For The Rekord : Grandad’s Right

Personally I’m more of an old school guy – it’s what I was brought up with so it’s natural that my interest would lean that way. When I saw Pierre Finet’s 1971 Opel Rekord at the recent Selected Show in Belgium, I just had to grab a few shots for a spotlight before he drove the couple of hours home. We might speak different languages, but it soon became obvious there was a lot more going on here than just air suspension and wheels. For a start his grandfather bought the car brand new…

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-3

So this is a proper family heirloom and when Pierre’s grandfather passed away the Rekord was passed down to his father, but it was only when Pierre became the custodian a couple of years ago that things started to happen. For me, the coupe shape has always been a winner. Opel is part of the GM family and this body was designed in the late ’60s, so there are hints of everything from Camaro to Corvair in there.

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-8

It’s a pretty simple formula of taking an older, rarer body style and dropping it over some modern wheels – for me something that rarely fails to impress. But what I really love about the Rekord is the history it has for Pierre. Leaning in through the pillarless window aperture you can see the interior still wears the beaded seat covers, plus a host of special modifications that his grandfather added.

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-7

Back before mobile phones, pagers, wifi and the internet there were land line telephones and CB radio. Still popular with truck drivers the world over, this is period perfect because it’s been there all along. Which just adds to the cool factor for me – this is no recreation. It’s been left in place along with the amplifier and 8-track player, which makes for a proper old school, in-car entertainment experience.

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-6

The original mileage is now around 79,000km, which is roughly 50,000 miles. With the original 1700cc, 75hp motor still under the bonnet, grandfather Finet obviously looked after the Rekord and the handwritten notes on the dashboard tell when the brakes were fixed – at least that’s what I think it says… My French is patchy and like I said, Pierre doesn’t speak English so we walked around the Rekord swapping words and smiles. It all makes sense though, right? That universal language of vehicular appreciation.

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-14

There are some extra lights added behind the grille, plus those low and wide, yellow driving lamps. You can forget your Xenon or HID units, what are ballast packs anyway? Just add more candle power; now watch out we’re coming through!

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-17

The Rekord is a great example of respecting what’s there already, and then adding to it in a tasteful, considered manner. So the suspension has been modified to run a full Kean Suspensions air set up. With the bags aired out you get that killer look which accentuates the swooping body lines, and clearance isn’t a problem meaning that body will last another 40 years.

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-13

The wheels are 17×8-inch BBS RC09s, which would have originally been found on the front of a BMW 8 Series. Detailed and painted to match the Opel’s factory Monza Blue paintwork, I think they’re perfect.

Pierre Opel Rekord Selected Belgium-15

In fact respect is due all round. Pierre has done what not many would (or even have the chance to do) – he’s taken a piece of family history that’s been around since before he was born and made it his own whilst preserving it for future generations. Simple, tasteful and effective… Oh yeah and it gets used. That’s probably the most important part!

Bryn Musselwhite
Instagram: speedhunters_Bryn
bryn@speedhunters.com

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1
Gianluca FairladyZ

Very Nice!

2

Lush!

3
Speedhunters_Bryn

obsession_Si  Gert lush!

4

Love it!

5

Always liked these since a friend first put me on to them.

6

the sticker say: At 58170 km, he changed the Master Cylinder. On July 1st, at 59460 km, it seem to have done some adjustment....

7
Speedhunters_Bryn

Dave88  Nice one Dave!

8

Quite nice. There really is a lot of Camaro in that body.

9

This is cool as... I wish my granddad garaged a car like this and not his rover 25 with less than 20,000 on the clock.

10

I love old Opels.  Such interesting cars.

11

Another feature about fucking wheels and stance. 
Lame.

12
whitehatchback

Ouchtitz   bang on chap - please, please, please can we have another feature about fucking drift and Wocket Bunnywabbits.
Lama?

13

@Auschwitz  Mate if you dont like the feature dont read it! No need to be negative!

14

Noah_Lines  Yeah, well fuck. It's pretty hard not to agree with.

15

@Auschwitz Noah_Lines Didn't know you were in charge of what gets posted? Or that you pay for what you see. Do you write in to magazines saying the same? I say be pleased that this website even exists, and be sure that they post things about their sponsors otherwise we wouldn't see any of the cars they post.

16

Ghostbones  They remind me of a Holden Monaro HG a lot too.

17

JakWhite Noah_Lines  This site has seemed to have turned into one massive advert now. 
Either that or a bunch of circle jerking divas frothing over wheels.

18
JohnnyHumphrey

cool car, really like original cars with all the stock trims and original interior sitting low on a nice set of rims. Awesome

19

@Auschwitz JakWhiteNoah_Lines Perhaps because that is what is in fashion right now across the world?

20

JakWhite Noah_Lines  Considering the site is called 'Speedhunters', I find that incredibly ironic...

21

I've always liked the Rekord a lot....already as a kid, the mix of
American and German lines is very special. So cool he drives around in a
car that was bought new by his grandfather.
There was also the more upscale Opel Kapitän with similar lines.

22

@Auschwitz JakWhiteNoah_Lines Don't get me wrong I do see where you are coming from, but for me I like seeing all aspects of car culture as respective all cars give "speed" If all they posted were cars that were "stanced" or drift pigs then I probably wouldn't visit this website as you get bored of seeing the same thing day in day out. But its the fact that they try to cover everything that gets me coming back because I never know what's going to be on the front page. It's just the fact that people are more willing to change their suspension and wheels than do structural work/complete engine overhauls, hence there are more of that kind of car posted.

I love it when I don't view the website for a few days and I'm treated to cars and coffee, a really cool dream drive, a rare and often looked down upon car that's been transformed into something we all lust over and a 4x4 event with some RC/model cars chucked in too, reading/viewing like that really are why I love Speedhunters and have bought every book they've done to date, this website has also changed my perspective of bosozoku, I never understood it at first until I came here

 Don't get me wrong, I think there are many builds out there deserving of a feature on here, but they have to be found/finished first, not everyone is crazy enough to make something remarkable and I respect that that sort of car is few and far between (lasupra and engineered to slide being two examples)

23

@Auschwitz JakWhite Noah_Lines 'Circle jerking divas' - country and western mincing crossdressers? Random or what!

24
JockThatCamel

I didn't find this post staying on the subject of wheels for a ridiculous amount of time. More of a short story about a guy's family car he bagged with aftermarket wheels. Sure it's nothing special, better than nothing.

25
Speedhunters_Bryn

@Auschwitz  I didn't see any wheel fucking? When did that happen? Crikey, call the authorities!

26
Speedhunters_Bryn

KiwiMotoring Ghostbones  Yup, that's far more like it! Well remembered :)

27
JockThatCamel

I think we need to have that talk. When a man and a wheel...

28

Man, these things are cool! Were these only available in Europe?

29

Chevrolet brought this car to Brazil in 69 under the name "Opala", with a different grille, round lamps in the front and smaller taillights. The opala was produced until 1992 going through lots of facelifts. Here they were offered with only 2 options of engines: four cylinder 151ci and straight six with 250 ci. Mine is a 72 originally equiped with a straigth six which I've replaced by a V8 350. I wish I could post some pictures, but the button is not working...

30

Can see a lot of HR Holden in that.

31
Marcus Vinicius

Actually, it. debutes in 1968, o seu deve ser uma delícia de guiar, só estou esperando o meu LS3 chegar, para eu fazer o swap

32

Amazing car. Beautiful look.

33

mickv8 cara eu sou apaixonado por omega, tenho dois, um 4.1 todinho original e um outro lindo que preciso de um motor pra instalar, gostaria muito que fosse um v8 e me interessei no projeto de seu opala. por favor, se puder me indique os lugares onde fez as modificações, as possibilidades de motor e as possibilidades de transmissões, gostaria muito de colocar o v8 em meu omega e preciso de alguem que conheça um pouco deste tipo de converção. grande abraço.
Jean Marcel.

34

mickv8 o cinza é 4.1i e o vinho está provisóriamente utilizando um motor velho de uma s10 2.2 enquanto aguarda a decisão de qual será seu motor.

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