Manta Mal Posted February 3, 2007 Author Share Posted February 3, 2007 MANTA RESTORE PART 4 Welcome back....in part 4, I will run through the replacement sills and hoisting up the car body to allow access to under the floorpan. Just one problem, my pc crashed, in late 2006 during a storm/power surges, lost several photo's, so I only have some photo's, showing sill replacment. Hope Chris C. dont't mind me using his photo,( sorry can't afford royalties!), but it does show, exactly the condition of my Manta sills. The rear part were shot as seen here, the front section were fairly solid. I have new sills, the question was....do I cut the old sill off or do I weld the new sill over the top. After much thought, I cut away the rear section, cut and welded in a new piece of steel sheet in place of that mid rusty piece with circular holes in, then welded the whole new sill on. Ok it's a posed photo!....Here you can see me getting stuck into welding on the outer sills. I decided not to cut the old ones off first, as 70% of the original sill, was good, so the new sills would add even more strength. New sill welded on......This may be obvious, but a pair of ramps on the same side, gives good access to the whole side of the sill. With Winter 2006 fast approaching, it was time to get the Manta set up in the garage so I could work under the floor pan. Please note, the rear wheel are on ramps, but not to work on the rear, this was done to give even more lift at the front. With the rear wheels on ramps, it was time to get the front end in the air. Please do not try this in your garage, until you have risk assessed the strengh of your garage roof. The roof of my garage had been built with strong timber, so I was happy to hoist the front up. Note the axel stands, on the chassis rails, mid way though the hoist, just incase the body dropped. Here you can see a beefy length of gas pipe, (not thin wall steel tube!) was slotted into the radiator rubber mount holes, for the hoist hook to lift on. This would also test my welding on the front nose panel! Finally...even I had doubts about working under the body, just held up with a wooden block and tackle, from an 18th century sailing ship! I cut to length a pair of 4" square fence posts, plus a short piece of threaded rod screwed in the top end. There is a convient hole in the chassis rails of the 'A' series, for this rod to locate in. I can now easly get to the whole of the front half of the floor pan. This is the best you can do in a home garage, without the aid of a pit or a car 4 post hoist. Will post part 5 in a week or so, when I will go through the chassis rails etc. Any feedback from you guys out there would be appreciated. Cheers! Mal.....OMOC #6022 Start your Manta restoration today........ before it's too late! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Good stuff Mal your not taking any chances either, Have to say I did like the wooden pulley blocks [] a while from I seen those. Your jumping through that body work at a good rate [] keep it up and the car will be on the road sooner than you think [^] http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Please dont shoot me it,s only an opinion not a demand Email robbie @ mantamagic.com (without the spaces) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta Mal Posted February 16, 2007 Author Share Posted February 16, 2007 MANTA RESTORE PART 5 Welcome back <!-- s:) --><!-- s:) --> , will now take a look at the chassis rails. This area can put the project back months, if they have to be replaced. The rails on my Manta looked ok with the paint still on. Only one way to find out for sure.......... With all the paint stripped off, most of the rails were found to be in good condition, compared to a lot of other rust eaten rails Iv'e seen in the past. Just one problem area found, thumb nail sized, rust blister, just left of the mounting bolt hole[]. I then had to decide if to just plate this area and risk rust coming through close by latter or plate a larger area. After much thought, decided to plate a large area on both rails. From a card template, marked and cut out from heavier gauge, 1.5mm sheet steel, for this repair section. Simply two folds, with the aid of a square section steel bar in the vice, and my favourite tool......... a big hammer[] The repair section about to be pushed up over the chassis rail. The repair section now welded in position, time to review the jacking points. They have a little surface rust, but are in suprisingly good condition. I remember using, the standard Opel screw type jack, on my Manta back in the 70's, when I changed the road wheels a couple of times, on both sides. Before the wheel was high enough to take off, the handle of the jack was jaming against the door skin. Even tried jack at different angles and a block of wood under the jack base. Ended up using a sissor or bottle jack under the front cross member. With the above in mind, decided to treat the surface rust on the jacking points, then plate the whole section in. This would also stop anymore road sludge getting trapped within. Steel cut out to cover the jacking points. In this final photo in part 5, you can see the jacking point enclosed. All the above work was also repeated on the passenger side. Will post part 6 in a week or so......bottom of 'A' posts and floor pan repairs. <!-- s:) --><!-- s:) --> Any feedback from you guys, would be appreciated. <!-- s;-) --><!-- s;-) --> Cheers! Mal.....OMOC #6022 Start your Manta restoration today........ before it's too late! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h0tr0dder_uk Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 some great fabrication going on here. if only tv programmes like american hotrod showed you stuff like this (instead if concetrating on the arguments) it would be much more interesting viewing. keep the pics coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Your leaving nothing to chance Mal, which will stand to the car for years to come, fabrication is great and already looking forward to seeing the next installment. [^] http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Please dont shoot me it,s only an opinion not a demand Email robbie @ mantamagic.com (without the spaces) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entwistlecymru Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 That's all top notch stuff - you're giving me some food for thought for my B series [] OMOC #5826..... 79 SRB coupe - 'interesting project', 79 Cav saloon - 16v sleeper FOR SALE, Yakshimash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Sorry to be late replying to this one, but I hope it will be of interest. Chris C won't mind you using the photo of the rusty sill in the slightest Malcolm, as it's a picture which I took last year of the sill on my hatch in my garage.[] (Made me chuckle that did). I'm highly impressed by your fabrication skills. I know the theory, but it's putting it into practice that's the hard part. As for rustproofing, I know I keep going on about it, but before you buy any of the products mentioned, have a look at this site: http://www.bilthamber.com I'm using their Hydrate 80 and Dynax S50 and it's very impressive stuff. The Dynax is particularly easy to use from the aerosol cans they sell. Roll on the next instalment. Right. All I need now is an 'A' Series. Cheers, Joe. I was right but now I'm wrong. I loved you now and now you're gone. I was a goddamn fool, you taught me that. But I look out at K-K-Ketamine Sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shug Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 quote:Originally posted by Joe I know I keep going on about it, but before you buy any of the products mentioned, have a look at this site: http://www.bilthamber.com id="quote">id="quote"> I hadn't noticed [] I'll back Joe up on this. Got a batch of their stuff and its good stuff! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OMOC #5988 hmackay at opel-manta.com I hae a few guid reasons for drinkin’ And yin juist entered ma heid If a man canna’ drink while he’s livin’ Hoo the Hell can he drink when he’s deid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta Mal Posted February 17, 2007 Author Share Posted February 17, 2007 Thanks for the feedback on my project Hotrodder...I have watched loads of thoses american car (Pimp my Ride) and bike (American Chopper) rebuilds on sky, they have a megga short deadline to get the projects finished, but like you say, waste loads of time arguing about the smallest detail. Robbie..... I would rather do as much steel sheet work as possible now, to prevent off road repairs and repaint in the future. Do keep thinking about all the extra weight of this added steel. Joe.....Yes your sill photo, sorry, i look at so many projects on this forum, that I loose track, of which post I saved the photo from. No claim for royalties, so thanks Joe & Shug...will look into theses rust treatment products you highly recommed. I have been using kurust for years, which seem to do the job, but guess there are better products out there. Cheers! Start your Manta restoration today........ before it's too late! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta Mal Posted March 23, 2007 Author Share Posted March 23, 2007 MANTA RESTORE PART 6 Hi guys, welcome back <!-- s:) --><!-- s:) --> It\'s been a while since the last update, a lot of work has been going on. Ok down to business, will cover repairs to bottom of \'A\' posts and floor pan. The Bottom of the \'A\' posts were a bit thin and rusted through where the wing bolts on. Cut out and formed this cover plate. In my \'all or nothing\' style, just could not resist plating this remaining exposed area.[] Before painting under the car, I needed to carry out any floorpan welding, inside the cabin. First, I had to remove the back sound absorbing material. Tried to remove this with hammer and wood chisel, very slow progress, then tried electric viabrating chisel, not much better.[] What really worked well, was to just warm (not melt) the surface with heat gun then scrape off with chisel, as seen above. Just like a knife cutting through a block of butter.[8D] I was not too keen on these grommets in the floor pan so removed then all, cut out some steel discs, then welded them in from both sides. The passenger floor pan had rusted through slightly, over the jacking point. Treated rusted areas, cut out and formed sheet steel over a large area to add strengh to floorpan, then seam welded all round. Here the same was repeated on the drivers side. With the cabin floor repairs done, now was the time to prep the under floor for painting. Cleaned off with twisted wire brush on angle grinder, then any surface rust treated with Kurust. The floor and transmission tunnel was painted in zinc rich primer, then flattened with 600 grade sheets. In this final photo of part 6, the same area was sprayed with hammerite stone chip. I lot of people knock hammerite products.... over the years I\'ve found them to stand up well. Really do like this satin black stone chip finish, rather than the usual gloss, which does tend to highlight the smallest imperfection. Am very tempted to leave the under floor just finished in the stone chip paint. This will take with ease, all the hits from road stones, thrown up with the added advantage of no gloss paint to chip or flake off. What do you think? Will have a break from the Manta build for a few weeks (must get my kitchen finished). Will then get the car outside the garage again, for a bit more work, in the cabin and on the doors, followed by the rear end repairs. Any feedback from you guys would be appreciated.......Cheers <!-- s;-) --><!-- s;-) --> Mal...OMOC #6022 malalsal@aol.com Start your Manta restoration today........ before it\'s too late! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shug Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Now that is looking good. I am still no where near getting underside of mine finished. Keep buying stuff rather than the actual bits I really need! [] I used hydrate 80 on underside and was gonna use waxoil on top of that. That stone chip looks good stuff tho. I found the black stuff on floor came off easily after a spraying of Wurth 'rost off'! Are you just using a vice and steel bar to form those panels? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OMOC #5988 hmackay at opel-manta.com I hae a few guid reasons for drinkin’ And yin juist entered ma heid If a man canna’ drink while he’s livin’ Hoo the Hell can he drink when he’s deid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opel2000 Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Must say this really is looking good Mal. Will also say how nice to see someone putting a coating under a car that was actually designed to go under a car, such as Stonechip. I've said this s grillion times before and I'll say it again. Underseal, Stonechip, etc., for underneath the car. Two pack paint for the top of the car and body. I've seen some nasty huge blisters from where a stone has chipped Two pack paint and water had spread under the paint from where the stone had chipped it. Really not good stuff to be having under a car. Shiny bits http://www.customsolutions.me.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Mal thats great work your doing and I do agree with the stonechip over a good primer, Everyone is different in what they think is best under the car. Personally I would primer over the stonechip and then top coat it in 2 pack leaves a great finish and painting over it gives more protection plus it wont chip as easy as the stone chip absorbs the shock. Once the final paint is hardened, bung of the chassis leg drain holes with sealing compound and flood the legs with waste oil and leave it for a few days this lets the oil seep between that double skin in the chassis legs NOTHING else will seep in as well. All I can say is when I,ve done cars in the past 20 years using this process (celli paint way back then) I,ve never had to go back in a couple of years and reweld it or say it needed welding. Plus I,m sure when you finish the car you,ll be inspecting it regular to top up the waxoyl [] I use dinitrol products and in a recent car mag test they come out the top even over the bilthammer. the corrimax 3125 is the one i use to do the other box sections under the car and all those places you can see into, Normal waxoyl is 100% for surfaces you can inspect and open places such as the whole underneath of the car. http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Please dont shoot me it,s only an opinion not a demand Email robbie @ mantamagic.com (without the spaces) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Fish Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 That looks like some real quality work there, fair play to you![^] South Wales Rep OMOC 5643 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pma Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Hi Mal,looking really smart there mate!My own car has the same sort of finish underneath.I've used a sort of rubberised/wax oil sort of satin black under sealy thingy paint jobby,i do agree with Clive on this point,but to be fair,the underside of Robbies are so so good.Like Rob says,each to their own.But well done mate!! Paul Ansell omoc 5963 (Birmingham) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Mighty impressive stuff Mal. Robbie: "in a recent car mag test they come out the top even over the bilthammer". Which mag and when please? I'm always interested in using the best stuff there is and I'd like to see that report. Cheers, Joe. Please log into this site from the Home page folks. It helps to keep it as the first Manta site listed on Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Pratical Classics April 07 did an underseal test and dinitrol came out on top. The one with the Manta in the cover group photo. OMOC 5885 1800 Hatch Daily Driver GTE Exclusive Coupe SORN'd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 i feel all inspired mal thats great work, good to see people doing stuff the old fashioned way, with a vice and a really big hammer [] the work is lookin really good. i must admit i am gettin really confused with all this talk of injecting waxoil. i think i understand thoug, presuming it is to cover the inside of the steel that you cant see and get too. (i am still learning if you didnt guess) [:I][:I][] ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Thanks but I've seen that one Pete, and as BH don't make underseal, they weren't in it. Cheers, Joe. Please log into this site from the Home page folks. It helps to keep it as the first Manta site listed on Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta Mal Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 Thanks for all the feedback on my projetid="red">[] Shug...yes am still only using a vice with angle iron or square bar to form the repair sections. I do have have some large diameter gas pipe to form gentle curves. For template material, I bought a roll of card, sold at B&Q, as carpet underlay. The key is to spend lots of time getting the card template right. I may cut out several before making a final steel item. I find 1mm sheet steel ideal for most work, easy to cut with jigsaw and bend.[] Opel2000/Robbie....I have decided to just leave the underside in the satin black stone chip finish. To be honest the prep work is good, but not perfect. A full gloss finish would only highlight this. I would rather spend extra hours on the upper body prep, where the finish will be seen and highly polished. Do like the idea of filling the chassis rails with oil or an alternative thin penertrating fluid. Cheers! Mal...OMOC #6022 malalsal@aol.com Start your Manta restoration today........ before it's too late! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Very nice work mate[] Great pics and well described, good luck ( it doesn't look like you need it though) Just a comment on using waste engine oil to rustproof, i did that on my wifes exclusive and i think it made it rust from the inside out as used oil is corrosive iv'e since found out and contains metal particles. Janets exclusive hardly had a panel that could be reused because of the oil corrosion. Keep up the good work, it's posts like this that show what can be done. Cheers Kev Many A Night Tinkering About OMOC 4076 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I've often wondered about using oil as a rust proofer as it floats on water, so if any water gets underneath it.... The corrosive properties of used oil are a good point too. They are also one of the reasons it's wise to change your engine oil frequently. Cheers, Joe. Please log into this site from the Home page folks. It helps to keep it as the first Manta site listed on Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entwistlecymru Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Someone I know (can't remember who) paints the underneath of his car with oil mixed with paint. It forms a skin but is still slightly flexible so it behaves like stonechip. Used in the right gun it could be worked into all the gaps. OMOC #5826..... 79 SRB coupe - 'interesting project', 79 Cav saloon - 'another interesting project', 1993 Senator 24v. Yakshimash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta Mal Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 That's a valid point about used engine oil being corrosive. Could always buy new oil in a thin grade. Expect I will end up buying a branded product, that's made for the job. Mal...OMOC #6022 malalsal@aol.com Start your Manta restoration today........ before it's too late! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I actually should of mentioned about some oils, I tend to keep oil like GTX or duckhams, or halfords oil for older cars that DO NOT contain cleaning and degreasing agents. I have heard a few times that modern oils are not the best to use, A bit like WD40 that contains acid hence the releasing agent. It,s not a major problem anyways as you can use new or oil hydraulic oil, anything that will get between the chassis skins and lubricate it. Joe once you have the surface coated with oil the water runs of it wont get between the oil and the metal surface, if it did oil would be nice and easy to wash off [] http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Please dont shoot me it,s only an opinion not a demand Email robbie @ mantamagic.com (without the spaces) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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