Looking for Opel racers....

A associate has a 73 Gt he wants to move. The body's solid with no tin worm, but the rubber around the windows is shot and the interior would need work, and the paint's oxidized. I'm thinking that since this car's so old I don't even need to worry about smog, it can remain a dual purpose car easily for as long as I desire. But, I don't have any experience with the front suspension ( a front leaf spring?), and by reading Cherokee's experiences, it'll need a cooling system upgrade and maybe an oil cooler. Tell me it's impossible as an ITB car, and I'll just make it a track toy. BTW, I can get an Autopower cage too.

Jim Macmahon from NH has run one for years in ITB though I have only seen him once or twice a year for the last couple of years.

And done pretty well with it, and not in a "gimme" ITB class ...the ITB guys in the region are strong.

Thanks for the PM Dick. Glad to find out it can be competitive, really it's a neat car, but would require a lot of work to make the interior nice, so I wouldn't be tearing into a pristine car. I was told it ran before it was parked. I know the pitfalls of driving the race car to the track, my trailering days aren't behind me. But DD'ing a race car, now that'd just be too cool :eclipsee_steering:

Olin Gale (Gayle?) down here in the SEDiv. had a beautiful one too, pretty competitive. Haven't seen him out in a year or two though.

Cool car! :D

I had a "Rally" for Solo and DD. great car. Never blew it up.
Great handling with a big front bar. I think that the rear springs were already pretty stiff. Have fun with it!!. MM

check www.opelgt.com for a bunch o Opel crazies. led by Bob Legere. Lots of good info on pretty much everything you'll need to know.

Thanks for the link Ed, I've been lurking on the forum as I wanted to get an idea of parts avalibility and cost, what's been done and how avalible the upgrade parts are.

Rally Bob on OpelGt.com is the man to talk to. He has a bunch of parts that he sells and that he built to help Opel Racers.....Cool guy too.
Before I restored my GT she almost became a racer.....

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Originally Posted by SATURNRACER

Rally Bob on OpelGt.com is the man to talk to. He has a bunch of parts that he sells and that he built to help Opel Racers.....Cool guy too.
Before I restored my GT she almost became a racer.....

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Damn that is a nice car!

Thanks,
The paint is 12 years old and only 75k on the car and still gets 40 mpg....no air not good in Florida...

I did the ground effects and rear spoiler myself out of styrofoam and fiberglass and got a race spring set from Opel Gt source for the ride. a lot of fun and great therapy to build during my divorce 12 years ago.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SATURNRACER

Thanks,
The paint is 12 years old and only 75k on the car and still gets 40 mpg....no air not good in Florida...

I did the ground effects and rear spoiler myself out of styrofoam and fiberglass and got a race spring set from Opel Gt source for the ride. a lot of fun and great therapy to build during my divorce 12 years ago.....

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Cool, thanks for the pictures. I've not registered for the opel board yet, I'm trying to limit how many boards I post on, I've already got a couple of BMW boards, and I have yet to move on the car. I figured I'd wait a week then talk it over with my lovely wife, then see if it'll follow me home. I figured that becoming a race car would add provenance, besides the interior is pretty sad shape.

Believe Tolly is still running his in HP, out in Oklahoma. Perhaps more with COMA, than SCCA. Might be worth checking out.