[Young Gt Lover]

Here are some more dimensions.

Here is the battery box:

Here is what we are planning to do with the air scoop:

Here is my rusted out brake cap:

 

[MattsAwesomeStuff]

Also if anybody has a brake resorvor cap let me know because mine rusted out

$2 junkyard special. I went around to 100 vehicles until I found one that matched.

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Well I worked on the Opel again from thursday to Friday! We got a lot done. First we made a front spolier/air dam/cooling thing for the radiator. We got a piece of metal and cut it out. The dimensions:

Then we screwed it to the piece of metal that is right below the bottom radiator support. Then we bent it at the angle we wanted it to be. Then we got some rubber stuff that you can get at rural King and screwed it onto the piece. It looks so good and I think it will work!

Then we made a piece of metalfor the hood hinge. We got it made and it fit pretty good! The hinge fits great and we used 7 steel rivits and trust me they were not easy to put in with a hand powered rivit gun.

Then I found a left over piece of rubber:

Do you guys think it looks cool and do you think it should make a rear spolier? It would be easy to make but I would have to drill holes in the body. I guess I could always cover it with bondo If I didn't like it someday.
Then we started scrapping all the sealer stuff that was in front of the radiator and by the bttery box so we could seal it. We put some rust sealer stuff on it(I forget what it is called) Then I decided to do the whole car.lol As my grandpa said It was probably to late but at least we are doing it.

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Here is a video of building the battery box and working on the headlights:

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Here is the front air dam video:

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Ok guys just a little update. My grandpa abjusted the choke again on the opel and now it starts on 1-2 pumps of gas and giving it a little throttle when starting it! It then settels right into an idle. We had it adjusted before but something might have come lose.

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Ok guys just a little update on the title thing. This wednesda coming up my grandpa and I are going to the courthouse to get a title for the opel! I can't wait since I will be abe to register it and legally drive it on the road! We are titleing it in my grandpa's name since I have to be 18 to have a title. This is Indiana laws. So we are saying my grandpa bought it and that it is a grandpa-grandson project which it is. So Once I turn 18 It will be in my name. I don't know why they have this law but they do.

Sam

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Ok guys big update today! So I went over to work on the Opel on tuesday. We got a ton done!

First we got all the headlight wiring figured out and we taped it all up so It looks very nice.

Then on Wednesday we went to the courthouse and got the title. We haven't got it yet since we need to send the paperwork to the bmv. It was kind of a waste of time i think because we were there for max 5 minutes. Then we stuck the big brake booster in the car. Do not try and stick a rag in the front resorvor in the brake resovor because it will get stuck. My grandpa did this trying to clean it out better and it took us almost an hour trying to get this rag out! At least it was very clean when we got done with it! Then we "bench bleed" the master cylinder. At first we couldn't get anything out of the back hole. I then figured out I was pumping it a little too fast. Then it was bleeding good. We stuck it in the car and all the brakes bleed very easily. Then We went for a drive! I drove since I have my permit and I have to say it is a lot different driving it on the road than a modern car! The brakes are amazing! And they do stop like a modern car. But they need adjusted a little bit. We drove about 5 miles and figured out that the tie rod ends are gone. It as a ton of play and they are bad. So we went and looked at my extra rack and pinon and It has very nice tie rods on it. The guy that we got it from gave me gauges and they said on 20,000 miles and 7,000 miles on the speedos. So these were pretty new cars when he parted these out 30 years ago. So we will be swapping those on soon. Other than that it drives very good and the exhaust sounds very good. At one point I did a little pull in 2 gear and it is definently slower than a mazda 6 with 187hp. But it was fun and my grandpa like the exhaust too. I think he might not want to do the 4 speed swap that much anymore since it shifts so good. But maybe in a few years coming upwe can do it.

Youtube videos coming soon!

 

[The Cub]

You’re already finding the joys in having an extra GT!

Front end troubles were plenty for me when I had everything original on the front end, control arm bushings, the ones near the exhaust side went first, I just did both sides while I was at it. Now that you’re setting it on the road you’re bound to discover some issues that you didn’t notice.

The speedometers sound nice. Good ones aren’t easy to find.

 

[Young Gt Lover]

You’re already finding the joys in having an extra GT!

Front end troubles were plenty for me when I had everything original on the front end, control arm bushings, the ones near the exhaust side went first, I just did both sides while I was at it. Now that you’re setting it on the road you’re bound to discover some issues that you didn’t notice.

The speedometers sound nice. Good ones aren’t easy to find.

These parts are actuall from a guy at our church who parted 2 out. I have a ful instrument cluster which is mint and a extra speedo and tach. And now I have decent gauges off my parts car. I am going to have to many parts lol.

 

[Will I. Finish]

Sam, Congratulations on all of the progress, you are really getting a lot done and also learning a ton about the new love of your life. You are so lucky to have your Grandfather and your Dad involved in your project. Cherish the time and enjoy every day as again you are a very lucky young man. Keep up the good work and as always keep us posted on all of your success. Impressive.....

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Sam, Congratulations on all of the progress, you are really getting a lot done and also learning a ton about the new love of your life. You are so lucky to have your Grandfather and your Dad involved in your project. Cherish the time and enjoy every day as again you are a very lucky young man. Keep up the good work and as always keep us posted on all of your success. Impressive.....

Thanks a bunch! You guys with all your info have helped a ton too! Now I am becoming one of you guys with learning lots! lol

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Ok guys just a little update. So yesterday I went to my grandparent's house to get some parts That I am selling of my vw bus. So my grandpa and I decided to drive the opel over for a party at my aunt and uncle's house a couple miles away. We found problems and sort of fixed them.

It ran fine and drove fine excpet for the tie rods being lose. At 50mph the steering wheel starts talking to you and vibrates and isn't happy. So we go up my aunt and uncle's lane to their pond and the opel just dies. We finlly get it figured out that the choke isn't turning off. So it is on the whole time. So we adjusted it so the choke was off and finally got it started and parked it. Then when we left it didn't like getting started with no choke so I had to keep it at 2,000 rpm. Then we just put it in gear and drove off. It seemed like it ran a lot better with the choke not on. Then At one point I pinned the throttle at a stop sign and it was only shifting at 4,000 rpm since it is an auto trans. I knew it was supposed to shift at like 5400 rpm, and my grandpa says it didn't rev out because the kickdown cable is broken. So the trans doesn't know you are full throttling it. I guess I could just manually shift it since the cable is like $60. It is nice at 50mph the engine gets really quiet since it is at 2500 rpm even with the loud exhaust.

Picture time!

We also put the hood on.

My grandpa cleaned the tires they look very nice!

I found this in my pile of parts. It is a distributor cover.

We stole the hood cabe and mechanismof bthe 72 GT.

 

[terrylewisac]

You should move that red wire for your electric choke back over to your horn which is always hot.
I only say this because it may melt the protective sleeve the way you have it routed and that would not be good

 

[Young Gt Lover]

You should move that red wire for your electric choke back over to your horn which is always hot.
I only say this because it may melt the protective sleeve the way you have it routed and that would not be good

We actually never messed with that wire.We thought the choke was working but it turns out that wire was never getting power because of a goofy connection. So we have to find spot to attach it to yet.

 

[First opel 1981]

You should move that red wire for your electric choke back over to your horn which is always hot.
I only say this because it may melt the protective sleeve the way you have it routed and that would not be good

Hoorn isn't always hot. It's ignition connected.
You wouldn't want the choke to be always hot.
Running to the horn is a good enough thing to do.

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Ok guys I also have a question about the horns. I can't get them wiring right and I kept blowing fuses. Does the brown wire go on the bottom of the drivers side horn and what wire is on the bottom for the passenger side horn. I have them temporarily taped up because we couldn't figure it out and we tried every way. Does anybody have any solutions?

Thanks Sam

 

[Knorm65]

Ok guys I also have a question about the horns. I can't get them wiring right and I kept blowing fuses. Does the brown wire go on the bottom of the drivers side horn and what wire is on the bottom for the passenger side horn. I have them temporarily taped up because we couldn't figure it out and we tried every way. Does anybody have any solutions?

Thanks Sam

Two wires come from the fuse box to the horns. A black/yellow power wire and a brown ground.

The ground is switched by the horn button.

All the wires run to the right (passenger side) horn first. It should be two male bayonets on the horn side by side. If I recall correctly the order of the wires does not matter as long as you wire it the same on both horns. The wires splice off of the right horn and run to the left horn.

Now what your problem may have been is the horns are old and rusty. Take them off, give them a few gentle taps and try to make them honk on the bench with a spare battery. They often need to be loosened up and convinced to work again.

 

[terrylewisac]

Hoorn isn't always hot. It's ignition connected.

I thought that was a given, But for those who might not have known that your point is valid
Thanks for the correction

 

[Young Gt Lover]

Two wires come from the fuse box to the horns. A black/yellow power wire and a brown ground.

The ground is switched by the horn button.

All the wires run to the right (passenger side) horn first. It should be two male bayonets on the horn side by side. If I recall correctly the order of the wires does not matter as long as you wire it the same on both horns. The wires splice off of the right horn and run to the left horn.

Now what your problem may have been is the horns are old and rusty. Take them off, give them a few gentle taps and try to make them honk on the bench with a spare battery. They often need to be loosened up and convinced to work again.

Ok So For some reason I thought they attach to the drivers side first. My 1969 Servic manual shows that and that is I think how they were wired up before. Am I wrong and imagining something? I don't think I have enough wire to attach the passenger side first anyways.