bhp Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 YOU DE MAN!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manta3000 Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 brilliant job,great that at least crashed motor could be used for a good cause awesome welding now where is my stihl saw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entwistlecymru Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 When I see your resto work Jimbo, it makes me wonder why you bother trying to sell houses? Can't you just work for the OMOC full time? I've got a lovely Opel Rekord here that needs welding.............. up for it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) Old arch cut carefully out and rust ground, treated and etch primed on inner arch Can't get the joggler in here and we want to keep the shape nice and tight so the repair panel will be butt welded, this means lots of fettling so it mates uniformly Edited September 12, 2011 by stradacab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 18, 2011 Author Share Posted September 18, 2011 Wheelarch is now finished and roughly filled. Cut thr rear panel off and started to clean up the flanges to acceppt the new one. The car has had a second hand panel fitted before (so it's on its third nose cone and third rear panel and will be on its second nearside rear wing- thats been replaced too) The flanges were never prepared properly hence the rust in them. As is the case with this car, the boot floor was holed too. I came up with the great idea of cutting enought off of the scrapper to make a repair section.. This will be fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) Now that the repair of the boot floor is finished, ground and primed I have turned my attention to the spare wheel well. It has been so badly welded on top of I think the only way to do a good jod is to replace it. Happily I chopped that out of the breaker for just such an eventuality! As I am using both the well and the rear wing again I have had to carefully separate the two spot welded parts and clean up the well before fitting. That's two nights worth of patient work. The old one has been cut out, I now have to decide how to repair the inner web and create a flange on that side to accept the well. I do have about 6 inches of web left from the scrap car that might graft in tidily. Also attached to the rear wing is the inner arch and inner rear panel, both of which will create repair panels for the rusted flanges. Looking at my GT/J diary I am 4 months and 5 days in to this project. Edited September 21, 2011 by stradacab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmanta Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 You might as well hoik that tank out of there and prime and paint the inside of the boot completely, the standard of the work and the fact that this boot repair alone is gaining ledgendary mission status means that at Billing next year everyone will want to look in there to see for themselves the fruits of two cars, one mig and a lot of skill and time. Might as well treat it as an "A" area of the car now and it will give you another area to polish ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Thanks Paul, tank will be coming out as the pipes are perished and it leaks fuel. Also, I'm going polar white so it'll have to come out for paint. I'm seriously considering sending the shell to Surface Processing and having it dipped and primed to do a perfect job. What do we think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieH Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 You better get it booked in now if your sending there as there is quite a long waiting list but the end results are worth waiting for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 (edited) Stevie, thanks for the heads up! Called them today.... Dip and strip 845 plus VAT, electro prime 1450 plus VAT. That stands me in at over 2700 quid... for a Manta! I'm in no way saying that the service isn't worth the money or that the results wont be superb, but I don't think the car is worth that investment. I shall have to go for fiddly and painful hours of rubbing down and settle for second best Of course if it was a vintage Ferrari or something that's another story. Oh, and they're booking for Feb so you were right on the lead time too. It's 7.30, back out into the garage then! Edited September 22, 2011 by stradacab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steel Posted September 22, 2011 Share Posted September 22, 2011 i am removing the complete boot floor wheel well from my b series coupe you may be able to use some of that as its in good condition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 22, 2011 Author Share Posted September 22, 2011 Thanks Steel, but if you look at the earlier photos you will see my replacement sat in the boot I have carefully cut bit by bit the repair plates out and offered up the new well. Have cut the left over web from the other car to make a repair section and clamped in place. When I weld, this will be my datum point for wing, floor etc so it has to be spot on!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 It doesn't look like progress but I have been sticking to the "little and often" mantra. Before you can weld you have to cut old metal, offer up, fettle, re-offer, paint ect until you are happy it all lines up. The well will dictate the fit of the rear panel and the new nearside wing so it all has to be measured numerous times before you put a torch to it. This is the last job in this position, I will have to lower the car to the flor and turn round next to start cutting the NS rear wing off All welded and tied in to the inner web. I'll save the front bit- I'll plug weld here when I have cut the rusty inner wheel area out so I can get in and clamp it tight. And a quick splash of filler, block work and primer to prevent rusting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Nice work! Also nice to see some one with a car that is some way towards as rusty as mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Fish Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 bleeding 'eck mate, it'll be ready for billing 2012 at this rate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 Nice work! Also nice to see some one with a car that is some way towards as rusty as mine. "Some way towards rusty"... I think you are the undisputed King of rusty Mantas. I'm in the minor league compared to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted September 29, 2011 Author Share Posted September 29, 2011 Do you know how many spot welds secure the rear wing to a Manta coupe? 144. The most boring two evenings of my life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapierdave Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Do you know how many spot welds secure the rear wing to a Manta coupe? 144. The most boring two evenings of my life! I could have sworn it was 146 I'll get me coat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmanta Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Do you know how many spot welds secure the rear wing to a Manta coupe? 144. The most boring two evenings of my life! Great. I have both rear 1/4s to do on my white coupe. And a back panel, a pair of inner wings and a front nose. I will start buying spot weld drill bits now. The car is coming on nicely in the pics James, any more of the rear wing removed ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary6303 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 so glad this car is gonna live again and to a very high standard, this car holds some wonderfull memories of my youth with my best mate giles who owned the car, it has a few gte parts on it as my mother crashed her white gte so fitted the wheels, front bumper and i must say sorry for braking the sunroof catch, did that on the way to weymouth with the girlfreinds, great to see it and a fantastic job you are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 Great. I have both rear 1/4s to do on my white coupe. And a back panel, a pair of inner wings and a front nose. I will start buying spot weld drill bits now. The car is coming on nicely in the pics James, any more of the rear wing removed ? Oh no, no, no Paul, the wing is still on the car, thats just drilling the spots on the salvaged wing!! I've still got the GT/J one to do!!!! I bought to 8mm bits for a tenner on ebay that are doing very well so far... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120761582687?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649 But pick up a 6mm one too cause some of those welds are tiny and you will take less metal away and make your plug welding the new panels on tidier. so glad this car is gonna live again and to a very high standard, this car holds some wonderfull memories of my youth with my best mate giles who owned the car, it has a few gte parts on it as my mother crashed her white gte so fitted the wheels, front bumper and i must say sorry for braking the sunroof catch, did that on the way to weymouth with the girlfreinds, great to see it and a fantastic job you are doing. That was great to read, Giles sent me a couple of pics, if you have any old pics of it "back in the day" please put em up or email me. I now see why it is so rusty then... you spent too many weekends at the coast in all that salty air! Oh, and when I find a replacement sunroof I will expect you to make a contribution towards the cost as you broke the original one!! ---------------- I'll do a bit this weekend and get some more piccies up. Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 Had a great weekend using the Ascona and also had some time in the garage too. First job was to turn the car round so it broke cover and went out in the open air for the first time in months. This gave me a chance to thoroughly clean the garage out. 4 months of dirt, rust, filings, filler etc had accumulated and I hate working in my own filth! Back in the garage and ready to lift and cut off the old wing- nice bit of space and all clean!! It is as I expected under here- BAD! there will be a lot of work to get all of the mating faces clean and straight to accept the new wing. The salvage car will also provide repair pieces for the top of the inner wing and the inner wheel arch. It's the same story- THIS is a replacement wing on the car and because the thing has not been protected by dipping and wax, that is why it is so far gone On the plus side, the repairs neede to the inner floor, centre web and sill reinforcement should be easier to do well because there is no panel in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmanta Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Fantastic job, the back of a coupe is actually quite feeble really which goes a long way to explain why new rear panels (when you can get them) are up around the £500 mark now and rear 1/4 panels are well over a grand new from Dr Manta and others. You need one of these James: I just got one and it's brilliant, it uses a fair bit of air but by god it saves huge amounts of time, less than an hour to strip the entire underside of the V8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiney_norman Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Thanks Paul, now I want one of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmanta Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 The one I got was a Bluepoint one from my Snapon rep, Its the same tool esentially but a bit cheaper, it came as a kit with about 10 different wheels. On special at about £350, I pay it off a bit a week but is worth it as it has saved me days with a grinder and cup brush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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