Baby Corvette Is Actually The FATHER: Opel Kept The Corvette's Secret | Barn Find Hunter - Ep. 123
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- In seven and a half years of "Barn Find Hunter," Tom has only found one Opel GT. In this episode, Tom finds a whole farm full! An Opel GT may look familiar too. Opels are often referred to as the baby Corvette, but there's a funny connection to the Corvette. Back in 1951, when the Corvette program was created by Harley Earl, it was named "Project Opel." All with the Intention that Opel was boring and wouldn't garner any attention. Turns out the Corvette in all its glory can thank the name Opel for keeping its secret so well.
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In 1973 I bought a brand new OpelGt and raced it in SCCA showroom stock class that year. I was 19. I won 11 out of 13 races that year. Anyone who says the were not fast just didn’t know how to drive it. Spent a lot of time cornering on two wheels! All I did to the car was put a roll hope in it! What a great car. Could and did beat Triumph GT6 & Spitfire’s, Porsche 914’s, MGB’s and of course other Opel Gt’s. What a great car! I need to get in touch with that guy and get another one!
My father had a disassembled one from a scrapyard lying around for a long time and restored it a couple of years ago. Very nice and interesting car and he had fun restoring it. He still owns it and drives it in the summer months.
So cool to see Opels featured more and more. I love my 74 Opel Manta Rallye!
I had the lime green with black hood that I occasionally got some grief over. It ran great until it died at 80K. I wish I could find another. Oh, the Opel color schemes seem to be returning over the last few years.
I had a 73 Manta Rallye. Great car. I put 175,000 miles on it. Had it until 1990.
@@incognitotorpedo42 I had the '73 Manta Rally GT and the '73 GT at the same time in the mid '70s. Drive trains were identical except the Manta had split headers. Manta ran better, rode better, handled better. If I still had it today I wouldn't be displeased in the slightest.
Back in the early 80s I had a school teacher that drove an Opel GT. She knew I was into cars, so one day she took me outside and allowed me to look it over top to bottom. I've always admired them since then, though I have seldom seen any others around. Very cool little cars.
awesome im 42 never seen one in person. Cool teacher
Allowed to look top to bottom huh
Did she ever get arrested?
Loved em as a kid...old man now
I had a teacher in Commerce City, Colorado that had one in 1995 she bought new in 1970 still like new. I had a 73 was my 1st car.
@@fastinradfordable LOL! Was thinking the same thing.
I just pulled 2 1974 opel manta's from a farmer's field near my farm in NC. My intension is to restore them. Both are unique and in good shape!
They have a very good balance and handle really well for a mid 70s car
@@greatestevar because ted nugent had intensities in ten cities
@@greatestevar Its a short car so I am trying to stretch it out...
PM me if you need help or parts.. I have a few parts left.
best of luck with restoration man! Hope my content help you with manta bodywork :)
I remember seeing those on the road when I was a kid. I always liked the style of those cars, it was a beautiful body style in it's day. Nothing looked that futuristic in that era.
It is good to see that the Opel GT is still loved. I had and restored 2 when I was younger. They were a great car and the 1.9 eng was very reliable. The issue with the car was they always had some type of trouble with the electrical and that was because they were getting older and the wires were wearing out and shorting out.
I felt your pain, with mine after 2,000 miles the condenser would burn out, I always carried two spares with me and could change it out in a matter of minutes. But oh my what a rust bucket.
tell me about it, I had one and with every electrical fix I did another one showed up. The car had a battery drain, I fixed that, the car stopped turning off, I fixed that, the car stopped charging the battery, I fixed that, and then the blinker stopped working. I do miss my Opel though. It may have been a basket case but man it was the neatest basket out there.
Age had nothing to do with their electric. All kinds of terrible craftsmanship in the harness. But it made them cheap to snag from people tired of throwing money in them. We turned over 5 of them in the early 90’s. Water pumps too.
I bought a new one from a dealership in Germany. I had it for 6 years and the only thing that went wrong with it was the battery went flat after about 4 years and I had to buy a new one. I though that was a bit strange after only 4 years and then 6 years later the clutch went.
Not completely since I could still get it to move but there was a lot of slip.
Not long after that I sold it cheap, slipping clutch and all.
Wish I hadn't but I didn't have the money to get it fixed at the time
For all I know it may have only needed a bit of adjustment.
56 years old I have only seen one opel GT in person when it was 15 years in VA Beach Va. in one of my neighbors garage. Awesome little car . his was 100 all original and very low miles. Thanks
I LOVE Opel's!
My father and grandfather were both engineers at Opel for their entire careers.
My mother's family owns several dealerships.
I own a model of each year from 1958 to 1975.
My more modern vehicles have been rebadged Opel's including a Cadillac Catera and a couple of Saturn Astras.
My daily drivers are a Buick Casada and a TourX
My cars:
Opel Ascona B (shares many small parts with the Opel GT) (my first car with 18, my parents wanted to avoid I buy a motorcycle)
Audi 100 GL 5E (used up my father's car til the valve seals gave way)
Opel Vectra hatchback
Opel Astra H
Opel Calibra from 1994 (the era of the Vectra), a V6 DOHC 24V with 170 hp. My after-midlife-crisis car.
So I somehow unintentionally became a real Opel maniac.
My best friend back in the 80s had a 73 Opel Manta. We even repainted it ( I worked at the local auto body shop) . Its was s good little car and I always like the style of it. We cruised around all over the place in that Manta.
When I was a senior in high school, there was a Buick dealer a few blocks from the school. Every time I had free time, I'd walk down and sit in the 1970 in the bright yellow GT in the showroom. This was my bucket wish car. It still is but I did get a 1973 Manta Rally. It lasted twelve years and 144K miles before I got new car fever after a cylinder started losing compression. I still miss the thing. My Manta was peppy and handled very well. Taking me from St Louis to Columbia MO during college and from Pensacola, Florida to Bremerton, WA. Plus many other voyages during my Navy career.
My dad use to service the opel’s back in the late 60’ to early 80’s when he was a service tech at a Buick dealership in Maryland. When the dealership was sold. All the old opel spares was given to my dad. We spent a long weekend cleaning out the opel parts room. Which at the time had 2 of the opel racing engines still in the crates with an FOB from Germany stamped all over it. If we only kept those parts to this day!
Always a good day when Barn Find Hunter is on!!
Another brilliant episode Tom !!! I've said it before & I'll say it again...
When I lived in East TN in the late 80's, there were older guys who'd have barns FULL of cars.
It was a regular, everyday thing to drive thru the countryside & you'd see a modest house, with a guy's truck in the driveway & his wife's 4 door sedan in the garage but slightly off in the distance, there'd always be a barn or garage & if you knew who to ask, you could go back & the guy would show you his collection.
East TN, North Carolina, North Georgia & most of Alabama is car hunting heaven.
In the mid 90s on summer break from high school. I went to help out a friend clear out his grandfather's sprawling estate.
Among the pristine Deuce Coupes,
Unimogs and bitchin camaros..
.. we spotted several guitar cases in the rafters, covered in bat and pigeon poo.
Two of those cases held Stradivarius Violins.
Well over 100k at the time.
These videos remind me of that week.
Thanks for the memories
I had many friends over the years (I'm 64) that have had these - even helped a friend rebuild his 1.9 waaaay back in the day. I've always loved the styling of these cars.
With the build quality of Opel at that time, time for a rebuild was at 10 years or so. Had an Ascona B back then, the rust just ate it up all around.
Grew up in 70’s, we had 3 opel’s . To this day I love all working man’s cars. Not so much the exotic’s, my favorite is 75 or so Manta. These GT’s where commonly seen, mostly running. Cool story of Marshal Co. Tn.
Remember as a kid in 72-73 going on a road trip, first dream car, in France towards Dijon, Citroen DS, amazing, get to Switzerland, Opel GT's everywhere, wow, they where stunning, hopefully they get back on the road
I met Harold today at the parts store. Super nice guy that really helped me out with a sticky situation. Man, what an awesome collection! I could snoop around that place for months! 😜👍
Hopefully our paths will cross again. 😀
I had a 1972 Opel GT from about 1986-1992. It was bright Orange that leaned to the red side just a bit.
Fun fact for you Tom. Here in Australia, the Marina was badged as a Morris.
Not exactly loved and rare to see one even at an All British Day car show.
Morris and Austin merged in '52, so I think it depended on the market what brand they were labelled as.
Wish these videos were longer every single time! Just love all the background stories to each car.
I was always intrigued with these and the Saab Sonnet, both of which you never see on the road anymore..
The "Saloon" was sold in the UK as the Ascona Iirc? Also sold by Vauxhall as the Cavalier?
The C3 1968 Corvette was designed after the 1965 Mako Shark Corvette show car. So, I beg to differ that the 1968 Opel GT is the father in the design of the C3. Corvette. My opinion is that the Opel GT and C3 Corvette cars were both inspired by the 65 Mako Shark.
Pretty sure both cars were designed by Tony Lapine while he was at gm.
My first car was a 1964 Opel Cadet station wagon. 2 door seated 4 with a back space and hatch back. 4 on the floor, Robin's egg blue. I'd take my friends to the drive in when it was raining. I'd back into the space, lift the hatch and we'd lay down real comfy and watch the movie without having to use windshield wipers. Drove that little car all over new England.
I had a 73 Opel GT. Absolutely loved driving it!
Girl I knew in High School had an Opal GT. Always liked 'em. I was in a '71 Fiat Spyder at the time. 5 speed, 4 wheel discs and double overhead cam engine!
My neighbor back when I was a kid in Panama City FL drove home a brand-new '70 Opel GT- white with black interior. I was awestruck by the styling, and he frequently took me for rides in that "Baby Vette" as he called it. He also had a '67 Cougar XR7 with a 390, white with black interior again. I've owned a Cougar, never a GT. Always wanted one to swap in a Miata drivetrain.
I was just thinking as I was watching this that swapping in a Miata drive train and engine would be a fun project and make a fun car to drive. Wish I had the money and time to do stuff like that.
@@tts8361 easier no question- but what's the availability of those engines, especially in Southeastern NC? I can find NA or NB Miata drivetrains fairly easily, or even GM Ecotec drivetrains that may be more difficult to adapt, but cheaper/easier to obtain.
love the lights on these
Love that station wagon. You dont see those at all anymore. My dad drove one in the early 80's.
Spring of 68, i went car shopping with my dad. I was in 1st grade. I saw a yellow 68 Opel GT and asked if we could buy it. My dad reminded me that we had 6 in our family. We went home with the new 70 Chevy Townsman wagon. I never forgot the Opel GT.
Had a 2 door 74 1900 for a couple of years in HS. It's only redeeming quality is it was durable. My aunt bought it new but it had been thoroughly ran through the wringer by her sister, 2 brothers, father and my brother by the time it made it to me in 1990.
Those Opels with a transverse mounted 600 whp turbo’d Honda K20 (05 Acura RSX Type S) or K24 (CR-V)) swap and LSA 6speed swap would be a BLAST.
For the 1900s (Ascona they were called Here) im with you on that. Northern Europe is strong on this... But for the GT... Man those things are very cramped under the Hood. Honda k series maybe... But to put a LS in there. I don't think its possible
I am always suprised, when this fine old cars are stored outside without any protection. So, sun and rain destroyed they more and more.
Why not use a simple cover to protect them???
The Opel Kadett and Ascona station wagons are very, very raw cars in Germany and it is hard to see, when they rust away 😖.
I always get a chuckle when somone's "collection" is rotting out in a field.
Those Opels are beautiful!
I had a 1971 Kadette for awhile and loved it. I called it the Breadbox because of its shape. I had it before I was old enough for a drivers license so it didn't get driven too much. Always wanted a GT but couldn't find one in good condition.
A friend of mine around 1971, his father bought him an Opel GT. Really cool-looking car, but barely a 2-seater inside. I often ended up riding horizontal on the package shelf. The car was often in the Buick dealer's shop. It went through belts, clutch cables, clutches and tires. The wiper fuse would blow if there was even a trace of snow or ice on the windshield. Parts had to come from Germany so it often was sitting at the dealership for a month or two. They lent him a powder-blue Ford LTD-II which was even slower than the Opel GT, even with a 351 V8. One summer they lent him a Cougar which had a bit more power but by the time it was time to return it, the red paint had faded to rose, it was burning a quart of oil every gas fillup, the upholstery was falling apart, and the steering was goosey-loosey. The dealership was a bit dismayed. It probably got flipped to the auction and fetched no more than $75. The Cougar, that is. The GT was so low, one time he went out to the car in a parking lot and somebody had apparently backed up a big Detroit car right up the hood all the way to the windshield. A muffler clamp from the Detroit iron peeled the hood right back. They seemed like good times.
I dove a 72 Kadet, in the late 80's in Austria, great little commuter.
Loved those cars when I saw them as kid growing up in the 70's . I didn't realize they were so under powered. They look so fast.
The Solex carb and a few other issues. The 1.9 could never breath properly. Lot of people cut out the hood dome cause of issues.
I had a 70 with the 1900 and a 4 speed and it was pretty quick. I later had a 71 and 73 Manta with the same drive train and they were quicker than they looked. I had plenty of room in them too, and I'm over 6' tall (well I was then).
My best friend had a yellow GT when we were in school and i loved riding around in it. It was such a unique car and I always keep my eye open for one but never see one so this was awesome to see. Thank you
Just love that Morris, that was my first car, was stolen several years ago and I never recovered it. Hope to find another some day.
Someone stole a Morris Minor?
I bought a brand new Buick/Opel in 1976. It had a 1900cc Isuzu engine. It was a blast to drive.
suprised to see a Marina in there. Hats off to you dude!
I owned a 70 open GT, I put about 150,000 mi on it, I sold it to some people from Belgium, they shipped it back , completely refurbished it and sold it as used, new.. at a new car dealership.
Folks when I tell you that little car handled well, it is an understatement, pinpoint steering, very forgiving on the edge in a corner, the motor... Absolutely bulletproof!!!!!
Back in the early '80s my Dad had a body shop and we had one of these cars come through. I don't remember much about it other than it was red, but the headlights were the part that I remember most!
My Opel story is as a sophomore at the University of MD in 1973 I had a 62 MGA Roadster my Dad and I restored and a MGB GT that I was restoring so I needed a driver for the cold rainy days till the BGT was on the road. I purchased a 68 I think Opel Kadett Wagon. I drove the wheels off that little wagon. I got very good at replacing the clutch which didn't appreciate my driving style. I belonged to the MG Car Club and even autocrossed the wagon a few times. I drove it flat out all the time. Great little car. I always admired and desired an Opel GT.
To see marina in a collection and so rare is really kinda funny.
Used to be everywhere In the UK...
I had a 1975 Opel Ascona with the 1.9L fuel injection. It was a fun little German econobox, and you could slam it through the gears. Actually bought a 2nd one that I was going to use as a SCCA car, but ended turning it into a daily drive for a friend of mine. There was a guy named Harold in Conyers, GA that worked for Buick in the Opel division. He was a wealth of information.
One thing about the GTs is they were REALLY bad about rusting out under the A frame. It trapped moisture really bad, and if you find a GT, odds are the front end is shot.
I love the Opel GT, a mini Corvette that won't get you in trouble with the law like the Vette could!! I have a TH-cam friend, Youngtimer Oldtimer in Germany that loves Opels too. So I get to see all the best original surviving Opels in his car show videos. Opels are very popular in Australia and South America too!
Awesome to see an American collector with an appreciation for these cars in various states of repair!!!!
The Blue 4-door is an Opel Ascona A-model.
They are pretty rare in Europe too since they rotted out within 2-3 years.
In Europe some GT's are retrofitted with Rotary engines or High Output Japanese 4 cyl engines.
I've been chasing the same GT for 23 years now. Saw it in the summer of 99 standing with a broken clutch. It hasn't moved since 98. 3 times a year I go visit the owner and he says not yet. Owned 14 Opels so far from a 71 manta all the way through to a 2006 Opel Corsa. All shapes and sizes mainly Kadetts and Monzas. For some reason after 2006 they seem to have lost the plot and well all the new ones are just generic looking cars. All the motors were tough as nails I had one that I did the head on 3 times but it ran to 600 000 kms before it started puffing a little smoke.
Hah! Those are my Z cars. I finally have those in my shop now. Thanks David for storing them!
Bravo
Interesting, never seen a Marina in the US but with only 6 in the country, no wonder. A friend of mine in Finland had one as a beater in the 80:s, we had an uninsulated garage in the harbor where we worked on our Mopars and had the Morris Marina as something to warm ourselves in. Didn't even know that they were marketed as Austins as well.
That's a sweet 66 Coronet. My first car that I purchased back in 1989 was the exact twin, same color. However, I don't recall having AC lol.
My Dad had an Opel GT, he bought it new in 1970 I think. It had a manual transmission and was painted in the bright orange color. It had no back seats but we were small kids so we sat back there anyways. We also had a 1967 Jaguar 420 Saloon. He had the Opel for many years and eventually traded it in on a Toyota Corolla. I do have the 67 Jag though. I fully restored it about 15 years ago. It also was our daily driver for many years.
One of my cousins in W VA was into Opel GT back in the 70's 80's and even that early on having one or two running required quite a few parts cars. He had a beautiful white one and five other mostly complete parts cars. He ended up dying in a crash in the car in the mid to late 80's. One of the parts cars was a red Opel that I was absolutely infatuated with. Unfortunately, his parents would not sell the car on the grounds that they didn't want to see one of them "kill someone else" (never mind my cousin's responsibility in the crash). We would go up there every few years back when grandma was alive, and I would get to see them slowly deteriorate away from neglect. Somewhere in a yard in Elkins, W VA there are still the husks of these cars laying in the weeds to rot. I cannot imagine much being left by now.
I had a 1970 Opel GT that I bought in 1984. If I still had it, I probably would have several of them on hand as well. I remember that some of the parts were impossible to find. I do miss it though.
Had one of those in high school, the interior was nice on those .the cable operated headlights were a crowd pleaser. The oil pressure fed timing chain tensioner took mine out
My first car, was an Opel Corsa A 1984 1,0 LS. A beast with an engine you can't kill. The metalworms did instead. This was i Europe / Denmark in 1997.
Love, love, love the Opel section.. always loved the Opel GT drove a 1960 Opel Rekord wagon (my moms).. then, while stationed in Germany in the 70s drove a late 60s Rekord sedan before I bought a VW Bug... ahh memories
My Father drove a 1970 Opel GT Daily from 1970-2003. He loved that car.
They sure make a good looking drag car.
That red one in the driveway is a friend's car. He couldn't find this guy for 15(?) years. He is going to retrieve it in a few days. This guy remembered him.
Absolutely remembered him and glad he spotted it!
I have always wanted an Opel GT since I first saw one in the 70's
I made friends with a 16y/o kid who drove an Opel GT in the 10th grade at my high school in 86'.
I had to ride in the coolest car on campus!
That Opel was fun, but we spent alot of time doing repairs.
I grew up in Germany in the late '60s/early '70s near Munich & my uncle Rudy bought a new red one in '71 & I thought it was the coolest little car! Happy that this guy is a collector of them since I havent seen one here in the States in at least 35 yrs & luckily I'm just down the road from him in Georgia GO DAWGS - WOOF ✌💖☮
I've owned 4 Opal's. 3gt's and a 2dr Cadette. My brother had a Kadett GT with a factory under dash gauge pod and 2 carbs. Always loved the brand. Wish I could afford another GT!!!
IIRC the GT and the C3 were both designed by Anatoly Lapine (also did the 928).
I had a 72 Manta, my brother had a 74 Manta with a sunroof and dad then got a 73 Manta.
Later I had a 75 sport wagon. The front sheet metal was badly rumpled. I found a 74 Manta parts car the same orange color and realized the door skins and windshield were the same and thought the fenders, nose and hood would bolt right on. They did, and I ended up with possibly the only Manta sport wagon in the world! It looked totally factory until you opened the hood and saw the sizable gap between the grill and the frame of the wagon.
Surprised there were no Mantas on his place as I think they were more popular than the sedans and wagons (Ascona in Europe). The Manta was a pretty little coupe with good lines and proportions.
Minnesota winters were not kind to those cars but I really enjoyed owning them.
Hmm, did a bit of looking, Lapine was involved with both Corvette and the Opel GT but probably not as head designer, maybe more a connecting ligament. 🤔
I saw my first Opel GT in 89 and loved them ever since. I ended buying a 69 about 7 years ago and now have it totally ripped apart with the body on a rotisserie. Its been fun learning about it along the way, and yes the rotating head lights are the coolest ever!
The Opel GT is a great looking little car. I'd love to have one in any condition
I like the way this Nissan guy kept his cars, so clean so immaculated...
Great vid! I had a high school buddy (‘81) that used to drive his dad’s Opel GT. I lived the car.
Did I hear to raced 510s? My first car was a ‘69 Datsun 510 (1980). I followed that up owning and driving a ‘72 and ‘73 510. Probably should a kept one of ‘em. 🤨
My dad had a Manta and a GT before I was born. He said they were peppy, fun little cars. But he never felt safe in them because they were so small compared to the American cars on the road around him.
There's a drivable Opel GT in my neighborhood. I haven't talked to the owner, but I admire it every time I drive by!
Longer episodes, please!
Here in England during the 1970s, The Vauxhall ( Opel ) Marina was everywhere and it was bloody horrible to look at and drive. I'm amazed that there are any left.
A Morris Marina in the US!! Never realised they were exported over there.. can't imagine anyone wanting one!
The yellow Opel Sport Wagon was sold in Europe as the "Opel Ascona Voyager". It was a rare one. I owned one in the early 80s ;-)
And the blue is a sedan Ascona.
More cars that need to be restored
Thanks for the content. I own a 70 GT and a 69 Kadett Caravan and show them both here in Kansas. Both cars draw a lot of attention at the car shows and it’s fun talking to people about their memories of owning one or having friends that owned one. I think they have risen in value over the past couple of years and it’s getting tougher to find deals for these cars. Parts are readily available from suppliers on the West Coast and Germany but the prices are also going up. If you really want one, be prepared to deal with “rust” everywhere.
Hello Bruce Butler! I wish my cars looked as good as yours do.
Had a friend growing up whose Dad worked at a dealership and the family all drove opals. Very strange to see in a midwest farm town.
Here in Europe and especially in Northern Europe the GT's are next to priceless these days
There are two GTs next to a Quonset building in west Fargo ND. I've been wanting to buy them for a while now. Never seem to catch the older gentleman when he's there to ask about them. Great looking cars for sure.
73Opel gt was my wife's first NEW car. We still have it, turned it over to my son where he has it in storage and will someday restore it.
I had a 72 Opel GT in college. It was a fun reliable car. But, slow as molasses.
Ha har…. Molasses!
I put a Holley QJ carb on mine and it improved the performance immensely. Downside was having to tweak the jets every 3 weeks...
Took wheels off a early 70's opal, put them on a mid 80's Honda 350, 4 Wheeler... very well balanced, performance great on county highway 👍
I picked up a high mileage Opel Kadett in 78. I worked it like it was a big truck. made a hitch that sandwiched the floor pan as well as the bumper mounts and pulled a trailer with it. Used it while building my house. After that I drove it to work for a few years, ultimately selling it to a co-worker who drove it for a few more years. I froze the motor on New Years Eve of 68 and picked up a 1.9 out of a junkyard. It ran well but used oil. Overall, I loved that car
I always like their styling and also the expensive Toyota 2000 GT!
Our puppy friends stole the show
I've always wanted an Opel GT I remember Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) driving one on Get Smart when I was a kid and thinking how cool that car was! (still do)
The recent Get Smart movie homaged most of the cars from the series, Bernie Koppel had a cameo driving the GT!
I thought maxwell smart drove a sunbeam tiger 🤔
@@jeffd4056 he did, but also a Shelby mustang, a Karmann ghia and an Opel GT. Might have been different seasons.
@@jeffd4056 He did for the first 4 seasons but Buick took over as a sponsor in the last season and Max drove a Gold Opel GT
@@dennisdose5697 imagine having those 4 in your garage at the same time
Omg🥰Great Historians ya both are.....thanks from a 578yrKid in Cambria California..
....Opels are definite rare breeds..
Back in the late 60s, a friend of mine had a 66 Opel manta...with a 1.9 engine...it was quite quick, and very tossable, as they used to say!
Cool looking machine. Only seen one in the flesh.
Spent about a half hour admiring it's lines.
No boot, though.
I can't believe there's a Marina in the U.S.! Seems in FANTASTIC condition - all it needs is a piano dropped on it :)
Favourite car of all time!!!
I always like Opel GTs. They're pretty cool cool little cars. The cars are fun to drive. They aren't all that special, because they were so unbelievably underpowered there wasn't much to them.
Fun to see some Opels in the US. In the Netherlands they have been the bread and butter cars going on from the 50's forward. Never been a fan of the Newer FWD chassis but this era of RWD models could be build into pretty good handeling cars. The Manta's, the Ascona (the wagon and sedan in this vid) and the Kadett C coupe's where all popular cars to hotrod and where used extensively as rally cars because of that. The Ford escort mk1, mk2 and Capri's being their direct competitors. light weight, rwd and some added power was a recipe which was hard to beat. Opel made some specific rally derived models (some being homologation cars) which are highly sought after and valuable today. In Belgium you could custom order a A manta wide body with a straight 6 of the bigger commodores mounted in them (build by a Opel affiliated tuner). Well know rally weapons at the time. They made a lot cool stuff back then, unfortunately it turned into somewhat of a mid market grey dove these days. The last RWD Opel's died with the Opel Omega/Holden Commodore platform.
Could've bought a red GT back in the 90's for $500. Good running shape too ;-(
All those Opel GTs and not a single Manta. That's a little sad.