BF Auction: 1971 Opel GT
- Seller: Michael L
- Location: Barrington, Illionis
- Mileage: 100,000 Shown
- Chassis #: 772350756
- Title Status: Clean
UPDATE – The seller has added more photos of the car to the gallery. They also have provided a list of parts that are included with the car here: driver-side mirror, exterior chrome trim, visors, accessory light, three-point seatbelt, previous door panels, extra set of seat frames, and center console.
If an owner considers undertaking a restoration, they can adopt a couple of approaches. The first, often the cheapest, is tackling the work themselves. However, this can be a major challenge if they lack skills in certain areas, and the finished product may not meet their lofty expectations. The second is to hand everything to the best in the business for a “money-is-no-object” approach in a quest for perfection. The owner of this 1971 Opel GT chose the second path, and the results are stunning. A few finer details require attention, but the heavy lifting is complete. The owner has decided to part with this classic with the finishing line in sight. Therefore, he has listed this sweet little Opel with us at Barn Finds Auctions.
It is hard to express just how meticulous the restoration of this Opel has been. The owner commenced the project with a candidate that was essentially solid but carried the bumps and scars inflicted during years of active service. He handed the vehicle to renowned Opel specialist Keith Lundholm at New Vintage Auto with instructions to return this gem to showroom condition. Mr. Lundholm dismantled the car, mounting it on a rotisserie so he could access every square inch of its original steel. The car was media blasted to expose imperfections, and the photo gallery below provides insight into the work quality. Once the bodyshell was perfect, it was cloaked in beautiful Strato Blue Metallic paint that was buffed and polished to a mirror shine. The trim was returned to a similar level, with some pieces requiring installation by the new owner. The glass is flawless, and the alloy wheels add a touch of class and purpose. With the underside sealed to prevent future problems, the GT was assembled to its current state. The buyer won’t need to perform any panel or paint work on a car that is totally rust-free and has lightened the owner’s wallet by $45,000 in restoration costs and a further $10,000 in parts.
Powering the Opel is a peppy 1,897cc four-cylinder engine that sends its power to the road via a four-speed manual transmission. The four delivers 90hp and 111 ft/lbs of torque. That doesn’t sound like much, but it is enough to launch the 2,112 lb GT through the ¼-mile in 18.7 seconds on the way to 109mph. The owner indicates this car’s drivetrain came in for similar attention to its panels. Between October of 2022 and July of 2023, it has only covered approximately 200 miles since work ended. It has been parked since that time and is going to need some work to get it running, as it currently won’t start. The engine turns over though and since it was running not that long ago, getting it fired back up should take minimal work.
The interior is a work in progress, although many more expensive tasks have been tackled. It features a freshly restored dashboard from Just Dashes, a new headliner, new door cards, and new rear panels in off-white. The owner includes new carpet and padding for the buyer to install, and they will also need to source new seat covers and door trimming. This interior will really sparkle and draw favorable comments once complete.
If you are searching for a quirky little classic car, this 1971 Opel GT could be a strong candidate. The owner’s eye for detail is admirable, and a competent buyer in their garage could tackle the remaining tasks to see the project to completion. The investment made so far means the finished product could be the best GT on the planet. If that idea sounds irresistible, submitting a bid could be the first step on that path to perfection.
Bid On This Auction
KarPie bid $13,001.00 2023-10-25 11:58:50
Lynn bid $12,500.00 2023-10-18 10:55:03- KarPie bid $10,000.00 2023-10-18 07:00:27
2manyvettes bid $3,500.00 2023-10-17 14:30:22
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Comments
I actually had a neighbor in my hometown that had one,his was yellow and he had a lot of fun with it. Back then Opel vehicles were sold alongside Buick and GMC and our local dealer was no exception!
I think the Buick Dealership in Pine Bluff AR sold them too
My grandfathers Pontiac/Buick dealership did in Athens, GA so I bet they did
Bought my ’70 at a Buick/Opal dealer in Detroit. I remember it being advertised as the Buick Opal GT in Road & Track.
My oldest sister had a bright orange one when I was about 12 years old. I called it a mini Corvette. It was a death trap. Fun to look at, but no thank you.
We had a 73 GT..it was a nightmare with electrical issues..spent more time at the dealership than our garage…
Yeah I had a buddy in highschool that had an orange one of these, and it was parked with electrical issues more than it was on the road. Cute little car for sure, but deathtrap is a good analogy…
Ridiculous
Bought a new ’70 in the fall of ’69. That car outran a new TR6 outside Ft. Hood one afternoon. Had it topped out at 132 one night. Believe it or not.
Not
You must be the officer that was driving that TR! Hehheh…just kiddin’ man. But it’s true. Tuned properly those cars could run. A friend of mine had one identical to mine who said he hit 120 when he ran out of road. Another friend of mine had a blue ’69 with the smaller 1100 cc engine. Paul had me tune it one day. Afterwards he hit 110 with throttle left to go.
Many nights on the road back to base from a weekend in Austin, Wiley with his Mustang , Steve with his Chevelle and another guy who had a Charger played cat and mouse with my GT. They tried to gobble me up in the straights but I would gain ground in curves and they never passed me.
I was there man.
I bought my wife a new one ,yellow, in 1973. Drove it to Texas from Ohio one summer. Had the back panel painted black . Very fun car. Kept it til 1989. Ran very nicely and we loved it.
I also blacked rear panel. I also reversed to taillight positions… put the red brake/tail lights to the outside. Took one of the three silencers off. Heh, put 45k on it 1 1/2 yrs.
I always thought it was under rated. :)
I am always amazed at the people that will spend thousands of dollars to restore a car and then try to sell it in a no running condition. If I read the article correctly, the owner dropped 45k+10k and now it doesn’t start after sitting for 9 months?
This has the ‘euro spec’ bumpers. The top speed of the euro version was 185 km.
The bumpers on the US and Euro GTs were the same. Federal bumper standards that created the big, ugly bumpers on most vehicles didn’t begin until 1974, which is one of the reasons the last year for the GT in the US was 1973.
I wonder if the top speed you mentioned was for the 1100cc engine.
I never thought of the bumpers as an issue for its discontinuation. I envisioned an IRS and more horses. But you are right. The front end especially was vulnerable.
I was very familiar with three of these in 1970 while at Ft Hood. Mine from Detroit and another which came from Cincinnati.
Both chartreuse with the 1900 engine and 1970 models. The other was blue and equipped with the 1100. All three had the same bumpers as on this example.
185 kph is about 114 mph. As I posted earlier mine topped 130 mph numerous times.
The blue ’69 with the 1100cc engine I mentioned kept up with Roger and I in our ’70 models doing 110. Paul told me later he wasn’t flat out.
Opel GTs always get attention today. A far cry from the 70s. This is a nice one, I always thought they looked sharp. I’m on the fence with GTs, I like Opels, but the GT was no Corvette, even though they looked similar, and I believe the Opel GT was the inspiration for the Corvette C3, though some think it was t’other way ’round. Both taken from the Mako Shark ll. The biggest problem, for another $200 bucks, you could have a C3. Someone did a nice job here, and $3500 is an insult. The paint probably cost that. Lot of GTs out there that are pretty wasted, and if you want one, you can’t go wrong here. You WILL have fun driving it, for sure.
Beautiful car. It looks like a beautiful resto. I had a neighbour when I was a boy who had an Opel GT. His was green colour. With its blue colour, this looks way better than my neighbour’s.
The reserve is off!
I considered one but with no opening trunk lid, it just wasn’t practical. I got a Pinto with the 2000cc engine. It was faster and probably handled the same.
When I was about 11 or 12, maybe 13, my daddy bought my two brothers two of those GT’s , one was red and the other one was green. I loved those little cars, they weren’t very fast, but they had an awesome “cool” factor…. My oldest brother’s girlfriend had driven his to the mall, to do some shopping, while she was sitting in the car in the parking lot this older lady panicked and stomped the gas and backed slap over the car… It had a black mark from the front to the back of the car… He got it fixed and repainted it metallic blue and put custom side pipes on it,,, they have always been one of my favorite cars….. Wish I still had one…. They were awesome looking little car’s for sure….
Owned a 1971 GT in this same color back in 1977. Never had a problem with it, really enjoyed driving it. I’m 6’2″ and weighed about 165 pounds then and fit in it quite comfortably. If I were looking for another one now, this would have to be it. Currently sinking my time and money into a 80 280ZX 2+2. Congrats to the seller for rescuing this one. BTW, great choice on the wheels.
A few streets over there is an orange one parked. Hasn’t moved in years. Owner must have had a lot of inquiries because of the no trespassing and no soliciting signs. Neighbor up from him has five cars under car covers. Must have the same issues hince the same signs
I love the car, the color and the wheels!
The number of photos of the restoration is great, but there aren’t many of the completed vehicle save for the first three, as far as I can tell. Are there any photos of the engine bay and the interior as it sits currently?
I’ve sent Barnfinds some new photos which will be posted shortly.
Would like to contact the seller. I don’t see a “contact seller” button.
BTW, if you had a stock Opel GT with stock wheels & tires and the original 3.89 rear axle, you would be at 7587 RPM to get to 132 mph. The 1.9 engine is pretty tough, but not sure it would live long at that RPM. You most certainly would have passed peak torque and HP way before 7500.
I was the Opel mechanic at the Buick dealership in NW OKC in the 70s. My dad owned two Opel Rallyes (same engine). No Opel from that era ever hit 132; unless it was driven off a very high cliff. Top speed would be around 110, maybe 115 on a good day. Your speedo was way off if it indicated 132.
I have a 1.1 GT. Brand new, advertised top speed was 99 mph. The 1.1 came with a 4.11 rear axle. No stock 1.1 would hit 111 mpg on level ground. Mine is very slightly modified, with slightly higher compression, and ASSUMING the tach is accurate, tops out close to, but just under 105.
Don’t get me wrong; not bashing the early GTs. I love them.
It is funny the stories guys tell 50 years later. I am sure that
If I recall, the rear axle was 3.36. 150 mph speedo, 7000rpm tach. At 60, rpm was 3000. 4000 grand at 80. Redline at 6200. I’m sure you can determine the rest.
. I considered speedo error back then but timing through multiple mile markers showed the speedos on all three of the GTs dead on at 60.
Heh . I bet you disbelieve the story about the TR6 also. Tells me a lot.
Like most, I hate bull____. Never have done it never will. Figured at my age to share the experience. It was fun when it happened. Heh, even funnier reading the statements of disbelief by those who were never there!
Axle ratio for the 1.9 was 3.44
Since you don’t like Bull, then refer to the actual tests of the day:
R&T comparison test showed an actual observed top speed of 110 (compared to 122 for the 6 cyl 240Z, which had an ADDITIONAL 40 hp over the Opel).
Car and Driver – 110 mph.
Advertised = 115.
And yes, I was there. Like I said, I have owned and worked on Opels. No stock Opel hit 132 on level ground.
Heh. You’re right. I don’t like bull and I remember those tests too. And I chuckled about them after I topped one out. Often wondered if some were quoting factory specs on the 1100. Surely you remember manufacturer’s underrating certain cars top speeds. And since we’re comparing notes, I
like you, also turned a wrench at an Opal dealership plus a Fiat and a Chevy dealership in the Detroit area in the early ’70s. Wrenched in a couple shops in Toledo. Overhauled or rebuilt Volkswagons to Jaguars. Did a Kadett 1900 for a lady who claimed it ran better than when factory new.
You mentioned a 3.44 diff. I claim a 3.36 as per my memory of my 1970 factory manual. I think I spent close to 50 bucks for it.
My folks had a Vette in ’65, 3.36 diff. 3 grand at 60. 6 grand at 120. Ditto numbers on a ’71 240Z with 3.36 diff. 6500 redline. Restored three Z cars. Not to the degree of the one advertised here though. That was in late ’80s and ’90s. As you know it’s become difficult to find uncrowded highways where you can exceed the legal limits anymore. 125 no problem in that stock Z. I did hit 140 in a240Z with a tricked out 280 engine and a 3.96 and a 5 spd out of a 280 2+2. Higher redline than the Opal though.
The Z cars killed the reign Triumph had in the SCCA. My Opal outran a TR6 too.
Opal, to my knowledge, also dropped compression ratios in ’71.
One of the things I am enjoying about three-quarters of a century of existence is that many of my life’s events are held in disbelief by those whose experience lies within the boundaries set by others.
Would have been more fun to have this conversation in person. But that’s one of the beauty’s of the internet.
I remember one of these racing in Brainerd Minnesota in the late 70s/early 80s
It has a 540 CI BB chevy motor in it
My buddy had a blue opel in high school.That little thing was quick and fun.We were surprised he got the wheels off the ground coming up out of a dip.Too bad the lady got splashed with a wall of rain water on the little foot bridge alongside.We laughed are heads off with some help from the Doobie brothers.Unforgettable good ole high school days with L. Lee.Seems like everyone got married and had kids except for me.Damn,40 year reunion in 24.
Had one, when I dated my wife-to-be some fifty years ago. Fond memories of that car, which was in only fair condition when I got it for around $200, complete with a repaint from a dozen or so cheap spray cans.
One thing that sticks in my mind is that when deciding to make a turn at the next intersection, I had to start cranking the wheel a block ahead. The engineers apparently forgot to include a turning radius. I do recall it being quite reliable and I comfortably added many miles to the odometer as it added oil slicks to roadways everywhere. Ahhh, yes – fiddling with those mechanical headlamps…. Sweet days!
Sold! Worth every penny!