Opel GT Engine Swap Without Modification?
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Yes. Any Opel CIH (Cam In Head) engine fitted with fuel injection, such as the 1975 Ascona/Manta, or an aftermarket EFI, or a later Euro CIH engine w/ fuel injection.
But no, nothing other than an Opel engine
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1,445 Posts
From another car besides an Opel GT that doesn’t need modifications or cutting.....nope.
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As someone already asked, where are you located?
While it may seem that these old Opels are rare as hen's teeth, in truth there are THOUSANDS (if not hundreds of thousands) of them scattered around the continent. For years, I was sure I was the only Opel owner in Calgary. Then there were two. Now I know of at least 20 Opels in and around the city. We formed a co-op and bought parts stashes. We now have a half dozen spare engines. Too far and too heavy to ship to anywhere distant, but I suspect (nay, KNOW) that there are CIH engines near you. They almost certainly require rebuilding, but that has become common place and almost simple, with the support here and from Opel GT Source and Opels Unlimited and other Opel suppliers around the country.
Engine swaps are OK too. But if you need to ask what drive-trains can be swapped in without much work, then take my advice, and don't attempt a swap, if you don't have the skills and money and wherewithal.
HTH
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Yes there is. A Ford Zetec 2.0, Subaru 6 speed, and narrowed Ford 7.5 rear end. Other then removing the stock mickey mouse throttle linkage brackets and a very small dent in the right inner fender well to clear an AC fitting,
![429110]()
it fits like it was made for it. Of course that's not to say there isn't a lot of fab work involved. But as far as fitting in without hacking, size wise it does fit easily. However with that being said. And I'm not trying to be insulting. Usually when you have to ask "will it work or will it fit" that's not a good sign. Please heed Kwilford's advice and do not attempt an engine swap of any kind unless you have the skills, time, money and most importantly the obsession to get it done properly. Far to many nice GT's have ended up at the bone yard because of failed engine swaps.
1970 Opel Gt - Purchased July 1972 - Chartreuse - restored - 3000 miles as of 02-16, 2021 -
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1,244 Posts
Really, really nice GT. Beautiful.....
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So the zx2
Yes, but as others have mentioned they are still from an Opel that had a CIH. I've got a 2.4L and a Getrag 240 5 speed to put in my GT but these aren't exactly cheap options. A fuel injected 2.4L will cost you at least $5k and a rebuilt Getrag 240 will probably cost you roughly $2k. So, you'd be looking at $7k or more by the time it's done. You could buy a different engine and trans from something else for less than that. Rear end is where there isn't a lot of options without redoing the whole rear frame. You can install a Watts link with a little bit of fab work, nothing crazy. If you wanted an IRS setup, then you'd have to cut and weld and figure it all out. A Watts link and lowering the whole car will change a GT significantly however and would be worth pursuing before jumping off the high dive for a custom IRS setup.
If you want a completely different engine, you would have to do some modifications but it shouldn't be too bad if you stick with an inline 4.
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It looks like you've done some more nice work since the previous pictures that I've seen of your engine bay. Is there a build thread with more eye candy and details of the updates? And when you say Subaru 6 speed are you referring to a tranny out of a BRZ?
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