30th Volume 30, Issue 5 Se Anniversary The BIG Blitz Index OMCOMC Blitz President’sIndex 1985-2010 Message Inside this issue: ptember/October 2010Inside this issue: 1985-2010 Welcome to the Opel Motorsport Club THE OPEL MOTORSPORT CLUB IS CELEBRATING ITS 30TH YEAR OF DEDICATION TO THE PRESERVATION AND APPRECIATION OF ALL GERMAN OPELS, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON MODELS IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED STATES. WE ARE HEADQUARTERED IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA, AND HAVE CHAPTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN EUROPE AND IN CANADA. MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE SUBSCRIPTION TO OUR NEWSLETTER, THE BLITZ, LISTINGS FOR PARTS AND SERVICE SUPPLIERS, BLITZ INDEX AND TECH TIP INDEX (1985-DATE), FREE CLASSIFIED ADS (3 PER YEAR), CLUB ITEMS, OWNER SUPPORT AND ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING MEETINGS AND OUR ANNUAL PICNIC AND CAR SHOW. The Club Regional Chapters The Blitz TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP European Chapter (Netherlands) SEND EVENT INFORMATION, TECH CONTACT: Contact Louis van Steen: (011 31) 297 340 TIPS, PARTS INFORMATION, LETTERS, OMC TREASURER, c/o Dick Counsil 536 (please take note of the time zone CHAPTER ACTIVITY ANNOUNCEMENTS, 3824 Franklin Street before calling), fast60gt (at) yahoo.com ADVERTISEMENTS AND ALL OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST TO: La Crescenta, CA 91214-1607 Florida Chapter (Coral Gables, FL) Opel BLITZ Editor Contact John Malone: 305-443-8513 P.O Box 4004 MEMBERSHIP DUES: Michigan Chapter Sonora, CA 95370-4004 USA Regular: $45 Annually via Checks and Contact John Brooks: 616-233-9050 ext 12 Deadline: (At Discretion of OMC Editor) Money Orders (US funds only, made payable to Opel Motorsport Club) or $47 Johncinquo (at) hotmail.com. Submissions will be accepted either typewritten, annually via PayPal. Mid Atlantic Opel Club (Richmond, VA) on Microsoft Word, Publisher or Works compatible disk or e-mailed to the Editor. Online: $20 annually or $21 via PayPal Contact Charles Goin: 804-379-9737 cgoin (at) mindspring.com [email protected] New England Opel Club (Swansea, MA) Drawings or Photos accepted and encouraged. Send PayPal funds to: Contributions to the Blitz will be published on a Contact Gary Farias: 508-679-2740 [email protected] space-available basis. Gary (at) opelgt.com Include your name and address information. The Blitz is the official publication of the Opel North American Opel GT Chapter MEETINGS: Motorsport Club (OMC). Published bi-monthly. (Chicago, IL) Circulation is limited to club members and The OMC meetings are as announced, at Contact Jim Toler: 630-964-9797 varying locations. Please consult the OMC prospective club members. All submissions Northern California Chapter (Sonora, become the property of the OMC and will not Blitz calendar or OMC website to find out be returned. Articles, photographs, drawings, who is hosting the next meeting or event. CA) Contact Gil Wesson: 209-928-1110 technical tips, and other materials appearing in Opelgts (at) opelgtsource.com the Blitz may not be reproduced without the Ohio Chapter (Columbus, OH) expressed, written permission of the OMC. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Contact Larry Shal: 614-861-1565 officers or members of the OMC. Online Opel Sites Pacific Northwest Chapter (Shelton, WA) Contact Paul Kaman: 360-426-9267 ADVERTISING IN THE BLITZ CLASSIFIEDS OMC is on the Internet. The site features Rocky Mountain Opels (Security, CO) (CARS & PARTS FOR SALE OR WANTED): Club News, Event Coverage, Tech Tips, Contact Branston DiBrell Jr 719-391-9421 Up to 50 words, plus name & phone, and a OMC & Opel History, features and much single photo: dibrellb (at) rmi.net more. 1 Month $6.00 3 Months $15.00 Southern California Chapter (Rialto, 6 Months $23.00 12 Months $39.00 Visit us at: www.opelclub.com CA) Contact Todd Martin: 909-355-6735 (3 Free Ads per year for members) Other Good Opel Sites: BUSINESS ADS: (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) www.opelgt.com Texas Opel Club (Leonard, TX) Half Page $35 for 1 month, Website of the NEOC Contact Rodney Killingsworth, 903-587- 9640 Tyrodk (at) fanninelectric.com Full Page (Temporarily Unavailable) Includes a Tech help Bulletin Board Insert $120 for 1 month, [email protected] Carolina Opel Club Business Card $60 for 1year Subscribe to this useful e-mail posting site Contact Roy Bell: 704-782-1866 Color Back Cover (Temporarily Unavailable) E-mail: CarolinaOpelClub (at) aol.com Send Ad Copy and payment (payable to Opel http://clubs.hemmings.com/ Motorsport Club) to Blitz Editor. We chose to use (at) in place of @ for spam frameset.cfm?club=oana CHANGE OF ADDRESS:: The OANA Website To minimize delays, please provide the OMC 2010 OPEL MOTORSPORT CLUB Treasurer with address changes at least one OFFICERS & STAFF month in advance. CLUB OFFICER’S PRESIDENT DIETER STENGER ON THE COVER: E-MAIL ADDRESS VICE PRESIDENT MATT NEWMAN ACTIVITIES GIL WESSON “The BIG Blitz Index” TREASURER DICK COUNSIL 818-248-5504 (So you can find this issue, [email protected] BLITZ EDITOR DENNIS GARDINER WEBMASTER RICHARD KAVADAS when it’s in a stack of other issues) Club News: OMC 2011: OFFICER NOMINATIONS REQUESTED It's "that time of the year" again. According to OMC's by-laws, nominations for members who wish to serve as officers for the following year, must be received in time to formulate a ballot (to accompany the next issue of The Blitz). 2010 was an exciting year for me as the President. I had the honor and pleasure to work with our Activity Coordinator Gil Wesson to assist in planning and conducting OMC's 30th Anniversary. Quite a few of you made it to Monterey and Laguna Seca, Letter from to celebrate a world class car event, and our club’s milestone “picnic”. We have been talking about next year already, and have just reserved the same camping spots again the President – right below the famous “cork screw” at Laguna Seca Raceway. More later ... I would like to thank all of OMC’s volunteers for their work done during 2010. Besides Gil, Matt and Dick, a very special Thank You goes to our Blitz Editor Dennis Gardiner. Dennis has contributed with entertaining road trip reports and excellent tech articles, to fill the Blitz pages every other month. All this in addition to leaving thousands of fingerprints and weld spots on the OGTS Conrero Tribute GT (covered in detail in the next Blitz issue). I cannot stress enough how important it is for the future of the Blitz to receive members’ suggestions, articles, or any Opel related stories submitted to the OMC. So, for those who wish for OMC to do even more than we do now, we offer an invitation to place their name(s) in nomination as officer candidates for 2011.* Submitted statements will accompany the election ballot (provided with the next issue of The Blitz). OMC can be reached by email ([email protected]) or phone at 209-928-1110. *Statements must be received by December 15, 2010. Comments reflecting OMC should be positive, factually accurate, and pro-active in their descriptions and approach. About This Issue: Notes from True, this doesn’t resemble a “typical” Blitz. So I will explain. the Editor This issue commemorates completion of a long-sought project. After significant time and effort, all the “modern” Blitz issues (those from January 1985 through Sept/Oct 2010) have not only been collected but also digitally scanned into Adobe Acrobat files. This means that 275 issues will not only be easily searchable, but the collection (in paper it fills several filing cabinet drawers) can now be readily compiled onto a single DVD! (That’s in part, how we compiled this issue—You can see how “BIG” it is!). The optimum result would be for “classic” Blitzes to be drawn upon as “reference materials” (articles and graphics) in upcoming Blitzes. It promises to make the job of Editor much easier, with the prospect of many thousands of pages to draw upon for perspective and retrospectives. The OMC Editor has a special responsibility, to continue the legacy that now extends past a quarter-century. And once again, it’s time for OMC to accept nominations from members for an Editor for issues bearing a 2011 dateline. Is it a good idea, to also “sweeten the deal”? What we’re considering, is offering the OMC Blitz DVD to the next OMC Editor (so all members can benefit). We hope that drawing attention to this (with the “BIG Index” issue), becomes the “lure” to attract the next Blitz Editor. (We’ll go back to our “regular” format next issue). Your thoughts on this (and your nominations) are requested. “25 Years of the OMC Blitz” (Index: 1985-2010) January 1985: OMC 1985 Officer Election results; 1 page Parts Auction & Bidding Procedures; 1 page GT Front Wheel Shimmy Problem Fix (Washer); 1 page (illustrated) February 1985: Kadett GLS Profile; 2 pages (illustrated) Solex Carburetor Rebuilding; 5 pages (illustrated) Hydraulic Lifter Adjustment Check (warning); 1 page March 1985: Keeping Your Manta Cool (Adding Front Vent Panel); 3 pages (illustrated) Racecar by Roger Lee; 2 pages A Cure for Manta Dash Sag; 2 pages (illustrated) April 1985: Old Opel – An Odyssey (1939 Admiral, Owner’s Letter); 4 pages (illustrated) Lo-Tech (Carburetor Settings and ‘Deiseling’ Tips); 2 pages What’s it Worth? (Opel Price Guide); 2 pages Opel Parts (List of Buick Dealers & Independent Suppliers); 2 pages May 1985: Borgward Coupe (OMC Member’s letter); 2 pages (illustrated) Thermostat Housing Leak Repair Tip (File Surfaces)l 1 page Opel Parts (List of Suppliers); 3 pages OMC Blitz Back Issue List with Article Topics; 1 page Opel Kadett GSI Profile; 2 pages (illustrated) June 1985: Father’s Day – Ten Years later (Owner’s Story of ’75 Manta); 4 pages “Don’t Judge