Opel Kadett C.

Opel
Opel Kadett Sedan (1973–1977)
Cadet C.
Production period:	1973-1979
Class :	Lower middle class
Body versions :	Sedan , hatchback , station wagon , coupe , convertible saloon
Engines:	Gasoline engines : 1.0–2.0 liters (29–85 kW)
Length:	4124 mm 3922 (City) mm
Width:	1570 mm
Height:	1375 mm
Wheelbase :	2395 mm
Empty weight :	765-960 kg
Previous model	Opel Kadett B.
successor	Opel Kadett D

The Opel Kadett C was a vehicle model of the lower middle class of Adam Opel AG and was produced from August 1973 to July 1979 in approximately 1.6 million units. It is based on the GM-T platform (1973) "T-Car" and was developed for worldwide use from the start. In August 1979 Opel presented the successor Kadett D . This was a completely new design with a transverse engine and front-wheel drive .

Model history

General

Rear view

The third generation of Kadett should not only continue the successes of their predecessors, they should also lay the foundation for a global career as a so-called T-Car with an unprecedented variety of variants. General Motors initiated this project in 1970 under the code 1865. Opel largely adopted the technology of the previous Kadett B model with a longitudinally installed front engine and powered rear rigid axle ( central articulated axle ), although the double wishbone front axle was now coil-sprung. The tank was no longer at the side in the rear, but a little better protected behind the back of the back seat above the rear axle.

The Opel thus retained the layout of a small notchback sedan, although the modern compact class was gradually emerging as early as the early 1970s. Even before the Golf, competitors from France, Great Britain, Italy and Japan offered front-wheel drive, transversely mounted engines and a variable interior. One year before the Golf GTI from competitor Volkswagen, Opel presented the sporty version, the Kadett GT / E, in mid-1975.

variants

The Kadett C was offered in five body styles:

• Notchback sedan , the only type with four doors (08/1973–07/1979)
• Kombi - traditionally called Caravan at Opel (08/1973–07/1979)
• Coupé , two-door; Also available as a sporty GT / E version not only in the traditional Opel colors white / yellow (08/1973–07/1979)
• City , a three-door hatchback version (05 / 1975-07 / 1979)
• Aero - a conversion based on the two-door sedan into an open vehicle by Baur Karosserie- und Fahrzeugbau from Stuttgart (05 / 1976-06 / 1978)

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  Opel Kadett (four-door)

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  Opel Kadett Coupé (1973-1977)

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  Rear view

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  Opel Kadett Caravan (1973–1977)

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  Opel Kadett City (1975-1977)

Aero

Opel Kadett Aero (1977–1978)

The convertible sedan with Targa roof and removable plastic rear window was offered from May 1976, initially with the 1.2-liter engine with 44 kW.

From July 1977 there was also the 1.6-liter version with 55 kW. The car had 175/70 tires as standard and the elaborate SR equipment with four-spoke steering wheel, rev counter, clock and additional instruments. At the end of 1977 the prices for the “Aero” were between 14,500 and 15,335 DM and thus about 5000 DM above the price of the basic sedan. The car was only sold 1341 times and withdrawn from the range in June 1978. Ten of them were refined by the Bitter company in Schwelm with flared fenders, leather upholstery, light alloy wheels and double carburetors. The price for this at that time was 25,000 DM. Only with the Kadett E was there an Opel convertible again from 1987.

Facelift

A facelift took place in July 1977 , which can be recognized by the indicators integrated into the fenders next to the headlights. Until then, the front indicators were located below the bumper. This only applies to a limited extent to the standard version, which was produced until August 1978 with the indicators placed below.

In addition, the internal designation changed from "C1" to "C2". On request, the Kadett C was also available with a three-speed automatic transmission.

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  Opel Kadett Sedan (1977–1979)

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  Opel Kadett as a four-door sedan

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  Opel Kadett City (1977–1979)

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  Rear view

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  Opel Kadett Coupé (1977-1979)

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  Opel Kadett Coupé GT / E

Engines

The Opel Kadett C was offered with the following engines:

• 1.0 liter displacement, 29 kW / 40 PS (1.0 N)
• 1.0 liter displacement, 35 kW / 48 PS (1.0 S) only for export, e.g. B. to Italy
• 1.2 liter displacement, 37 kW / 50 PS (1.2 N) only for export, e.g. B. to Austria
• 1.2 liter displacement, 38 kW / 52 PS (1.2 N) up to 1976
• 1.2 liter displacement, 40 kW / 55 PS (1.2 N) from 1976
• 1.2 liter displacement, 44 kW / 60 PS (1.2 S)
• 1.6 liter displacement, 55 kW / 75 PS (1.6 S) from 1977
• 1.9 liter displacement, 77 kW / 105 PS (1.9 E) only GT / E
• 2.0 liter displacement, 81 kW / 110 PS (2.0 E) only Rally 2.0E
• 2.0 liter displacement, 85 kW / 115 PS (2.0 EH) only GT / E

Equipment variants

Limousine, city and caravan:

• Cadet
• Kadett J (almost only as City; few two-door sedans, but no four-door and caravans)
• Cadet luxury
• Cadet Berlina
• SR package available for all versions

Coupe:

• Cadet luxury
• Cadet Berlinetta
• Cadet rally
• Kadett GT / E
• SR package available for all versions

Special models:

• Snow King ( interval wiper , traffic button , etc.)
• Swinger (2 different decors → yellow-green or white-orange ← only sedan with blinker below and round headlights)
• Stalking as an all-terrain utility combination with 40% differential lock and folding spade
• 1000 (only Coupé)
• Winter-proof (crystal turquoise blue metallic; Code 330; City 1.2, 1.6SR Coupe and 2.0E Rallye engines), sedan with Berlina package in exclusively silver metallic
• Ahoy Cadet
• City-Jet (only City)
• Europa-Kadett (limousine only)
• Star Cadet
• Superstar

Technical specifications

Technical data for the Opel Kadett C 1973–1979
Opel Kadett:	1000	1200	1200 p	1600 p	Kadett GT / E 1900 E	Rallye-Kadett 2000 E	Kadett GT / E 2000 EH
engine	Four-cylinder in-line engine (four-stroke)
Displacement	993 cc	1196 cc		1584 cc	1897 cc	1979 cc
Bore × stroke (mm)	72 × 61	79 × 61		85 x 69.8	93 x 69.8	95 x 69.8
Power at 1 / min	29 kW (40 hp) 5400	38-40 kW (52-55 hp) 5400-5600	44 kW (60 hp) 5400	55 kW (75 PS) 5200	77 kW (105 PS) 5400	81 kW (110 PS) 5400	85 kW (115 PS) 5600
Max. Torque at 1 / min	69 N m 2800	78-83 N m 3400	88 N m 3400	113 N m 4000	147 N m 4000	159 N m 3400	159 Nm 3000
compression	7.9: 1	7.8: 1	9.0: 1	8.8: 1	9.2: 1	9.4: 1	9.6: 1
Mixture preparation	1 downdraft carburetor			1 register downflow carburetor	Injection (Bosch L-Jetronic )
Valve control	OHV camshaft located at the bottom, driven by a single roller chain			CIH overhead camshaft driven by duplex roller chain
cooling	Water cooling
transmission	4-speed gearbox, stick shift a. W. for 1200 S and 1600 S GM three-speed automatic				4- or 5-speed gearbox		5 speed transmission
Front suspension	Independent suspension on double wishbones , coil springs
Rear suspension	Rigid axle ( central joint axle ) with coil springs and Panhard rod
body	Sheet steel, self-supporting
Front / rear track	1300/1299 mm
wheelbase	2395 mm
length	4127 mm (Caravan: 4140, City: 3922 mm)
Empty weight	765-960 kg
drive	Rear wheel drive
Top speed	127 km / h	139-142 km / h	141-146 km / h	155-163 km / h	180 km / h	189 km / h	190 km / h
0-100 km / h	26 p	19-20 s	17.5-21 s	13-15.5 s	10.0 s	9.5 s	8.5 s
Consumption (liters / 100 kilometers)	9.0 N	9.5 N	9.5-10.5 S.	11.0-11.5 S.	10.5 S.	11.0 S.	11.0 S.

Related models

The Kadett C was designed by General Motors as a world car and used as the basis for the following other vehicles:

• Vauxhall Chevette (produced in Great Britain ) resp.
• Opel Chevette (produced in Great Britain by Vauxhall) .

From 1980 to 1982, the Opel Chevette was offered as a sedan with two and four doors as well as a hatchback and station wagon parallel to the Opel Kadett D as the most affordable Opel vehicle in Germany. It corresponded to the Vauxhall Chevette with its dashboard and the front area reminiscent of the Opel Manta B. The Vauxhall Chevette was produced until 1984, while other models were produced until the second half of the 1990s.

• AYMESA Cóndor (Equador)
• Buick Opel (USA)
• GMC
• Grumett (Uruguay)
• Isuzu Gemini or Isuzu I-Mark ( produced by Isuzu in Japan )
• Holden Gemini (Australia)
• Chevrolet Chevette (USA, Brazil)
• Pontiac Acadian / T1000 (USA)
• Opel K 180 (Argentina)
• Daewoo Maepsi-Na (Korea)
• Saehan Motor (Korea)
• Opel OSV 40 (concept vehicle)

Others

The Kadett C, which was built until 1979, was the last compact Opel with rear-wheel drive and thus ended a long tradition that began in 1924 with the Opel 4 PS (tree frog). The main production facility was the Bochum plant , where the Opel Kadett A had been manufactured from 1962 . The Kadett C was also produced at GM's Antwerp plant.

Motorsport

The Opel Kadett C was also used in motorsport. Various coupé models are still used today at youngtimer events, such as B. Slalom , hill climb , regularity drives , rallies, etc. used. Engine outputs of 200 hp with the original eight-valve cylinder head or even almost 300 hp with elaborately converted 16-V cylinder heads are not uncommon.

Motorsport picture gallery

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  Modified Opel Kadett C in rally use

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  Opel Kadett C Coupe in Racetrim

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  Opel Kadett C Coupe in Racetrim

Web links

Commons : Opel Kadett C  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c d e} Eckhart Bartels, Rainer Manthey: Opel: Vehicle Chronicle. Volume 2: 1952-1990. Podszun, Brilon 2012, ISBN 978-3-86133-620-4 , pp. 51-53.
2. ^ Hans-Jürgen Schneider: 125 years of Opel, cars and technology. Verlag Schneider + Repschläger 1987 (without ISBN), p. 300.
3. ↑ Special models - pictures. In: autobild.de. Retrieved October 3, 2016 . 
4. ↑ 40 years of the Opel Kadett C - When Opel was still building world cars , focus from March 1, 2013