Not your usual car blog...
Musings about cars and whatever else comes to mind. Lots of opinion, links to cool and interesting sites, useless & useful triva, cars for sale, news, a few stories and more...
Comments and submissions are welcome and encouraged.
As I've written before, I have a soft spot for Opels. I learned to drive on an Opel Kadette Rallye. My first car was an Opel Kadette station wagon. My first "sports car" was an Opel GT.
I never owned a Manta. My dad had one once. A bronze colored Manta Rallye. He didn't have it for long (he worked for GM and got a new company car every few months or so), but I remember it being a very cool car.
This is a 1974 Opel Manta Luxus. The Luxus edition was a bit plusher than the standard Manta. It came with corduroy seats (corduroy being more luxurious than vinyl, I guess) and some fake wood trim. The rest of the car was standard issue Manta, which is not a bad thing at all.
The Manta came with Opel's unusual cam-in-head 1.9 liter 4 cylinder engine. With the standard Solex carburetor, it was able to take the car to 60 MPH in 13 seconds. Replacing the Solex with a Weber (a mandatory modification on an Opel) shaves a second or so off the 0 - 60 time. (1975 Mantas came with Bosch FI and were able to hit 60 in less than 11 seconds.)
There aren't a whole lot of things that go wrong with Opel Mantas (or Opels in general). The above mentioned Solex carb is a piece of junk. When it starts to act up (and it will start to act up) it should be tossed out and replaced with a Weber. If maintained, the engine is good for well over 100K miles. I never owned an automatic Opel, but I can't find any horror stories on the net about the automatic transmissions, so I assume that they are at least as good as any 1970s automatic transmission.
The car being offered on eBay appears to be a very nice, original survivor. Manta interiors were not the most durable interiors around, but this one appears to be in very nice condition. Rust is the biggest enemy of an old Opel and this car appears to be relatively rust free (there is some surface rust below the taillights). The car has a few flaws... There's a dent in the right rear quarter panel and what appears to be some peeling clear coat on the nose. There is also a hole where the battery leaked at one time. All-in-all though, this is a really nice 35 year old car.
I've always liked the Manta. If I had unlimited storage space and unlimited "car funds", an Opel Manta would be in my collection. They were well built, nice looking cars. I've often wondered if GM would be in the situation it is in today if they had continued to develop Opels for the US market. A true German coupe and sedan may have done a lot for their image and maybe even cut into the sales of VW, Audi and BMW.
Located in Orange, CA, click here to see the eBay listing for this car.
I don't usually post videos during the week or post anything in the middle of the day, but this is just too cool.
This man, a Swede named David Blumberg, created a song and video in support of Saab. Both the song and the video are remarkably good.
From his YouTube post...
A song in support of Saab Automobile - a company in danger. This song is meant to inspire Saab fans worldwide to keep their hopes up and make a difference. The future is very bright, but we need to act now!
Much has been said about Saab, GM and the possible closure of this unique company. In light of the uncertainty currently experienced by all Saab aficionados, it's easy to lose perspective and throw in the towel prematurely. This is the worst thing we could do!
Saab is alive and well, with several new models ready to launch, and a community of extremely passionate supporters backing it up. Investors are currently trying to work through the General's fog to get a sale done as quickly as possible. We must bring to attention what's at stake here, for GM has no right to kill the only company in its portfolio (IMHO) with a solid plan for the future. (For more information, please visit www.saabsunited.com and www.iwontbuyfromgm.com)
I don't know that this will make a bit of difference in GM's decision, but it's a great idea and shows the grassroots support there is out there for the Saab brand.
I've never seen this done before. Maybe there's a good reason for that.
This is a 1977 6 Series that has been turned into a convertible. The seller says it was professionally done.
There are a lot of questions here... Does it have a cloth top? Was the structure reinforced after the top was chopped? Are there any rear windows? (The coupe didn't have roll up rear windows.)
The Buy It Now price is $1100.00. The seller says it will need a new transmission. However, he also says "The original 3 Litre 6 has been rebuilt with performance upgrades and it is fast. It develops over 240 hp and is cammed. The motor runs great and most engine related mechanics have been upgraded. Includes alternator, radiator, airflow box, ect. The exhaust system was also upgraded to headers and performance muffler." All that is well worth $1100.00.
The car appears to be in decent, but not great shape. It has Euro bumpers, but the front one appears to be damaged. The interior looks scuffed and dirty, but free of any serious damage. I'd take the rear view mirror off the dash and find one to mount on the windshield.
I really don't like the way this car looks. The 6 Series was such a beautiful car in coupe form. Chopping off the roof does not improve on those looks. Losing the silly side graphics and aftermarket taillights would improve the look somewhat.
This is not my type of car. But, I guess, if you're looking for a unique BMW, this might not be a bad choice, especially at the price and assuming it's had all the proper reinforcements done.
Located in Gaithersburg, MD, click here to see the eBay listing.
It looks like Saab is headed for the history books. Spyker, the latest tiny auto manufacturer to put in a bid for Saab, has extended its "deadline" until Monday 12/28, but honestly, I don't think they'll be able to pull it off.
There have been significant Saabs in my life. My friend Ronnie had an old 2 cycle Saab 96. We called it the "Circus Car" as every body panel was a different color. Ronnie drove into things a lot. My friend Regina took me to the hospital in her new 1981 Saab 900 when I got food poisoning. I threw up in it. We remained friends. Forgiving someone for barfing in your new Saab is a true sign of friendship. My friend Dave had a Saab 99. We put a new exhaust in it one afternoon. About 30 seconds after we tightened the last bolts and rolled out from underneath it, it slipped off the jack stands. We looked at each other, realized how close we had just come to being killed, went back to my apartment and did a couple of shots of Bacardi. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do. 2 good friends and my attorney still own Saabs. My attorney's Saab is a 9000 with just over 200,000 miles on it. We argue about whose car will die first; his Saab or my 200K+ BMW.
I bought a Saab 9000 in the mid 1990s. I liked it. It was comfortable, reasonably quick, and reliable. It wasn't very exciting, though. I should have opted for the turbo version. In 1997 I traded it towards the 1995 BMW that I still have today. When the time comes to replace the BMW, a Saab Turbo is on the short list of cars I'll look at.
I decided today to write about a few Saab convertibles. I spotted a couple of ads the other day for "classic" (pre-1994) Saab convertibles being offered at astronomical prices. $12,000.00 and up. In some quarters there seems to be the misconception that the demise of Saab automatically makes these cars collectors items. They're not and won't be for many, many years.
1989 Saab 900 Convertible Turbo - This is an expensive old Saab convertible. It's most likely worth the money. It's a fully loaded turbo with under 70,000 miles on it. It appears to be a well maintained, completely stock, car. It's big downside is the automatic transmission. In my opinion, it takes away some of the fun of the turbo engine. Also, older Saabs had trouble prone automatics. Saab was aware of this and often replaced the transmission after the cars were out of warranty. Some maintenance history would be a good thing to have with this car, as the selling price, $5,995.00, is top dollar.
Located in Springdale, AR, find the AutoTrader.com ad here.
1992 Saab 900 Convertible S - Here's the other end of the spectrum. This is a non-turbo 190,000 mile car. The transmission was replaced 25,000 miles ago. It has a new exhaust system. The seller says that he has done all the routine maintenance and changed the oil every 3,000 miles.
The car has a few flaws. The A/C doesn't work and the lights on the stock Saab cassette deck are out. (Who cares? You'd probably want to upgrade it to a CD player anyway.) The front seats could use some covers or repair. More significantly, there is "a few surface rust spots on driver's door" and some "rust around passenger directional side light". With an asking price of just $1200.00, you could spend a little money having that repaired or just have fun driving the car as is.
Located in Manchester, MA, click here to see the AutoTrader.com ad.
1989 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible - If I were in the market today for a classic Saab convertible, this would be the car I'd take a serious look at. This is a 103,000 mile Turbo with a 5 speed.
The seller states that he "bought this car as a cosmetically beautiful but mechanically challenged vehicle". He "replaced the crank pulley, front seal, oil seal, starter, radiator and blow off valve. It also has a fresh 5 speed transmission and clutch with about 3,000 miles on them". He says it's rust free and in "pristine" condition.
If the car is everything the seller says it is, the asking price of $2800.00 is very reasonable. Located in Shakopee, MN, click here to see the Craigslist listing for this car.
I'm writing this post late Sunday evening. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow Spyker and GM will come up with some sort of deal. I doubt it, though. GM's recent track record of failing to sell off their unwanted brands isn't a good sign. The deal for Saturn fell through. The deal for Opel was rescinded and GM is hanging on to the brand. (I don't believe GM wanted to sell Opel in the first place. I think the whole "sale" of Opel was a ruse to make the US and German governments think GM was trying to raise cash on its own and not relying solely on loans.) A good number of Swedes have accused GM of not trying hard enough to sell Saab. They claim GM wants to kill off Saab, rather than face it as a competitor in the future. I don't know that I believe that, but it's not the most far-fetched idea I have ever heard. Not much surprises me these days.
I hope Saab survives. Even under GM's ownership, Saab remained an alternative to the cookie-cutter cars coming out of Europe, Asia and America. But, in the likely event that Saab doesn't survive, there are still plenty of used Saabs available. Those of us who like our cars to have personality shouldn't have too much of a problem finding one for quite awhile.
1992 Alfa Romeo Spider - Alfa really did a nice job with the final version of the venerable Spider. It received a revised nose, taillights similar to the 164 and a revised interior. Even though the chassis was the same as it was in 1966, the Spider went out in style.
This 1992 Spider looks really nice in British Racing Green with a tan interior. It's in good, but not 100% perfect shape. It is a nice driver quality Spider.
Located in Pittsburgh, PA, click here to see the eBay listing.
1979 Lancia Beta Coupe - Here's something you don't see anymore. A Lancia Beta Coupe. Beta Zagatos, HPEs and Scorpions get restored, but the Beta Coupe and, to a greater extent, the Beta Sedan get ignored.
You can't talk about the Lancia Beta without mentioning rust. The Series I Betas rusted like few other cars rusted. This was caused by Lancias use of poor quality steel, poor rust prevention techniques and inadequate water drainage channels. There is no way of exaggerating how badly these cars rusted. For all intents and purposes, early Lancia Betas were water soluble. The Series II Betas, like this one, were better, but still rusted as badly as any 1970s Italian car.
This car is a remarkably preserved 1979 Beta Coupe. The seller states that it is rust free and has just 39,000 miles on it. The interior, a weak point in Betas, looks immaculate.
The only downside I can see to this car is that it's an automatic. The Fiat based 2.0 liter engine is an amazingly free revving engine. It really should be attached to a manual transmission. Still, given the overall condition of this car, the automatic can be overlooked.
As I write this, the bidding is up to $5,051.51, with a little over a day to go in the auction. It will be interesting to see what this car sells for.
Located in Annandale, MN, click here to see the eBay listing.
1987 Cadillac Cimmaron - I never said that this blog would feature all good cars...
This is quite possibly the dumbest automotive idea ever. Nope, that's wrong. This is the dumbest automotive idea ever. I can't think of anything dumber. The Pacer? That might have been an OK car had it been sold with the rotary engine that was supposed to power it. The Edsel? It wasn't a bad car in its day and it might have sold better if the front end didn't look a lot like female genitalia. The Cimmaron wins the "Dumb Automotive Idea Award" hands down.
What GM did was take a Chevy Cavalier, add a different grill and taillights, cover the seats in cheap leather and call it a Cadillac.
This car was supposed to compete with the small BMWs, Mercedes and Audis of the day. It didn't.
The Cimmaron was a stupid idea that damn-near killed the Cadillac brand and, in no small way, is one of the reasons GM is in the position it is today.
How bad was it? Wikipedia states that according to Car and Driver magazine, current Cadillac product director John Howell has a picture of the Cimarron on his wall captioned, "Lest we forget." (See the complete Wiki article here)
This one is selling for $395.00. The condition is unlisted, but the body appears solid.
You can find the Craigslist listing for it here. For clearer, larger photos, go to the seller's website, Reposforsale.net.
Cadillac is making some pretty decent cars these days. Let's hope GM learned its lesson with the Cimmaron.
1993 BMW M3 Powered 525iT - I've never seen this conversion done before. This is an E34 wagon with an E36 M3 engine in it.
This conversion was done by Strictly German in Atlanta, GA. They are known for dropping M engines in non-M cars and have a very good reputation. (You can see a Grassroots Motorsports magazine article about them here.)
This car appears to be in great shape. The seller says the engine has 235,000 miles on it, but does not mention how many miles are on the rest of the car.
Located in Orange Park, FL, click here to see the Craigslist listing.
1969 Austin America - As I've said before, I like Austin Americas. I have no idea why. (I once owned one, but never got to drive it) This Austin is a project car or parts car. The seller states, "Running car that moves under its own power as of last year. Brakes? Nope. But at least there is a hole in the drivers floor for you to put your feet down."
The $300.00 asking price is a bargain. You could probably get that money back in a few days by selling some parts on eBay.
Located near Minneapolis, MN, find the Craigslist listing here.
1967 Sunbeam Tiger - This is a one owner Tiger. How many one owner Tigers can be left in the world? The seller has every invoice starting from the original purchase agreement. He lists the mileage as 10,177.
I'd love to own a Tiger. I'd be very, very happy with a well used, well taken care of, driver quality car. However, if originality and low miles are your thing, you most likely won't find another Tiger like this one. It will be interesting to see what this car sells for.
Located in Lees Summit, MO, click here to see the eBay listing. 12/26 Update - I wrote this post late last night. Since then there have been some changes to the Sunbeam Tiger listing... As JaCG reader 767driver wrote, "Please read the seller's Q&A and it becomes apparent there is more to this story. First flag, mileage incorrectly stated. Next flag, seller does not seem overly interested in answering questions from potential bidders or taking additional photos. This will most likely be a difficult transaction from the kind of seller that drives us all nuts." Caveat Emptor.
Free Lancia Scorpion Ad if You Own A Lancia Scorpion - I love this. This guy is selling a framed Lancia Scorpion ad. His price? "$20 cash takes it, or bring your Lancia Scorpion and give me a ride in it, and its yours for free!" Awesome.
Three Tatras in Seattle - I mentioned in an earlier post that I've only seen one Tatra in my life. It was at Lime Rock. This person is selling 3. They are...
These cars are a little too old and a little too weird (that says a lot!) to be cars that I desire, but they are very interesting pieces of automotive history.
1995 Audi 90 - I actually looked at this car a week or so ago. A friend of mine is looking to get out of her Mercury Mountaineer and into something smaller with AWD. We left at 10PM, got to the dealership around 11PM (they were closed, of course) and checked it out.
OK, it's a black car, it was the middle of the night and we couldn't hear it run, but from what we could see with a flashlight and a little outside lighting, this appears to be a very, very nice old Audi. It should be a fun Audi, too... It's a V6 Quattro with a 5 speed manual.
My friend was leery of the mileage (149,000). I tried to tell her that a well maintained 5 speed Audi should be good for 200K+, but she wasn't too interested.
Oh well, her loss is someone's gain... Maybe mine, if the Christmas season is good to me...
Located in Weymouth, MA, click here to see the AutoTrader.com listing.
As I mentioned in previous posts, I don't have a lot of time to research and write about cars this week. (Or at least I hope I don't have a lot of time. I'm writing this week's posts on 12/15 and scheduling them to post. If, as a retailer, I have time to write about cars the week before Christmas, I'm in serious trouble.) I've been re-reading a lot of the old Car Geek Break e-mails, trying to find something interesting to post.
This was a Car Geek Break on 12/21/2006. It wasn't anything too special, just the Alfa Romeo homepage. Back then I figured it would start some sort of dialog, which it did.
I wasn't going to post this; I figured we've all seen Alfa Romeos and have read or heard about their new models, but I clicked on the website anyway, just to check it out again.
Wow! You can now play Space Invaders on the Alfa Website! I should be in bed right now, but nope, I'm up and awake and playing Space Invaders on the Alfa website.
Too cool. Click here to see the Alfa website and to play Space Invaders. (Click on the "Play" button. A new window opens, then click on "Start") Have fun!
I'm not doing a lot of writing this week, being the Christmas season and all, but I wanted to keep the blog going on a daily basis.
This was the October 3, 2007, "Car Geek Break". (If you don't know what that is and / or the history of this blog, click here for the long, boring story.)
It's a very cool car and, as far as I can tell, the company is still in business. You can find its website and more info about the car here.
A quick note... Christmas is coming (You probably figured that out on your own, huh?), which for me, as I own a retail store (some people will say it owns me), means long hours at work and not a lot of time to write.
I wrote this piece 8 or 9 months ago, but didn't post it. (I don't remember why.) I decided to resurrect it and post it now. I didn't do any further research or make any changes. I'm not sure if there has been any progress on the SX since I originally wrote this. If you have any additional info, please post it in the comments section.
Pontiac built a couple of dreadful cars called the Phoenix. Too bad. The name was more suitable for this car.
The Jensen Interceptor was an Italian designed (Carrozzeria Touring), British built, American powered GT car. It was the first Jensen to be made of steel instead of fiberglass. The FF variant of the Interceptor was the first production car to be offered with 4WD and anti-lock brakes. The Interceptor was offered as a hatchback (like the one above) and later on as a convertible. There were also 60 coupe versions of the Interceptor built.
If you're reading this blog, you probably know all that. I'm writing this post for another reason, one that ties into my Phoenix reference. In ancient Greek mythology the Phoenix was a bird that lives for 1000 years. Near the end of its life it builds a nest and sets it and itself on fire. From the ashes the Phoenix arises as a young bird, ready to start the whole cycle over again. (Or at least that's what I remember from my school days.)
The Jensen hasn't lived 1000 years yet, but it keeps rising from its ashes. Jensen Motors folded in 1976. With it went the Interceptor, which at that point was the Interceptor Mark III.
In the early 1980s, a small independent firm re-introduced the Interceptor as the Series 4. The company changed hands in 1988, but the new owners were no more successful than the original owners and the company went into receivership in 1993.
End of the Interceptor? Nope.
In 2007 Jensen specialist dealer Cropredy Bridge announced that up to 50 Mark III Interceptors would be rebuilt with modern components and called the Interceptor S. The Interceptor S came with a GM sourced 6 liter V8 LS2 engine, an independent rear suspension, seventeen inch wheels and a 5-speed automatic gearbox.
50 cars rebuilt into more modern cars should be the end of Interceptor development, right? Wrong.
In February, Jensen Sales Limited, a company that is somehow connected to Cropredy Bridge, announced the Interceptor SX. The Interceptor SX is an ambitious, impressive project. Their website describes it like this...
In August of 2008, after many requests from potential customers, we began to develop the Interceptor SX. A true supercar putting the Jensen name back amongst the great European names of Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Jaguar.
The Interceptor SX is a 620bhp super car. Utilising modern lightweight elements in its production, the car is more than twice as powerful and efficient than its predecessor. It has a top speed in excess of 175mph and will exceed 20 mpg
Lightened, restyled body shell, 6.2 Litre SuperchargedbLS9 GM engine delivering 620bhp, 6 speed manual gearbox, Carbon ceramic 6/4piston brakes, 19 inch carbon fibre & magnesium wheels, Completely re-styled modern interior
It's that "lightened, restyled body shell" that caught my attention. This is a great looking car. It has all the original Jensen styling cues, but the body looks modern and not tacky-retro. If they actually succeed in producing this car, they may very well put the Jensen name back up among the greats. The Phoenix rises...
I'm very certain of one thing - this car will be EXPENSIVE - and fairly certain of another - it will not be exported to the US.
Seeing one of these on the road is worth a trip to the UK. Time to find my passport...
Check out the Jensen Sales Limited website. You can find it here.
Being the car geek and fan of interesting art that I am, I'd like to say that I knew all about the Tramontana and Fernando Leal Audirac before I saw this ad, but honestly, I never heard of either until a friend sent me the Jameslist link. I had to do some research on both.
The Tramontana is manufactured in Spain by a.d. Tramontana. They describe the car as "a combination of a Formula 1 racing car and a fighter jet". It's powered by a 720 HP V12 engine and is able to reach 60 MPH in 3.2 seconds. The entire car is made of carbon fiber. You can find out more about the car on the Tramontana website.
Fernando Leal Audirac is a Mexican painter, commercial artist, illustrator and sculptor. His art is very cool and very intersting. You can find his website here.
The Tramontana being offered on Jameslist has been painted by Fernando Leal Audirac.
The ad states:
Leal-Audirac has created an artwork on the carbon fibre car body by using special metallised paints enriched with gold and precious gems powder. The iridescent colours react to movement and light ranging from purple to cobalt blue, and from green to gold.
Interesting. Weird, but interesting.
They go on to say:
This new creation is a synthesis of the artist’s poetic vision in which art, tradition, technique, design and technology coexist through a constant research, incarnating the charm, the myth and the dynamics of contemporaneity.
Oh.
Personally, I'd like to own some of Leal-Audirac's artwork. I'd also like to own a car that gets to 60 MPH in 3.2 seconds. I'd just want them to be separate.
The asking price for this car is € 2,000,000. (Approximately $2,900,000) You can find the Jameslist listing here.
Tuesday morning I checked my e-mail and saw one titled "Dave - You Have To Write About This Car!". I didn't recognize the e-mail address. When I opened it I found it to be from an old friend, Jon. I've known Jon since the early 1980s. He worked at my store. We made a hell of a team. At night was the drummer in a punk rock band. I was a young kid with a record store. Some of the stuff that went on... Never mind.
His band went to Europe for a short tour and Jon wound up staying for a few years. Every now and then I'd get a package in the mail from him. It would be full of French car magazines, car pictures and occasionally a car part. (Nope. I didn't ask where they came from.) His letters would include descriptions of the cars he was driving (notably a Fiat Punto) or wanted to buy (a Gilbern owned by a girlfriend's father).
I e-mailed Jon back and asked him how he found the blog. Did he find it on his own or did some mutual friend tell him about it? He replied "Found it on my own. At first I wasn't sure it was you, but after reading about Bimmers, Alfas, Cherokees, Peugeots, and Renaults, I was fairly sure. Occasional entries had me laughing as in 'I remember that car.'" I don't know whether that's good or bad.
The cars Jon finds interesting (or amusing) are often different from the cars I find interesting (or amusing), but equally as weird. The car he said I "have to write about" is this one...
I have no idea what to say about this car. It was built by George Barris. Barris is the "King of Kustomizers". His more famous cars include the Batmobile, cars for the TV shows The Beverly Hillbillies, The Monkees, and The Munsters. He also designed the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. (Somebody had to design it, right?)
Even if I had over $200K to spend on a car, I wouldn't spend it on this. It's just not my type of car. It's interesting, though, and George Barris is a true legend in the custom car world.
You can find the eBay listing for this Toronado here.
Click here to find the Barris Kustom Industries website.
Jon is no longer a drummer in a punk rock band, he's a successful attorney. I'm no longer a young kid with record store, I'm a middle-aged man with a record store. We're still both car geeks.
Italian design, German underpinnings, and only a small number built... That should mean big bucks, right? In the case of the Bitter, it does not. Bitters are some of the best "exotic car" bargains around today.
First of all, they're not really exotic cars. They just look like one. (They look a lot like a Ferrari 400i) It's underpinnings are pure Opel. Opel just doesn't have the status of, say, BMW or Mercedes. While Erich Bitter, the car's creator, was a champion race driver, Bitters have no racing history. Add to that a brief marriage to Isuzu (Bitters were, for awhile, to be sold through Isuzu dealers in the US) and you understand why these cars are overlooked by many people looking for a classy, limited edition European coupe.
The Bitter is not a bad car, by any means. It's big and heavy, with an overall length of 193 inches, a width of 71 inches, a height of 53 inches and weighing 3,439 lbs. But it was able to reach 60 mph in 9.6 seconds, and had a top speed of 130 mph.
The body may look like a Ferrari, but the interior is straight out of the 1980s Maserati school of design. It's a little more Germanic than a Maserati interior, but a lot more luxurious and plush than anything coming out of Germany at the time.
Opel parts, when compared to other German brands, are inexpensive, although most parts will have to come from Europe.
This Bitter has been in storage for 10 years and appears to be in very nice shape. The seller says the gas is stale and the the fuel system will have to be cleaned, but it starts and runs on starting fluid.
The "Buy It Now" price is $8995.00, which is around what you'd expect to pay for a nice running Bitter, but the seller is willing to entertain offers.
Located in Palm City, FL, click here to see the eBay listing.
This caught my attention because of the title of the eBay listing. It states "Alfa Romeo Other GT Coupe". There is an Alfa called a GT Coupe. It's a modern car and not one that you would expect to find in the US. (Click here for a brief review of it.) For split second I was making plans to go to wherever this car is and check it out. Then I saw the picture... It's an Alfa Romeo Montreal. I have no idea why the seller listed it as he did.
I've written about Alfa Romeo Montreals before. (You can find the posts here.) For many years they were under valued exotics. The prices are starting to climb but, for what you get, the car is still a bargain.
This is an incredibly well presented Montreal. The seller includes some very clear pictures.
The car is located in Savannah, GA. Click here to see the eBay listing.
Do you have an interesting car story? Know of an interesting car? Have an opinion? Send it to Just A Car Geek - Submissions are always welcome. If you have a problem with the link above (which happens sometimes when using Outlook), send the e-mail directly to contact (AT) justcargeek.com (use the @ sign in place of "AT")
The Manta came with Opel's unusual cam-in-head 1.9 liter 4 cylinder engine. With the standard Solex carburetor, it was able to take the car to 60 MPH in 13 seconds. Replacing the Solex with a Weber (a mandatory modification on an Opel) shaves a second or so off the 0 - 60 time. (1975 Mantas came with Bosch FI and were able to hit 60 in less than 11 seconds.)
There aren't a whole lot of things that go wrong with Opel Mantas (or Opels in general). The above mentioned Solex carb is a piece of junk. When it starts to act up (and it will start to act up) it should be tossed out and replaced with a Weber. If maintained, the engine is good for well over 100K miles. I never owned an automatic Opel, but I can't find any horror stories on the net about the automatic transmissions, so I assume that they are at least as good as any 1970s automatic transmission.
I've always liked the Manta. If I had unlimited storage space and unlimited "car funds", an Opel Manta would be in my collection. They were well built, nice looking cars. I've often wondered if GM would be in the situation it is in today if they had continued to develop Opels for the US market. A true German coupe and sedan may have done a lot for their image and maybe even cut into the sales of VW, Audi and BMW. 
