Christmas bonus or thirteenth month already received or still in sight? And don’t know how to get through the long winter evenings, but do you know what your hands can do and do you have space left over? Then a classic as a winter project is a pleasant pastime that you can enjoy for a long time afterwards. For a small price we are looking for a fixer-upper. Not a total restoration, because the intention is that we can drive in the spring and enjoy what our wallet and our technical skills have yielded. Will these three cars that dominated the street scene in the 80s get a new life?
Opel Kadett 1.2 S – 1984 – 58,710 kilometers – €1,950
If there is one car that dominated the street scene in the 80s, it is the Opel Kadett. Or actually two of those German sandwiches, because the angular D-Kadett was replaced by the sleek E in September 1984. This Opel Kadett was delivered to its first Dutch owner in March of that year. Since then it has had a second owner and that is nice and clear. The teller block is also clear: five digits, but according to the RDW statement there must (minimum) be a 1 in front. Still, one and a half tons in 41 years is not much, especially for the virtually indestructible 1.2 engine in the front. It is coupled to a four-speed manual and to help the power source during the cold start, there is an old-fashioned hand choke. The asking price is also clear: almost two grand.
For that money you get pretty much the most Dutch German car, packed in a three-door body with very little inside. The person who put the scribble under the KT-37-KR purchase contract was satisfied with the basic equipment. But what is not on it cannot be broken, we say then. And indeed: the interior certainly does not look bad. The outside is a slightly different story. We see deviating colored sheet metal here and there (including the tailgate, front left fender, right door) and where that is not the case, the brown monster is on the rise. If we are to believe the seller, it will largely stay there, because according to him the Kadett drives, brakes and shifts properly, the MOT is still valid until January 2027 and the oldie is ‘fun to tinker with or to drive as is’. We think this is a manageable project for a similar amount. Who will bring this piece of Dutch glory back on the road after the winter?
Engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,196 cc
Max. power 44 kW/60 hp at 5,800 rpm
Max. torque 88 Nm at 3,000 rpm
Boot space 480 l/na
Max. trailer braked 600 kilos
Avg. consumption 1:12.5 (NEDC)
All data according to factory specifications
Citroën CX 25 GTI Turbo – 1985 – 149,606 kilometers – €1,950
If such a Kadett is a bit too ordinary for you and/or you are not afraid of a more challenging job, then we find this Citroën CX for the same asking price. Not just any one, but a real 25 GTI Turbo that, like the Opel, is originally Dutch. The NR-93-RP was registered in September 1985 and would have served only one owner during these forty years. To keep fuel costs within limits, it had an LPG system installed and, moreover, did not drive it too much, because the mileage is even lower than that of the Kadett. This does not alter the fact that the car – as the photos show – has not had a very easy life. The sheet metal is dented and rusty here and there – also in more difficult places, such as the A-pillar. The right rear window seems to have disappeared. The interior has also lost some of its former grandeur. A grateful job awaits here, because after the work is done, it is time to enjoy.
Of the unparallel suspension comfort, of the furniture that sits better than the best sofa, of the performance of the blown 2.5 that turns the French touring car into a mighty highway giant. And not to forget: the time when you bought a CX for next to nothing and could hardly sell it is now behind us. For example, the 25 GTI Turbo (with its characteristic wheels) in top condition nowadays has a five-figure value. But before that happens, there is still a lot to be done on this grande routière , with the work probably not only concerning its appearance, given the fact that the MOT has already expired 25 years (!). We actually suspected that this car was put away a long time ago and perhaps forgotten. Who will bring her (large Citroëns are female) back to life? Parts and sheet metal are still plentiful, and the Citroën CX Club, for example, can help.
Year of construction September 1985
Engine 4-cyl. in-line, 2,500 cc, turbo
Max. power 124 kW/169 hp at 5,000 rpm
Max. torque 294 Nm at 3,250 rpm
Max. trailer braked 1,300 kilos
Avg. consumption 1:9.3 (NEDC)
All data according to factory specifications
Ford Sierra 2.0 V6 L aut. – 1983 – 139,701 kilometers – €2,950
In the 80s, aerodynamics was the name of the game. Lower air resistance meant less fuel consumption and a dynamic design. We all know the Audi 100 (Typ 44) and also the Renault 25, whose basic versions TS and TD set a world record with a Cw value of 0.28. Ford also participated. After the sedate Taunus, it came with the striking Sierra. The prototype Probe III already gave a preview, but Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément’s creation took some getting used to for many. The four-door sedan smoothed out most of the wrinkles, but it did not appear until 1987. This Ford Sierra is still an early five-door with a two-liter under the hood, divided over six cylinders (Köln-V6) and coupled to a three-speed automatic. Under the skin, things were much more conventional: what had been tried and tested on the Taunus and found to be in order was simply taken over.
This occasion is on German registration and that is not surprising: Dinxperlo (and in particular the Heelweg) is literally on the border. The new owner (whoever, oh who) will have to sort that out, as well as the automatic transmission. It starts to slip as soon as the engine is warm. Furthermore, the seller mentions slight rust formation (including around the tailgate). That seems to be the extent of this occasion, which has been stored dry for the last 20 years. The lowest mileage does the rest: the Sierra looks the best of this trio from the outside and inside. Neat upholstery, the plastic not weathered or torn and the boot seems to have never been used, as well as the existing tow bar (braked towing weight 1,000 kilos). The asking price is therefore €1,000 higher, but that seems to us to be well spent for the enthusiast (of the 80s and/or of the Ford brand).
Type Sierra 2.0 V6 L aut.
Max. power 65 kW/90 hp at 5,000 rpm
Max. torque 150 Nm at 3,000 rpm
Boot space 353 l/na
Max. trailer braked 1,000 kilos
Avg. consumption 1:8.7 (NEDC)
All data according to factory specifications
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