Good old school car
There were some electrical problems, but nothing big and serious.
I think it's a good car. It's comfortable, it runs good and has never let me down.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th May, 2005
Luxurious in a nice convenient package
The fuel filter got clogged at 13.000 kilometers (97+ fuel octane rating).
Gas tank gasket ripped at 14.000 kilometers.
Intermittent stalls not associated with clutch and driver failure.
It's a gas-guzzler and there's no doubt about it.
The steering is highly responsive and you can use only one-hand on 160 degree zig-zags.
The suspension is a bit troubling especially at the back, but it never lets the car down.
I got a lot of good comments and looks when I bought it even though it was third-hand!
The original jet black paint is magnificent and it feels that it actually is a limousine.
Mine is an Irmscher edition so everything is made to look sportier, with fiberglass and high-impact plastic as the side wings and both of the bumpers and also the nice Momo-Opel steering wheel.
It has a lot of features that set it alongside the luxury cars of Mercedes, etc.
The brakes have a bit of latency, but it never fails to make you feel safe.
The seat warmers and sun roof are proof that it is a luxury car then in the eighties.
It's not a racer nor a snail, but it never fails to out-speed other modern cars.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th March, 2005
Try it!
Fuel Gauge broke down.
Steering Wheel lock jammed once.
Windshield wipers played me a couple of tricks.
It is the perfect car; it even resists the sacrileges of unexperienced amateur mechanics. No matter how bad you treat it, it always comes to life. Great buy if you can find a not so battered specimen.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th February, 2005
Father bought a Rekord C Coupe 1.9L new in 1970. It was in the family for over 17 years till lack of parts forced us to salvage the car. The car has been nothing, but fun. Father drove the family from England to Pakistan and back and it did not fail us once. After 200,000 miles it had its first mechanical failure, the crankshaft broke. Am now looking for one to restore and relive the good old days.
Hi there.
You are right, they do not make them like this anymore. But "Safer than Volvo" - only partly!. We were once, around 1978, in an accident, where a Renault 4 crashed in the rear of our Rekord 1,9. The R4 car was totally scrap - the driver sat looking down on his smashed radiator, only about 20-30 cm away from the windscreen. But he could walk away unharmed, fortunately.
The only damage done to our Rekord, was that the rear bumper moved sideways just ½ cm - nothing we ever did correct - it was invisible by any normal standards.
So far so good - but you still have to remember, that the fuel tank is sitting behind the rear axle. So if you look down the luggage compartment, you are looking at the tank...
Remember the Ford Pinto? - it had the same arrangement, and that was NOT a safe car.
I'm just thankful we weren't hit by a Volvo, another Rekord, a Mercedes from the rear - that could have been flamingly ugly (literally).
By the way - still have that exact same car in working condition - and now it´s 2011 (see post for Rekord year 1968).
Best wishes - and good fun with your Rekord.
When was the last time you saw one?
Idle speed very low - will often stumble and stall. Could be that the infamous GM Varajet carburettor's automatic choke is throwing a wobbler.
Rust at the base of driver's side front wing - can be easily repaired though.
Speedometer seems to under-read quite a bit.
I haven't seen one of these cars since at least the late 80's, so when I had the chance to snap one up on eBay I did so.
Up until the early 80's most of the Opel range was sold in the UK side-by-side with the Vauxhall range, however once the cars became duplicates of each other the Opel models offered were slimmed down to just the Manta and Monza. This particular model of Rekord was used as the basis of the first Vauxhall Carlton.
Amazingly for a 26-year old car, it wears its original Amber Gold paintwork. There are some very minor surface rust marks on the front valence and wheelarch lips, and a bigger blob at the base of the driver's side front wing, but the overall condition of the bodywork is incredible. Even the door bottoms are good. Just goes to show what looking after a car can do. It has had one owner, had done 51,000 miles when I bought it and had been garaged every night.
The interior features gold velvet seats. Yes, really. Very comfortable and oh-so-seventies. The dashboard is quite spartan, but well laid-out in the Germanic manner. Only one column stalk though which is rather overloaded with functions, Mercedes-style.
A quarter-century ago, executive cars were not luxurious like today - no electric windows, central locking or air conditioning - not even a nearside door mirror, 5th gear, power steering or tachometer in this car. It does have a Pioneer manual-tune FM stereo/cassette though. However, all the fixtures and fittings are of good quality. Lots of room in the back - better than my 1999 Accord, which is the same size, more-or-less, externally.
The 2.0-litre "cam-in-head" engine (used until quite recently in the Frontera) is a willing if prehistoric unit. It allegedly puts out 100bhp, but the steering and suspension won't allow you to make best use of it. The steering is exceptionally heavy and vague - that's a recirculating ball setup for you. The live rear axle transmits a lot of road imperfections - it especially dislikes the grooves worn into the inside lane of our motorways by the 38-ton trucks.
Having said that, if you exit a junction with some verve, the lightly-loaded inside rear wheel will light up quite well. Just as Bodie and Doyle would have done!
Only 4 gears (slickest gearchange I've encountered though) and bluff aerodynamics add up to less than 30mpg, but who cares? It's my pleasure to keep this example on the road. Long may it continue!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st November, 2004
If you can't find one import one from australia eg 2.85lL,3.3L.4.2v8,4.9/5.0l eaSY TO GET.
I obtained my 1968 Opel Rekord 1700 from a farmer's son who just bought a 6-cylinder Commodore. Unfortunately, he wrecked this one on the way to pick up the Rekord...
The Rekord had just run about 100.000 km when I bought it in 1982. A serious problem were broken bolts in the front torsion bar and two broken front springs, a common problem for this type.
I have driven this Rekord for many years and it seldom let me down. It was very roomy and comfortable, fuel consumption was reasonable en it always started immediately due to the automatic choke. Repairs were mainly: waterpump (2x), replacement of the gearbox lever nylon joints (this type had steering wheel gearbox lever), replacement of the (all mechanical) voltage regulator, some rubber parts incl. the windshield rubber.
After one year the car received a beautiful metallic blue paint, some new chrome parts and whitewall tyres. After 15 years I replaced the shock absorbers too. After 18 years some welding was needed due to body rust around the rear axle.
After many years and 385.000 km, it was involved in an accident and shredded. The engine, gearbox and overall condition were still pretty much OK.
Fuel consumption?
Reliable in any situation though a little too greedy on fuel
At 200.000 Kilometers the clutch broke.
Due to bumpy Romanian roads the rear shock absorbers broke after driving 30.000 Kilometers. After another 20.000 I also had to change the front ones.
Fuel tank broke after 180.000 kilometers.
Rust all over the bodywork, a new paint job was required after 180.000 Kilometers.
Fuel consumption is really bad. 16 liters per 100 Kilometers. This means 6 kilometers per liter in city traffic. Maybe 11 or 10 in highway.
Very easy steering, even without assisted or power steering.
Comfortable for long trips, lots of space inside the car, also lots of space for luggage.
Nothing went wrong with the engine or transmission in almost 28 years of life. Good maintenance keeps it still running after 230.000 kilometers. Runs like the first day, though it started to burn some oil for some time now.
Great tunning potential.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th May, 2004
I will buy another one from the same year as soon as I can get it
The starter broke at 40.000 km.
Clutch went at around 30.000 km, and again at around 40.000 km.
Gearshift lever went from 4th to neutral when hitting any bump, from around 50.000 km.
A gas guzzler, wouldn't go more than 6 km per liter in the city, and perhaps 9 km per liter in the highway. 6 cylinder automatic consumption in a 4 cylinder manual car.
An excellent showcase of General Motors mid and late 70's styling that was not hampered by U.S. regulations.
Very comfortable car, except by the leatherette upholstery which got too hot in summer.
Great ride, felt like a really bigger American luxury sedan.
Best steering I've ever tried, enough power assistance, sensitive at speed, very easy to park.
Very nicely finished car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th December, 2003
6th Nov 2005, 10:21
It's me again. Just wanted to report that bought a second one, exactly alike, but from 1970. These things are amazing-safer than Volvo.