MickB Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 (edited) Project Manta A pics. Posted this in the welcome area and I am now starting my project. Although not 100% sure where to start? I think the chassis and floors may need more work than first anticipated so in the next couple of weeks it will be on axle stands and totally inspected. Needs a fair amount of welding work and I would like to restore it to as original as possible with a respray to red. Bumpers have been changed, front seats changed, paint job not original but all with time as I am not rushing it. It has no MOT and has been off the road for 2 years but on the whole is in good condition. All the sills need doing and the front chassis is in need of dire attention as it is dropping off, and the front panels may need replacing. The interior is in good condition just missing centre stereo console, floor pans seem OK, boot is solid and so is the engine compartment. Seems mechanically sound although I am no expert. I have hopefully added the correct link to the photos, just can't get them to show in this messages as images. I will be back and so any tips or advice etc. would be greatly welcomed and appreciated. Mick Edited November 16, 2009 by MickB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Personally i would start with what you think you can do yourself first,especially if you are not over competent at welding,the more you do and the more you are happy with the more harder things you will tackle.Many an hour i have looked at things and scratched my arse.The way i look at things if you have a go and bugger it up you can always chop it out and have a go again.Good luck.al. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted September 2, 2009 Author Share Posted September 2, 2009 Personally i would start with what you think you can do yourself first,especially if you are not over competent at welding,the more you do and the more you are happy with the more harder things you will tackle.Many an hour i have looked at things and scratched my arse.The way i look at things if you have a go and bugger it up you can always chop it out and have a go again.Good luck.al. Thanks for the advice. Regards Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shug Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 You could have a look at my A series thread. (still ongoing) http://forums.mantaclub.org/topic/8040-shugs-increasingly-solid-manta-a-project/ Or if you want a considerably more competent viewpoint, robbies A: http://forums.mantaclub.org/topic/6601-broadspeed-rep/ (Not sure why the start of each thread has disappeared.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted September 3, 2009 Author Share Posted September 3, 2009 You could have a look at my A series thread. (still ongoing) http://forums.mantac...anta-a-project/ Or if you want a considerably more competent viewpoint, robbies A: http://forums.mantac...broadspeed-rep/ (Not sure why the start of each thread has disappeared.) Hi, Would love to see the photos of your car when you first started it as everyone seemed to think it was a near impossible job. Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shug Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi, Would love to see the photos of your car when you first started it as everyone seemed to think it was a near impossible job. Mick All the pics are in the Manta folders http://www.mackay.eclipse.co.uk/Manta/ http://www.mackay.eclipse.co.uk/Manta2/ just change the 2 to a 3, 4, 5 etc..... Fortunately yours looks considerably more solid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted September 4, 2009 Author Share Posted September 4, 2009 All the pics are in the Manta folders http://www.mackay.eclipse.co.uk/Manta/ http://www.mackay.ec...e.co.uk/Manta2/ just change the 2 to a 3, 4, 5 etc..... Fortunately yours looks considerably more solid! Wow...that's what you call a project! I feel considerably better about mine now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Project Manta A pics. Posted this in the welcome area and I am now starting my project. Although not 100% sure where to start? I think the chassis and floors may need more work than first anticipated so in the next couple of weeks it will be on axle stands and totally inspected. Needs a fair amount of welding work and I would like to restore it to as original as possible with a respray to red. Bumpers have been changed, front seats changed, paint job not original but all with time as I am not rushing it. It has no MOT and has been off the road for 2 years but on the whole is in good condition. All the sills need doing and the front chassis is in need of dire attention as it is dropping off, and the front panels may need replacing. The interior is in good condition just missing centre stereo console, floor pans seem OK, boot is solid and so is the engine compartment. Seems mechanically sound although I am no expert. I have hopefully added the correct link to the photos, just can't get them to show in this messages as images. I will be back and so any tips or advice etc. would be greatly welcomed and appreciated. Mick What a day. Car went in for MOT. Expected the failure but pleasantly surprised as the list was short. Nearside & offside seat belt anchorrages corroded, Nrside & offside rear subframe mounting & both front subframes excessively corroded and that was it. Quite a bit of welding needeand may have to get the bits from Dr Manta as the welder reckons its cheaper than him making the parts. Chatting to the garage owner and he happens to mention he has seen...wait for it 3 Mantas sitting outside a house about 0.5 miles away. Off I go and sure enough two srtanding out and one under car cover. One is a Coupe same make and model and year as mine. Knock on a door to find out whose they were, directed next door and told to ring the bell marked BLANKLEY. After a while a gentleman hangs out of an upstairs window. I explain I'm restoring my Manta and I may be interested in a couple of parts from his if he was interested in selling them. After a while he agrees to come down and admits he was thinking of scraping them as well as another he has in a garage. Turns out he restored them in his younger days and in chatting to him it seemed there wasn't anything he or his wife hadn't done with Manta's over the years. His name is William Blankley and he thought some people may remember him from here as he used to write for the owners club magazine. Anyway he wouldn't commit to selling anything there and then but after over an hours chatting he said he would come round to inspect my Manta and maybe give a bit of advice. Nice guy and very knowledgeable about the cars. Will let you know, if interested, what he has to say. Cheers Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1393 Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I used to look forward to reading William's articals they were humourus as well as informitive. I think they were on this site a while ago. Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 I remember a pic of the street outside his house. NINE A Series in a row! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 I remember a pic of the street outside his house. NINE A Series in a row! He still has 5! Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 (edited) Compared to what others do to their cars on here this is small beer but I'm really chuffed. You may remember my yellow Manta had had the bumpers sprayed black. Well last night I took a tin of Nitromors to the rear one and gently dabbed it on and voila! Black paint bubbled up and melted off to leave me with the slightly tarnished, but very shiny, original finish bumper underneath! So took off the bumper and worked on the entire length in the garage and got it all off. Wife was a bit miffed that the bumper spent the night in the bedroom as I did not want to leave it in the garage due to its value! Hoping that tonight with a bit of silvo or the likes I can get the full polished look back. Unfortunately one of the number plate light housings are missing and the front bumper overiders are black rubber. Can cope with the rear ones being rubber but will have to source front chrome ones. Mick Edited October 6, 2009 by MickB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Compared to what others do to their cars on here this is small beer but I'm really chuffed. You may remember my yellow Manta had had the bumpers sprayed black. Well last night I took a tin of Nitromors to the rear one and gently dabbed it on and voila! Black paint bubbled up and melted off to leave me with the slightly tarnished, but very shiny, original finish bumper underneath! So took off the bumper and worked on the entire length in the garage and got it all off. Wife was a bit miffed that the bumper spent the night in the bedroom as I did not want to leave it in the garage due to its value! Hoping that tonight with a bit of silvo or the likes I can get the full polished look back. Unfortunately one of the number plate light housings are missing and the front bumper overiders are black rubber. Can cope with the rear ones being rubber but will have to source front chrome ones. Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Well, after tinkering around cleaning up the bumpers, getting the Manta badge for the boot, sitting inside it and dreaming of driving it to work (I must get out more!), putting a nice black stripe down the side and various other cosmetic bits, I finally had the welding issue looked at. At last my mate had the time tonight to put the Manta up on his ramps in his garage and got his welder guy in to assess what was required to get it through the MOT. With a few sharp intakes of breath and the usual tutts and shakes of the head it looks like I'm looking in the region of £1000 worth of welding required! Cue a few sharp intakes of breath and shakes of the head from me now. I had been warned it may be that much but in my naievity I had been holding on to the hope it would only be about £500. Not sure where to go now as that sort of money is not lying around and I was not one of the BT syndicate either. So it looks like the car may have to be garaged for the next 6-12 months whilst I try and save a bit of dosh, but with three teenage daughters still at home that is not likely. So the dream of getting the car on the road in the next few weeks has taken a horrilble turn for the worse. I am not a welder at all and this was the only bit that i was going to need the help on. Oh well, ce la vie...anyone fancy a welding party in Hastings???!!! Where's that bottle of red stuff! Mick B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickB Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 Well, after tinkering around cleaning up the bumpers, getting the Manta badge for the boot, sitting inside it and dreaming of driving it to work (I must get out more!), putting a nice black stripe down the side and various other cosmetic bits, I finally had the welding issue looked at. At last my mate had the time tonight to put the Manta up on his ramps in his garage and got his welder guy in to assess what was required to get it through the MOT. With a few sharp intakes of breath and the usual tutts and shakes of the head it looks like I'm looking in the region of £1000 worth of welding required! Cue a few sharp intakes of breath and shakes of the head from me now. I had been warned it may be that much but in my naievity I had been holding on to the hope it would only be about £500. Not sure where to go now as that sort of money is not lying around and I was not one of the BT syndicate either. So it looks like the car may have to be garaged for the next 6-12 months whilst I try and save a bit of dosh, but with three teenage daughters still at home that is not likely. So the dream of getting the car on the road in the next few weeks has taken a horrilble turn for the worse. I am not a welder at all and this was the only bit that i was going to need the help on. Oh well, ce la vie...anyone fancy a welding party in Hastings???!!! Where's that bottle of red stuff! Mick B Very pleased to say that after the disappointment of getting the welding costs the project is back on. A mate of mine came round on Saturday who does welding on cars to get them through MOT's and he says he will do mine for me if I get the materials and do all the stripping down work etc. He has all the welding gear as well. So with socket set in hand I have to start by taking off front doors, front bumper, front wing, seats and carpet and then stripping back the rusted bits on the chassis etc so he can get the welds. I will then make up the floor pan etc required and he will do the welding. So, hopefully this can all start in the next few weeks as the car is now gargaged and can be worked on in the evenings as well. Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midasmesh Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Good to see things are back on track. Hope you get it sorted soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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