Retro Power Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I did find out about the big wing sump and XE/LET engine. I put up a post on here looking for a big wing sump, and that led to me buying a full rwd setup off Kev! His 20LET, and everything I needed! Had the engine in within 2 days! I have been looking through your website and build logs to see what you have done, and how, has been very helpful :-) Cool that's great news!! Any probs give us a shout! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Power Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Ps I'm only winding you up Kev Looks like good progress! hopefully see you soon mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 The cossie yb in a Manta engine bay is a tight squeeze at the back alright.... Though they do fit ok thankfully with out having to do any butchering with the angle grinder which is a bonus...... Nice work, keep it up.... So what box are you using? I dumped the T5 as it was way too long and went for the 265 but as you can see I need to move the lever about 2.5" forward to keep the manta tunnel and interior stock. Ill be chopping the sump and moving the engine forward so I don't lose the integrity of the crossmember Lever is going to be changed somehow. I have a 265 from a Jag with a shorter gear lever extention but it has no speedo drive even though according to the 265 blueprints the drive gear is in all the boxes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Power Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 can confirm that the jag xj40 getrags deffo don't have speedo drives, I have one on the shelf from when we broke one for parts, and there's a tone ring in the diff for the speedo. Bear in mind, (though I can understand if you don't want to mod the tunnel) that the manta stick is too far forward as standard. On the nissan conversions that we've done the stick moves 5 inches back, and we've tried it with a seat etc for position and its pretty much perfect. 3 inches back would be about perfect I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 Ps I'm only winding you up Kev Looks like good progress! hopefully see you soon mate! Hehe yea it's taken a long time but as they say " Rome wasn't built in a day" It will be coming down to you boys to blast it, prime it and do the axle conversion as soon as I have the final position of the engine and box and have nailed on the new 3/4 Just need to hide the 3k from the Wife ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Power Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 PS, won't solve your gearlever issue, but we've now done the first (prototype) conversion to BMW E46 M3 6 speed box onto turbo Vauxhall. Tuney's kadett turbo blew its last omega box a couple of months ago and is now up and running with the 6 speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted November 1, 2012 Author Share Posted November 1, 2012 can confirm that the jag xj40 getrags deffo don't have speedo drives, I have one on the shelf from when we broke one for parts, and there's a tone ring in the diff for the speedo. Bear in mind, (though I can understand if you don't want to mod the tunnel) that the manta stick is too far forward as standard. On the nissan conversions that we've done the stick moves 5 inches back, and we've tried it with a seat etc for position and its pretty much perfect. 3 inches back would be about perfect I'd say. Hmmmmm yes I know what you mean about the manta stuck being too far forward. I really don't want to change the look of the interior but the lever is in a better place being a few inch further back. The problem I had with the T5 was it was so far back I had to lose the original handbrake lever. Now if I can move the tunnel top back slightly and keep the original centre console ill be a happy bunny. Funny how a slight change in position can throw up so many other changes. Butterfly wings and quantum mechanics springs to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retro Power Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 LOL! Yep we've had to move the handbrake on the nissan power cars, that was the biggest annoyance! Not a big issue on those cars where everything was being changed, but a big problem if trying to keep some stock interior! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny D114BCW Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 This the thread of new beginnings and a new chapter in opels with all these new mods. GREAT STUFF!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 (edited) Slight progress made over the past couple of weeks Went over to Mickappys to see his fantastic 400 LET and he had an electric hoist....I want one now.....so ebay and 3 days later and a few hours making a bracket and it will be easy to take the engine and box in and out the 50 times to move it forward 2" Retro power put me onto the hubs they used for Curts Ascona and i was on them in a shot Got these from ebay and they are 4HA hubs with a 5x120 PCD Now i've already got a pair of 4HA 5x120 hubs but i like these too Problem is the studs are too small, so i smacked ten bells of s##t out of them, no movement Turns out they are screwed in! New studs meant i had to open the holes up and machine a flat face for the stud to sit in new studs drawn in done, new studs vs standard hub With that done it's time to look at the front end:wacko: To put back in all the parts i had taken out to suit the volvo intercooler and rad would take ages and probably not look as good as i want it to. So I cut the front end off:thumbup Hunt the spot welds Front end off No I'm not going to Mancona it!! Replacement front end that was fitted to a car brand new two years before i cut it off ( it's off the mancona hatch) Bit of Dolly and hammer work The large flat dolly was a cheap find, it's a lump of machined steel fitted into the inside of a volvo v70 ( 1998) car under the center console! Front end cleaned up and clamped on Lower valance spot welds found and removed, no need for one on a 400 Inside engine bay now ready for the radtech radiator and rs500 intercooler in the nose after removing the nose brace Next is to check the mounting faces and replace any metal i damaged when i removed it from the mancona hatch, then i will cleco it into place and carefully remove metal to allow space for the intercooler pipes. Then it's going to be soda blasted once i have remove any rust traps Oh yea and i treated myself to a new 42" plasma for the garage, just got to make the bloody mount for that! Edited January 6, 2013 by Kevin Abbott 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opelmantagsi Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 great update Kev, keep them regular mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opelscott22 Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 Looking good! I fear progress might slow a bit if your going to be watching telly in the garage.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 More work done on the front panel as I have removed the square headlight mounting panel and hunted more spot welds ( it should be an Olympic sport) repairs to the front chassis mounting panel Engine and box had to come out as I had to put the car in next doors garage while I replaced the turbo on my 525D Ah ha, new hoist and no front panel meant it was out in 30 seconds Time to attack that bloody gearlever position, measure, beer, measure, beer, measire, berr, mearsed,bear \nd this happened took off the gearlever remote, unbolted it all, removed the black spacer, positioned it forward, drilled and tapped new holes, cut down selector, modified linkage, bolted it all up -2.5" woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo yea it's easy the hard bit was getting the roll pins in and also putting it together back to front before doing it all again It came together in the end and now should fit in the centre of the hole in the manta tunnel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opelmantagsi Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 ^^ nice engineering there Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) Managed to get a day in the garage and I had forgotten what fun welding kit kat wrappers together was. No wonder Mantas rot, they are made from tin foil. Finished the repairs to the front panel front end ready to be spot welded back on when I get the original wings and bonnet back on for alignment some repairs and re welding to the front chassis area while there is no front panel to allow better room for the intercooler and light bar Yep, it took all day just to do those small bits Edited September 8, 2013 by Kevin Abbott 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 I can't edit my title on the first page as it does not show an ' edit ' button. Can any mods help? Want to change it to Manta 400 R Cosworth, Update Sept 2013 Ta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opelmantagsi Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) I think there has been a change in the way the Forum works, we used to be able to go back and edit any of our postings, now it seems to be more limited Seems a bit weird that we cannot go back and edit our own posts, I don't know of any other forum that works like this. So if you post something up here and want to change it, it seems there is a time when we cant and the only way you can manage the pictures is to break or scramble the link to photo bucket. So I have given up putting anything up on here, we have no real control of our own thread, its just too hard to manage a thread well here. Edited September 8, 2013 by opelmantagsi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted September 9, 2013 Author Share Posted September 9, 2013 I agree Derek, this site is very difficult to work.. I nearly gave up before as it's hard enough getting the time to do the work on the cars. I don't need the stress checking out my post and it seems I DO NOT have control over it. It's my thread,I am a paid up member, why can't I control it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opelmantagsi Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 cant help you there, all I can say is anyone should be able to edit their own posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon p Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 ..... this site is very difficult to work.. I nearly gave up before as it's hard enough getting the time to do the work on the cars. I don't need the stress checking out my post and it seems I DO NOT have control over it. It's my thread,I am a paid up member, why can't I control it? I'll look into it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 Cheers Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylorblue5 Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 It is annoyin how much hassle It is loading pics etc. The car is certainly coming along Kev, I find that theres nohing more satisfying than gettin things welded back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggressor Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 good fab work there. i had to do this to my front panel two.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
611 Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Hey Kev You would be better off setting up a blog. lots of free ones out the. Then you could use that to easily upload all your stuff and keep track of all your mods and build and then just have a small thread on here with links to your blog. Especially if its a long project! It might seem like doing things twice but every thing is kept organised for you. Set one up for mine as i knew the build would take me a while! http://www.theopelproject.com Your car looks good :-) Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted September 14, 2013 Author Share Posted September 14, 2013 Thanks for the replys fellas :-) A little more done Got a bit more enthusiasm up and running by mocking up the super oscars on the light bar I've had for many years Oh I do like a full set of classic cibie super oscars. It's 1980 all over baby!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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