For 88 years, until 2017, General Motors owned a controlling interest in German auto builder Opel. In the 1960s and 1970s, it provided a foundation for small, imported cars for Buick to sell in the U.S. One of those vehicles was the Opel GT, a 2-seat sports coupe that resembled a Chevrolet Corvette. The seller’s 1970 edition is an unfinished project with a later V6 engine and 5-speed manual transmission. Sitting on a curious perch in a garage in Rainier, Washington, this interesting car is available here on craigslist for $5,000.
The Opel GT was on the market from 1968 to 1973 and was only offered with an inline-4 and a 4-speed manual or automatic transmission. More than 100,000 of them were built, with 70% ending up in U.S. Buick dealerships. The little cars had hideaway headlights like the bigger Corvette, but they were hand-operated rather than by a flick of a switch. So, when you drive an Opel GT, it puts you to work!
This 1970 GT may have been a long-term project. The first thing that bothers me in the photos is the DIY lift the seller has created. It looks like pieces of wood sitting on top of jacks. One, how did they get it up there, and two, how safe is that? At some point, the original drivetrain has been dropped in favor of a 2.8-liter Chevy V6 with a 5-speed. So, it should be considerably peppier once it comes down from its pedestal. The odometer reads 70,000 miles, but it’s broken.
Besides the drivetrain swap, what’s there now has been souped up some with an Edelbrock intake manifold and 4-barrel carburetor, plus a hotter camshaft. But does it run? The seller doesn’t say. Does the body need work? The seller doesn’t say either. The interior may be okay, though a carpet set is needed. Would you like to finish this project?
Interesting idea-so many questions-need a flatbed to get her back on solid ground (physically) and a lot of research and fiddling to do the same mechanically.