All Of My Mantas

[redroze]

It's been 4 years since my last update.

For those who doesn't have patience to read my life story. This is a link to my new gallery.

It all started in 2002 when I turned 17 and got my driving lisence. Finally I can buy myself a car. Because I am a "petrolhead" and I don't have much money I started looking for a classic. I saw MK1 Cortina with gearshift in the wheel, Saab 95 with 7 seats and even a Susita (Israeli made car). The search ended when I first saw the Manta.

The first time I saw a Manta was when I met my friend Dror. I came to see his 1939 Moris 10 restoration but he had some other car in his back yard. I noticed a cool shape car cover in his back yard and I asked him about it. He told me he got this car 3 years ago from a guy who left the country and now he can't restore it because it's listed on the old owner and there's no way to find him. When he took off the carcover I fell in love:

My link

For months I tried to convince Dror to sell me this car but he kept on refusing because he want to keep it for his daughter if he will sort out the papers issue.

About 6 months later Dror is calling me to tell me he found me a manta. The previous owner was his mechanic and 5 years ago he sold it to a teenager who just got his driving lisence and bought it just because he really likes how the car looks. The guy drove it for a year, had some accidents, and then parked it for 4 years in his mom's back yard. I told Dror I don't care what the car's condition I will buy it. so here it is, 1975 opel manta A 1200cc manual when I just got it:

My link

I replaced the old engine oil, new spark plugs, liitle bit of oil in every cylinder and the engine starts. Then I sent it to the car body repairman. And this is how I got it back from the paintjob:

My link

Dirty as hell, so I gave it a good wash for the first time:

My link

I ordered a brand new dashboard from Germany. I drove the car for couple of years until the engine died (worked on 2 cylinders). The rubber bearings dried when the car was standing and exhaust gas penetrated to the oil sump when the engine was working. I drove like this for 2 years! We had such good time:

http://img24.imageshack.us/g/normf5220821fb5f4933b42.jpg/

Right now I am replacing the engine, 1200cc engines are very hard to find here.

In 2004 Dror is calling again to tell me there's a guy who live nearby his house and he has 2 mantas and he's about to give it away for scrap. Of course I can't let it happen! So I bought them together, Brown manta and white manta (the white manta for parts only, no papers, the brown manta missing everything under the hood). The plan was to put a V8 in the brown manta, a long term project:

My link

We took everything we could save from the white manta and the rest went for scrap. We did it because we were short on garage space.

In 2005 a strange man called me, he told me his wife has a 1983 Manta B (1.8GT automatic) who is standing for over a year. She inherited the car from her father couple of years back. He bought it special order from Germany. He gave me the car only if I give him my word I will get it back on the road.

The car was in great shape (until now I only bought project cars), 107K KM, 1 owner, rust free and burnt paint because it came from a desert area. I drove it for a while, I had a lot of troubles with the Varijet carburator but then the head gasket staerted to wear in the 4th cylinder area, oil were coming in and the engine was wroking on 3 cylinders. I took the engine off, had full rebuild, sure I didn't miss the change and convert it to 5 speed manual gearbox.

this is how I got it (sadly but I don't have other pictures of this manta):

My link

In 2009 I bought the blue manta from Dror when he lost hope to sort the car's papers (I took it as parts car because of it's papers issue).

Things didn't go as I planned, I didn't see myself starting to work on the V8 project. Less then a year later (2010) I sold both blue and brown mantas to a friend who already had a B series.

After I began restoring my 1200cc manta someone told me that not far away from my house there's a white manta, So I started looking. About a year later (2004) when I made a shortcut on the way home and I accidently found it.

When I came near the car the owner shouted "Don't go near this car! what do you want?" I told him I have the same car so I went up his house and we have a nice talk. he had this car for 18 years, he drove it everywhere etc'. You probebly imagine what was my last question, "Are you willing to sale?". His no was very convincing.

I kept on watching this car, every few months I was doing the same shortcut on the way home to check up on this car.

Couple of years later I noticed he doesn't move the car much so I phoned him and he told me he might sell it. So I ended up with a 1971 opel manta 1600cc manual:

My link

The paintjob was poor, the stickers cover the rust. And this is how it looks like after a good paintjob (I call it deep purple):

My link

You are not mistaken, the previous owner put higher rear springs because when he was traveling offroad his differential got hit

Next step will be to swap the engine for a XE or LET.

WOW! I wrote too much, I really appreciate who lasted suntil here.

cheers,

Elad.

[pat]

[Rab]

Hello to you from Bonny Scotland.

cheers rab.

[mantaray]

Hi and welcome, love the color of the purple car.