1977 Opel Kadett "Historic Rally Car"

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

History and paperwork

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.

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.

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.