Welcome to the Opel Motorsport Club The Opel Motorsport Club is celebrating its 36th 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 on the west coast and have chapters across the country, in Europe, as well as members in Canada and Mexico. Membership benefits include subscription to this, listings for parts and service suppliers, the Blitz index and tech tip index (1985-date), free classified ads (3 per year), club items, a member roster, owner support and activities, including meetings and our annual picnic and car show. Officers This Issue President: Paul Kaman VP/Secretary: Matt Newman Pages: 52 Activities: Gil Wesson Words: 6955 Treasurer: Dick Counsil Illustrations: 43 Blitz Editor: Mike Meier Print Cost: $9.12 Web Master: Richard Kavadas To Join OMC: Write to Contents OMC TREASURER Official Club Business............ 1 Thirty-eight Years of Opeling ..... 41 c/o Dick Counsil 2017 Ballot ..................... 2 Tinyvette ..................... 42 3824 Franklin Street 2017 Calender .................. 3 Tom’s Kadett.................. 43 La Crescenta, CA 91214-1607 The Photo Album Project.......... 4 My Twice-built Targa GT ........ 44 Bianca......................... 5 The Work Horse................ 45 Membership Dues: Big Red ....................... 6 Zooms Just Fine................ 46 Regular: $45 ($47 via PayPal) annually. Bill Ward Racing ................ 7 The OMC Library .............. 47 Black Opel..................... 8 The OMC Mall................. 48 Online: $20 ($21 via PayPal) annually. The Brosnan Opel GT ............ 9 The Business Page.............. 49 Conrero Opel GT Tribute......... 10 Check or money order (US funds only, made Effie......................... 11 payable to Opel Motorsport Club) Éire GT....................... 12 Elfie ......................... 13 PayPal to [email protected] Father then Son’s “Little Orange” . 15 Include your name and address information. First Car...................... 16 Fuer immer Manta A!............ 17 Meetings: Green Heaven.................. 18 The OMC meetings are as announced, at GT Love Taken to the Xtreme! .... 19 varying locations. Please consult the OMC Incognito ..................... 20 Blitz calendar or the OMC website to find out The Last Drive of the Season...... 21 who is hosting the next meeting or event. The Lightning McGT............ 22 Luxus ........................ 23 Maisgelb...................... 24 The Blitz Mary Ann..................... 25 The Blitz is the official publication of the Mira ......................... 26 Opel Motorsport Club (OMC). It is published Miss Opel..................... 27 four times a year. Circulation is limited to Murphy....................... 28 club members and prospective club members. Old Smokey................... 29 Opel Omega 3.2 Auto............ 30 The Blitz is copyrighted © by the OMC. Opel Rekord Olympia ........... 31 Articles, photographs, drawings, technical Orange Monster................ 32 tips, and other materials appearing in The Oscar ........................ 33 Blitz may not be reproduced without the Phoenix Racing ................ 34 expressed, written permission of the OMC. El Presidente................... 35 Views expressed are not necessarily those of Princess ...................... 36 the officers or members of the OMC. Project OpelBee................ 37 Spirit of the Lakes .............. 38 Sweetheart .................... 39 T-Ray’s GT ................... 40 Cover Photo: Between the luscious red of Keith Ory’s car and the flowing lines, the Opel GT has a body to be admired. Opel Motorsport Club The Blitz issues, totaling, including this issue, 190 pages, an Official Club Business average of 47.5 pages per issue. We budgeted for 45 pages per issue. About This Issue The Ballot – In the past the ballot was inserted into the Ever since to became editor of The Blitz I’ve wanted to do final issue of the year. Since going with MagCloud for an issue about the Opels people own and drive, or race, or printing and mailing we have not been able to insert the I guess, live in. Finally, this is that issue. In late 2016 I ballot so two years ago we sent the ballot and a survey put out a call on the OpelGT.com forum for a photo of out as a separate mailing, at a cost of about $150 plus two and a few words about everyone’s cars, and in return I’d days work. Last year and this the ballot is included in the give them a whole page in The Blitz. In the January issue issue, saving us time and expense. of The Blitz I asked our members to do this for their car. I even ask perfect strangers, via our Facebook page, to The table below provides a summary of the club’s participate in this. At that point I started to worry that I financials. It shows that the balance at the beginning and might get more submissions than OMC can afford to put end of 2016 are: in a single issue, but it all worked out and for this issue we have photos submitted by 39 people from all over January 1: $10,140 North America and even Ireland. December 21: $9,446 Change: $-694 2017 Ballot This issue includes the 2017 ballot where officers are Our only expenses this year were The Blitz and basic elected, surveys performed, etc. The ballot is only for the office expenses. Publishing The Blitz accounted for officers for 2017 but we’ve included space for comments 99.25% of expenses. and suggestions and to update your contact information. 2016 Membership Report 2016 Treasurer’s Report Richard Counsil provided a very nice breakdown of The table below summarizes the club’s financial activities membership in terms of PDF and print subscriptions, how during 2016. Major expenses, such as The Blitz, are listed dues are paid, and of course our membership count. in their own columns. Space prevents me from including all this number in this issue (They will appear in the next issue.) but to The Blitz – Last year The Blitz went to a quarterly summarize, overall membership dropped from 157 in publication, reducing the frequency of publication but 2015 to 142. Eleven of the 15 we lost were PDF maintaining the roughly same yearly page count, keeping subscribers. We gained four new members, all requesting costs about the same. This year we published four regular the print edition of The Blitz. Summary of OMC’s Financial Activities in 2016 Income Expenses Month Membership Revenue The Blitz Other Expenses Opening Closing Dues Subtotal Expenses Subtotal Balance Balance Jan $111 $111 $1,218 $3 $1,221 $10,140 $9,030 Feb $558 $558 $0 $0 $0 $9,030 $9,588 Mar $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $9,588 $9,588 Apr $1,174 $1,174 $1,136 $27 $1,163 $9,588 $9,598 May $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $9,598 $9,598 Jun $556 $556 $0 $0 $0 $9.958 $10,155 Jul $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $10,155 $10,155 Aug $661 $661 $1,150 $3 $1,153 $10,155 $9,663 Sep $216 $216 $0 $0 $0 $9,663 $9,794 Oct $197 $197 $1,296 $3 $1,299 $9,794 $8,711 Nov $535 $535 $0 $3 $0 $8,711 $9,246 Dec $200 $200 $0 $0 $0 $9,246 $9,446 $4,142 $4,142 $4,800 $36 $4,836 October - December 2016 Page 1 The Blitz Opel Motorsport Club Comments and Feedback 2017 Ballot Every year, at the end of the year, members are asked to vote on officers for the following year. Below is your ballot. Please print (PDF version) or photocopy (print version) it, mark your preferences, and mail it to our vice president/secretary, whose name and address are given below. If you prefer you can vote by email using the email address listed below. The deadline for voting is January 30, 2017 Mail your ballots to: Matt Newman OMC Vice President/Secretary 275 Parliament Court Lawrenceville, GA 30043 or email your votes to: [email protected] President Optional: Update Your Contact Information G Paul Kaman and Preferences G Write-in First Name Vice President/Secretary G Gil Wesson Last Name G Write-in Mailing Address Treasurer G Dick Counsil G Write-in Activities G Write-in Editor G Mike Meier G Write-in Phone Email Membership Roster Preference G Full, include my name and street address G Partial, include my name, state, and country G Basic, list only my name Page 2 October - December 2016 Opel Motorsport Club The Blitz July 2017 Calender 6 - 9 Climb to the Clouds, Mount Washington Hill Climb, Gorham, New Hampshire. 8 Deutsche Classic, Oley, Pensylvania Here is your 2017 calendar of Opel events along with 12 -16 The Maine Event (Loring Timing Assoc.), motorsports events that inspire us plus a few that Loring AFB, Limestone, Maine members of OMC will be participating in. TBA The Tacoma Meet, Tacoma, Washington 29 - 30 Arse-Sweat Apalooza (24HOL, Tinyvette, January Phoenix Racing), Thunderhill Raceway Park, 2 - 14 Dakar Rally, Argentina – Bolivia Willows, California 28 New England Opel Club’s Cabin Fever and B.S. Meet, Walpole, Massachusetts August 10 OMC ballots and survey are due 11 - 13 Opel Nationals, Nashville, Tennessee 14 - 20 Monterey Car Week, Monterey, CA March 12 - 18 Speed Week, Bonneville Salt Flats 24 - 26 Texas Mile, Chase Field Industrial Complex, 26 - 27 Pacific Northworst (24HOL, Tinyvette), The Beeville, Texas Ridge Motorsports Park, Sheldon, Washington 25 - 26 Sears Pointless (24HOL, Tinyvette), Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California September 1 - 3 The Harvest Event (Loring Timing Assoc.), April Loring AFB, Limestone, Maine 6 - 9 Charlotte Auto Fair, Charlotte Motor 15 - 18 World of Speed, Bonneville Salt Flats Speedway, North Carolina 21 - 24 Charlotte Auto Fair, Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina May 22 - 24 International Route 66 Mother Road Festival, TBA NorCal Opeler’s