Some descriptive words are said about this 1973 Opel 1900 GT, including that it is a true barn find, that it’s mostly original and that it has been owned by the same owner for the last 40 years. The car was last registered in 2004 and has a clean Pennsylvania title. Mileage is 82,989 and a VIN is also listed. This Opel is located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The current bid price is $2,050. You can find it here on eBay.
The engine moving this car is said to fire but has a weak spark. It appears to be the 115 cubic inch, cam-in-head inline four-cylinder engine. That is connected to an automatic transmission. The listing claims that the engine has been rebuilt and only has 500 miles on it since. Maintenance and replacement parts performed and installed recently include a Weber carburetor, new tires, shocks, exhaust, and brakes.
No notes are made about the interior of the car. The seller does note that the car has the original paint. They also say that the floors, frame, and undercarriage are all in good condition. One thing they are honest about is that some bodywork has been done to the rocker panels and lower fenders to a less than satisfactory job. I’m sure if you are well versed with these cars and have a keen eye, you’ll notice.
The seller does say that it would be great for a project, but it can also be driven as is. Which side of the decision do you land on? Would you prefer to continue to garage it, put some money and sweat into it to get it back to almost new condition? Or, would you like to do the basics and put just enough money into getting it running and keeping it running? At the end of the day, are they really that different of a choice?
I have always liked these since the day my girlfriend’s uncle let us borrow his for a date one night. I vaguely remember being able to fit in comfortably at 6’3″ although I was a good 35 lbs. lighter back then. Pretty sure I haven’t gotten any taller though. More room than a Miata for sure.
As mentioned this is a ‘cam in head’ engine. As I recall it’s an overhead cam that actuates the valves through rocker arms on a shaft. Can anyone tell me the advantage of this versus a cam acting directly on the valves? Seems unnecessarily complex to me.
Nice find even if the rockers are likely full of Bondo.
Where are all the Miata engines that got pulled for V8 swaps? Because one of those with a 5 or 6 speed could make this pretty fun. With an automatic, though, thanks anyway.