Any South Africans here?

**Inevitability** · 31st July 2019, 13:39

I know it's a long shot, but I was just wondering: Any South Africa users here?
And, more especially, any South Africans with a Z22YH car?
Would love to know your experiences trying to get stuff done here in SA. Where you get parts, who's your mechanic, etc

**Rhodie** · 31st July 2019, 14:10

Not quite what you are looking for but I was born and bought up and spent the first 30 years of my life in Rhodesia. I left shortly after it changed its name to Zim, not because of that but other circumstsances. My eldest brother still lives in East London. Where abouts in SA are you?

**Inevitability** · 31st July 2019, 14:36

I'm in Johannesburg.
I've owned an Astra F hatch (it's branded as 'Kadett' over here) for 11 years now, and that was a fairly popular car... still see a lot of them on the road ... and yet I always found it a bit difficult to find a mechanic that had intimate knowledge of Opels. I'm a bit worried about what's gonna happen when I need a mechanic for my Zafira, which is much much less popular car. Even the Opel forum locally seems to have died. Was hoping there would be a few South Africans here who might have experience with these cars.

**Inevitability** · 31st July 2019, 14:39

I'm quite sure there was a GM plant in East London where Opels were assembled.
But GM has left SA recently.

**LastOne** · 31st July 2019, 15:47

Originally Posted by Inevitability

I'm quite sure there was a GM plant in East London where Opels were assembled.
But GM has left SA recently.

I went to university in East London - Mile End Road in fact. Worked not far from there for a while too. But that's the real East London I'm referring to, not the colonial copy you guys mean...

**Inevitability** · 31st July 2019, 15:56

:facepalm:
Lovely how they now call all of the former colonies the "Common wealth"

**Rhodie** · 31st July 2019, 16:00

Originally Posted by Inevitability

I'm quite sure there was a GM plant in East London where Opels were assembled.
But GM has left SA recently.

The assembly plant for the Kadett was in Port Elizebeth. My parents (both passed away now) and other brother lived in PE since 1977. My brother now lives in Nottingham UK. He used to have a Chevair (Ascona in UK) and a Kadett. Now he is in the UK he brought the Kadett with him, and since sold that and is now on his 2nd Zafira

**Inevitability** · 11th August 2019, 18:28

It baffles me completely why Opel isn't more popular here.
My Dad, brother and i have owned 6 Opels between us, and they were all really good... Reliable, cheap, and super fun to drive. My Kadett has done 365000km, bought it at around 140,000 and had it for 11 years and counting.
Maybe I'm cynical after all the comments I heard as a young man, but I can only guess that it's the 'boy racer VW fanboys' that grow up hating Opel and then carry this over to adulthood and don't buy them.
Anyways... I really wish there were more Zafiras on the road here to make parts easier to come by.