I bought one of these in 2009 for $325 from some weirdo, it was a 1988 LeMans LE and it had a TON of miles on it, not a fast or even good car but that OHC motor sure did last forever. These have a distinct interior smell to them as they age, its hard to describe unless you've been in one. I honestly can't believe even one of these is still running lol
Wow, great video! You did a great job with the car. It brings back memories for me because I used to drive the station wagon version of the Opel Kadett as a service car in my very first job. It had a 1.6L petrol engine.
Great review! It brings me a lot of good memories of my first car. These cars were also sold in Israel as Daewoo Racers (quite the name I must say:) and were marketed as "The American cars from Korea" lol. My car was a base 4-door sedan, but it came with such luxuries for the time like power steering and air conditioning and also had an analogue clock instead of the rev counter and a 5-speed gear box. Mechanically my Daewoo was trouble free, but the build quality left a lot to be desired and just like your car mine also had broken sun visor clips.🙂 Please keep us posted as you continue to restore your wonderful Pontiac LeMans.
my dad drove '06 Daewoo Nexia GL with Opel engine, no AC and power windows and steering wheel, great car for it's value if you treat it's right. it's not great yet it's not bad
Aah this brings back memories in Europe the Opel Kadett E days. Like many cars in that period Rust Rust Rust! These were crusty cars the steel was so bad they rusted in the magazine before sale.🤣 I have welded so many sills, A pillars you name it to keep them rolling. Even this pontiac is rusting behind the front wheel. but having one reviewing here... its a miracle it survived. Great review!
Yes the rust is a problem but this one is salvageable thankfully. It had been sat on grass under a tree for a while which did it no favours! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Opel Kadett , heb gelest in die auto, en later in de sedan versie die ik persoonlijk ook mooier vond. In 1 keer mijn rijbewijs gehaald, lag een goede diesel motor in dus hellingproef was een makkie.
my brother use to have a opel kadett that looked like this one , but the 1,6 had webers , pistons , cam etc 5 speed manuel gearbox , no interior , rock hard suspension and i think 126 whp, it was fast back then til it blew itself apart that is.
Always loved that shape Astra. Growing up my mate had an Astra Antibes on a D reg in the UK. Loved it. Ive had a few of the Astras over the years in latee marks. Great video, cheers 😊
Friend, are you ok? Sounds like you’re struggling a little, there, buddy. Sending best wishes, either way 🫶 Great video. 👍 I had an Astra 1.3 GL, back in the 80’s, here in the UK. At the time it was a really smart car.
Mine looked identical to yours. Except it was the 4speed manual trans ! Fun car! I owned mine for several years late 90s - early 2000s. I got it for almost nothing and put many trouble free miles on it. Finally the front brakes went and the bleaders broke off in the calipers and the calipers were not easily replaceable so i sold the car for the few hundred dollars i had paid for it so many years and miles prior. So i basically ran it and threw it away lol.
If you are gonna keep it then you should change the cambelt and water pump...the good news is if the cambelt snaps on the 8-valve models it does not usually damage anything else, you just replace it, and off you go.
@@AutoAtlantica IIRC the water pump forms part of the belt tension so it pays to replace it while you are doing the belt.I had an Astra wagon version in the UK, good work horse over 200K miles on same engine and an easy 35mpg around town.
The ultimate demise came when the 2000sqft plant that had the tooling for the tail lights, burned to the ground there in S. Korea. Not being able to supply safety related service parts, the production of this version of the LeMans, gleefully ended.
Daewoo replaced the LeMans with the heavily revised and facelifted version of the same car, the Cielo, sold in Europe as the Nexia. That was built for less than three years, when it was replaced by the Lanos, one of a trio of all-new designs launched simultaneously.
I bought one of these in 2009 for $325 from some weirdo, it was a 1988 LeMans LE and it had a TON of miles on it, not a fast or even good car but that OHC motor sure did last forever. These have a distinct interior smell to them as they age, its hard to describe unless you've been in one. I honestly can't believe even one of these is still running lol
I bought perfumed smellies for this one!
Wow, great video! You did a great job with the car.
It brings back memories for me because I used to drive the station wagon version of the Opel Kadett as a service car in my very first job. It had a 1.6L petrol engine.
Thank you for the kind words! This is one of those cars which lacks content on RUclips I feel so this was long overdue!
Great review! It brings me a lot of good memories of my first car. These cars were also sold in Israel as Daewoo Racers (quite the name I must say:) and were marketed as "The American cars from Korea" lol. My car was a base 4-door sedan, but it came with such luxuries for the time like power steering and air conditioning and also had an analogue clock instead of the rev counter and a 5-speed gear box. Mechanically my Daewoo was trouble free, but the build quality left a lot to be desired and just like your car mine also had broken sun visor clips.🙂
Please keep us posted as you continue to restore your wonderful Pontiac LeMans.
Thank you!
my dad drove '06 Daewoo Nexia GL with Opel engine, no AC and power windows and steering wheel, great car for it's value if you treat it's right. it's not great yet it's not bad
Aah this brings back memories in Europe the Opel Kadett E days. Like many cars in that period Rust Rust Rust! These were crusty cars the steel was so bad they rusted in the magazine before sale.🤣
I have welded so many sills, A pillars you name it to keep them rolling. Even this pontiac is rusting behind the front wheel. but having one reviewing here... its a miracle it survived.
Great review!
Yes the rust is a problem but this one is salvageable thankfully. It had been sat on grass under a tree for a while which did it no favours! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Chevrolet kadett in Brazil, huge success, even with gsi and convertible versions.
Nice car! Currently I drive a Opel Astra J Sedan known stateside as the Buick Verano.
Opel Kadett , heb gelest in die auto, en later in de sedan versie die ik persoonlijk ook mooier vond. In 1 keer mijn rijbewijs gehaald, lag een goede diesel motor in dus hellingproef was een makkie.
my brother use to have a opel kadett that looked like this one , but the 1,6 had webers , pistons , cam etc 5 speed manuel gearbox , no interior , rock hard suspension and i think 126 whp, it was fast back then til it blew itself apart that is.
Always loved that shape Astra. Growing up my mate had an Astra Antibes on a D reg in the UK. Loved it. Ive had a few of the Astras over the years in latee marks. Great video, cheers 😊
Thank you for the kind words! Now the weather is more or less improving I’m hoping to get more of my cars out finally!
@@AutoAtlantica mono audio boo
@@billybobbob3003 it’s recorded in stereo but I have an issue with YT doing this.
@@AutoAtlantica Keep up the good work mate, appreciated 👍🏻
@@EportChristhank you I’ve some interesting stuff coming up including an almost mint Plymouth Cricket (Hillman Avenger)!
Vauxhall Astra in the UK and the Astra name is still in production.
Correct! The Astra H was sold here as a Saturn Astra and the Astra J sedan as a Buick Verano.
Aye up! It's Vauxhall Astra.
Very similar, but quite a bit different too!
it's called Chevrolet Kadett in Brazil
Excellent information. I did my drivers ed training in an 87’ Le Mans
You’re welcome I appreciate you watching it!
Friend, are you ok?
Sounds like you’re struggling a little, there, buddy.
Sending best wishes, either way 🫶
Great video. 👍
I had an Astra 1.3 GL, back in the 80’s, here in the UK.
At the time it was a really smart car.
Thank you! I never do well in 90+ heat … ugh!
@@AutoAtlantica Wow. That’s a scorcher.
Stay safe buddy.
Keep up the good work. 👍
@@BionicRustyour weather has been so bad this spring I’ll take any decent days I can! Thanks for watching and your support.
I had that exact color drove the shit out of it!
Thank for info and knowledge 😊
Thanks for watching!
Mine looked identical to yours. Except it was the 4speed manual trans ! Fun car! I owned mine for several years late 90s - early 2000s. I got it for almost nothing and put many trouble free miles on it. Finally the front brakes went and the bleaders broke off in the calipers and the calipers were not easily replaceable so i sold the car for the few hundred dollars i had paid for it so many years and miles prior. So i basically ran it and threw it away lol.
Hard to find nowadays! Thanks for watching!
If you are gonna keep it then you should change the cambelt and water pump...the good news is if the cambelt snaps on the 8-valve models it does not usually damage anything else, you just replace it, and off you go.
That’s in the pipeline along with a new tensioner.
@@AutoAtlantica IIRC the water pump forms part of the belt tension so it pays to replace it while you are doing the belt.I had an Astra wagon version in the UK, good work horse over 200K miles on same engine and an easy 35mpg around town.
Rare car in America
So valueless no one would bother to repair them if it was going to cost over $1000. Throwaway cars.
Unless you’re a car enthusiast. I’ve had offers from the UK of over $5,000.
@@AutoAtlantica I was more referring to WHY they are rare today. No one saved them.
@@seed_drill7135which is why it’s perfect for Radwood or Festival of the Unexceptional.
The ultimate demise came when the 2000sqft plant that had the tooling for the tail lights, burned to the ground there in S. Korea. Not being able to supply safety related service parts, the production of this version of the LeMans, gleefully ended.
Daewoo replaced the LeMans with the heavily revised and facelifted version of the same car, the Cielo, sold in Europe as the Nexia. That was built for less than three years, when it was replaced by the Lanos, one of a trio of all-new designs launched simultaneously.
Fun car to drive 😊
Nice video thank
pontiac in the 1980s starting put names of former cool cars to uncool cars.
Ooh look an American version of the Vauxhall Astra
Similar but very different. The video explains how.
This is opel Kadett
It's called Chevrolet Kadett in Brazil
Similar, but also very different.
can you fix the audio?
Working through some audio problems
This is opel kadett
Similar!
I want look your video in peugeot 505 you did I can't find tell me please name your channel how to find you on you tube
Coming soon.
@@AutoAtlantica thank a lot
Vauxhall astra
Opel kadett
Very similar, a lot of differences though.
oh look an opel kadett
Similar but also very different.
Daewoo sold another version of this well into the 90s, everyone got their money's worth out of this one.
Yes the LeMans was facelifted in 1993, but in 1995 was replaced by the Cielo/Nexia, which was a much more heavily revised and improved version.
That's one Pontiac I would pass on
Thankfully we all have freedom of choice!
@@AutoAtlantica Yes
In Europe is a Opel Kadett 😂
Yes, the video explains.
It's a rebadged Daewoo.
As the video explains!
Looks like a first generation Honda CRX
lol, no. looks like a second gen chevette.