Chevrolet Opala

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The Chevrolet Opala was a medium-sized automobile sold by GM do Brasil from 1969 to 1992. It was derived from the German car Opel Rekord, with the four-cylinder Iron Duke and the six-cylinder 250 from the Chevy II/Nova. It was replaced by the Chevrolet Omega in April 1992. Chevrolet had been building trucks and pick-up trucks, until the Opala was released to be its first car made in Brazil.

It was used by the military police as their main vehicle in the city São Paulo for many years. The military dictatorship used the Opala for its agents through the 1970s.

As any reliable and easy maintenance vehicle, the Opala was already chosen by many taxi drivers as their preferred car.

GM made one million Chevrolet Opalas and the station wagon version, Opala Caravan, since 1969.

The Chevrolet Opala had a very successful racing career for many years.

Opala's 4.1-litre engine was also used in some versions of the Chevrolet Omega (with electronic fuel injection), from model years 1995 to 1998.

Some of the components and chassis were used for an exotic car called the Santa Matilde.

1 Detailed information
- 1.1 Transmission
- 1.2 Engine
2 External links

[edit] Detailed information

The Chevrolet Opala was produced between November 1968 (as the 1969 model) through April 1992.

This car was built with three different bodies: 4 door hardtop, 2 door fastback, and a 3 door Station Wagon. All the designs were inherited from the German Opel Rekord project. Instead of using European engines, they choose the already well known straight-six and fours for the Chevy Opala.

It was the first passenger car built in Brazil by General Motors.

[edit] Transmission

3 speed column shifter, 4 speed floor-mounted shifter, 5 speed floor-mounted shifter, 3 speed automatic (column or floor) and 4 speed automatic (floor-mounted only).

[edit] Engine

Opala 250-S engine for racing

153 cid 4 cylinder 2.5 liters (November 1968 thru beginning of 1974)
151 cid 4 cylinder 2.5 liters (from 1974 thru 1992)

235 cid 6 cylinder (November 1968 thru beginning of 1971)
250 cid 6 cylinder (1971-1992)
250-S cid 6 cylinder (1975-1987 high performance)
4.1/S 6 cylinder (1988-1992)

The legendary 250-S engine, was not just a high-performance engine for Opalas and Caranvans since 1975, but was a anwser to the Maverick GT Quadrijet new for 1974 and sold a few just to fit the race regulation. There's no doubting that Opala 250-S chase the GT Quadrijets all over race tracks, roads and street in Brazil. Because of V8 302 2V making 135hp, with 4V 180hp. Regular production 250-S have 153 horse-power and the 250 was 115-120hp. Race 250-S have plenty more.