This seller has a pair of 1969 Opel GT’s for sale. According to the ad, these cars were left over parts cars from another restoration. Both cars can be found here on Craigslist. There are two separate ads for the cars, but the photos and text appear to be the same for both. Located in Hickory, North Carolina, the seller is asking $1,000 each. It’s hard to tell from the photos if there is enough left for both cars to be combined into one decent project. They may be better suited to continue on as parts cars for another restoration. Take a look, what do you think?
Here is the other car which appears to be a bit more complete. Again, there are only a few pictures in the ad, so it’s hard to tell exactly how complete they are. According to the classic car insurance company Hagerty, the average value for these cars is around $8,300. That makes this a project of love rather than a financial investment. Hagerty also states “The GT is not quite as rust-prone as its contemporaries and a decent number seem to have survived. That said, minor parts are nearly impossible to sort new, so badly deteriorated or incomplete cars should be avoided for anything but parts.”
I’m not an Opel expert, but the engine in the blue car looks fairly complete. This is a 1.9-liter four-cylinder and according to Hagerty “Performance with the 1.9-liter was quite decent, with the car solidly outperforming cars like the MGB GT and the carbureted BMW 2002… It was the Datsun 240Z, however, that spelled the end of the Opel GT, along with the Triumph GT6, MGB GT and Fiat 124 coupe. None could compete with the Z on price or performance.” The ad says that both cars were supposedly running when parked and “all the mechanical equipment is there and intact.” If that’s true, it may be a bit easier to make one good car out of the two.
Speaking of BMW, the owner has six 13-inch BMW Alpine wheels that he is willing to part with for an additional price. Along with wheels, the seller states the cars don’t currently have titles but “can get clean and clear titles for them for an interested buyer.” Not sure exactly what that means but titles will certainly help if these aren’t going to be just parts cars. If you are currently underway on an Opel project, these just might be the parts cars you’ve been looking for. If you are seeking a new project, you may want to consider finding a better car to start with.
It’s surprising how small these actually are. A friend has one and back when he he bought it, his daily driver was a 2003ish Ford Focus. He sent me a pic of the two parked side by side. The Opel made the Focus look positively huge.
I sat in one for the first time recently, all I can say is you are your passenger better be good friends.
Field junk! Pay me to clean up my field!
Lol yeah well… almost. I clean my own field.
A customer of ours is restoring one. Evidently the glass is difficult to find, but not nearly as difficult as all the missing parts from the blue car.
These are more like suggestions of a car, not actually the real thing.
I know of a yard in very rural (and dry) Idaho where there are 6-8 of these and most are complete. Been sitting there for decades. I wanted to buy one in the 90’s and drop a sbc in one…but had other priorities.
Heath – that sbc thing is funny, but actually not. The big Opels actually HAD small block chevys during the time I was stationed in Germany. Late 60’s…I believe they were the Commander or Commodore models. I’m relying on my memory now, not google. I always thought the GT looked like a shrunk-down ‘Vette. Much too underpowered for me….
Opel Diplomat. 283,later the 327. Both with Powerglide
Heath, I have a GT project and would dearly love to know the location of that yard!
Sure Bryan, send me an email at Heath_Kopp at hotmail dot com.
Click into the craigslist page and get the owners number ???
They are in Hickory North Carolina. If I remember correctly there was also a guy in Swansboro North Carolina who purchased the storage units of parts i was left with after my father’s passing.
Not really supposed to list Craigslist adresses here.
It’s not an address, just a general location. Sometimes just knowing if you are remotely close helps in making a decision if it’s worth the travel time. Hickory is listed in the Barn Finds story.
That makes sense, I guess. ( :
The buyer is going to need parts cars for these parts cars.
Good one, Dolphin !
Chris – Thanks ! Now I’m going to have to “Wiki” them. I knew they had both of those engines. Thinking back, I’d see them (but few) around the town where I was stationed, but “oddly” never saw one on the Autobahn. I sure wanted to, as I had a brand new ’67 Fairlane GTA and wanted to see “what they had” top-end wise…..shocked a number of high-end cars.
Nope never stock v8 only 1.1 or 1.9 4cyl. Lots were swapped tho
Dan, Totally agree,pay you,then bust my back to remove your junk!
I actually think both of these cars belonged to my father before he passed away. He was quite the Opel GT enthusiast. He was living in North Carolina and as I remember it the cars were sold in the same state. At the time of his passing I was left with the task of selling 2 storage units of parts. They also remained in state. Hopefully at least one good car can be created here!!
Do you have any way to tell? Contact me maybe we can figure it out
If these were your father’s, Jen, you certainly would recognize the faded red one right away. It looks like it’s had those incorrect alloy wheels and sideview mirror mounted for a LOOOOOOOOONG long time! Looks “highjacked” in the back too.
Truth is, I’d much rather see what the Opels look like in the rural Idaho yard that Heath mentions than these from Hickory, NC. There has been a similar rotten pair periodically show up on the Nashville Craigslist.
I’m trying to see if the yard is still open…Bryan I replied to your email. They had a lot of cool stuff, some 55/6 COE Fords too!!
Got the email. Thanks, Heath!
Well these things are total pieces of crap! Just kidding they are mine… Well they were mine. They sold. I just was looking for the ad and found someone had posted them here!
To the folks who said pay to clean up my junk, I rescued these from a place they would likely rot into the ground, and instead they were pulled out photographed and rehomed to someone who will dump more money than they are worth into them and love them, and pass them down to their grandkids. Literally they told me so.
I didn’t make much if anything by the time I pay myself to move them… But they were fun to look at and talk with people about, they have been quite the conversation piece. Just glad they are finding homes instead of the crusher!
Thanks for the update James!