What's up with y'all guys, Frederic here again with another episode of the gangster ride Opel Rekord. Let us dive right back in to the historie of this ride, Eline.

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But before I truly dive into the spanners and grease, I want to share with you, why she was named "Eline".

I named her as a tribute to my grandmother, Jacqueline. She and my grandfather meant the absolute world to me, and even though they passed away a few years ago, they still do. The coolest twist—which I only discovered later on—was that my grandfather actually drove a very similar car back when they first met! So naming the Rekord in their honor just felt like destiny. Their wedding photo hangs on the wall in my home office, and their "first date" picture sits inside my Corsa, Aurora, right alongside their wedding rings. Giving this car a name tied to them was my way of keeping their memory alive in everything I build.

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So, back to the build!

Right after buying the car, getting new numberplates, re-inspected the car, hand over everything from/to the previous owner and watching him drive off, I was so hyped I couldn't wait a single second. I immediately jumped in and started fixing and redoing stuff myself.

I started simple: repainting the brake calipers and drums red and building a custom trunk setup using whatever minimal tools and materials I had back then. I already had a vague vision of where I wanted to take this project.

Now, I have to confess: I should have kept my hands off the dashboard... Everything on it was actually fine and worked (more or less). But as a young guy fueled by Pinterest and way too many episodes of Overhaulin', Gas Monkey Garage, and Wheeler Dealers, my head was spinning with crazy ideas. I ripped it out and built a completely new dashboard with a custom center console—again, made with whatever limited stuff I had in my garage.

I know what you’re thinking: "Why?!"

Honest answer? Because I was young, dumb, and way too motivated to build something unique. Was it high quality? Heck no! Every time I look back at those old photos now, I cringe and think: "What on earth were you thinking?!"

But hey, as they say: we all have to start somewhere. I had a clear vision and knew where I wanted to go, but I simply lacked the tools, the experience, and the know-how I have today.

Was it a waste of time and money? Should I have just kept my hands off? Honestly... yeah, probably. But as we all know in the car scene: if you never make mistakes, you’ll never learn a damn thing.

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After finishing all those initial tweaks, I took her on a weekend night to one of her very first car meets in Houthulst (a small town in Belgium, just north of Ypres).The trip there was a real adventure: the speedometer wasn't working, and my headlights only worked half the time... Luckily, I wasn't alone. My friends rode along with me, and since they knew my driving skills and the car's quirks, they helped escort me and Eline safely from A to B without any trouble. At the end of the night, during the trophy presentation, they suddenly called out my car... I walked away with my very first Top 5 Oldtimer award! 🏆

Taking home that Top 5 Oldtimer award made every doubt disappear. I was riding high, doing photoshoots, and enjoying the moment. But the honeymoon phase didn't even last a month.

Suddenly, the Rekord started falling apart. The motor was vomiting oil, the wiring was a melted deathtrap wrapped in cheap tape, and underneath the paint lay a nightmare of pure body filler. I was terrified the car would burst into flames at any given second.

But the ultimate nightmare was yet to come: a 70 km/h rear-end crash that crushed the entire rear end.

Was this the end of Eline, or just the beginning of the real build? Drop a comment and find out in part 3! 💬👇