mantaray Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Well at last after 18 month outside, the A is finaly back in the garage.[] I started working on the front this weekend, the nose cone needed moving, as the bonnet gap was always out due to the fitting on a new inner wing 10 years ago. After a bit of giging about I now have perfect gaps all the round the bonnet.[][] Next was to takle the n/s head light houseing and front lower grill area. New section Old section Primed up. I also managed to clean down the inner wings, rust treat and prime. Inside the wings looks good just needs a good clean.[] During the week and next weekend I hope to get the engine bay finnished and the front wheel wells cleaned and protected, then I will be able to rebiuld the front end ready for preping.Then it's onto the sills and doors. Not too much here just a bad bit on the o/s door shut. ......................... Before Now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted March 2, 2008 Author Share Posted March 2, 2008 Well managed to get back in the garage again this weekend. Finished stripping out the wiring and peddles. Manta A / V6 wiring loom. And then set too striping all the sound deadening ect. Found a bit of rot in drivers side rear foot well. And the roof needs a good clean down. I also cleaned down the nose cone and screen area to metel as there was some blistering in the paint. Rust treated the wings. All in all not a bad weekends work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endakillian Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 A great weekends work Chris! I am folowing this thread with mucho interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 You got a lot more done than me this weekend Chris, nice going M8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 Not alot done this weekend. Continued with the cleaning down of the inside and moved into the boot area today, but I have to help a friend change the engine in his Sherpa van tomorrow so I don't expect to get any thing done on the car tomorrow. I did pick up my new modifyed disc bells yesterday, so I can start putting the new brakes together now and I should be getting my roll over cradle back this week ( lent it to a fellow member) so once I have it on that I can start to sort out the welding and get the under side cleaned down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted April 12, 2008 Author Share Posted April 12, 2008 Well it took longer than the week to get my roll over cradle back, but it didnt matter as I have not had time to work on the car untill this week end. I had planed to have a good 3 days on the car, but on cheaking my emails when I got in from work, this was not to be. Anyway, finaly got in the garage this afternoon. Frist of was to modify the roll over cradle, so it could be attached to the car and not the rear axle. This done, I was then able to remove the axle and roll the car over to get a good look at the under side. Unfortuneatly I found more than I had hope for, or expected from the quick look over I had given it a few months ago. The sills were holed and the OS chasse rails has a crack and hole in it. So it's going to be a biger job than first throught. First job was to remove the outer sill to see how bad it was inside... not good. After cuting out the worst of it, I cleaned it down and then left it covered in rust converter for the night. Lets see how tomorrow goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 Well had another look at it to day and decided to remove a large section of the floor, just as well as you can see from the pics. Having seen the state of the rails I am now planing to remove it and replace with box section as it is very thin in places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmanta Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 That floor and sill removal is pretty much what i did on my A, not quite as bad as yours because i left the inner sill in place and stripped the floor away from it but nearly. Funny how the drivers side is always worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Glad you braced the car Chris, better to get rid of anything bad and replace it with solid metal, at this rate you will be taking out shares in british steel and british Gas, cracking work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted August 13, 2010 Author Share Posted August 13, 2010 Up Date. The A is back in the garage, got a little free time at the moment and more to the point an empty garage, so I got the A back in today. Have just ordered a pair of chassie legs from Germany and have started to prepaire the old chassie ready to fit the new ones when they arrive. Hopefully I will manage to get a bit done this time, before the garage is needed for paying work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upk Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 awesome! brings back memories!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 looks familiar lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon p Posted August 14, 2010 Share Posted August 14, 2010 well done Chris, we'll take billing by storm next year 2011 should be the year of the A Series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark morris Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Strange, i was watching a program about drag bikes earlier, filmed in santa pod, spotted the manta in the backround lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1393 Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Best of luck with your re-build Chris. My advice for what its worth would be to take your time, don't set any deadlines, accept only the vision you have for the finished car no matter how long it takes to get there. If I can help with anything let me know. Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted August 15, 2010 Share Posted August 15, 2010 Best of luck with your re-build Chris. My advice for what its worth would be to take your time, don't set any deadlines, accept only the vision you have for the finished car no matter how long it takes to get there. If I can help with anything let me know. Paul. i think that is some of the soundest advice ive heard for some time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted August 20, 2010 Author Share Posted August 20, 2010 Well a bit of an update. Started to stip the under seal off from under the car, and it's a night mare. When I did the car some 13year ago, I painted the whole underside with a poduct called "Rubber coat". You paint it on with a brush but when it dries it forms into rubber . In most of the floor pan it has worked really well but in some areas it had got "ripped" and started to lift and it is a real bugger to get off. I have deceied that I want to get the whole shell midia blasted, so I am looking at prices but so far the best I've come up with is around £350 to blast and zink prime it. I have tried to use one of the DIY sand blast kits, but although it does work it would take months to do the whole car. The area in the second pic took about 4 hours to do. I also received a new pair of outer chassie legs from Germany this week, they are for a Manta Coupe, but will not need much fettleing to get them to fit the A. Front sub frame has been temp. mounted so that I can use it as a datum to trile fit the new swan neck. So all in all some work has been done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 Got a bit more done over the last few days. Drivers side chassis leg is now compleat and at last I have some strengh back in the shell. Spot welds drilled out to remove section of floor to tunnel. New floor section fabricated. New section welded in and given a coat of weld through primer to protect it once the new rail is in place. New inner rail welded in place. New swan neck welded in place and trial fit of rear extending rail. New section of rear cross beam fitted. That the drivers side sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 (edited) Today I decided to have a look at the bottom of the A post. As most will know this area is prone to rot, it was not too bad but the metel was quite thin after cleaning it up, so I decided to try and make up a new section. Old section I wish to make. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. I decided to make it up out of 3 pieces of sheet steel welded together. 1st piece after shaping. Test fit. Second peice. Welded together. After a bit more work and fettering this is what I ended up with. Not to bad. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Fitted in place to see what it looks like. I will fettle it in more as I weld it in place, but I'm very happy with the result. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Edited October 6, 2015 by mantaray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 exactly how i made mine, well the second one anyway, first was a little more boxy or 'robust' should i say lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted November 21, 2010 Author Share Posted November 21, 2010 Had a few hours spair today, so did a bit more underseal removal at the back end. I hope that it will be good enough for the media blaster, as it has been a pig to get off. Hope to get it up to the media blasters before Xmas, but still need to finish cleaning the underside and get the front floor in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 It's been a while, but I throught I should update this a little. I have not manage to get the car to media blasting as yet, mainly due to money. When you work for yourself and not alot of work is about some things have to take a back seat. I started to make up a new panel for the drivers floor, but as I wish the car to look as original as possible, I was not happy with what I could acheive. After a lot off time and concideration, I deceided that the only way to do it correctly was to find the money and buy replacement floor pans from Germany. No problem finding the panels, Leidinger Tuning have them listed on thier Ebay site, but at close to £400 for the compleat set that was the media blasting money gone. Well after having a realy good day on Sunday at the VBOA spairs day, I took the plunge and ordered the new floor sections on Friday night. After having contacted Leidinger Tuning to enquire about postage, the total bill came to just over £360. Now heres the good bit, when you think that they probably didn't get my order till Monday morning, how suprised was I when a big box turned up today. And this is what was inside......... The pressing are not too bad, front ones are good but the back ones will need a little fettaling to make them look right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 Having now got my new floor panels I have spent today working on the car and trail fitted the drivers side floor pan. My attempt at a floor pan. Front floor pan removed Rear floor pan Rear floor pan removed New floor pan trail fitted. From the inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I have to say I think it looks good but I'm not sure those floor panels are £360 worth better than your go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2908642343 Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Looking good Chris......... John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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