Birthday surprise!

[Rionart]

Sometimes someone does something that just leaves you speechless.....(Yeah, I know...takes a lot in my case ).
Anyway, Derek got me good yesterday...I was up in Montreal on business and we went out for an after work quencher or three...
When we popped back to his place to get ready for a birthday party later....there was a strange (but familiar) car in his driveway.....
The Ascona B that I have had my eye on for the last 2 years was parked there!
He and Kay (his Girlfriend) decided it would make a good 40th birthday present for yours truly!!
Needless to say I'm over the moon...
It is a 1980 Ascona B 2.0E Berlina, automatic with fuel injection.
As you can see from the pics, the front fenders are toast, but I already have a pair of replacements stored in Dereks Dads shed in Wales, I'll have to get a pair of sills for it, and likely I'll replace the beige interior....so yet another project...and Rob's Oddball Opel Collection gets bigger!!

[Rionart]

Hmmm...there were 4 pics attached....seem to have vanished in the process of posting...
Try again...

[Rionart]

These are probably the worst fenders I've seen on a car that is still in daily use!!
The rest of the paint was equally oxidsed, but a few minutes with some polish made her look a bit more presentable for her GT.com debut!

[BQS4]

Rob;
Happy Birthday and I wish I had friends like that. I LOVE those wheels, I have a 13X6 set to go on the wife's Sportwagon, but, congrats and nice ride!!

[kevinfier]

Rob,
Happy birthday! That is just too cool!!
Kevin

[kwilford]

Rob,

Too cool! It looks almost (blasphemy!) BMW 320i'ish. How did it find its way here? I can't say I have ever seen an Ascona B 2 door, let alone in Canada. Was it a Military import?

[HOT ROD]

Happy birthday Rob.cool car but where you going to park it?

[Rionart]

Got it in one Keith!
The original owner bought it new in Germany when he was there with the military...brought it back with him and drove it to a grand total of 46,000KM.
Yes, it's a 1 owner car...the original spare (rostyle) has never been used!
Where am I going to park it.....there lies a dilemma....I'm thinking of selling one of the Manta's to make room...either the yellow ochre '74 or the blue '73...I hate to part with either, but this has gone from mere mental illness to full blown insanity!!

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

All these years Rob, and you still have Opelitis, I'm guessing one of the worst cases on the site.

Congrats and Happy Birthday.

[greensmurf20]

thats really great rob, it seems you have some of the most rare opels on the continent, the broadspeed, I200, now a AsconaB,......whats next?

none the less, happy birthday with wishes of many more to come!!!

[kwilford]

Where am I going to park it... but this has gone from mere mental illness to full blown insanity!!

Well, when you get the OTHER Military Ascona (Si's '72 in Ft. McMurray, Alberta), you could just drive one of them as far as Calgary, and I'd drive you to Ft. Mac, and then you could drive Si's car back to TO. Seems like a fine idea to me. Oh wait, you need to take my damn SportWagon with you as well (leaving me with at least one running Opel) so you had better build a bigger garage.

[madhatterpdc]

...take my damn SportWagon...

Does this mean you are looking to let your Sportwagon go?

Brian "looking for Sportwagon" Keefe

[opelgtworld]

Happy birthday!

The world is small...

The License Plate is from Heinsberg/Germany.
Heinsberg is about 50 km from my hometown and 20 km up to the Dutch border.


.

[RallyBob]

Does this mean you are looking to let your Sportwagon go?

Brian "looking for Sportwagon" Keefe

Me thinks you have seen the light!

[kwilford]

Does this mean you are looking to let your SportWagon go?
Brian "looking for SportWagon" Keefe

Oh dear. Some days...

Other days, I kind of like the idea of having a low mileage, no rust (from Tacoma WA) except for the battery box (and I have Goin's repair kit and a "new" fuse box), kinda funky little wagon, with rebuilt EFI, new MC & "big brake" calipers/cross-drilled & slotted rotors, re-cored rad, and a completely rebuilt (w/ forged flat tops and such) engine. Thats some of what I have managed to get done so far.

The biggest obstacle to keeping it is a lack of time to work on it. But if I used THAT rational, I would also turf the GT, at least two pair of downhill skis, one water ski, a set of nearly-new golf clubs, and most of my "life before kids and career" stuff.

That and I probably have two or three grand (don't want to know) into the car, the engine, and lotsa parts. For a car that seems a ways from being a driver in my (and its) current state. It still needs the battery box repaired, the wiring repaired (with said fuse box), the steering rack boots installed (have them, also a used rack, new ball joints, and new tie rod ends), new front seats (not got them yet), the engine assembled (still needs balancing, but otherwise ready to go with all new parts) and new clutch and pressure plate. Tranny has been gone through. All new seals and gaskets. NOS tail lights. New tires on the original 5 1/2j wheels. GT valve cover. Locks are re-keyed. Middle windows need to be re-glued. New carpets needed.

Crap, who am I kidding? I just have to get the GT to the body shop and I am SURE I can get that all done. Maybe for the 30th OMC Picnic....

[Rionart]

HeHe.....c'mon, do you really think for one minute Keith is going to part with the Sportwagon??
Just wait until he has blown the doors off a couple of H*nda's with it.....then you might just get the GT.....

[tekenaar]

So you're saying you're NOT bringing a car to the 25th? Hmmm . . .

[kwilford]

So you're saying you're NOT bringing a car to the 25th? Hmmm . . .

To be more accurate, it doesn't seem that a car will be bring me. Or a plane. Time will tell, but it would seem not.