some pictures real soon. Cant wait to see it.

[rangerrick]

Can't beleive it 8,794 hits Seems if people wanted to know they would list it in their bio wouldn't they?

[soybean]

I figured I’d tell my story. I’ll be 50 this April. I was born an Army Brat at Ft Bragg, N.C. Mom and Dad were both Career Army. Went to Germany when I was 2 weeks old by boat. Dad not having a lot of money bought an Opel, I don't remember what it was, I have seen slides of it, some of us do remember slides. Left Germany when I was 5, came back to the States, went back to Germany when I was 7, Dad got another Opel. This one lasted through 1963 when we came back to the States for good. That particular Opel was a Kadett Station Wagon. We called it the Galloping Goose. Dad had it shipped back to the States with us in 1963 and we drove it until 1968, when we bought a Buick Skylark. I bought my first Opel in 1974, a Opel Manta Rallye. At that time I still saw the Kadett we brought back from Europe around town. It lasted (Kadett), until 1976 when the engine locked up and it was towed to the junkyard. I still have my original 74, plus 1 parts car for it, 5 Gts , one of which is running. So, I guess you could say I have been exposed to Opels for most of my life. Jarrell 4/55