Opel GTs are a dime a dozen, seemingly, but there are some that pop up with greater potential for rescue than others. This particular car looks quite past the point of saving, but closer inspection reveals an interesting candidate for restoration. Although it has been bounced from barn to barn for the last few decades, rust isn’t as bad as you might expect. Find this 1970 Opel GT – with a custom Impala-inspired rear end – here on eBay with a $3,500 opening bid.

Check out the custom treatment out back. The seller claims a light rear end accident prompted the previous owner to get creative with a set of taillights from an Impala. I’m not sure how I feel about this change, but I guess it beats having the car totaled out by the insurance company (assuming the work was done for cash by a buddy, or some other non-official arrangement.) The car was also repainted at the same time, from Brilliant White to a silver color more commonly seen on a Corvette. There is some rust-through noted on the front right fender.

Here’s where this project really becomes worthy of a closer look to me: the interior is surprisingly sound, with red vinyl buckets and dash pad that look excellent. The carpet is also red, along with the headliner, the latter of which I’m guessing was a custom job. Even the e-brake handle is red, which has to be aftermarket. Overall, this is a the biggest surprise of this car, as the exterior condition would lead one to believe the interior was completely trashed. The seller says the seats aren’t perfect, but they look perfectly usable as-is to me.

Engine-wise, the seller provides almost excruciating detail on how he did the first-time startup procedure correctly and carefully, right down to “…removed the distributor and used a drill to turn the oil pump for some time to get the oil up in the bearings and throughout the engine.” He notes the engine not only turns over but will also fire up with no strange sounds emitting from the crankcase. He’s done the cap / rotor / and wires, but notes the “…water pump, alternator, regulator, brake system, clutch, fuel lines, gas tank cleaning etc.” should all be done.