1977 Opel Kadett “Historic Rally Car” |

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1977 Opel Kadett “Historic Rally Car”

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Sold Price

£16,960

MileageN/A
TransmissionManual
Engine1.9L
LocationGlasgow

SOLD

1977 Opel Kadett “Historic Rally Car”

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Stuart McIntyre

Professional Consigner

This rally-ready Kadett combines ultra-cool '70s styling with fine handling and performance.

The Opel Kadett C was first introduced to the public in 1973, this example is powered by a 8v engine that's capable of ~193BHP and specifically designed for historic rallying. The Kadett was one of the first hot hatches on the scene, 1 year before the main rival VW Golf Mk1 GTi appeared.

One of the most impressive results the Kadett achieved was earned by Walter Röhrl in the 1976 Monte Carlo Rally, where he finished in 4th place behind three Lancia Stratos.

This example is coming out of 5 years ownership, the car going straight in to a restoration to create this Kadett "Historic Rally Car". A bare metal rebuild was actioned along with fitting of a rare Swedish engine head.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Stuart after meeting David the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

A real pocket rocket on the dirt track and on the roads of Scotland, a lot of great races are to be had in this Kadett.

David is a real Opel Kadett enthusiast, having had experience with these cars for the previous 20 years. Back in 2016 he had a full bare metal rebuild this car. The car was originally an automatic, David tells us specifically chosen for the conversion with the larger tunnel suiting the rally specification.

Due to the pandemic, he unfortunately hasn't been able to use the car for rallying, however, the car is sold with a historic vehicle passport for racing (Stage Rally - Category 1). David will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the car in the comments below.

David

Vehicle Owner

David saved £2,880* when they
sold their Opel with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Boxy arch styling, this car screams 70s rallying and looks fast even when sitting still.

Wheels and Tyres

The car rides on 13" 8 spoke minilite style alloys which are finished in silver and look in great condition on this car. They've been given the attention they deserve during the recent restoration.

Wrapped in Michelin MXV tyres, they appear to have a good amount of life left in them, just what you need if you're looking to rally with this car.

Bodywork

The bodywork looks good on this Kadett, all the panel gaps look good for a rally car from the 70s. Fibreglass bonnet and box arches as per the historic rallying specifications.

There are a few dents here and there, in small areas around the front and rear bumpers as well as doors. Please take a look at the detailed photos and videos for a closer look at the bodywork on this car.

Paint

Finished in the bright and vibrant Opel livery, we love how this car stands out on the road for all the right reasons.

The finish of the paint is good and even in coverage around the car, we did notice some very small areas of wear around the front and rear bumper. Please take time to view the images and videos to assess the condition for yourselves.

Glass and Trim

The glass looks in good condition across the car, along with the trim being good too.

All the window rubbers and seals appear tight with no signs of wear or degrading.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

A serious performance-focused race interior, everything stripped back to the bare essentials.

Seats and Carpets

The car is fitted with purposeful Bimarco Futura bucket seats with a red Ricco four-point harnesses to keep both the driver and navigator secure.

The black cloth bucket seats appear in good condition, and importantly are FIA 8855 - 1999 racing compliant. No carpets are found in the pocket rocket, for weight-saving purposes. Although the seats and belts have hardly been used, for competitive use they will need to be replaced due to the strict age related requirements (installed 4 years ago).

Dashboard

The dashboard looks purposeful, it would benefit from a deep clean, however is exactly what you would expect from a performance focused rally car.

Please take a look at the photos and videos for a closer look, no cracking or warping of the dash observed.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The racing steering wheel and 5 speed gear selector appear in good condition and both look free from any major wear.

Please view the images and videos for a tour of the interior.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

Featuring a rare Swedish head, this car really packs a punch.

Engine and Gearbox

As well as giving the car the weight saving focused renovations, David has tidied up the engine bay during the bare metal restoration, take a look for yourself in the photos and videos.

The car is sold with a rare Swedish injection head, often used on Opel's where the block is bored out to 2.2L. This car however retains a 1.9L specification so that it can be entered in to appropriate historic rally events, running on twin 45 Webers, David mentions that is pushed out ~193BHP from the 8v block.

The car started life an an automatic, and has since been changed to a manual 5 speed "dog-leg" gearbox from Getrag. Couple this to a large shaft LSD Opel torque tube rear axle, and overdrive on the 5th gear, it makes for a car that can produce decent top speeds for its age.

We captured a mechanical video of the Kadett, where the car had been sitting cold and hasn't been started over lockdown, we asked David to turn the key and fire the car, it started without too much fuss or any issues.

Suspension and Brakes

David has attended to the brakes and suspension during the full restoration of the car, he mentions prompt stopping power is offered along with a firm ride with excellent handling abilities. The car is fitted with Bilstien shocks and matching gravel springs. Disc brakes all around, along with a bias pedal box and hydraulic handbrake.

The Drive

A rough and ready experience awaits you in rally car ownership.

David has really enjoyed restoring this car and had great plans of racing, however, due to the current climate has not managed to race or use the car to its full potential, hence why it's coming to sale.

Electrics and Other

The car is fitted with all the electrics you'd need for entry to a rally, a plumbed in fire extinguisher along with a hand held one present too.

David reports all the electrics, buttons, and knobs work within the car to his knowledge. He will be more than happy to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

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History and Paperwork

A rare chance to own a rally car from the 70s, make this the talking point of your car collection.

The car comes with its V5, and historic motorsport UK vehicle passport, which is valid until 2029, for stage rally - category 1 races. The car is equipped with an FIA-approved roll cage, racing seats, and harnesses.

This is one of David's beloved cars, over the past few years he's stated to have spent some ~£35,000 in order to get it to the level you see it at today. A great opportunity to own a very special and unique road-legal rally car.

The car will also be sold with a large spared package which David mentions is essential for competition. A list of the spares is available on request.

We've actioned checks on; Seller ID, V5, HPi clear.

Key Details

ModelKadett C "Historic Rally Car"
TransmissionManual
Reg. Date01.03.1977
CC1,897
MileageN/A
ColourWhite/Yellow
Interior ColourBlack
Interior TrimCloth
Chassis #3275089204
Engine #0057701
RestoredYes
MOTNo Exempt
MOT ExemptYes
Road Tax ExemptYes
HPi ClearYes
Former Keepers7
Tyre BrandMichelin
LHD or RHDRHD
VisitedYes
Sale TypePrivate
Owned5 years
Key FeatureUniqueness

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Vehicle Sold

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This vehicle has now been sold - click 'I Want One' below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

I WANT ONE

Ask Questions

Seller : David K Sale Date 21.07.2021

Post a comment or ask the owner a question about the car.

8 Comments

David Killin

3 years ago

The seat is in its highest position
I am 5 foot 9 inches
The subframe is adjustable and having looked at it very roughly another 5 inches could be achieved with the current seat and subframe

dmp

3 years ago

David
Could you let me know the max headroom from the driver’s seat at present and if there is any room to increase it.
Thanks
David

David Killin

dmp

3 years ago

At the moment the gap with my helmet on is approx 4 inches to the roof but the subframe is setup for that height so I can get the best vision
A different subframe and seat would alter the height

Andy2020

3 years ago

Hello David,
Can you provide info/photos of the spares that are included please? Could it be de-arched to qualify for more events, or is the rear track too wide for that? Is it DVLA registered as historic and MOT’d? Also, which events the car has done since the rebuild would be interesting.
Thanks
Robert

David Killin

Andy2020

3 years ago

Hi Robert the car has a UK historic passport with those arches on it which means it can be used in any historic rally in the uk
This car has just gone through a bare metal rebuild which took approx 4 years and has not competed in any events since
Because of its age the car is both tax and mot exempt
I have photos of the spares package so if you send me your email address I will forward them to you
Thanks for your interest
David

Andy2020

David Killin

3 years ago

Thanks, my email is:
robertandrewpearson@gmail.com

Steve

3 years ago

Hi David, could you give details of the following please ? :- engine spec (head, camshaft, carb size, block internals, exhaust manifold, and when it was last rebuilt), gearbox, axle & whether it has an LSD and the ratio, brake set up, Front spring poundage.
Many thanks
Steve

David Killin

Steve

3 years ago

Hi , will try to answer
The engine is cih with a high lift camshaft
Ultra big valve head with ports matched to hand made exhaust manifold
With the head being very rare Sweden head the complete engine developing 193 bhp on genuine 1.9 block
The engine has only done 2 tests on tarmac as per the rest of the car
The engine came fully rebuilt from Birkbeck motorsport, they are well known and respected
Rear axle is 5.1 ratio with lsd
Both the bilsteins and springs from Birkbeck as well specifically for gravel but there are other springs in the spares package
Brakes are AP front and I think it was Renault rear
Disks all round with bias pedal box and hydraulic hand brake
Please don’t hesitate to ask any more questions should you require
Thanks
David

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Vehicle Location

Glasgow

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