CavCoupe Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 Right New Years resolution, Get back into the car scene! I’ve decided to dig the Coupe’s out of the garage where they have been disappearing under junk for the past 3½ years. (see pics!) I’m going to get the white one back on the road for spring as it’s the most complete and needs the least work for an MOT. It’s a 2.0 Auto which used to belong to a disabled chap and has offset pedals to the left. Not only is it slow and thirsty but I have to weld my left leg under the seat to stop me inadvertently pressing the brake as a clutch and putting myself through the windscreen! (which I tried to do several times!) I have taken some pictures today and as you can see and to my amazement it is still sound body wise. So it will probably get a 5 speed manual and a re-spray. I’d like some decent early type red seats if anyone has any? Not the crap corduroy velour type fitted from 79 which are in and always split and go pink, the ones fitted from 75 were a lot better. My other one is the Blue 2.0 manual into which I intend to fit a 3.0V6 Vauxhall engine. Has anyone other than Chris Collier had any experience putting a V6 into a Manta? The blue one has sound floors b and jacking points due to a previous owner filling them with JCB grease. The chassis rail on the drivers side is a mess higher up above the large bolt but the other side looks ok so far. The roof is absolutely bu99ered under the vinyl right down to the rear C pillar so I’m thinking of making it a convertible. I will keep you posted! Yes I will restore them dear. No you can't have the garage for your new freezer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmanta Posted January 1, 2008 Author Share Posted January 1, 2008 Good to see someone eles suffering from "large garage fill it with stuff" syndrome !! by the time you have got to the cars you will be too knackered to do any work on them ! thats what happens to me. best of luck with it. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiney_norman Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Two Cav coupes? Never thought I'd see two together! '81 Cavalier 1600 GLS SportsHatch '77 Cavalier 1900 GLS coupé Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavCoupe Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 quote:Two Cav coupes? Never thought I'd see two together!id="quote">id="quote"> Hi mate, I have another as well. The most Cavalier Coupes I had at any one time was 6![][] I had this white one and another exactly the same, This Blue one and another mentioned in the Manta's Re-united which was PVL 941R. I have a gold one and I had a Yellow P reg one which sadly I scrapped but I wish I hdn't because I think it would have been the oldest Cav Coupe in the country being registered on December 1st 1975 but built in October 75. Kept just the three when we moved house[] Yes I will restore them dear. No you can't have the garage for your new freezer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantaray80 Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Good luck mate. After 20 years of ownership, my new years resolution is to get my Manta up and running again, by April (the month I bought it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavCoupe Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 quote:Good luck mate. After 20 years of ownership, my new years resolution is to get my Manta up and running again, by April (the month I bought it)id="quote">id="quote"> I take it it's not been off the road for all 20 years? Thanks mate, maybe see it at Billing then? Yes I will restore them dear. No you can't have the garage for your new freezer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantaray80 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 quote:Originally posted by CavCoupe id="quote">id="quote"> I take it it's not been off the road for all 20 years? Thanks mate, maybe see it at Billing then? id="quote">id="quote"> No, only 16 of them! Billing, Hmm, sounds a good idea. Certainly be at PVS with either the Manta or the Calibra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 We do tend to fill up the garages with all sorts of crap, then there aint room to move, I just spent the best part of the xmas holidays trying to sort mine out, the big things are easy to tidy, it all those boxes that fill with tiny nuts and bolts, spares over time that you have to sift through and put the bits where they should be. Drives me nuts lol. Its wonderful that we think everything is good in the gargaes then we tidy up and end up dumping a trailor load of junk [] Chris glad to see your going to get the A sorted out and back on the road again, will be looking forward to seeing it at Billing [] 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...
1900SR Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 quote:Chris glad to see your going to get the A sorted out and back on the road again, will be looking forward to seeing it at Billingid="quote">id="quote"> Mantaray80 isn't Chris. omoc 5660,Cambridge & The Fens Area Rep & keeper of the A register. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantaray80 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 quote:Originally posted by 1900SR id="quote">id="quote"> Mantaray80 isn't Chris. omoc 5660,Cambridge & The Fens Area Rep & keeper of the A register. id="quote">id="quote"> No, I'm Paul...[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantaray80 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Robbie We do tend to fill up the garages with all sorts of crap, then there aint room to move, I just spent the best part of the xmas holidays trying to sort mine out, the big things are easy to tidy, it all those boxes that fill with tiny nuts and bolts, spares over time that you have to sift through and put the bits where they should be. Drives me nuts lol. Its wonderful that we think everything is good in the gargaes then we tidy up and end up dumping a trailor load of junk [] Chris glad to see your going to get the A sorted out and back on the road again, will be looking forward to seeing it at Billing [] 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) id="quote">id="quote"> Yes we do. Just moved house and no longer have a garage. Had to empty 2 garages worth into a small shed. Meant throwing away a lot of stuff that I never touched. Hey, and wouldn't you know it, some of it I could have used recently!!!!![!] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CavCoupe Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 Right, I have finaly got the garage tidy and the white Cav Coupe out. It only took a charged battery and a can of fuel and it fired straight away. In the daylight I had a good look round it and the good news was no welding required, the bad news is that the paint work is knackered. There are large ptches of surface rust spotting all over every panel. There was a flat tyre and the ivy has dripped sap or greenfly poo all over the n/side rear corner and it wont come off! The car needs a respray both under the bonet and externally. The previous owner had bonded masses of sound insulating material everywhere. The inner wings had 3 layers of differen stuff on them, measuring nearly an inch thick! It took 2 hours with a scraper and thinners just to get to this point. absolutely awfull stuff. Could take some time to get ready for fresh paint. Yes I will restore them dear. No you can't have the garage for your new freezer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PassMeTheGun Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Carb cleaner can shift even the toughest grease to get your paintwork sqweaky clean, Cillit Bang can get to f***! I dunno about long term effects of carb cleaner tho. Looking forward to some more progress! Cheers, Pass me the gun and ask me again.... OMOC 6095 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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