"It was the slowest car I've ever owned!" Carl recalled. "I had it resprayed by my mate, Steve Bryant at Advanced Bodytech, shortly after I got it, and then it just sat in a garage...."

Carl was up for playing the (very) long game with the '79 and with a few other projects on the boil over the years coming atop his 'to do' list (ahead of his new little Kadett), the car ended-up garaged for a staggering eight years. Throughout this time though Carl ensured the car stayed mobile and MoT'd; dragging it out of the lock-up once a year for its annual dust off and official Ministry inspection. "I think it covered 2000 to 3000 miles in eight years," we're told, "I just stopped it from seizing, and kept the brakes free."

Having kept the aforementioned black and yellow car waiting for four years before starting its own modified transformation, Carl was comfortable with the fact he'd get around to tackling the white car before too long. And actually having spotted a Kadett with a 16-valve conversion at the popular VBOA event at Billing, his taste buds were suitably whetted for a similar conversion with the '79. A finger-on-the-pulse kind of guy, Carl had seen several such conversions into old Opels and Vauxhalls over the years, both first-hand and in media such as Retro Cars, some carried out by the talented folk at Suffolk County Mantas. Simon Peckham and the guys down in Bury St Edmunds have indeed featured in these pages before; they definitely know their Opel onions, and as such Carl knew they'd execute the Kadett's converison beautifully. A swift phone call to Simon for a chat revealed that Suffolk County Mantas hadn't ever actually tackled a 16-valve swap into a Kadett shell before, but they were more than up to the

Simon and the guys obviously didn't struggle with the swap, executing Carl's request for a wow factor under the bonnet beautifully. Around the 2.0-litre block the guys simplified the aesthetics; they binned and tidied away various clutter, including hiding the wiring and screen waster bottle (this now lives under one of the wings), they also relocated the battery out back to the boot. Tapping into their in-depth knowledge of the larger Opel Manta model, the final spec sheet includes the likes of a Manta sump, prop and Getrag five-speed transmission, not forgetting the inclusion a Manta A-series rear axle. The cherry on the engine setup cake though has to be those SBD throttle bodies; they're responsible for Carl having to dig a little deeper in his pockets, but provide the gnarly bark and healthy performance pumch he so desired. SBD's equipment package here is called the '208bhp' kit, and although Carl has no specific output figures for his finished engine, there's a damn good chance the XE is now pushing out a figure closer to 200bhp than its standard 150bhp factory claim. The engine install really does make the car; it certainly has the impact Carl wished for when the bonnet is raised now, and with a bit of luck it catches a few unsuspecting folk off guard too, raising an eyebrow in the process.

As it happened, Suffolk County Mantas had the car finished off by March 2009, way in advance of Carl's prized show weekend, giving him the chance to polish the car up in preparation for its first proper outing in almost a decade. Usually forced into tagging along with another GM-based club in his varous Kadett projects over the years, Carl and a few mates have since set out to put the record straight by highlighting the car's small but passionate following in the UK. They've even started their own owners' club (www.opel-kadett-c.co.uk). With eight members (and growing) the club is small, perfectly formed, and allows the guys a patch of grass to call their own and park on come show day.

Carl may have owned his fair share of Opels and Vauxhalls throughout his career behind the wheel (he even currenty runs an red top-powered Mk1 Astra everyday), but as he says the Kadett was his first love, and Carls's passion for these cool little German cars shows absolutely no sign of abating.