[kwilford]

I am Canadian, and I am an Opeler. Some of you know my story, but I have a '71 GT and live in Calgary, Alberta. At present, the poor thing is in a "restoration" period. Kind of like a geological time period. And it's almost taking as long as the Jurassic! I have owned it since 1977 (life before Myrna) and it has 102,000 miles on the clock. It has been in some form of restoration since 1983, and was last driven (legally) in 1986. And has lived in three towns and four garages across Alberta in the meantime.

I'll probably tell my whole story some night in the new "Introductions" forum, but if anyone is in the area, they are always welcome to stop in and say hello. John (jpiper), did you ever make it down to Calgary this summer?

Here is a picture of my GT at our recent Opels Across America & Canada (in primer yellow on stands) next to the GT owned by Katheryn McCoy, "The Crazy Opel Lady of Leduc", who owns 5 Opels. Four of which she has imported from our American neighbours (note the Canadian spelling!) in the past year. She really deserves her own page, but she only participates in the Classicopels Yahoo! forum, since she doesn't have a PC at home to surf, and instead relies on her work e-mail.

Greetings to our fellow Canadian Opelers! (and thanks to Gary for putting this together)

 

[Gary]

Cheer up Keith. It *only* took 16 years for me to do up my '69 GT.

 

[jpiper]

Keith

Hey Keith;
The planned trip to Calgary this summer was changed to a trip back home to Nova Scotia to see my parents and the "outlaws". After the two day drive in the van with the two kids we were sort of glad we didn't do the 4 day trip to Calgary. I have a brother and sister living out there and we still plan to make a trip out that way in the future and you can be assured that I will contact you. Same goes if you ever make it to Ottawa, give me a call.
Touched base with Graham this morning and we will be getting together soon to discuss OPEL stuff!
Gary, thanks from me too, for the Canadian Opel Club site. Maybe it will bring more Opelers out of the closet up here in "the great white north".

John

 

[kwilford]

Lousy White North!

Crap,

I was going to tell Gary that it is a common misconception about Canada being a "land of ice and snow" (as I once read in an American grade-school Geography text).

In fact, I was just out yesterday at our local Pick-Your-Part, on a rescue mission for Kat. I was sent to recover parts from newly donated '69 Kadett "L" Wagon (Factory woodgrain? Is that possible?). And the weather was gorgeous, light cloud, plus 10 Celcius (50 F).

I took the time to remove the available seatbelts from the new (1987 vintage) Hyundai Pony's that are there. You know, "Cheap Korean seatbelts for German cars with no resale value". These are three-point inertia reel retracting seat belts that bolt in with only one new hole to the GT. But I digress.....

I looked out this morning, and there is an inch of snow on the ground. When did they declare Winter to have arrived? What a year. We have had snow in virtually every month this year!

 

[CopperCan]

I'm presently running 2 GT's in the Windsor- Essex County region. I drive a '70 and my son is driving a '72. We're talking about framing up our '71 for a Chevy 350 this winter but haven't fully decided yet.


Dan & Derek Papp.
Kingsville, Ontario

 

[Tomzgt]

newly donated '69 Kadett "L" Wagon (Factory woodgrain? Is that possible?).

I briefly owned a pale yellow '69 Kadett Caravan (Wagon) automatic (a $200 non-runner, fixed at cost of $5 for new generator brushes)around 1983, and thought it would be a hoot to apply light colored (Mac Tac)woodgrain to the sides. It was sold as a mostly complete bodyshell without drivetrain to a BC salvage company around 1985. Could this Kadett be the same car?

Tom

 

[kwilford]

Woody Kadett?

I don't think is the same one. It was blue, right from the factory. And I believe I have since read that the wood grain was a factory installed option. This one had its vinyl installed before the chrome molding was installed, so it was almost certainly "stock"

 

[Ben Lambo]

I too am Canadian!

Hello to fellow gt enthusiast...
My '72 GT now resides in Saskatchewan, Canada. It has a 2.8 ford v6 and automatic, and a monza posi, the whole thing spins over at 2500 at 100 kpm, while getting over 30 MPG, and does it ever GO! Expect some pics soon, but I have to find a converter as they are in .pic format...

and here's the beer that all newbies have to donate to the regs (a round for all, please barkeep!)

Ben

 

[Gary]

Re: I too am Canadian!

...Expect some pics soon, but I have to find a converter as they are in .pic format...

and here's the beer that all newbies have to donate to the regs (a round for all, please barkeep!)

Ben

Ben there is a link in the Downloads section for a free image editor/converter called Irfanview.

Umm, Molson Canadian please.. The *real* one, not the crap that's imported here!

 

[Ben Lambo]

Here she is!!!

Here she is, folks, our grey (soon to be red) 1972 Opel GT.
Please excuse the photos, these are the original ones emailed to me when I was shopping for her. She was fully restored about 5 years ago, and sat since until this year. Her features include a 2.8 Ford V6 with a 3 speed automatic (no overdrive as it only turns at 2500 at 60 MPH anyway, do you think it would lug too much with an OD?), a competition ladderbar rear suspension with relocated rear shocks, and the rest is bone stock... The wheels are getting changed to something more modern, and I am fighting with myself whether or not to cut the dash (OMG!!! ) to put in a CD player. The seatcovers are the only weakpart in the interior, and there is NO rust anywhere on the car, as I have been over, under, and around all of it. The appraisers pet her value at $7,500 Canadian (which is about a buck 49 american..lol), but the recent improvements should bring it up a bit more. The engine swap looks factory, the car runs and handles great, and I know I'm getting over 30 MPG with her...

The only bad part is that the wife has claimed it...

Thanks for letting me share...

Ben

PS: Thanks Gary for your help...

 

[Ben Lambo]

more...

This might be a better shot...

 

[kwilford]

Hi Ben, welcome to the fold. Amazing, there is another member is Saskatchewan (Dan0myte, from Regina) with a Capri 2.8 V6 GT. But I see that you have already introduced yourselves.