727 cubic inches and Australian Tire Smoke! - Episode 10 Roadkill
The Opel GT is back for 1970 with a variety of minor improvements Most notable is that the air conditioning of the factory was now optional, which reinforces the perception that the GT was more elegant tourer a sports car 1100SR the engine remained nominally standard, but it was on its release, having trouble even sold in Europe, it was only 10 1969 production and a handful in 1970. The grand total was only 3573 cars .
With the 1900 engine, the Opel GT is paid well against rivals like the MGB aging but Opel had a formidable new rival in the Datsun 240Z happened in the US for model year 1970 Z was slightly larger than the Opel, just as well equipped, and much more powerful, with 151 hp 113 kW 2393 cc its 146 cu in six It also had better handling than the GT, with fully independent suspension in Europe the import duties tended to push the Datsun in a higher price class, but American cars have been aggressively price list for only 100 more than a GT with 1 9-liter engine against Z only real tangible benefit of the Opel was that it was possible to get one for something close price, while buyers Datsun faced waiting lists and marking important dealers.
At the Frankfurt Motor Show 1969 Opel showed a lift-top version of the GT, the GT Aero Developed by director Chuck Jordan styling, it bears a remarkable resemblance to the later-style Pininfarina Dino 246 GTS Two of the cars were built, but for whatever reason, Opel has decided not to pursue the lift-roof version for production Photo copyright 2012 General Motors LLC with permission, GM Media Archive.
Production GT was down to 1970, but still in the lead of 24,000 units, not bad for a small two-seater European sales were badly collapsed, however, thanks, we suspect, the popularity of Capri less pretty but more practice, more than 85 of the GT Production now went to the United States hoping for a little extra publicity, Buick has become a sponsor of the popular TV spy spoof Get Smart Maxwell Smart fictional led a rally gold Opel GT throughout the last season of the show, which coincided with the model year 1970.
Despite the poor performance of stock Opel GT, it was a clear potential In 1970, the Opel dealers in Italy convinced racing manufacturer based in Turin Virgilio Conrero, famous for its Alfa Romeo racers to prepare the GT for competition in Group 4.
The cars had Conrero boxes ZF five-speed, the flared fenders, wider wheels and an upgraded suspension with anti-roll bars and the binding of a Watt replacing the Panhard rod Their engines were drilled to 1,979 cc 121 cu in and settled for about 185 hp 138 kilowatts Conrero GT participated in various events from 1971 to 1973, including the rise of the hill in Sestriere and Monza, but their best result was the 1971 Targa Florio, where Corsica Squadra Conrero GT piloted by Salvatore Calascibetta and Paolo Monti won the under-2-liter GT class, in ninth place overall Conrero few GTs were sold to private clients and Conrero offers tuning kits for interested buyers.
Around the same time Conrero began working on his GT Henri Greder of Greder Racing Team had two cars of his own by designer Franco Sbarro The Greder cars have also been extended to about 2 0 liters 122 cu and with heads of cross-flow, yielding about 200 hp 149 kilowatts When Sbarro and Greder were made with them, the cars themselves were Opel GT name, a new tubular steel frame, body panels fiberglass, and searchlights still, one Greder GT, driven by Jean Ragnotti 10 made up in the Lyon-Charbonnières Rally, but cross-head flow problem posed Greder quickly abandoned GT in favor of new Opels.
Long engine DFR Opel, seen here in a European Opel GT AL 1900 with a simple two throat Solex 32 carburetor DIDTA-4 and a valve cover modified to delete low, sloping hood GT CIH cam in the head engine a single camshaft driven by chain mounted in the cylinder head adjacent to the valves, actuate the by oscillating arms stamped steel for its time, CIH engine provided excellent torque midrange and specific output respectable, but the noise levels and refinement were much criticized; Car and Driver compared to a motor tractor Photo 2011 RUD66; used with permission.
Another source of customized GTs is the former director of the BMW Klaus Steinmetz team, which offered an assortment of factory setting kits approved for Opel Steinmetz engines offered a series of kit for the 1,897 cc 116 cu in CIH engine, from production 107-140 PS 79 to 103 kW and a full racing version with 200 PS 147 kilowatts kits were sold in the UK by John Rhodes Tuning in Birmingham, but restrictions emissions means they weren t available in the U S.
Opel GT also used as the basis for a number of compromise, the most famous was the Diesel Rekordwagen with special aerodynamic body and a 2068 cc turbo diesel 126 cu in In July 1972, the average 3 mph Rekordwagen 119 190 9 km h for 72 hours on the Opel test track in Dudenhofen, fixing a host speed records and endurance.
The Opel GT has received very few style changes during his short life, but you can distinguish between 1969-1970 1971 1973 models of cars by Opel GT badges location first cars wear their identification on the front fenders, behind the front wheel arches, while the later models, the identification badge on the tail, just below the fuel load of white lights side marker this 1971 GT probably came from a model European; U S cars were the author photo orange lights.
In the United States the most famous tuned Opel GT was probably the one amended by Car and Driver magazine in 1970 Baptized J. Edgar Opel, the car had a CD blueprinted engine but legal issues with exhaust headers more fluid, making 100 net horsepower 75 kW about 11 hp more than eight kilowatts stock the magazine also equipped with a limited slip differential with April 1, 22 no bridge report on the US options list but registered for the competition, front and rear anti-roll bars and a set of E60 -15 Goodyear broad oval tires on wheels Minilite whose installation involved remodeling the interior wings clipped changes over a second WG 0- 60 mph 0-97 km h time and improved cornering grip and braking considerably, but the large tires, additional unsprung weight and anti-roll bars aftermarket created clearance problems ride quality compromises and revealed the basic terms of the geometry of the front suspension the car CD was finally sold to the artist Russ Von Sauers, Jr. We do not know if still survives.
While Opel made no move to offer in performance level set as factory options on the GT production car could use the help for model year 1971 GM demanded that all American engines detuned to allow the use of lower octane low-lead and unleaded gasoline As the 1900S engine was responsive octane testers noted that it might even ping fuel 98 RON Opel reduced the compression ratio versions federalized just 7 6 1 power nosedived from 102 to 90 crude power 76-67 kW; SAE net output was now 78 hp meager 58 kilowatts The compression ratio has been accompanied by a hydraulic tappets with mechanical passage, which were quieter, but reduces the usable rev range CIH engine about 600 rpm The changes increased the GT's 0 -60 mph 0-97 km h again a second and reduced the top speed of about 5 mph 8 km h.
Small slits above the Opel GT backlight are air outlets for air from the cabin As with Corvette C3, many critics found the flow-GT ventilation system insufficient in hot weather, especially on cars without air conditioning screens rear sunshade of this car are not in stock, but they point out the similarity between this car and the concept car earlier Monza GT author picture.
The WG also faces another tough rival, one of Opel itself the new coupe Manta Rüsselsheim of the answer to the Ford Capri, arrived for model year 1971 with a sporty including a tail Kamm GT-like, similar performance, and more convenient for a much lower price Despite its larger size, the Manta wasn t much heavier than the GT and actually treated better, largely thanks to a new front suspension coil spring and anti-roll bars at both ends Even in Europe, where GT straight line performance remained unchanged, it was hard not to see the Manta as a better value.
A 1972 Opel Manta coupe, seen here in 1584 1600S shape with a 97 cc cu in DFR engine making 80 hp DIN 59 kilowatts Introduced in the fall of 1970 the Manta was based on the new Ascona sedan, though the coupe s' bowed in fact first in the United States both the Ascona and Manta were originally sold as Opel in 1900, although the federalized cuts later adopted the name Manta for 1973 Buick decided to import only 1897 cc 116 cu in engine CIH, probably to simplify the certification of emissions Photo Opel Manta A first recorded in England in November 1971 1600ish 2011 cc Charles01; resized 2012 Aaron Severson and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3 0 Unported.
Opel Production GT for 1971 dipped below 15,000 units, less than 1,100 of which were sold in Europe worse, in 1970, Renault bought majority stakes in both Brissonneau Lotz and Chausson Since Renault considered the GT a competitor his own Alpine A110, Opel was forced to move production entirely in-house, an undesirable additional expense for a low-volume model.
Hoping to boost sales by appealing to younger buyers, Opel presented a new model GT at the Geneva Motor Show in 1971 Called the GT J, it was comparable to US budget Supercars like the original a Plymouth Road Runner Opel GT brightly painted September 1 liter stripped of all nonessentials, including chrome trim and carpets from about 10685 DM 3070, the GT J was still a bit more expensive than Capri 2300GT, but much more affordable than the plusher GT-1900S AL GT J was not sold in the US, but it was a moderate success in Europe, representing 10,760 units in 1973.
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