Opel Flying High Since 1987! [Archive]

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CORZZA

18th January 2009, 07:53 PM

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h315/DUANEHURLEY/6c1c_1.jpg

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q341/mariussmuts/274933929_b563295d84.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h315/DUANEHURLEY/cleland_astra_90b.jpg

Jerram

18th January 2009, 08:00 PM

CORZZA

18th January 2009, 08:25 PM

I believe you may be correct

daiflu

18th January 2009, 08:33 PM

Some nice retro pics there!
Thanks for sharing.

Storm Shadow

18th January 2009, 08:36 PM

I love old skool motors, I would so love one of those Astra GTE's

When I was back home in Poland in 04 a saw so many cool old skool Opels as well as current ones made me drool lol!

If i could get my hands on a classic Opel GT here I would buy it in a flash, its such a sexy car! only a few in the country I know of and big bucks lol!

poita

18th January 2009, 10:02 PM

love it, reminds me of Antonys beast

Wraith

19th January 2009, 08:43 AM

We never got those here...

The only Opel worth mentioning (well at least a turbo with some performance, although plagued with the 'usual' problems) in Aust. at that time was the failed Piazza, I knew a guy with one, went ok but otherwise a total POS IMO...

cdxi

19th January 2009, 10:10 AM

The only Opel worth mentioning (well at least a turbo with some performance, although plagued with the 'usual' problems) in Aust. at that time was the failed Piazza, I knew a guy with one, went ok but otherwise a total POS IMO...

Ummmm.......

The Piazza was a dismal effort by Isuzu to anchor a nice body on top of the Gemini platform. It debuted as the Ace of Clubs concept in '83 and then got stuck with a turbo, dangerous handling, phenomenal torque steer and a Holden badge on its bum in about '86 or '87.

A very, very evil car!

daiflu

19th January 2009, 10:34 AM

haha, the old 'Pizza Car' as I used to call them!
I actually saw one of these just the other day parked on the side of the road. Stood out because I hadn't seen one for yearsss. In fact not since I moved to OZ. They still wore the Izuzu badge in NZ. My mate put the turbo engine into a Gemini, went pretty hard!
I also saw a magazine recently that showed one (a Pizza car) in the build with a SR20DET.

oneightoo

19th January 2009, 11:41 AM

piazza was also designed by an italian..

i just read about the piazza.. in book called, worlds greatest lemons..

there was a huge chapter on the EA falcon too..

poita

19th January 2009, 11:45 AM

piazza was also designed by an italian..

i just read about the piazza.. in book called, worlds greatest lemons..

there was a huge chapter on the EA falcon too..

and in between those was the camira?

daiflu

19th January 2009, 12:19 PM

i just read about the piazza.. in book called, worlds greatest lemons..

Sounds like a good read! Have you got any info on the book?

oneightoo

19th January 2009, 12:27 PM

nothing other than the title im afraid..

found it in the library of the common room in my gf's nan's over 55's village.. lol..

oneightoo

19th January 2009, 12:29 PM

this is the book..

http://www.searchsa.com.au/review/book_view.asp?id=113

extra lemon - it's the sequel

also here on amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Extra-lemon-Tony-Davis/dp/1863255508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232328536&sr=8-1

Wraith

19th January 2009, 12:29 PM

piazza was also designed by an italian..

i just read about the piazza.. in book called, worlds greatest lemons..

there was a huge chapter on the EA falcon too..

Hahahaha LOL the EA Falcon has got to be the biggest lemon vehicle ever produced in Oz. although many would dispute that for another Ford lemon - the reborn Capri of the '80's !!!

I've known many people who owned both and by golly were thay bad, the EA literally starts falling apart after hitting 100,000km or more...knew a guy with one that whilst driving one day the steering rack simply failed fell apart and he couldn't steer the car :eek: luckily he didn't end up
smashing...

And yeh, with regards to the Piazza as I've already mentioned if you were around cars when they were about, you'd know without being told they were a total POS or lemon...

oneightoo

19th January 2009, 12:30 PM

and this is the first book..

http://www.amazon.com/Lemon-Sixty-Heroic-Automotive-Failures/dp/1560257571/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232328581&sr=1-8

oneightoo

19th January 2009, 12:33 PM

Hahahaha LOL the EA Falcon has got to be the biggest lemon vehicle ever produced in Oz. although many would dispute that for another Ford lemon - the reborn Capri of the '80's !!!

I've known many people who owned both and by golly were thay bad, the EA literally starts falling apart after hitting 100,000km or more...knew a guy with one that whilst driving one day the steering rack simply failed fell apart and he couldn't steer the car :eek: luckily he didn't end up smashing...

hahaha yeah sounds like something that happened to my old next door neighbour..

parked his car in his driveway, hand brake on, gets out of car, hand brake breaks, car rolls in to his garage door.. no real damage done, but could have been worse..

poita

19th January 2009, 12:34 PM

i almost bought a turbo piazza about 3 yrs back, for something to do.

some dude drove from melbourne to bundy to buy it before me :eek:

oneightoo

19th January 2009, 12:35 PM

there was one on a nsw cruise a while back..

they dont impress me..

Apex

21st January 2009, 10:32 AM

Us lucky Kiwi’s did followed by the same car rebadged as the Pontiac Lemans. Also got the Hot Vectra’s and Calibra’s in the early nineties.

The GTE is a rare beast here though, only seen a few up for grabs in recent years.

On the subject of old Opel’s we want, check this mother sucker out!

http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/51/84806551_full.jpg

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?ed=true&id=198632813

KID_SRi

21st January 2009, 05:40 PM

I was about to post before reading the link that above is a Isuzu Gemini not a Opel Kaddett C. It has the wrong stone Tray & Headlights,Parker/Fog Lamps, "C" Pillar Vents. I'd spot more if I seen the Back :)

P.S. Opel Kaddett C GT/E were also Independant Rear Suspension.

daiflu

21st January 2009, 05:41 PM

That's exactly what I thought it was.

Wraith

21st January 2009, 08:37 PM

Was/am going to say the same - good old Gemini there, never seen one with Opel badges before - looks odd, lots of my mates had that same model (ie: the equivalent Holden Gemini model here in Aust.) as their 1st car LOL :D IMO another POS !!!

Apex

22nd January 2009, 10:53 AM

Nearly all Holden’s are simple copied versions of Opel’s, I thought you all knew that :D

We didn’t get the Gemini over here, they look to be a real cult car on your side of the ditch.

daiflu

22nd January 2009, 11:29 AM

Yea, NZ got the gemini!
There were a few like the model above getting around, but had Isuzu badges.
A couple of my mates had the last of the RWD geminis (not familiar with the models) A guy I know had a full Irmscher spec FWD model (had recaro seats) again badged as an Isuzu.
And a mate's mum had the same model (FWD), but povo spec, badged as a Holden.
They were definately around, just nowhere near as popular as in OZ (could have something to do with kiwi's having some taste :p)