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Manta B C20Xe Conversion - What Exhaust Manifold


GMC
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With my project in the final lap, I need to thik about buying an exhaust manifold.

I know of 2 available........

SBD - Meant to be first class, but overly expensive for a road car that'll be on the road over the summer months only (£500 +)

Ashley - Don't know much about them......heard of a few quality (fitting) issues but a more resonable price (£240)

Or can the existing be adapted, ie, turn/adapt the outlet pipe at the bottom to face backwards? (I don't have one to see if it physically fits between the head & the inner wing)

Is there anything else available or any comments on the above?

What about at the bottom of the downpipe and connecting onto the rest of the system.................some 'cutting & shutting' required presumably?

Cheers guys

Edited by GMC
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Mines also an Ashley, fitted no problem.

I modified the original front wheel drive manifold on my old Manta when I fitted the xe. I cut up 2 manifolds to get enough bends for it to fit and look right. Certainly the cheaper option...

Cheers

Peter.

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GMC,

I bought one of those " Equal length Primary " Manifolds from SBD a few years ago for my Manta. It cost me £480 and there's no way it would fit the Manta. I think they have now amended the information on SBD's website to say that it won't fit the Manta without considerable modification to the car's shell and suspension. I think they still do a nice manifold that's the same shape an an Ashley and these fit ok. I'm sure I've written about this before on here somewhere and Retropower said that they had fitted these Manifolds before. SBD's manifolds are made by a company called BTB and are top quality, it's just a shame that the full race one won't fit a Manta. When I sent this manifold back, three days later, I had to pay a 20% handling charge on the manifold's price plus return carriage and this ended up costing me just over £100 to have rented a manifold for three days that wouldn't fit. My other car has an Ashley manifold for an Escort with the Red top in and needed slitting and rewelding at the two into one section as it was catching on the gearbox crossmember. These Escort Manifolds are about £160 from Rally and Competition Equipment in Stoke on Trent and come with a choice of 2 and a Quarter " pipe or 2 and a Half " pipe. .Luke.

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We make one in proper stainless, 316L throughout. It fits perfectly and doesn't rot away. We charge £450. They are all hand made (by me), TIG welded throughout, tubular merge collectors not pressed junk.

An otherwise completely standard XE, running standard fuel injection, inlet manifold etc etc, fitted into a kadett c that we converted last year has proven 166hp on dyno so results proven unlike others!!

The ashley one, not wishing to be rude, is junk (you get what you pay for to some extent!)

The SBD/BTB one that actually fits (and I don't think BTB actually make it for them any more, its not listed by anybody anymore) works well, but would expect stainless at the price!

The manta/ascona version:

2011_05200016.jpg

And the Kadett version, which is more compact, but with same pipe diameters:

2010_07060007.jpg

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We make one in proper stainless, 316L throughout. It fits perfectly and doesn't rot away. We charge £450. They are all hand made (by me), TIG welded throughout, tubular merge collectors not pressed junk.

An otherwise completely standard XE, running standard fuel injection, inlet manifold etc etc, fitted into a kadett c that we converted last year has proven 166hp on dyno so results proven unlike others!!

The ashley one, not wishing to be rude, is junk (you get what you pay for to some extent!)

The SBD/BTB one that actually fits (and I don't think BTB actually make it for them any more, its not listed by anybody anymore) works well, but would expect stainless at the price!

The manta/ascona version:

2011_05200016.jpg

And the Kadett version, which is more compact, but with same pipe diameters:

2010_07060007.jpg

Looks like a bargain to me, and 15 hp gain on a standard engine sounds good too. I reckon you'll sell loads of these....... Luke.

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I got one of Retropowers exhaust manifolds for my XE conversion.

I haven't opened the packaging yet as I haven't fitted the engine yet.

Just looking at the pictures (above) and there other work they carried out I am 100% satisfied it's top notch :thumbup

Just need to think about the rest of the exhaust......Thinking of a Peco SS from deamon tweeks. I used to have a Peco HDR on my old SRB I loved the sound and power increase. B)

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can do a 2.5" stainless system, including top quality simons stainless boxes, for £300 fitted, as long as our suppliers haven't put prices up!

Would need the car though, its sooooo tight near rear axle that we really need to do it on the car

PS here's the dyno proof lol:

184162_214397308610558_153713944678895_657989_7158648_n.jpg

267235_214397391943883_153713944678895_657990_7733884_n.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...

i have a sneaky 'CHEAP' option for a nice fully stainless manifold, currently undergoing into my xe ;) it involves a Mazda Mx5 1.8 Stainless manifold and some cutting of the original xe manifold then milling it flat, tig into place check fitment and bobs your uncal, i got a 'New' stainless manifold from ebay for under £100 and own my own machine shop so thats not an issue, the fit is like factory ;) all the ports are exactly the same, and if your handy with a welder or know someone who is this will look the dogs... my orignal manifold was the the xe modded very poorly/plated and cracked on the snot welds causing quite annoyace, soo il get some pics up soon see what you guys think but im all for one off customs ;)

so for this mod has cost me about 100quid and a few hours in the machine shop :)

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  • 2 months later...

I want a retropower one, hope they will ship it to me in New Zealand...

looking at the pics they are a work of art.

would not be happy spending the time and money to end up with a shonky set of headers, the above looks outstanding

Edited by opelmantagsi
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