Opel Kadett C Coupe GTE - RHD - Tony Fall?

[Huntsman]

In 1985 our house was burgled, they took the Panasonic 16" remote control TV and some other stuff. The TV was brand new, we were very proud. My grandad had died, granny was courting with Cyril Smith, a salesman at Opel/Vauxhall dealer Pats in Lyndhurst. With the insurance money from the burglary mum bought a Kadett C Coupe, from Pats via Cyril, a 1200S, metallic green, the 'Green Godess' as it became known went on to become my first car in 1988. KHO414N came to an unhappy end after I jumped a humpback bridge.

Cyril told me he'd sold one GTE 2.0ltr in white/yellow to a solicitor somewhere localish. I don't if it was a RHD Tony Fall car.

In the late 80's or early 90's there was a white/yellow GTE in the Bitterne Manor area of Southampton, specifically Rampart Road.

This popped up on ebay recently http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1978-OPEL-KADETT-GT-E-WH...

That's the first time I've seen a RHD GTE.

I understand all factory GTE's were LHD and Tony Fall did the RHD ones? Anybody now how many Tony Fall did?

[Jimmy Recard]

Huntsman said:

My grandad had died, granny was courting with Cyril Smith

When I read this, my heart sank. Luckily the story improved!

[texaxile]

That's most interesting, because during the summer months I regularly see a Kadett in those exact same colours going over the Orwell Bridge toward East Ipswich / Felixstowe every morning. It's RHD as far as I know and sounds quite throaty.

I'll contact a mate (who's always on at me to join) in East Coast Retro's to see if he knows anything about it.

[Huntsman]

Jimmy Recard said:

Huntsman said:

My grandad had died, granny was courting with Cyril Smith

When I read this, my heart sank. Luckily the story improved!

Ooops, that wasn't clear enough! Not the pervy fat politician. This Cyril Smith was at Brooklands when Malcolm Campbell demonstrated Blue Bird, trialled in a home built car in the 1950's, ran a garage, sold cars, had a S1 XJ6 and Sunbeam Alpine when he got his feet under the table with granny. Ran through the family money, crashed and XJ40 three times in Spain and France, finally gave up in 2007 leaving 2 wrecked cars and a pile of debt. Despite his interest in cars and motoring I didn't like him much.

[ian2144]

I was the proud owner of a Kadett GT/E Coupe, if memory serves, Tony Fall imported 24 into the U.K. 12 RHD 12 LHD.

Most of the RHD cars were yellow/white LHD ones were yellow/black. I sold my Kadett back in 1993 to a chap from the Hull area , sorry can't remember his name.

I must apologise for the Magnum Pi moustache, it's long gone never to return.

[steely dan]

I'm sure there will be someone along soon with more detailed info than me but I "think" they were all produced as LHD's due to the lack of space on the bulkhead where the servo would be on a RHD due to the CIH injection plenium.
Tong Park garage converted them retaining the servo on the LHD and fitting a rather agricultural linkage across the bulkhead to transfer the RHD braking action to the LHD servo.
RHD converted cars had a Tong Park sticker inside the instrument binnacle .
I have a few original sales brochures for the C GTE and the photos show a LHD car although the UK version is mentioned in the text.
Notice the GT/E decal is on the LH side in the brochure but on the RH on the UK car above .

[ian2144]

The Kadett Rallye was officially sold through the Opel main dealerships, but got to be even rarer than the GT/E in the U.K.
Only ever saw one in the flesh complete with yellow/white colour scheme. From memory Autocar / Motor magazine did a brief road test on a red Rallye E .

[aeropilot]

One of the senior committee members of the local motor club I joined in early 1981 had one of the RHD UK cars, used it for road rallying mostly.

[ian2144]

There was a GT/E entered in the historic Monte this year starting from Glasgow.

[velocemitch]

Wonder if the GTE which was sold to someone in the Hull area is Ian Gibbin's Car, fairly well known guy on the northern Club Rallying circuit. He still has it but doesn't compete in it.

There is a fully prepped Stage Rally one in the north of England too.

[Huntsman]

ian2144 said:

I was the proud owner of a Kadett GT/E Coupe, if memory serves, Tony Fall imported 24 into the U.K. 12 RHD 12 LHD.

Most of the RHD cars were yellow/white LHD ones were yellow/black. I sold my Kadett back in 1993 to a chap from the Hull area , sorry can't remember his name.

I must apologise for the Magnum Pi moustache, it's long gone never to return.

On reflection its a good job my Kadett Coupe was a 1200, at 17 years old my dirving could be described as 'Dukes of Hazard'

steely dan said:

Tong Park garage converted them retaining the servo on the LHD and fitting a rather agricultural linkage across the bulkhead to transfer the RHD braking action to the LHD servo.

Also how BMW built the RHD E28's!

[s m]

[elans3]

I know this is an old thread, but i just wanted to add my experiences of the kadett GTE and Rallye E.
In the 80's and 90's I went through 9 GTE's, all genuine Tony Fall RHD converted ones, most were rally cars, one was a road car, so there must have been way more than 12 RHD. My best friend also had a lovely RHD 1978 Rallye E in burnt orange.
In the nine I had, were YCU149T, which was an ex-Russell Close, semi works supported GTE GP1 car, and also HRN 58V, which originally was the works car that DOT built for Barry Lee.
They built him two cars, one for Hotrod Racing, and one for rallycross. Mine was the rallycross car. It originallty had a very trick Vauxhall slant 4 "stroker" motor in it, as built, but as we all know, Barry's period with Opel didn't last long.
When I bought it, it had a very quick Pinto engine.
The car was built with an immensely strong rollcage, all built in to the shell by Tim Ashton (later BTR Preparations), when he was working for DOT. Some time later I spoke to Tim and he said he spent untold hours welding the cage into the shell, it was almost a space-frame.
It was also shod with many lightweight composite panels, boot, bonnet, arches & windows, so was very light.
Rear end was an Atlas axle very similar (but different width ) to the works Escort axles.
There wasn't a rubber bush in the suspension (all poly), nor a mat or carpet on the inside, with it's 5.3 : 1 diff and 2 litre Rally Pinto engine, this thing was the quickest car I'd ever had to that point up to 85mph, but was almost on the rev limiter at that point.
Beacuse of the lack of sound deadening, and rubber suspension components, It was brutal to travel in after 10 minutes, but a fantastic handling thing all the same, with exhilarating acceleration. After a year I sold it on to a guy in the very North of Scotland, who stage rallied it for quite a while. He actually drove it home, and rang me a fortnight later to say his ears were still ringing......
I remember I sold two others to Northern Ireland, they were very keen on Kadetts and from a friend I bought my last rally car, an Irish reg 2 ltr GTE, LIJ 1341 , which I stage rallied throughout 91 & 92, before retiring from motorsport at the end of 1992.
At one point I had over 30 of the rare Geschmiedet alloy wheels in my garage.
Steve

Edited by elans3 on Thursday 28th March 10:39

Edited by elans3 on Thursday 28th March 10:41

[elans3]

Ex Barry Lee car

[elans3]

Ex Russell Close Car

[zeb]

9 GTE's...every credit that man !!