What can be said about Buick/Isuzu Opels?

I've got my eye on a late 70's Buick Opel for a project/possible Challenge contender. I haven't looked at the car yet, but from speaking to the owner, it's in more than decent shape to restomod. Now I know these things are the same as the Opel Kadett C ... but that still doesn't tell me all the little things to look out for.

The car is sans engine at this point, so I'd eventually drop in whatever lightweight engine/trans combo that becomes available cheaply (miata? rwd volvo?) Primary concerns are suspension components, though Napa seems to have everything available through their sources ... or I have suppliers where I work too.

What is the good/bad/ugly with these cars?

I need a bit more of a clue. What exactly do you mean by a Buick Opel? Opel was imported and sold at Buick dealers. Opel has been owned by GM since the 1930's. In the mid/late 70's when GM also bought into Isuzu they merged/interchanged parts between the 2 companies. Rebadging excercise. Some Isuzu parts are used as an upgrade on Opels. Primarily Impulse 4-wheel disk setup.

Since you mentioned that it's the same as a Kadett C, it sounds like you mean a GT since it is based off of the Kadett chassis. Same suspension w/stiffer shocks. But they stopped importing them in 1975. Ascona/1900 perhaps? One that wasn't imported to the states?

Most Opel parts aren't that difficult to find. There is a shop in CA that reproduces alot of parts for Opels, GT's mostly. Some companies in Germany will also import. Engine swaps have been done also.

As you can tell, I own an Opel. Mine is a 70 GT.

These:

From here:
http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2007/07/01/hmn_feature25.html

Holden Gemini downunder, very popular hot rodder, do a search

I have to get the pics from my father. He imported a 68 Opel Kadette Rallye from spain when he transferred from Rota to Lakehurst. He used to race it here in south jersey on the local tracks and completely demolish the competition.

Unfortunately he sold it in 1980 for a grand.. now you can't touch a nice one (in europe) for less than 70,000. He probably had the only Opel Homogulation special here in the states. If only he knew then what he knows now.

I have a soft spot for opels, I remember sitting in my child seat in the back while he and my mom used to plot out TSD Rallies here with the harbor sports car club. Fond memories, fun times

jrw1621 wrote: These:

Yes, those. Well, specifically this one:

What you have there has no Isuzu content. Rather, they were imported from Germany.

In the US, what you have was commonly known as the "Opel 1900" and other places known as the Ascona. Mechanically, they are very much the same as the Opel Manta.

Source:
http://www.opelclub.com/html/opel_ascona___wagon.html

In the US they could be had as 2 doors, 4 doors and 2 door wagons. The wagons seem to be the most popular. Personally, I would like a two door with Panasports in a BMW 2002 want-a-be sort of way.

I dated a girl whos brother drove a 2 door in yellow. In 1983, I thought it was one of the coolest cars around.

mith612 wrote: ... but that still doesn't tell me all the little things to look out for. What is the good/bad/ugly with these cars?

Now that we know what you have, an attempt to answer your original questions is...

Good/bad/ugly: What you are looking at is a car that is more than 35yrs old. Look at everything. It is a simple front engine - rear drive layout and with fabrication many things are possible.

So I went and looked at the car today. As was mentioned, its definitely not the Buick/Opel that I had thought (and was listed as) but a Opel 1900 with a build date of 03/71.

Body is in very solid shape, with surface rust in a few places. Front end components all look solid, but rusty ... probably clean up easily enough with a media blasting.

It's missing a few components, the engine being the largest, but that was known going in. The passenger front door handle is gone and there are no keys. The interior floor is wet, but the metal underneath seems solid.

Oh yeah, and that's it at my house ... too good of a deal to pass up. Potential challenger for 2010, we shall see how it all turns out.