stradacab Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Started to weld up the inner arch at the back, blew a couple of holes that I have to finish and tidy up the welds. The metal was a bit thin cause I cut off a huge plate and tried to leave as much of the orignal arch that was there. The repair piece I cut from the new wing, butt welded in, the old bit was very grotty... Wire brushed and self etch primed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 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! Yours was put together a lot better than mine........... http://www.atcy66.dsl.pipex.com/j373duy/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Yours was put together a lot better than mine........... http://www.atcy66.dsl.pipex.com/j373duy/ You share my pain! (I noticed a Strada hiding in one of those pictures too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 You share my pain! Yep every outer panel but the roof in 2006...... all one colour for the first time since I bought it in 1999 and two weeks later someone ran in the back. I had even got the exclusive bumper to fit perfectly instead of kicked out corners like most that have had a rear panel....... not any more. If I had put the pressure in the radious to fit the bumper I would probably have had the age old kink by the petrol flap that lickily hadn't happened. Lesser of two evils. (I noticed a Strada hiding in one of those pictures too!) Remember I tried to sell you that one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 9, 2011 Author Share Posted October 9, 2011 Another repair, this time to the "C" post where the window reveal and rear wing mating flange had half gone, again, given up by the breaker. Having really got it apart I don't think I could have done this without the replacememt panels. You may notice the difference! Carefully cut and nearly ready to butt weld In and dressed off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 11, 2011 Author Share Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) On to the repair of the rear wheel envelope (to give it its correct term!) I've done this job in my head about 20 times! the challenge is to let in the repair part and get the edge right on point. If there is too much metal it will stop the wing lining up on top, too little and there will br a big gap that I will not be able to spot weld the arch to. Measured loads of times and looked at it again and again from every possible angle. The prep took most of the time because I've butt welded again for accuracy and both the car and the repair piece have to mate together perfectly all the way round. I've offered the wing up and it looks bang on for fit! I'm just having a little nip of Jack Daniels before bedtime and feeling pretty pleased with myself tonight!! Edited October 11, 2011 by stradacab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Fantastic restoration, nice work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieH Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Superb fabrication work there , makes my build look like i've just threw the repairs at the car and welded them where they landed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 Sometimes you just look at a job and think.... "But where do I actually start?!?" I've done a few rear sill repairs in my time but this will be the worst one I've carried out. Big glass of jack Daniels tonight to numb the pain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieH Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Oh dear , that looks nasty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadog Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Bruce forsyth was knighted today! but to be fair, i think you should be knighted for your welding and determination while working on opel products from the 70s and 80s keep up the great work!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Sometimes you just look at a job and think.... "But where do I actually start?!?" Bottom of page 13 Top of 14 Somewhere on 16 And 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Nice Salvage or scratch made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 excellent job, getting done there, well worth saving, how rare is a manta b GTJ [dare i say rarer than a 400?) keep up the excellent work and pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 Now this is what you call a rebuild Well done for taking the time to save a very rare car There cant be many original gt/j's left now Excellent work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 14, 2011 Author Share Posted October 14, 2011 Thanks for the kind words guys! Mantadoc- No way is it scratch made!! I can cut, bend and hit metal with a hammer but I was 22 years old last time I used a wheeling machine!! Cut off the old car and grafted in, that's all I'm afraid. GT/J rarer than an genuine 400? probably. More desirable... probably not! "How many left" website is unreliable cause it used the entry from the V5, so even if you look up Manta GT/J for '80-'82 that might not include ones down as something else. I know of Al's old yellow one, passmethegun's white one (which is now a 400r)that red one that sold on ebay and was latterly being touted round at Billing last year for resto (Darren wouldn't let me buy it), Alex's one, that grey one at the beginning of this thread and the other (was it Ian Goacher's) pine green one I saw at Billing in 2006. So that's 7 I know of in total. Would love to know what else is out there- say another 7 in hiding?? 14 left in the country is my best guess... Tonights effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devil Fish Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 (edited) didn't Nat and Cal (retropower dudes) have one aswell... originally purple? now white? oh nice repair panel btw.... you getting good at this sh1t! Edited October 14, 2011 by Devil Fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 14, 2011 Author Share Posted October 14, 2011 didn't Nat and Cal (retropower dudes) have one aswell... originally purple? now white? oh nice repair panel btw.... you getting good at this sh1t! Never saw it purple but yeah it's in their sig so 8 then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmanta Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Why dont you cut/drill that crossmember out ? not all of it but about 8 or so inches from the sill to give access to all the inner sill. its goiing to be hanging under there as well and it will make it much eaiser to get at the ming and remove it. Not telling you how to suck eggs though, feel free to ignore me !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Why dont you cut/drill that crossmember out ? not all of it but about 8 or so inches from the sill to give access to all the inner sill. its goiing to be hanging under there as well and it will make it much eaiser to get at the ming and remove it. Not telling you how to suck eggs though, feel free to ignore me !! I as thinking that too, but on Mine I did a couple of other plates first as had fear about the side of the car wandering out wider. Maybe notch some box section and slide on the lip from B pillar to B pillar. Also, whne you have this much out the jacking points will move in the chassis rails so I put my stands under the axle and worried about it sagging. If you put a jack under the under floor cross member you can vary the door gap by about 3mm on mine and you don't have the rigidity the quarter brings or the shut as a frame of reference. I found it a scary time. If you want the dimensiones from the Vauxhall Cavalier Coupe Dealer body manual let me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 Guys, thanks for your advice on this. I must admit that removing the cross member hadn't even occurred to me, dunno why, but that's the great thing about this forum! This now gives a much better access to the repair and, as predicted, there is grot beneath. As a result I have had to extend my original plate to travel beneath the crossmember and into the rear footwell. And welded in... I will put the member back in tonight once the primer I have put on is dry. Much better job for that advice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 I now have something to build the sill from And I made something to weld to it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 cracking fab work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadog Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 there is also a none original gt j in green by me in codsall, wolverhampton, last time i saw it it was running a v8 rover, think its an x reg and its well loved!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thanks Mantadog, I remember seeing one at the Retro Rides meet at Sparkford last year, I wonder if that's the one you mean. May not have looked cosmetically like a GT/J or I would have paid a lot more attention. Will have to revisit the pics.... ---------------------------------------------------------- Been back on the car this week. I have welded the inner sill in and made up a strengthener for the inside. As with the O/S, it doesn't come down and meet the sill botton as it should, the aftermarket sills are too far out to stand a chance of those mating up. I figure that the main purpose is to transfer load from the jacking point up through the central hoop that is made up by the B post and rollover bar. As the plate is stitched onto the inner sill and jacking point area I figure it is strong enough (It's certainly stronger than it was before!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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