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German Opel

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PAUL161

PAUL161

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Haven't seen an Opel for a long time and didn't know they were still made. Just saw this pic of a new Opel Astra and it's a nice looking car with German technology. Many other Opel models.

View attachment 61323
 
I had an Opel GT before I got my Spitfire, quite a neat little car. It is a shame it was such a rust bucket.
 
My college driver: 1964 Opel Kadett.

1964-opel-kadett-wagon-1.jpg

Girlfriend at the time called it the Klotzmobile, as it shook violently when it finally got up to 50 mph.

ah, gone are the days.
 
My son had an Opel GT many years ago.
 
Never thought much of the Opel GT's. Watched a couple of them owned by friends. As John noted, they seemed to eat water pumps. We would regularly trounce them at autocross events, even in an MGB. They just seemed awkward to me.
 
I thought Opel GTs were cool until I realized it was a 2 door car without an opening hatch or trunk lid. The car seemed rather impractical to me after that.

My uncle owned a Kadett sedan which he drove the wheels off of. However, the Opel I remember the most was a college friend's Opel Manta. Through college my friend continued a newspaper delivery route. The Manta never let him down but that paper route did cause him to go through a couple of sets of brakes.
 
If I remember correctly, wasn't it the Buick dealers who was selling it here?
 
And that was how many years ago? And I can't remember where I laid that screwdriver 10 minutes ago! :rolleyes2: :disgust:
 
PAUL161 said:
If I remember correctly, wasn't it the Buick dealers who was selling it here?
Click to expand...

+ yep

My uncle who owned the Kadett lived in VA. Once while visiting us in NC his car needed service so he took the Kadett to our local Buick-Opel dealer. He liked our dealer so much that he started driving the Kadett every time he would visit... and he'd schedule any routine maintenance to be done by our dealer at the same time.
 
Always thought the Opel GT was an interesting, not altogether ugly, car. Never drove one nor knew anyone who owned one. I have to wonder if there isn't a good reason you almost never see one on the road these days.
 
The GTs rust badly. Mine was a complete rust bucket and apparently that is common for them. I enjoyed mine while I had it, neat little car, stylish, fairly fast in a straight line, it did eat water pumps though( I remember changing one in 20 degree rain once, that wasn't too fun), and it was not very practical (as pointed out, no opening hatch and not that much storage space). I vastly preferred my Spitfire once I got it.
 
PAUL161 said:
Haven't seen an Opel for a long time and didn't know they were still made. Just saw this pic of a new Opel Astra and it's a nice looking car with German technology. Many other Opel models.

View attachment 61323
Click to expand...


This was one of the company car leasing options I had when I got my last car. Looks very nice from the outside. The inside looks like it was designed in 1998 and they hadn't heard about those new multi media systems, or built in bluetooth connectivity.. And it was more expensive than any of the competition. I haven't seem more than a small handful out on the streets.
 
70herald said:
The inside looks like it was designed in 1998 and they hadn't heard about those new multi media systems, or built in bluetooth connectivity....
Click to expand...

I know I am a minority and a bit of a Luddite, but I have no cell phone and my daily driver is a 16 year old Civic with 220k miles. I cannot judge the worth of a car based on its electronic do-dads.
 
Me too - I'd pay extra to get a vehicle without a screen in the dash,
& no extra electronics,& an AM/FM push button radio would be great!
When you rent a car,you shouldn't have to get the owner's manual
out to be able to operate the basic things.
 
Both our '02 Accord and '18 Legacy have a manual tuning knob.
Worst system I've ever seen - Porsche 928. You figure out how to use it.
Second worst system - my '92 Alfa. I don't even use the radio - plus you have to manually raise the antenna. If you leave it up, it's a magnet for kids to bend it down and break it.
 
"they hadn't heard about those new multi media systems, or built in bluetooth connectivity.."

Sounds perfect.
 
One of the main things I like about my Mazda is that is DOESN'T have a host of high tech or internet connected electronics. Radio has a CD player and an 1/8inch input. No video screen, no internet or firmware updating. I can plug in a phone or MP3 player if I want (I have one with no SIM card that I use for offline GPS and music). It got a lot of negatives in the reviews for the low-tech and basic interior, but what counts is how it drives and it actually got good review points for handling and driving.
 
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