What I Saw Today

This olelongrooffan has previously mentioned I am contributing not just to Hooniverse but also to Curbside Classic.  Enjoy a post I did over there about this sweet ride I spotted a couple days ago.

Earlier this week I was visiting my specialty fastner supplier to acquire the necessary bolts and nuts to successfully complete another project.  In the employee lot was a 1992 Ford Festiva in near mint condition. As that lot is usually filled with big domestic pickups, this was a surprising sight to this longrooffan. I spoke to the owner of that Festive little car about it and got the inside scoop as to why it was there.

As I was heading back to my jobsite I was contemplating whether a 1992 anything could be considered a Curbside Classic. Then out of nowhere in front of Billy's Tap Room (established 1922) beachside Ormond, I spotted this Opel GT turn off John Anderson Parkway in front of me while I was stopped at the light at that intersection. Of course, I immediately grabbed my trusty elcheapo point and shoot camera I always try to have with me and gather the image you see above.

I mean, even if I can't put together a Curbside Classic should it escape sight, at least I can get a CC Outtake to share with all ya'll. But it was definitely much more than that.



I followed that beautiful fastback east on Granada Boulevard and then headed south on A1A in hot pursuit of it. That GT continued on down past the turn off to my condo, the Taj Mahal, and I watched as it passed several high rise beachfront hotels and condos my only thought was



Oh please, Oh please. Do not turn into one of those under the building gated parking garages thus shutting this longrooffan out of any further image taking opportunities.





Almost as if Jutta could hear me through some parallel wavelength, she pulled that sweet General Motors GT up onto an above ground parking lot adjacent to one of those beachfront condo buildings. Of course, I whipped in the parking lot just behind her, parked and strolled over to her 1968 Opel GT.



Its owner, Jutta, was just climbing out of the cockpit of this automatic transmission equipped sports car. We made eye contact and she started laughing. "I was wondering if you were following me." I laughed along with her and complimented her on her ride.



"Thank you," she replied with a slight German accent. She then proceeds to tell me she has owned the car for twenty-five years and seven years ago she had it restored.



It certainly is in pristine condition. She also commented this has been her daily driver since she bought it. "Not bad for a 75 year old woman?" she queried me.



And, yes, this is the CC Clue that c5karl guessed a mere 1 hour and 56 minutes after I posted it yesterday.



I'm not really sure if it was intentional but the rear end of this Opel has some strong Corvette design cues.



All the way down to the twin exhausts. Those split bumpers remind me of the first gen Triumph Spitfire one of my older brothers, the Bus, owned back in the early 70's.



Oh the stories about that British Racing Green sports car.



On each interior end of those bumpers on that GT is a light as shown above for illuminating the rear license plate.



I asked Jutta if she was German and she replied, "Yes but we have lived here in the states since 1965. As a matter of fact," she continued, "I took my driver's test in North Carolina on a scooter. That is the only driver's test I have ever taken."



I almost used the above image as the CC Clue and as quickly as that Clue was solved, maybe I should have. Next time it will be a lot tougher.



The interesting thing about these headlamps is they are not vacuum activated. There is a lever alongside the shift lever that is manually pulled rearward to open these lights.



Yes it is a rare sight, at least in running condition, around these here parts.



This is definitely a fastback and the only way to access the rear of this car is, also very Corvette like, through the interior behind the seats.



As Jutta was showing me around the car she pointed out where she had backed into her sister's car in their driveway. "Sometimes I feel like a dunce," she commented.

She then asked me if I had seen the orange one that is also around town? I replied in the negative.

 "Young man, just wait until you see it. It is absolutely gorgeous."

So is yours Jutta, so is yours.