Is the Opel 1900 Showroom Stock Sedan Still Any Good?

[@ThisWeekWithCars]

I can’t believe it has been 263 episodes since you last saw this car! 😮

[@JoeB4420]

My first new car & a senior in High School. Yellow 1974 Opel 1900 4 speed, 4 door sedan, What a great car! It loved to run in the high RPM range. This car thrived on being driven hard! Kept up with the BMW 2002 & blew off new Camaros.

[@micksterboone4517]

Best demonstration of a dyno run I've seen. Thanks. A video explaining how a dynometer works would be great.

[@glennggward081]

My sister owned a purple 73 Opal 1900, automatic. I owned the green body/black hood 73 Opal Manta with the 4 speed standard transmission. I loved that car.

[@bryancohn9406]

I was lucky enough to grow up at tracks in the Midwest when Showroom Stock was introduced in 1973 (I think?). My parents had a friend who raced a GT6 against 914’s, Cosworth Vegas and other sports cars on that caliber. They were great times with so many different cars in both classes.

[@craigmclean8260]

Fun to see that Road & Track cover from 1975; I recall when all of those cars were new, and all over the place! I had a couple of similar examples of the models shown, a 1972 Vega Kammback (wagon), the old "mini-Camaro-look" (90 BHP, burned oil; kept a case in the back), and a 1978 Civic 1200 (advertised as 55 BHP; was quite nimble, once I fitted a set of Pirelli P3s to it; great in snow). The VW Sirocco was my favorite, as far as the styling went...Thanks for this demo, and the explanation of the dyno test!

[@windronner1]

The German division of General Motors that produced the most underrated car in the world called the Opal was fantastic. Literally an indestructible car. Still very popular in Europe. But long forgotten in the US.As a kid I remember them vividly. I never knew about the mantra being outlawed from SCCA racing.

[@88SC]

Interesting. The styling is pretty sharp on it too. Opels from that era were a common sight earlier in my lifetime. But somehow they disappeared stealthily. Sadly, I suspect Year One doesn’t sell lower rear patches for those quarter panels. It would be nice to see it sparkle again.

[@ThisWeekWithCars]

I have the rear trim but leave it off because if it falls off and I lose it, it would be impossible to find.

[@stephenricketts7764]

Nice to know that a 50 year old car is close to the original numbers. i didn't remember this car but 263 episodes since i think I can be forgiven! Thanks Steve.👍👍

[@beatglauser9444]

That video brings back memories. My Dad worked for a big GM dealership in Switzerland for many years. Even after that we dove TONS of Opels for ages. I owned at least twenty Opels. The prettiest one of them and maybe the best looking car I have ever owned was a Manta A. The Ascona A had a big engine for an Opel of it's time and my Granny drove the same car. But I never seen the US version with those oversized bumpers. They are not pretty to put it mildly. People tend to forget how light cars were back then. You did not need a ton of horsepower in order to be quite fast.

[@donaldhalls2189]

Nice little car, here in Australia they put a Ople motor in a 70's TORANA 4 cylinder, all the best to you and your loved ones

[@1chish]

These Asconas (we pronounce it 'Ascohna' ) were rock solid cars in their day here in Europe although we never got the US specification Fuel Injection just Solex carbs. I ran an Ascona 1900 after the new Gp 1 rally (basically showroom with roll cages) regulations came out and running my Mk I Escort RS1600 became stupid expensive. Opel built a Gp 1 rally special to homologate it and it had many very clever additions and with some 'creative' reading of the regulations you could build a very fast rally car. They were so good Walter Rohrl won the 1982 World Rally Championship drivers' title with a (much modified) Ascona 400.

[@57tagger]

I had a 72 Opel Manta, fabulous little cars. Put some Michelin radials on it and it was the only car I ever put into a four wheel drift due to it's front/rear balance . Put some real snow tires on it and added two sand bags for winters and never, ever failed to get home, passing many 4x4 on the way. Fantastic little cars but they rusted so easy.

[@williambremner9022]

That body style is so reminiscent of BMWs of a similar era. I quite like it! With a little work and an overhaul that Opel could look and drive like a real sleeping weapon. Love it!

[@strokenumber3]

Opels were excellent quality, successful in rallying.

[@kcsavers]

Would like to watch more videos on the Opal. Great little car, it would seem. Owned a Mercury Capri with a 2 liter 4 cyl. And 4 speed manual trans. Lots of fun to drive and 40 mpg fuel efficiency!

[@chumbuddy100]

I drove a 74 Manta Rallye that was imported by Buick in those days. It handled well and got fairly good mileage on the highway which was important on my 530 mile trips to school and back. It did very well in the show too. Hated to see it go, but as you say rust got the better of the car.

[@daveshongkongchinachannel]

Yet another unique and interesting car! One thing I noticed was the engine was still cold. Wouldn’t it have been far better for the engine and the results to properly warm the engine before performing the dyno test?

[@garyowen9044]

I had one, gift from my brother-in-law when I returned from overseas. Loved that car, unfortunately the body just rotted out around me.

[@dcallan812]

Opal made a few descent models; I had a Cadet then a Manta Coupe I rebuilt the Manta engine and got a few more HP back, she had lost many of the original horse's 👍👍

[@paulhall170]

Fascinating!! Maybe one day (or days) you could put all your cars on the dyno and compare their performance now with what they were supposed to deliver back then!

[@ThisWeekWithCars]

If enough people wanted to see that I would make more videos like that.

[@paulhall170]

@@ThisWeekWithCars Well you've got one vote from me!!!

[@glinleyt]

Superb chariot, great video as always.

[@1967250s]

Neat! Would love to see a rebuild and spruce up the body.

[@dennisbranam3847]

You can see the GM influence on this car. It looks like a smaller version of the Nova.

[@ronalddavis2175]

A few know that the car could go at least 5000,000 mi on the original engine if maintained properly. I had a 1971 with at least 4000,000 mi engine not touched. Dec 1968 a car mag tested the reliability all cars sold in USA, They ran them 1000,000 mi .The most reliable car was the Opel, They were so impressed they ran it another 1000,000 mi. The result was it still ran like new, No US cars made it over1000,000 mi without oil burning. That's not bad for a $2,000 car

[@erniebello5833]

More details, names, dates, Please... Would love to read about that test... Thanks!

[@talfacprez]

Dyno testing your original cars could be an interesting series of videos to see how much HP your older cars have lost through the years.

[@garyanderson4374]

I use to drive an opel cadet...neat car!

[@johnclayden1670]

Fascinating as ever.

[@ericwilkinson9447]

My first car before I had my license was an Opel Manta I can't remember the year but I think it was about a 70 I think I loved it I always wanted an opal GT though but that car there looks pretty nice I always knew about the cadets but I never knew about them I would love to see that car all shined up... Oh and that front bumper needs to go back for 5 in or replace it with a chrome bumper nice and flush

[@ThisWeekWithCars]

The paint is too worn for it to look perfect but it probably could be polished out on the sides.

[@20load1]

It’s a pretty good looking car I like the body style

[@graemelliott3942]

Give it a good tune up, valve adjustment and carb rebuild and test it again!

[@1chish]

US spec. cars were fitted with Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection which was not available on European cars and the CIH design allowed hydraulic cam followers.

[@graemelliott3942]

@@1chish not the ones I works on! Single downdraft Weber 32/36 PICT.

[@1chish]

@@graemelliott3942 Well if you are in the USA then a) how many do you work on and b) are they competition or road use cars? The reason the US cars had Bosch FI and a 7.6:1 compression was to meet the new US Federal emission regulations. It could well be someone has changed the Fi for a Weber or used a Euro spec engine. Some earlier US cars didn't have the Fi. Of course any US service people in Germany could buy an Ascona and ship it back to the USA as a second hand car and avoid the Fi regulations. Having said all that the Gp 1 homologation carb was a Solex 32 DIDTA-4 which was crap for every day driving and only good at full throttle so for non international rallies we used to change them for the Ford RS2000 Weber DGAV 32/36 which fitted the Opel manifold and even the air cleaner.

[@nathanexplosion5478]

The Bosch FI was only fitted to US spec Opels in 1975 (last year they were imported and sold in US). I have a 1971 1900 4 door my grandparents bought new, had a Solex carb originally that became miserable and was replaced with a Weber 32/36 DGAV. Huge improvement. The FI cars had a better exhaust manifold that also helps earlier carbureted cars if you can find one.

[@joeambaye8681]

Interesting videos as usual 👍

[@jonjoyce3188]

👍 I say do give it a little tune-up and try again.

[@steveoh9838]

Remember Opels, cool cars indeed at the time!

[@rimizoem]

You should test all your cars, nice video.

[@JohnSmith-if4uy]

Good looking car

[@jimbro5223]

My father was looking at one of these cars to buy. At the last minute the saleman did a "bait-n-switch" and told my dad he had to pay more for the car then what had been agreed to. My dad walked out.

[@dale5898]

I had an Opel model 31. You could not kill that car. Gutless 1100cc plant. Before the rust took it I tried to roll that thing on its side,I mean without killing myself. Nope. I looked for years to find a 1900,Nope.

[@bobmanzi7712]

great stuff thanks

[@davegt27]

I think those are Revolution racing wheels on that car

[@somlaibalazs130]

any news with the not so powerful xj6?

[@kerrykrishna]

Steve, just so you know ( I sure can't be the only one) I have not received a single note for any of your vids in probably 2 months. I have not the first clue why.

[@nadenolam8368]

Drove the piss out an Opel in late 70s

[@ThisWeekWithCars]

Only way to drive them!

[@Popeyes66]

Opel is the Irish Vauxall. GM Chrysler Group.

[@strokenumber3]

German brand of car with a long history.

[@OvertravelX]

This is a mishmash of incorrect words.

[@Popeyes66]

Opel cars were abundant in Southern Ireland,or as i knew it as Eire during the 70s,as i grew up there For obvious political reasons at the the time Britain would not export Vauxall cars there so the Micks had to buy the Kraut variety instead .

[@1chish]

@@Popeyes66 Nothing to do with political reasons. GM never allowed the Vauxhall brand to be sold outside the UK (with some specific market exceptions) due to its 'Opelisation' of its products in Europe even when some 'Vauxhall' cars were built in Germany. Although the cars sold in Ireland were badged 'Opel' they were likely built in the UK depending on the model.

[@mundanestuff]

Opels don't get enough attention. Or I'm in an MG / Spitfire / AH bubble, lol

[@MrBlackbutang]

🙈👍opel gt v8

[@jojo-zi3ym]

6000rpm in cold condition… no good idea

[@JourneymanRandy]

You pushed it hard. Well done Steve. 🔧⚒🔩

[@ThisWeekWithCars]

Shows it really had the gearing to get to 130 mph as the speedometer says.

[@jeffrandolf5673]

I had a '74 Ascona, same dark blue color back in late '80's, until I was hit by a drunk driver. In 2001 I bought a highly modded 1975, carb'd with 2.0L, 5speed, lowered, S.S. exhaust, Recaro seat, etc. I'm driving it now, every SUNNY day in Spring & Fall only. i.imgur.com/jYDTWqg.jpg i.imgur.com/02estJI.jpg i.imgur.com/y6FGwJq.jpg