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Opel Rekord E 2.0S...


MattyClark

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Evening all, been a lurker on here for quite a while and have posted a few times on the Facebook group but as I now own some shite, I feel the time is right to make a thread...

 

It's a 1979 Opel Rekord E that's been off the road 17 years, has 2 previous owners and has only done 67,000 miles. I've wanted this car since 2012 (I was still in school at the time) but a few months ago decided I'd finally make an effort into getting it, with the help of a friend's dad and a couple of months negotiation we finally managed to get it. 

7991797378_f4efdf9f8e_z.jpg1979 Opel Rekord 2.0 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

The first time I saw it, all those years ago...

 

And now:

28352833710_0f08471f76_z.jpgDSC_0061_2 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28020183944_a79f207a64_z.jpgDSC_0379 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28604962016_e4daa7952c_z.jpgDSC_0056_2 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28605087576_ca3fd5da78_z.jpgDSC_0382 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28020196674_02c97b70bc_z.jpgDSC_0055_2 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28530803382_834b89e7cc_z.jpgDSC_0054_2 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28604957276_561bd15b51_z.jpgDSC_0385 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28558732651_169502259b_z.jpgDSC_0396 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28558731651_b57e5f6757_z.jpgDSC_0397 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28021201933_9b10858c72_z.jpgDSC_0394 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

28021200203_0b6ea0d501_z.jpgDSC_0395 by Matthew Clark, on Flickr

 

The previous owner did quite a good job of preserving it, almost everything is coated in waxoyl and the underneath is undersealed, even the exhaust is painted in red oxide. As to be expected though, it does need some welding and also an OSR door quarter glass 

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I owned two of these about 10 years ago, lovely cars. I found them more solid feeling than the 1980 Mk2 Granada 2.3 V6 I had a couple of years afterward. That looks pretty well preserved as you say and the wonderful velour seems present and correct! And I can confirm it's two buttons (each with three indents) for the horn on the steering wheel. What are the various rocker switches for? I seem to recall mine only having one for the heated rear window and the rest were blanks.

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I really hope all goes well.

 

Over the decades, it turned out that the Junkman and Rekords don't bond well.
 

Let me explain.

 

Despite I have a life long hankering for Rekords, every time I ended up with one, it turned into a vexation.

The last one I acquired wasn't dissimilar to yours, just that it had the rah sexy red velours fnar fnar, which makes a wanker winner out of us all.
Sadly, already on the way home from picking it up, it showed the first glitches, in form of cutting out whenever the road went slightly uphill.

Needless to say that it was bought unseen and picked up after dark in a rainy night, the customary procedure of shite purchasing.

 

On closer inspection on the following morning at about 13:00, it turned out, that the tank was rotten on the side facing the back box

along its seam full length. The cutting out was caused by dirt having entered said tank by means of being kicked into there from the rear tyres.

The rear wing and boot floor in that area also consisted of Bild Zeitung and wob. Needless to say, that the car had a fresh TÃœV.

Anyway, a replacement tank wasn't available for love nor money. You can get everything for an injection, but if you have a properly aspirated one,

you're basically fucked. Twice. Even in Germany.

 

Earlier in my life, a mere 30 odd years ago, I bought a C Rekord Caravan WBoD. A 1900 S with four doors in Duck Egg Blue with red plastic interior.

That one went extremely well and had superior* roadholding, courtesy of radials up front and Winter crossplies out back, a combination I can
only recommend. Sadly, only the outer panels of that one were intact, the entire structure underneath was essentially non existent.

Interestingly, all the uber Rekords I had, i.e. Commodores and Kapitäns/Admirals, did not suffer from terminal rot, only my Rekords did.

Hence I coined a phrase for Rekords, which meanwhile has actually made it into German folklore - Opel Corrosiona.

 

Anyway, if you need anything, please feel free to PM me. I'm a native German speaker and I do have my connections.

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I suspected this would go down well on here! Great to hear people's stories of them, hopefully I'll have more luck than Junkman! (I may be in touch if I need anything I can't find over here, cheers)

 

I owned two of these about 10 years ago, lovely cars. I found them more solid feeling than the 1980 Mk2 Granada 2.3 V6 I had a couple of years afterward. That looks pretty well preserved as you say and the wonderful velour seems present and correct! And I can confirm it's two buttons (each with three indents) for the horn on the steering wheel. What are the various rocker switches for? I seem to recall mine only having one for the heated rear window and the rest were blanks.

 

The two original ones are the heated rear screen and rear fog lights, the two red ones are later additions and I'm not sure what they're for, they don't do anything now! There are brackets for front fogs so could have been for them, but I don't know! I might keep them, if I can use them for anything

 

 

 

Did some tinkering at the weekend, changed the oil and filter (the old oil had been in there at least 17 years..), surprisingly the local motor factors had a filter in stock-turns out it's the same as a Mini. It has a problem with starting and running (until up to temperature, then it's fine), seems the autochoke is at fault but the plan is to go through everything and replace, clean etc. Need to buy a welder (and learn to weld) and then I can make a start on the rot...all very exciting!

 

If anyone happens to have any parts for these hanging about that they want rid of, let me know and I might be interested.

 

 

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Lovely.   So much better looking than the equivalent Carlton which had that peculiar droop-snooty look.   Opels of this period do appeal to me, I had some great times with a Kadett B and my Ascona B and long before these I persuaded my Dad to get a 1900 Rekord D coupe (he was more of a Minx man but the Opel shook him out of his cardigans into suitably louche check suits).   

 

It somehow used to make a statement having the Blitzen badge instead of a Griffin.  Good luck with it!

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They're lovely looking cars and that one is the twin of one that my brother had in about 1984, I remember refitting the rear screen to it using a butter knife. (don't ask, long story) It was the bridesmaids' car at his wedding and he used it on his honeymoon (touring scrapyards in the west country and yes they are still married) and had to teach his wife how to bump start a car as the starter played up.

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Lovely and seems quite sound - I was expecting a bit of a rot box from the first pic so am pleased for you that the inner wings still exist.

 

The blue velour looks superb, I was recently reading some 80's Saab 900 brochures, which listed velour as a 'comfortable' alternative to leather :)

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It is surprisingly sound, the only real rot is in the inner wings, little bit on the sills and one door. The bodywork has quite a few little scabs all over it, most of them have been painted over by the previous owner (with emulsion paint...) but nothing major. Going to start cutting out the rot tomorrow and my mate from work is going to pop down one weekend with his welder and teach me.

 

The seats seem popular! They are lovely though, very comfortable....very blue  :mrgreen:  They are quite faded though, especially the rear one, is there any way of restoring the colour?

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Can anyone recommend a good rust proofing product? Is waxoyl as good as it seems or is there something better?

Another vote for Bilt Hamber products. The Dynax S50 and UB wax are both brilliant. I've been using a lot of it on my old Fords for quite a few years now and had no trouble with it.

 

http://www.bilthamber.com/corrosion-protection-and-rust-treatments/

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'll have a look at the Bilt Hamber products, thank you

 

Made a start cutting out the rot, found a few more bits that initially seemed solid but still very little rust for a 37 year old car, that's been stood around for 17 of them :P Once I've got it welded up I'll start work on the engine, it runs and drives but starting is an issue-seems the autochoke doesn't work most of the time. Once up to temperature though it runs fine. 

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