Pocket Pony Car

"Mark - Sixpots None The Richer" (marklinde) 04/20/2014 at 18:45 • Filed to: car spotting, Opel, Kadett, Kolbenfresser

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I found an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! LS Coupe in almost perfect condition a few hours ago. And what a sweetheart it is! This is the second post of the day, so from now on I shall call Easter Sunday " !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! "!

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Even compared to the Fiat 500 parked behind it the Opel is tiny. Since we Germans are renowned to succesfully build !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the Kadett still has all the design traits a true Pony Car needs.

The owner wasn't around and because there are no badges on the car I can't tell you what engine is hiding under the hood. It's a small one for sure...

Enjoy!

The "H" on the license plate identifies the car as historic. To quote Wikipedia:

Classic cars (known in German by the pseudo-English expression Oldtimer ) can get an H ( historisch , historic) at the end of the plate, such as K-AA 100H in order to preserve the so-called "vehicle of cultural value" (kraftfahrtechnisches Kulturgut"). It also includes a flat tax of appr. €190 per year. The requirements for a vehicle for an H-Plate are:

minimum age of the vehicle of 30 years from first registering

must be in original condition and well maintained. Some features such as safety belts or a catalytic converter which have been added are accepted and are not in conflict with the "original condition" rule

Don't mind the odd-looking chrome above the license plate. Since you could read the plate in the reflection I had to use my poor photoshop skills to hide it.

The shape of the rear window is spectacular.

And finally a picture of the interior. It's always difficult to photograph through glass though.

anonsagainstanonymous > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 04/20/2014 at 18:48

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My guess is there's a roaring 1.1l under that bonnet.

jkm7680 > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 04/20/2014 at 18:51

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Something not-very-fast

Ls1 Swap time!

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > jkm7680 04/20/2014 at 18:52

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Good luck fitting that into the bay. I think even Freiburger and Finnegan will struggle with that task...

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > anonsagainstanonymous 04/20/2014 at 18:53

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Might be true. It's whisper quiet. It drove by me a few days ago.

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 04/20/2014 at 19:06

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In the US, one can get away with antique plates on customs in most states, interesting that that's not the case in Germany. Not a problem, since some classics need to stay classics...

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull 04/20/2014 at 19:22

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It depends a bit on the guy who's judging the condition of the car. If he has a great day that started with breakfast sex and got better after that he might knowingly overlook a few customisations. Officially though you're not even allowed to put alloy rims on your car if it wasn't offered with them back in the day.

Safety relevant things that aren't changing the "nature" of the car and can be easily changed back into the original condition are also not a huge problem if the official is willing to except them. Fitting modern - or at least better - brakes is a good example.

It's notable what you are allowed to do to build a "classic" Hot Rod. Imagine you are in Germany and you want to build a Deuce Coupe fitted with a 302 Windsor from let's say 1968. If you can proof that a combination similar to this was actually build over 30 years ago you can get the H-Plate.

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 04/20/2014 at 20:56

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So, paradoxically, the very symbol of individuality that a 32 Ford stands for must be a copy. Even if a period-correct sort of individualization - unless argument is successful otherwise...

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > Mark - Sixpots None The Richer 04/20/2014 at 20:58

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As a side note, though, the "existing modified configuration" clause explains the modified Trabbis I've seen.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull 04/20/2014 at 21:32

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"Technically" a copy, yes. This means drivetrain, brakes and so on. Paint and other customisation can be very individual. Like I already wrote: It also depends a bit on the official who judges the car.

An example:

I talked to the owner of this car. As you can see he has the H-Plate. He says he had to "bargain" a bit. Things like the fenders are mandatory to pass the inspection otherwise the car wouldn't be road-legal at all, periodic correct or not. Things like the side-exhausts were approved cause he could proof that they are "historically correct". You see that this stuff is complicated. It's easier when "you know a guy"...

You can actually go really crazy if you don't want an H-Plate. If you were to chose an "06" or "07"-Plate the rules are completely different. You can see that the car below has no fenders yet the car was driven there.

Wikipedia:

Car dealers' plates are in red print on a white background, and the code begins with 06 . Red plates may be attached to cars which are changing hands, such as the test run of unregistered cars, and the liability insurance is connected to the plate, not a specific car.

Car collectors : Red plates starting with the number 07 are reserved for collectors of vintage cars. Originally, vintage cars had a required minimum age of 20 years from first registering. Since April 2007 onwards the required minimum age has been 30 years. Plates issued under the old 20 years rule remained valid after this date. The collectors must get an official certificate of approval (such as no criminal records). They are allowed to use one set of plates on any of their cars under the condition that they keep a strict record of use. No day-to-day use of the cars is allowed. A valid official technical inspection is not mandatory but the car have to be technical fit for use on public roads

This is all I know. Questions like:

"How far can you actually go?" or "How often can you use the car?"

I can't answer.

Mark - Sixpots None The Richer > anonsagainstanonymous 04/23/2014 at 22:33

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Hey!

In case you missed it, I found another classic Opel. Because of your username I thought you might be interested. You can find the article here .