Opel Ascona B, second restoration and metamorphosis

Greenery

Richard van Hout prefers to see the sun shining, because then the authentic Limonengrün of his 1976 Opel Ascona B glows beautifully. He can hardly imagine that he once decided to change the color of the 'B' to blue with pinstriping, although that combination was forever recorded in the AMK of October 2010. The Veldhoven resident did the previous restoration again and awarded the car thus a second metamorphosis. 

Text: Aart van der Haagen • Photography: Aart van der Haagen, Richard van Hout

Each phase of life exerts its influence on a person and leads to choices that sometimes prove to be temporary. We are referring to the tracksuit that the Opel Ascona B was fitted with between roughly 2008 and 2010. A deep blue surface with silver-colored Cobra stripes on the horizontal parts and pinstriping on the flanks, a drainer on the rear window and sporty decorations in the form of alloy wheels from the nineties and a trunk lid spoiler from a… Citroën XM. Van Hout really liked the whole thing, but his other half less so. However, the real impetus for that next metamorphosis lay in a comment from the appraiser. “He saw two tiny rust spots on the hood. Knowing me, he said: 'Are you sure you're going to tackle that soon?' Well, indeed. Everything came to a standstill during corona times.”

400 fabric

Completely understandable, but once Van Hout got started, he persevered well. As a professional damage repairer, he lovingly devoted himself to the chassis and sheet metal, which did not require excessive attention. One thing was certain: the original metallic color Limonengrün would return to the Opel Ascona B from 1976. The green layer also includes the mighty two-piece front spoiler, designed for the Ascona Sport by the famous company Irmscher. As if that wasn't enough of a threat from the Ascona, Van Hout designed and built stainless steel brackets to attach four Hella spotlights: point spotlights above, wide beams below. On its 15-inch ATS Cup wheels, the Opel Ascona B completely exudes the atmosphere of the late seventies. Van Hout decorated the interior with a more informative SR instrumentation, which forms a nice picture in combination with the steering wheel of this sporty version and a nice set of Recaro sports seats. “They were already there, but I had the inner parts re-covered with so-called '400 fabric'.”

Almost a shame

Why would you open an engine that delivers fourteen bar of compression pressure on all cylinders for an overhaul? Right, leave it closed. “The adjacent parts have been renewed or refreshed, such as the alternator, starter motor and water pump. I had to replace the fuel tank in its entirety, because due to the crumbling of a gel coating that had once been applied, it was no longer possible to do anything with it.” Although Van Hout had already adjusted the block nicely, JClassics managed to squeeze out that last bit of power by installing slightly smaller jets in the carburetor. By the way, the double Weber comes from an Opel 1900 GT. “I bought it as a set with a Steinmetz intake manifold and a Mangoletski mechanism to attach the throttle cable. The exhaust manifold no longer fit this carburetor, so it is now fitted with a two-liter injection.” The Opel Ascona B lets off steam via a Group A exhaust from Simons. It can deliver its full 91,4 hp (instead of the original 75 hp!). At meetings it is almost a shame not to show the engine compartment, with a green painted valve cover as an eye-catcher. Limonengrün, of course. 

The entire article, including the restoration photos, can be found in the October issue of Auto Motor Klassiek. It is currently in stores.