TOHE PEL A SSOCIATION OF A MERICA TOHE PEL E XCHANGE

THE O FFICIAL N EWSLETTER OF THE OANA VOLUME 6N O .5-S EPT /O CT 1998

Modified Piston/Rod set and Stock 1.9L Opel

HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF A 2.4L WITHOUT GOING TO E UROPE - B Y B OB L EGERE OANA CLUB INFORMATION

The Opel Association of North America has been in existence as a local club since 1985. From 1994-1996 the club saw many transformations and in 1996 the O.A.N.A. was formed in its current form for the purpose of providing a source for locating parts, service, tech-help and a forum to exchange information with other owners of all Opel models from the 1957 Olympia to any gray market imports that are in North America; with a special emphasis on the Opel GT, Manta and Kadett models. Our ultimate goal being to keep the Opel marque a presence in North America, improving the collectiblity of all in North America and most of all have fun doing it.

The North American Bitter Registry was formed for the same reasons as The Opel Association, but with the small number of Bitter SC coupes imported into the U.S. and the non-existence of any club to help the owners of these rare and exotic cars, it was determined that our club would be the right place to give assistance to our sister make and help their owners have a place to become interconnected. · Club membership dues:

Regular Newsletter membership for U.S. and Canadian members are $30 for a 1 yr ($60 for 3 yrs) Net Only Membership (Members do not get a mailed newsletter, but download it from the net) is $20 for 2 years. · Mail all membership dues and advertising to:

The Opel Association of North America - c/o Membership 394 Mystic Ln. Wirtz, VA 24184

Our Email address is : [email protected] Our web site and links to our chapters web sites: http://www.opel-na.com/ Site Login: oana PW: 64kapi Join the Opel mailing list : Send email to [email protected] and request to be subscribed.

OANA CHAPTER INFORMATION

Mid-Atlantic Opel Association New England Opel Club Northeast (DC, DE, MD, NC, VA, WV) (CT, MA, NH, RI, VT, ME) (PA, NJ, NY) President - Charles Goin President - Gary Farias President - Kevin Podzebka Address: Address: Address: 630 Watch Hill Rd. 24 Columbia Rd. 6852 Fremont Rd. Midlothian, VA 23113 Swansea, MA 02777 Syracuse, NY 13057 Phone - 1-(804)-379-9737 Phone - 1-(508)-679-2740 Phone - 1-(315)-656-8238 Email - [email protected] Email - [email protected] Email - [email protected]

Southern Great Lakes – *NEW* Lone Star (AL, FL, GA, MS, SC, TN) (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, WS) (AK, LA, OK and TX) President - Mark Elias President – Bill Hoffman President - Martin Reimer Address: Address: Address: 6462 Paula Ct. 30725 114th St. 5910 Hidden Mist Rex, GA 30273 Wilmot, WI 53192-0457 San Antonio, TX 78250 Phone - 1-(770)-968-7895 Email - [email protected] Phone - 1-(210)-520-6213 Vice President - Ken Litke Phone - 1-803-279-5796 Email - [email protected]

Mid-West Rocky Mountain Opels Pacific Northwest (IA, KA, MN, MO, NB, ND, SD) (AZ, CO, MT, NM, UT, WY) (ID, OR, WA and AK) President - Chad Fellmer President - Branston DiBrell President - Ed Thomas Address: Address: Address: 4915 S.Main St. 5245 Wainwright Dr. 1233 Firpack Dr. SE Cedar Falls, Ia 50613 Security, CO 80911 Lacey, WA 98503 Phone - 1-(319)-266-0940 Phone - 1-(719)-391-9421 Phone - 1-(360)-491-0865 Email - [email protected] Email - [email protected] Email - [email protected]

California Canadian Opel Club The Bitter SC Registry (CA, NV and HI) President - Marisa Giancarla President - Senen Racki President - Richard J. Anderson Address: Address: Address: 104 Esplanade Ave. #134 45 Memorial Ave. 26 Brandywine Pacifica, CA 94044 Stoney Creek, ON L8G 4C5 South Barrington, IL 60010 Phone - Phone - 1-(847)-836-5006 (415) 359-0385 (home) Email - [email protected] (415) 278-0727 (work) Email - [email protected] OANA TREASURER’S REPORT - 16 JULY - 15 SEPT 98

Receipts: Expenses:

Dues received (renewals): $ 360 US Postal Service: $ 112.24 Dues received (new members): $ 0 Carriage House Press: $ 338.16 Dues received (net-only): $ 20 Advanced Web Creat.: $ 74.85 Dues received (business) : $ 50 Contributions : $ 186

Total receipts: $ 616.00 Total Expenses: ($ 535.25)

Monthly Total: $ 80.75 Balance brought forward: $ 1,003.86 Current Balance: $ 1,084.61

Membership renewals Net-only Memberships Special Contributions

John C. Malone Todd Martin Dave Stoner (2-years) Gil Wesson (GTSource): $100 William & Phyllis Baker (Business membership) Wayne Tourman: $40 Douglas & Karen Golden Hugh Jacobs Erik Larsen : $36 Robert Heimerl (3-year) James Earl O’Keefe: $10 John Hannon Steven Philippy James Earl O’Keefe (3-year) Diane & Lance White (3-year)

Special contributions were received from Gil Wesson, Wayne Torman, James O’Keefe and myself to help subsidize the cost of our president’s trip to California to attend the OMC picnic this summer. The bill for this trip has not yet been paid and this expense is included in the above (ending) balance. Also, the bill to the publisher of our last newsletter was excessive in the amount of $117. This “credit” will be reflected in the cost of the newsletter you are now reading. You should note that several members have paid for a 3 year membership instead of one - This is an obvious savings which brings the annual cost of membership to only $20. Please consider this the next time your membership comes up for renewal. But regardless, please pay your dues when due. I would much rather make a bank deposit than cut a member from our paid member list.

Respectfully submitted: Erik Larsen - OANA Treasurer

UPCOMING EVENTS

· 1st M.O.A. Christmas party !!! (more info next issue) Richmond, VA December 5th, 1998 · Bennigans Lunch Meeting Tysons’ Corner, VA March 13th, 1999 · 1999 Carlilse Import Meet Carlilse, PA Early - May 1999 · 3rd Annual - NEOC Opels on the Lawn Brookline, MA Late - June 1999 · ? Tacoma Meet Tacoma, WA July? 1999 · 19th Annual OMC Picnic and Show Los Angeles, CA Early August? - 1999 · The 14th Annual OANA/MOA picnic Richmond, VA September 25th, 1999

NOTE FROM THE PREZ

First off I want to say I apologize for being so tardy with this issue. Lots of things going on, I do plan to get the Nov/Dec issue out within the next 6 weeks to get us back on track. Anyway, I have listed a basic guide of the main picnics due out next year. I am sure the Rocky Mountain Chapter will find a date for their picnic. But I am not sure when it will be. But I know they have been having fun with their current meets and runs, so its only a matter of time till I get the info on next years meets from them. (See the RMO article for more info on this.) Note that the MOA picnic has moved to September of next year. This is to get us out of the heat and well to be brutally honest, the previous date conflicted with the New England Chapters meet. Since the New England Chapter doesn’t set the meeting date (Its set by the museum) and I WANT to go, I moved our picnics date. So there you go, There is no excuse for not at least pre-planning a bit to figure out which meetings you are going too. Please try to make at least one of them, they are always great fun and the more the merrier. - Till next issue Charles Goin (Editor) THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN OPELS CHAPTER NEWS

SPANISH PEAKS/HIGHWAY OF LEGENDS RUN - SATURDAY OCTOBER 3RD 1998 This Run started in Pueblo, CO and followed the Colorado designated scenic byway “Highway of Legends” starting outside of Walsenburg and ended in Trinidad, CO with snacks along the way. More info next newsletter.

ESTES PARK RUN RECAP Estes Park Run - Saturday August 15th 1998. It was a sunny Saturday morning in Boulder where we started the Run. It turns out that the Crossroads Mall parking lot (where we were to meet) is very big indeed. With trees, islands, and buildings in the way, it was not as easy as I thought to discern *exactly* where a group of Opels was parked. We ended up sending an expedition to find Jim Arnett somewhere in the mall lot. We took off not too much behind schedule with myself in the lead. Following behind me were John IN THE CROSSROADS MALL PARKING LOT - WE’RE READY TO GO Longland in his GT and Jak Jones in his GT both from Colorado Springs. Jim Arnett and his driver in their GT and James Schrencengost and his sidekick Stan in their Manta all from the Denver area bringing up the rear. James’ Manta had the video camera and was taping the Run.

Up Colorado Highway 119 we went out of Boulder, snaking up the canyon with the briskly running creek to our left. Winding slowly up the road behind traffic, 5 Opels in a row - relegated to 3rd gear. Up the hill we go - suddenly, Jim breaks formation. He turns left into the dirt and gravel turnout on the side of the road. The rest of us scramble to see what the problem is. Steam appears from under the hood of Jim’s silver GT. Out of our Opels, we all take turns looking into the engine compartment, discussing what’s causing the coolant to boil over. We finally figure out that it was a loose belt which in turn was caused by a loose alternator bolt. After letting the radiator cool a little and even adding some water from the creek, we’re on our way again. We continue up Highway 119. Finally the road levels out and straightens a bit. I know why they call this a Scenic Byway - it is scenic! Especially on such a nice day - not too warm, but sunny weather. We pass through Nederland and it’s roundabout in the middle of town switching to Highway 72 toward Estes Park. I’m anxious to see Estes Park. I haven’t seen it since I was a kid - and I don’t know what I remember of it. We eventually come up to the Estes Park city limits. I see some mountain houses and stuff, but nothing that looks like a town yet. It seemed that we drove another 10 minutes before we saw the town. And we hadn’t yet seen the ‘old’ center of town - it is time to decide what to do. We decided to eat there in Estes Park (rather than in Boulder as scheduled) - we find a park with a covered picnic table just across the street from a Taco Bell®. After lunch, we decide to drive by the ‘old’ center of town and then head back to Boulder. We took a shorter, faster route: US 36. It was non-stop except for an unexpected 15-20 minute wait that we had because of an unfortunate accident up ahead that brought the entire two lane highway to a complete stop. We all got out to stretch our legs. This Run was the best attended this year. I think everyone had a good time on this not–too–long road Run.

Memo from the President

Rocky Mountain Opels (the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the OANA) is going to have a business meeting sometime in October or early November. This meeting, like last year, is to plan what the club is going to do the following year. The way I did this last year is that I tried to set up the best time to meet for the greatest number of participants. Last year, we had the LUNCH IN ESTES PARK meeting in Broomfield. This year, we will have the business meeting at the Village Inn in Castle Rock [Village Inn: 207 W Wolfensberger Rd - take exit 182, then go west. Close to Shari's and Taco Bell]. If you would like to know when to attend the business meeting this year, just contact me and I will let you know when it is scheduled. -Branston - [email protected] - (719)391-9421 PROJECT 2.4 LITRE - BY ROBERT LEGERE

It's been a while since I've had anything interesting under the hood of my street Opel. Lately I've made do with a nearly stock engine that I installed to put my car through the local smog test. Its not that the car runs badly, but it just doesn't make me smile when I stand on the "go" pedal. It'll go 3 1/2 seconds faster to 60 than a stocker and about twenty miles per hour faster on the top end ('admittedly it gets there at a leisurely rate). But not what I would call inspiring by any means. My last hot street engine was a two litre that idled evenly at 1300, ran strong to 7000, and managed to give Mustang 5.0 drivers fits when I put them away at the stoplights. But when I pulled the engine out to finally freshen it up after 3 years of hard use, I mistakenly lent it to a circle track racer friend of mine, and a broken rocker arm stud ended it's life soon thereafter. About two years ago I had plans to build a killer street engine with more compression, more displacement, hotter camshaft, roller rocker arms, twin Weber sidedrafts, and a very serious cylinder head. This would have been the next logical upgrade for my street car. In the meantime, I put the original stock engine in, and drove that for six months until one of the choke butterfly screws decided to fall into the carburetor and destroy cylinder #3. 1 then quickly threw together my current engine from parts I had laying around. This replacement engine gave me more time to think about my up- and-coming killer street engine. I already had most of the parts, and a lot of the labor was done, but then I sold the camshaft to someone who needed it more than I did, and I re-evaluated just What I wanted to do with this car. I still drove it everyday, and I've always had a problem with driving a car with dual Webers on a daily basis. Most of the time, they don't really help until the engine is up into the rpm's, and the mileage usually really stinks as well. I still liked the concept of keeping the increased displacement, since torque is the outcome of displacement. But, like my last hot 2.0 litre, I didn't want to mess with it every day. My final decision was to remove the Camden supercharger from my Toyota , and transplant it onto my bored and stroked Opel engine. Why? It had performed flawlessly on the Toyota for many years and 40,000 miles. And the torque it made was amazing. Surprisingly, the shortblock was one of the cheapest parts of this engine to create. The cylinder head that I was originally building was a killer 1.5 head with 1.84" intake valves and 1.50" exhaust valves. I utilized my latest porting technology on this head for some serious flow figures. It's not easy to get a 1.5 head to flow well because' of the combustion chamber shrouding, but this head has a lot of time into it. The intake manifolds were also modified to match the head and the 45 DCOE Webers. The preparation is equal to my Level 6 road-racing heads, but with slightly less expensive parts. Now after my latest re-think, it's destined for a high revving 2.0 litre, instead of my torquey 2.4 litre. I know that I could have taken the easy way out and just ordered up a 2.2 or 2.4 litre engine from Europe, but I enjoy a good challenge. I wanted to get as much displacement as possible out of a 1.9 as I reasonably could. Where do you start? Well, first I checked out as many parts books as possible, then visited my friend's automotive machine shop to-look at some of the various pistons he had laying around. With a little bit of math work, I came up with a potential combination. Opels have pretty strong cylinder walls, as I can attest to by all the 2.0 litres I've made over the years. A 1.9 block has a 3.66" bore and 1897 cc's, but an overbore to 3.75" will give 1989cc's. Now I know that .090" seems like a lot of material to remove from a block, but keep in mind its only .045" from each side. A few "experimental" "Opel engines I've built have been bored all the way to .215" oversize! This projects engine was going to receive a bore increase out to 3.766". The old 2.0 litre engine I removed from my street car was a perfect candidate since it was already 3.75", and a little tired at that. So it would be a simple matter to accommodate the new 3.766" bore size. The stroke of this new engine was to be 3.25", and this new combination (95.65 mm x 82.55 mm) yields a displacement of 2372 cc's, or, rounded up, 2.4 litres. How was this achieved? The stock crank was sent out to a local crankshaft specialty shop, where it was welded up 1/4" on the connecting rod journals and then offset ground that same amount. By adding 1/4" to the throw of the crank, the piston will travel 1/4" higher in the bore, and 1/4" lower in the bore for a total stroke increase of 1/2" Although the price will obviously vary with whoever does the work, I paid $475.00 to have the crankshaft welded, straightened, and ground to size. Straightening is a normal procedure after welding, since the heat will tend to warp the crank. I personally did quite a bit of grinding work on the crankshaft, smoothing out all the forging lines, and removing some material adjacent to the connecting rod throw areas in an attempt to lighten the crank somewhat. The end result was a crank that was about 1/4 pound heavier than a stock Opel's, even when figuring in the welding. That's about 5.25 lbs. lighter than a stock factory 2.4 crank. PROJECT 2.4 LITRE - BY ROBERT LEGERE (CONT.)

Stock Opel rod in background Modified Opel rod in foreground

The connecting rods used were some forged Opel rods (without the raised bump at the beam's oil hole) that had been prepped fairly extensively. The stock rods of this type typically weigh about 630-645 grams with bolts. The rods I used were polished on the beams, the balance pads lightened, and then shotpeened. After all modifications, they were balanced, and the final weight was 522 grams. The bolts I used were some heavy duty Kamax racing bolts that I had gotten from Germany some years ago. If I were to do this again, l would use A.R.P. bolts, as they are considerably cheaper and probably stronger too. The next "trick" piece ended up being nothing trick at all. The pistons used were not some exotic forged racing pistons, but were in fact borrowed from the GM parts bin. I used .030" oversized Chevrolet 305 pistons. In fact, I used the dished "low-performance" pistons from a regular passenger car 305, as these would have given me a 11.5:1 compression ratio if they had been used with the 1.5 head. With a stock 1.9 litre head however, the dished pistons worked out to a 9.13:1 compression ratio. This was closer to what I needed for use with a supercharger, but not low enough. The 1.9 cylinder head I'm using has had the combustion chambers ground out to lower the ratio further to 8.7:1, which was my target ratio. Another item of interest to people considering this undertaking is the use of the flat-top 305 "H.O." pistons that are used on trucks and performance applications. These will yield a 10.23:1 compression. ratio when used as pistons for an Opel 2.4 stroker engine and a 1.9 head. My intent was to build a cheap shortblock, and I admittedly chose the cheapest route as far as pistons go. While I could have used forged or even hypereutectic aftermarket pistons, I decided to go with stock cast pistons, as the cost was irresistible. The upside was the low cost and tight tolerances, which would keep this engine rattle free, but the down side was the risk of running the engine into detonation while under boost and breaking or burning a piston. I originally figured that I would be using relatively low boost as well as a Jacob's Electronics "Boost Master', which has some very interesting features. It has a manifold pressure switch which retards ignition timing when boost comes on, it has a 15 degree range of ignition timing adjustment that can be done as the vehicle drives (it can be manually retarded from inside the vehicle if, for example, you have to buy low-octane fuel), and it has a built-in rev limiter. So I had the pistons custom machined to my specs. Then, in retrospect, I decided that if I decided to increase the boost later on, the cast pistons wouldn't cut it. I ordered new forged pistons and had those machined as well, then for even greater piece of mind, had the tops coated by Swain Technologies with their thermal barrier coating, and the skirts coated with a dry-film lube. I guess I've got a spare set of pistons for another 2.4 now. PROJECT 2.4 LITRE - BY ROBERT LEGERE (CONT.)

Stock Low Compression Chevy 305 Piston in background Modified Low Compression Chevy 305 Piston in foreground

Another plus of the 305 piston is the weight. A stock Opel 2.0 piston weighs about 595 grams, but the 305 piston, once -modified (read on), weighs only 465 grams. The Chevy piston pin is 20 grams lighter than the Opel's, at 145, even though the diameter is .926" as opposed to the Opel's .905". Yes, the small end of the Opel connecting rod had to be opened up to accept the larger Chevy pin. About the piston modifications. The first one was mandatory (unless you want the pistons to hit the head), the second one was optional if you were building a mild engine. The first modification is simply to machine .030" off the top of the piston. In my case, since I'm using the dished pistons, it’s only removed from the outer edge. The second thing is the notching of the pistons for greater valve clearance. My cylinder head and cam combination proved too much for the standard dish depth. The valve sizes are 1.88" intake and 1.60" exhaust, with the cam as follows: intake .507" lift/ exhaust .526" lift, intake duration @ .050" - 238 degrees, exhaust duration @ .050" - 246 degrees, and lobe separation 108 degrees. By the way, this is a hydraulic profile, since I hate adjusting valve lash. And I can't see this sucker really revving beyond 7000 rpm's since it is a long stroke engine and was designed for torque. If you were to put this same shortblock together but limit the valve sizes to 1.72"/1.50", as well as a milder cam (say .430" lift and 220 @ .050" duration), then there would be no need to put valve reliefs into the pistons, as the standard dish is more than adequate for clearance. The block itself, aside from having been bored out .106" larger than 1.9 litre, also received some additional reworking. I gave it my usual treatment in regards to preparation. The inside of the crankcase and the area beneath the timing cover at the front of the block was polished down smooth with 80 grit sanding rolls. The main oil galley plug at the rear of the block was removed and the hole was tapped out for a 3/8 pipe plug. I just don't trust press-in plugs! All threaded holes have had their appropriately sized taps run through to ensure the proper torque specs later on during assembly. The front of the block has had the main oil passages massaged and "blueprinted" to match the equally reworked timing chain cover. I've seen some oil holes misaligned as much as 50% here. The entry hole for the coolant passages into the block have been reworked to allow unrestricted flow as well. The deck surface of the block has been trued up and enough material removed to place the pistons .005" above the deck, reducing the quench area. This promotes better combustion, and therefore improves economy, power, and emissions. The block deck then was o-ringed to receive aluminum wire inserts to help prevent the head gasket from moving when the engine is under boost, reducing the chances of a blown gasket. The main caps are now retained by 12.9 grade socket cap screws instead of the original 25 year old Opel bolts. The block was not align-honed after it was determined the main saddles were in alignment. PROJECT 2.4 LITRE - BY ROBERT LEGERE (CONT.)

Flywheel w/ Chevy S-10 Clutch

A typically problematic area on the Opel blocks (at least on the East Coast) is the stripping out of threads in the block's deck. Particularly the forwardmost passenger side bolt hole. On many instances, I've torqued a head, run an engine, then retorqued only to find that bolt loose! The end result is a blown gasket, a messy Heli-coil job on the car, a warped head, and a pain in the butt. So I always visually inspect the bolt holes for corrosion or other problems on all blocks, and matter-of-factly install Heli-coil inserts in all serious performance engines now. It's probably overkill to do them all, but why risk it otherwise? As a result of the increased stroke, the connecting rods will now lightly interfere with the bottoms of the cylinders as well as the main oil galleys. A little careful work with a die grinder will clearance everything, and I left .050" of space to allow for expansion and movement of parts. The center bottom of the counterweights will also touch underneath the piston pin area when the piston is at bottom dead center. While it would be easier to grind the soft aluminum piston to allow for clearance, I wouldn't want to weaken this area, so I just took a little off the bottom of the counterweights. The emphasis I placed on this engine was torque. That should be obvious by now. I reasoned that if my street 2.0 litre used to eat Sachs clutches, then a 2.4 with a blower was bound to be much worse. My original plans were to use a standard Opel flywheel that had been modified to accept a 9.125" Chevrolet S-10 clutch assembly. I've used this before on street cars, and the clutch pedal has proven to be light to the foot, but very tough to slip or hurt otherwise. After all, they use this clutch in a 3400 lb. truck with a considerable payload capacity, and with a V6 engine with double the torque of an Opel's (the real test of a clutch is torque capacity, not horsepower). The flywheel face must be machined flat, and the bolt pattern redrilled for six bolts. The clutch' release arm needs a different adjustment too, since the travel of the pedal is greater. Not doing so will prevent the clutch from disengaging fully. I've seen too many flywheels explode from being overstressed or overtightened, so to play it safe I had a billet chunk of steel machined into a 14 lb. flywheel. The crankshaft had two dowel pins installed and new flywheel bolts were used. These modifications at least give me peace of mind, as I won't worry about a flywheel exploding or shearing off the flywheel bolts now. I purchased a new heavy duty pressure plate and metallic clutch disc. Again, overkill most likely, but why risk it? Surprisingly, the complete flywheel and clutch assembly is about seven pounds lighter than a standard Opel's but it's bulletproof as far as I'm concerned. PROJECT 2.4 LITRE - BY ROBERT LEGERE (CONT.)

At the other end of the engine, a new crankshaft pulley was made with a 4" water pump drive and 6.75" multi-rib blower belt drive. The water pump pulley is 6" and the alternator pulley is now 4". The water pump and alternator run slower than a standard Opel's to aid in cooling and to keep parasitic power losses to a minimum. These were all made in aluminum to keep the weight down. Lastly, a steel oil pan was modified with internal baffles for oil control while cornering, braking, and accelerating. The capacity of the pan is the same as standard, but a remote oil filter and oil cooler installation will add slightly to the overall oil volume. his pretty well covers the shortblock assembly. Granted, there are definitely certain areas where money could be saved, but in my situation, I thought it would be foolish. If someone were to build a simple 2.4 shortblock without all the "extras", I think it could be done fairly economically. You would need a welded crankshaft for about $475.00, cast pistons and pins for about $80.00, rings for about $20.00, piston machining for about $20.00, connecting rod small ends machined for about $20.00, rods reconditioned for about $60.00, block machined for about $200.00, balancing for about $180.00, and new bearings for about $80.00. To help save money on the balancing, a do-it-yourselfer could lighten his own connecting rods like I did, as well as clearance the block for the connecting. rods. Still, you'd have not only a fresh shortblock, but one with much more capacity for less than $1200.00. Of course, any of this applies to a naturally aspirated engine as well as supercharged. The only significant differences are the coatings for the pistons, which are overkill for normal street use, the ability to use cast pistons if the supercharger is left off, and the lack of a need for special rod bolts. And not grinding out the combustion chambers will retain the original 9.13:1 compression I spoke of earlier, unless the flat top 305 pistons are used for that higher 10.23:1 compression. As a rule, big valves in a 1.9 head will bump the compression about .5 - .7 of a point, so just watch out. It can creep up on you in a hurry. A little milling, bigger valves, and suddenly you've got 11.0:1 compression! This way of building a 2.4 is significantly cheaper than buying even a used European 2.4, with the added benefits of easily obtainable and less expensive parts. It's also hidden by the fact that there's still a 1.9 block under the hood, so your fellow Opel enthusiasts will never suspect a thing . I'll continue with MY OWN 2.4 buildup in a later issue, delving into the cylinder head modifications, the roller rockers, the supercharger and intake manifold, the carburetion, the header and exhaust I built and finally the road test evaluation with some hard numbers I hope.

Until the next time - Bob Legere ( Thanks again Bob for a great article - Ed. )

ELECTRONIC IGNITION COMMENTS - BY ROBERT LEGERE ( IN RESPONSE TO ARTICLE IN VOL. 6 NO. 3 )

I'd like elaborate on the various electronic ignition comments in the May/June '98 newsletter. In the manner of the text in which it was presented, my previous comments about the points vs. electronic debate seem to favor strictly the Blue Streak points and the Pertronix Ignitor conversion. As far as points go, yes, if you stuck a gun to my head and said "you have to use points", I would choose the Standard Ignition "Blue Streak" points. They are not as good as the old crossfaced points that Blue Streak once made until the mid-eighties, but otherwise they work well enough. Bosch points work better than any others I've tried, but still not as well as the Blue Streaks do. But I haven't used points in any of my own personal cars since 1984 anyway, only other people's cars. For sheer simplicity and cost, I do prefer the Pertronix Ignitor (#1847) over other brands. It uses a magnetic pickup. But keep in mind that this doesn’t provide a massive infusion of voltage and 10 more h.p.. It simply eliminates the points and provides more accurate timing with no chance for point float at higher rpms. Installation is about ten minutes time, and returning back to points is just as simple. The Allison ignition mentioned is now manufactured by Crane Cams. There are two models that suit the Opel distributor. The basic unit that everyone knows about is the XR-700 (part #700-0231). This ignition has an L.E.D. pickup that is somewhat sensitive to dirt and dust, and should occasionally be cleaned with a cotton swab and alcohol. Not to mention I've seen cases where a translucent distributor cap was used, and opening the hood with the engine running exposed the LED' to sunlight and therefore stalled the car. The other downer is the mounting bracket's sensitivity to vibration. I used one for off-road (dirt) use once and the first hard bump jarred the pickup enough to allow it to strike the trigger wheel and destroy it. Luckily I had a spare. For harsh environments, I loctite all the mounting screws and once adjusted I apply a clear silicone to, all the mounting joints for:dampening. For extreme conditons such as racing, I will mount another "leg" under the optical trigger for even more vibration suppression. ELECTRONIC IGNITION COMMENTS - BY ROBERT LEGERE ( CONT. )

The alternate Allison ignition is the XR-3000 (part # 3000-0231). This uses the exact same optical trigger as the XR-700, but provides substantially more ignition energy. It works much better than the XR-700 on a performance engine, but would not be as noticeable on a stocker. This ignition should be used with a low resistance performance coil and a straight power lead from the fuse box (i.e., non-resistor wire). The XR-700 must use the original resistor wire or an add- on ballast resistor. The Crane PS-91 coil is an excellent coil to use with either Allison-type ignition. Another player in the Opel ignition game is the Mallory breakerless conversion (model #550). It uses a magnetic induction type of pickup. It works adequately for street or mild racing. The only setback is the pickup unit. The trigger is a thin sheetmetal strip bent into a square and spotwelded together. This slides over the cam lobes of the distributor, and provides the magnet with the trigger phasing. It's essentially spring steel, but it does have a tendency to ride up or down the cam lobes. I've also had quite a few break apart at the spot weld. The "cure" is to epoxy the thin steel trigger right to the cam lobes. Another thing to remember is the wire hookup. If you reverse it, the unit is fried. , Many years ago I purchased a Bosch retrofit ignition while I was in Germany. It works very well and obviously looks "correct" under the hood of an Opel. The ignition was very expensive years ago, and is well over three hundred dollars now. Replacement parts, like the very specific rotor assembly, are very hard to find and costly. It's nice, but I don't recommend it unless you're a purist and have to see the Bosch emblem on all your ignition parts.

Sincerely - Bob Legere

OPEL GT WINDSHIELDS AVAILABLE

Jak Jones found a front windshield for his GT and paid about $175 (installed). He found it at Elite Auto Glass with several locations on the Colorado Front Range. It looks like it's being manufactured by a third party - in a corner of the glass, it says, "Made in America". Jak says that he used rubber that he had previously bought from Opel GT Source. - Branston

OPEL OF THE MONTH ????

This car was spotted at a local car show last year some time. I cant remember who sent the picture. But the car is a actual production car from the 70s’. You can see the GT in there somewhere.. Or can you?

The Car was made by the Kanzler company here in the US, it utilized amongst other Opel GT parts, the GT passenger areas. I don’t know the whole history. If someone could possibly elaborate a bit I will add that info into the next newsletter. SPECIAL EDITION MANTAS - MANTAS WITH A ATTITUDE ( REPRINTED FROM THE OWNERS CLUB (UK) )

(Thanks OMOC & Nick Webb for re-use of this article, it was of interest to me since Manta A’s are my first love - Ed.) SPECIAL EDITION MANTAS - MANTAS WITH A ATTITUDE ( CONT.) ADS – ADS – ADS - FOR SALE / WANTED / NEEDED - CARS AND OR PARTS

· '73 Opel GT – Email: [email protected] - Complete parts car with extra parts and books. Could be used as a base for a restoration. Owner George Hupp is in Ohio, the GT is in Flagler, CO. Contact Branston DiBrell at (719)391-9421 or by email for pictures of the GT & the extra parts. · 1969 Opel Kadett Rallye - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Minnesota - 1969 Opel Kadett Rallye for sale. 1.9l with Weber carb, new exhaust and new rear suspension. needs rocker panels, trunk floor and rings. Some spare parts available. E-mail me if you're interested. · Dellorto 48mm. Sidedrafts - EMail: [email protected] - Location: California - carburetors complete with pushrod linkage, Stienmetz manifolds and air filters. Best offer. I also have many other Opel race related and Big Brakes, 4.86:1 gearset, ect. can be reached at Ford Cook 707-938-0579 · '70 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Arkansas - 70 GT 4 spd. Less than 500 miles on rebuilt engine. Interior is rough, good parts car or restoration project. Has GT gas cap. Call (501) 223-2989 or by email. Best offer gets it. · 1974 Opel Manta - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Virginia - 1974 Opel Manta 1900 4spd Body good. Plus pickup truck-load of extra parts. Car is driven daily. Never wrecked. Body straight. No broken glass. Needs interior work. Very restorable. Will sell all for $1800.00 o.b.o. · 1975 Manta - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Michigan - 1.9L signal blue, 4-spd., 72K orig. miles, tons of new parts, good project car, must sell as soon as possible. $1900.00 o.b.o. (734) 973-8782 leave a message for Sean · 1971 OPEL GT PARTS - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Ontario, Canada - I need the following parts for my 1971 Opel GT: - driver's side door glass with or without door; solex carburetor; mechanical fuel pump; radiator; accelerator linkage connecting carb. Items must be in good condition.. · 73 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Colorado Yellow, 40K mi after rebuild, weber, extra rims & insignias, 2 shop manuals, locking gas cap w/key, exterior & mechanicals are very good, upholstery needs some attention; AZ car(no rust) located in Colo Springs, CO. Contact Branston (719)391-9421. · 1970&71 Opel GTs & parts - EMail: [email protected] -Location: Virginia - 2 Opel GTs 1970 body and 1971 complete car for parts, numerous Manta parts asking $1,000.00 or best offer for all Call (540)-639-1962 · 72 OPEL GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Georgia - 72 GT, Sunburst Gold, manual trans, no AC, very smooth running engine.Cars hasn't been licensed in several years. Kept in garage $1500. Terry 706-769-6545 · 1972 Opel GT & 1974 Opel 1900 - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Pennsylvania - Brother died, left 2 excellent condition Opels (GT and 1900). Low milages, always garaged. Will sell to best offers - Serious buyers only who want classics that need little restoration. No bargain shoppers. · 1973 Opel GT Parts car - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Illinois - Good running engine.....all parts are there...body rusted out badly....new windshield....$500.00 obo · VARIOUS OPEL GT PARTS - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Wisconsin - I have stripped a couple of GTs, and have 2 parts cars, some things i will never use. Please feel free to inquire, and i will have a look see, maybe i got what ya need. · Opel GT Parts - URL: http://www.europa.com/~doomer/Opelparts.html - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Oregon - I have lots of parts left over from my conversion. Mostly suspension parts. Check out my web pages for more info. · Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: South Carolina - i'd like to get an Opel GT at a reasonable price, must run, be driveable, and not have much body damage, interior doesn't matter, must be within the south east u.s.(s.c., n.c., ga., fl, tenn., ky, etc.) · 1970 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: South Carolina - 1900 cc engine w/ 4 speed needs body work (rust only) was running when parked (4 years ago) $500 (843) 857-1835 · 1974 Opel Manta - EMail: [email protected] - Location: California - Runs good. fully restorable $1500.00 obo · '70 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Washington - 70 Opel GT All or part. Good transmission, water pump, glass and more. all for more info. First $100 takes all. Maple Valley. 425-413-0163 · Air conditioning system for Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: California - Looking for complete package of parts to install air conditioning into an Opel GT. All interior parts as well compressor, brackets, pulleys, etc. Preferably GM setup. Does not need to work. · 1974 Opel Manta - EMail: PONYGIL@AOL - Location: New Jersey - Manta 1900, Manual Trans, Antique Bronze. Original Owner; car needs some · work including electrical. Have many new parts for it. Would like to sell for $200.00 to someone who would restore her to her "glory days" ! Solex manual carb. · 1974 Opel Manta - EMail: [email protected] - Location: California - Rebuilt engine (few miles) needs smog certification. Restorable with minimal body work or good for parts (including all glass). $1,000.00 · 1973 OPEL GT and PARTS - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Ohio - 1973 Opel GT runs good, needs restored. Lots of extra parts: engine, transmission, rear end, glass, new chrome wheels, body and interior parts. $900.00 Call 513-875-3548 · Olympia PI and PII (57-62) wanted - EMail: [email protected] - Location: District of Columbia - Need a daily driver, some body, brake and engine work O.K. Should be complete. CarAvans preferred. Please offer PI/PII parts cars and cheap Kadett daily drivers, too. · 32 Opels (27 are GT's), NOS parts, manuals, brochures - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Utah - 32 Opels (27 are GT's)in various shapes ($17,500), 600+ NOS Opel parts of 200+ stock #'s...($ 4,000), 300+ shop & owner manuals, brochures etc ($2,000). Total = $23,500. Cars are located in Utah. I will discount if you want the entire lot. · Opel GT race parts wanted in washington - Location: Washington - ask for trent 253 891-0861. road racing parts wanted for 1970 Opel GT. · 74 Opel 1900 - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Colorado - 2 dr white/low miles (79K original) runs well new tires, new carbs, no body rust, cracked windshield $1,100 – · I need GT lenses - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Georgia - I need like new taillights. Reflectors & lenses w/ gaskets. I need new shift boot, all for 69-72 GT.I have many parts to trade and sell also. Please contact. · I am looking for a running Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Florida - I am looking for a low priced, running, manual trans. GT somewhere around North Florida or South Georgia... · 73 GT 4spd Transmission - EMail: [email protected] - Location: New York - For sale: 73 GT 4spd Transmission in excellent condition, thoroughly cleaned inside and out, new seals & gaskets, painted high-temp paint, no need, asking $150, other GT parts available call Rich 201-585- 2370 leave message or e-mail. · 1970 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Maryland - 1970 Opel GT, 1.9L, Runs fantastic! Needs some love and care on interior and body. Many extra parts available. Asking $1400. Email Mark for more info. · 72 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Texas Good body,and complete car needs redone. Blue w/black interior. Pictures avaliable via e-mail. Has A/C and stereo. Asking $1500.00 obo. · Misc Parts - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Michigan - N.O.S parts,Opel axel shaft bearings (3) Transmission end housing, fuel pump for 1.9 Kadett or Rekord. These parts were from a supplier going out of business. Make an offer for all. Doug at [email protected] · MUST SELL 73 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Kansas - 73 Opel GT, new paint (porsche red) new engine Pontiac 151, Comp cam, 194 valves mille & ported Holley 4brl, Corbeau seats, Gold mesh Primes 195/50/15 Dunlops 700r4 auto OD trans $4,000 ADS – ADS – ADS - FOR SALE / WANTED / NEEDED - CARS AND OR PARTS

· Manta parts needed - URL: http://home.earthlink.net/~Opelblitz - EMail: [email protected] - Location: South Carolina - (1) ARA underdash AC console for Manta (1) 1975 fuel injection system Thanks, Ken 803-279-5796 · Complete Engine for 73 Buick Opel G.T. - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Missouri - Complete Engine 1.9 Liter, Rebuilt Head, new water pump, fuel pump, lifters, rockers. Many Parts Please make offer. Email or phone me at 314-240-5324. · 1970 GT - URL: http://www.usedstuf.com - EMail: [email protected] - Location: California - California car, restored in 1983 by current owner, low mileage on re-build. Not running, call (530) 265-3742 or store number on web site http://www.usedstuf.com. Digital camera photos available by request (we can send by e-mail). · 1973 Opel GT and Parts - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Ohio - 1973 Opel GT runs good, needs restored. Lots of extra parts: engine, transmission, rear end, glass, new chrome wheels, body and interior parts $900.00 Call Ray McComas 513-875-3053 · 1973 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Virginia - Original is the key phrase here! 90k original miles, flame glo orange, Driven daily. 4 speed. 2 small rust spots. All original len smarkers are not cracked. New Weber Carb. 4 New Goodyear Regatta tires. Not far to full restoration. I'm the 2nd owner, my mom was the 1st. Must sell -$1500 obo. Call Russell Pleasants @ (804) 553-0300. · 1971 Opel GT 1.9L carbutor - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Alberta, Canada - I need 1971 Opel GT's 1.9l Carbutor. would you send with the price. Thanks · 1975 OPEL MANTA - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Minnesota - no rust car has never seen snow org from AZ Yellow in color Fuel Inj many new parts will sell with or without eng 750 w/o 1250 with Need space in garage have owned since 86 · 1969 OpelGT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: North Carolina 1969 Original car. Interior and Paint redone-83 Automatic, No rust, Storedin garage since 85, engine run monthly, Currently inspected and on the road. Call Chris&Mary Brooks in Charlotte at 704-846-4623 $7000 Serious only · Anyone parting out a '73 Opel Manta?? - EMail: [email protected] - Location: California - I am looking for motor mounts for a '73 Opel Manta. · 1959 Rekord Olympia runs, drives and stops good complete but needs restored. - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Pennsylvania Price $999.00 · 69 GT for sale - URL: http://justbmws.com - EMail: [email protected] - Location: California - 69 Opel GT.Close ratio ZF 5-speed over drive (rally box),1000miles on a fresh motor,rally cam, 9.8:1 pistons, big valves,Steinmets vented 4 wheel discs. Bilsteins,urethane bushings, sway bars, He will part it out if it comes down to it. · Rust free G.T. wanted - EMail: [email protected] - Location: New Zealand - I am seeking a rust free original Opel GT for export / restoration. preferably manual transmission & low miles. mechanical condition not so important · 1970 Opel GT - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Pennsylvania - Some spots of rust, but rocker panels and edges of fenders seem intact. Yellow exterior. Black interior fair to poor. Manual trans. Minor engine work needed. Brakes questionable. $1400 or negotiable · Opel Manta race cars - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Ohio - Opel Manta-Ex GT-3 car, full cage. aluminum interior. figerglass front fenders and rear flares. no engine/trans/rear end. Opel Manta-ex pro rally car-rust free tub. Full cage. Engines & transmissions available. · 72 Opel GT, show quality, only serious offers considered - EMail: [email protected] - Location: Texas - 32K original miles, 1 owner, cold A/C,automatic, all owners manuals, All original including the tires. only driven 4 years, stored for 22 years, runs great/drives good placed 4th in Houston Autorama, Needs a good home to an Opel purist. OANA MEMBERSHIP FORM

Full Club membership includes a subscription to our bi-monthly newsletter, free advertising on our web site and in the newsletter, discounts to our events, and full access to the OANA web site. Also, members are eligible for special offers from Opel Dealers.

Net Only members get all the above, but download the newsletter instead of getting a printed copy by mail.

We have chapters all over the U.S. and Canada. Both the chapters and their respective presidents are here to help hold and arrange events for the members in their respective regions of the country. As for club events, we have our National meeting every year in Carlisle, PA and we try to sponsor at least one annual chapter event in each region. Other events are planned according to membership and regional demand. We try to set up events so that everyone in the club can get to at least one event per year. If you would like additional info on any of these Chapters feel free to call your local chapter president or myself. If you want to know about forming a chapter, please contact me.

The main glue that binds all of us together as a group is our newsletter and our website. It is our forum to buy and sell cars, parts, literature, etc. It serves as an up-to-date index of dealers and service locations. We also publish “tech tips” (provided by members and others), and any articles on Opels that we find. As a member, the only thing we ask of you (other than your dues to cover the expenses of the club) is to tell other Opel owners about us! We also appreciate any input you can send, such as tech tips, Opel racing updates, or anything else you think we might like to add to an upcoming newsletter. Last but not least, please send in a picture or pictures of your Opel to share with the other members of the club.

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