Manta Coupe. Cosworth Engine. Eps, 265, Hartges.

gunnar · June 10, 2019

Hi Kevin. You made an instruction how to install esp from Carsa B into a Manta. I plan to do the same to my Ascona B. There was some images deleted so I cant understand the complete picture of the installation. Is it possible that you have the complete installation instruction for me? 🙂

Danny D114BCW · June 10, 2019

2 hours ago, gunnar said:

Hi Kevin. You made an instruction how to install esp from Carsa B into a Manta. I plan to do the same to my Ascona B. There was some images deleted so I cant understand the complete picture of the installation. Is it possible that you have the complete installation instruction for me? 🙂

Join the club and there are threads in the members section with the relevant information 👍🏼

Kevin Abbott · July 1, 2019

It’s about time i got the bloody 4ha built for this

Danny D114BCW · July 1, 2019

you don't want to rush this build Kev, you have only been doing it for 20 years so far. Just think all the ideas you had in 1999 are now well old! i bet even the radio is 'retro' now but on the plus side I have heard tapes are making a come back (no idea why)

ANDY ABBOTT · March 1, 2021

Watch this space 😉

Danny D114BCW · March 1, 2021

I have been for 19 years 😂

ANDY ABBOTT · March 6, 2021

In its new home awaiting to come out of its 20 year coma and finally get finished 🙂

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Jessopia74 · March 6, 2021

😎

Kevin Abbott · April 5, 2021

I forgot to update this with the work I have done on the axle.
4HA axle had the original mounts cut off it and I made a new set using some laser cut steel supplied by Andy Rutts. Bottom bush is the original carlton one that’s going to be changed for poly flex.
Top and bottom arms made to the same length as curts Ascona with measurements supplied by Nat at RP.
Bottom pans are commodore and have rose joints at the end. Upper ones are cut down scimitar ones with rose joints at the axle end.
Axle positioned under the car and levelled with the car. Side to side and up and down levels were set with plumb bobs, levels and angle levels and rack of the eye. The top and bottom arms were set to make the top one slightly pointing toward a fictional centre point forward where the two axis would intercept around the engine. The pinion angle is around 3 degrees up at ride height. But with the rose joints on opposite ends of the axle this can be adjusted.
Finding the centre of the car inside was quite difficult as we found the sides were not identical. The centre was found and a laser used to set the cut guide. Slots cut out and group 4 boxes set into place, ish.
I wanted to retain a standard looking interior with a back seat as I don’t like the look of no back seat and I’ve a blitz interior to go into this. So the box top height was set so a seat just fits ( foam removed to allow boxes to fit )
Car turned over and there’s a lot of box to trim off. I possibly could of made the boxes myself as most of the box has been cut away.
Next is to remove some brackets from and old axle to put the billys on. Then look at the pan hard rod or using the watts linkage.
then it’s all off again and sent to the axle builder to pit in the jag lsd and cwp of choice as I have a few ratios to choose from.

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Jessopia74 · April 5, 2021

Excellent write up Kevin 👍

Kevin Abbott · January 5, 2022

Sorry for the delay in updating.
over the last year we have done the following.
braced the axle boxes. Put an original tunnel back in after I had many years ago removed one that wa a perfect and replaced it with a Sierra one. Replacing it took more time than we thought as it was a lot of welding and dressing.
small Areas of rot were cut out and replaced.
The front panel was previously on the Mancona when I bought it as a 1800 hatch. The lady had spent £1500 on a new front end back in the day when they were available ( including fit and paint )

so

when I cut the front off it to

make a Mancona I kept it for the cossie.

The spare wheel well always annoys

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me hanging down and I needed a place to put the battery so a boot floor was found and chopped up to make a mirror image of the boot floor.
drain holes were welded up using 40mm diameter steel from eBay.
Under side stripped back to bare metal, treated in phosphoric acid, then built hamber hydrate 80, then knocked back again and hit with a mannor zinfos primer. This is really just to stop it flash rusting whist we continue to work on it and tub the arches etc.. for the 400 kit. Once we have done a complete dry build of the car and made sure everything fits and works, and no other brackets etc... are required it will then be torn down again, primer flatted back to get a key for a couple of coats of 2k primer, then a good couple of coats of raptor liner in body colour. Hopefully it should protect it well enough.

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More pics that I added above but we’re not added

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lewis p · January 5, 2022

Fair play guys cracking job.

®evo03 · January 5, 2022

19 years of reading back on this thread great effort, always thought this was the 4x4 cossie floor pan. Progress looking good.

Kevin Abbott · February 23, 2022

What's been going on?

Over the last couple of months we have been working on tubbing the arches for the kit and removing the cage to prep it for powercoat. the cage was removed and sent to the blasters that do the powder coat and I asked if it wasn't good enough after blasting please call me.

They said it had some areas they needed prepping, so I collected it and hit it with a 80 grit roloc, then a selection of different grits and finally a 320 on a DA

Cage then sent back to the place and done in silver, it's been sat in my sorrento for two weeks now as I can't lift it out on my own 😄

Cutting out for the kit was scary, front wings placed in and then skirts and finally rear arches. Arch position marked and the scary cutting wheel applied to the mint steel arches.

400 kit in place and templates for the tubs made in alminium

That modifed and transfered into steel and twisted to shape

400 flanges were not perfect so required the old manta 400.com trick of clingfilm onto panel and fiberglass filler to fill the gaps

Big head fasteners are fitted and holes drilled into the rear 1/4s to fit the arches

picture dump as i can't seem to do this properly anymore on a pc

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more ( maybe the same 😆) pics

Getting old and doing mantas for 30 years has screwed my knees

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Jessopia74 · February 23, 2022

Yeah, Feel your pain on the knees. Should have listened to the old boys years ago about kneeling on cold concrete too, but young and indestructible lol.

Good progress though and you can never post too many pics imo 😎

H-400 · February 23, 2022

I read the whole topic over again from page 1. Impressive, can motivate me to start again on my little truck.

About those knees: The military doc said to me "Herman the military service ruined your body" but sometimes I can surprise my 21 year old Son😁.

Kevin Abbott · April 3, 2022

More work on the rear arches. Honestly it’s been the hardest part of the build to date.
I wanted the rear arches to be removable. No idea why. But let’s crack on.
Setting the position of the rear arch was made by the front wing and side skirt that’s as straight as a dogs back leg.
Arch screwed in place using self drilling deck screws. the drivers side is a brand new rear 1/4. Currently worth a grand.
So let’s cut it up.
Previously I’ve added big head fasteners to the reverse flange. A complete arse as every single one needs cutting to shape and a slot made to place it.
Arch into place and I made a scribe tool to mark the slots / holes onto the car. The other side I did similar but didn’t open up the body holes enough and the kit was absolutely stuck. It was a complete bastard to remove!!!
The arch extension template from one side was transferred to the other.
Once the holes are drilled into the rear 1/4s ( bigger than I want but due to bolt orientation that’s what I have to live with

the big head fasteners are glassed into place.

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Today I have been looking at the split rims. I wanted to build some split rims Ronals. But now not sure it’s achievable.
so I’ve dug out all my OZ barrels to see if I can build some split rim 5x120 hartges.
I snapped 2 crappy Chinese laser sockets just buzzing the bolts off.
FFS. Chinese shite.

The rears I’m looking at should be 10”. I built these quick from the barrels and fronts I had at 11”. I should be able to build a proper set of 10” back and 8 or 9” fronts from want I have.

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Jessopia74 · April 4, 2022

Your a fair bit ahead on me with the wheel Kev, love the idea. Any chance you can show the overall diameter and the thickness of the disc ?

I was looking about too, and there is some conflicting info on what are the correct widths. Is it R=10” and F=8” for the road 400 kit?

Kevin Abbott · April 11, 2022

On 04/04/2022 at 11:01, Jessopia74 said:

Your a fair bit ahead on me with the wheel Kev, love the idea. Any chance you can show the overall diameter and the thickness of the disc ?

I was looking about too, and there is some conflicting info on what are the correct widths. Is it R=10” and F=8” for the road 400 kit?

Hi mate. I will get some measurements done this week. I tried in the 11" in the 400 arch and i think it's too wide. Big Cliff did ask what tyres I was going to use and I have no idea 😆

10 inch rear and 8 inch front was the correct factory ronal 5 stud

Kevin Abbott · May 9, 2022

So our NW pub meet was on Friday. Big Cliff brought over a 14” 5 stud ronal for me to try my 17” OZ split rim outer hoop onto.
you know what? It fitted a treat !
Saturday was more work on the 4HA axle. I have previously made the upper and lower arms. Half shafts needed fitting. Monza studs pressed into the temporary hubs ( i have proper 5x120 hubs from a mk2 jag that are heavily modified )

shafts in.
Car turned over.
Time to pop the axle into the car.
OH MY GOD!!! It’s mega heavy. 3 of us struggled to place it.
then we started to bolt it on.

hmmmmmm. It’s upside down 🤣

so we flip it ( Dan had gone home by then so it’s just me and Andy )

just about managed to get it over and springs into place.
Now we need to work out the angle of the dangle of the shocks and pan hard rod mount.
Andrew found a new pan hard rod mount kit so he’s ordered that.
Picture dump now 😀

Just now, Kevin Abbott said:

So our NW pub meet was on Friday. Big Cliff brought over a 14” 5 stud ronal for me to try my 17” OZ split rim outer hoop onto.
you know what? It fitted a treat !
Saturday was more work on the 4HA axle. I have previously made the upper and lower arms. Half shafts needed fitting. Monza studs pressed into the temporary hubs ( i have proper 5x120 hubs from a mk2 jag that are heavily modified )

shafts in.
Car turned over.
Time to pop the axle into the car.
OH MY GOD!!! It’s mega heavy. 3 of us struggled to place it.
then we started to bolt it on.

hmmmmmm. It’s upside down 🤣

so we flip it ( Dan had gone home by then so it’s just me and Andy )

just about managed to get it over and springs into place.
Now we need to work out the angle of the dangle of the shocks and pan hard rod mount.
Andrew found a new pan hard rod mount kit so he’s ordered that.
Picture dump now 😀

As usual. The website has issues. Maybe it’s me ? No pics will upload

Danny D114BCW · May 9, 2022

It isn’t you. Just tried myself and won’t upload pictures.

Kevin Abbott · May 11, 2022

Let’s try again 😀

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Couple more?

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Danny D114BCW · May 11, 2022

Looks okay.

I will miss using the rear arch’s as a bin😄

Kevin Abbott · September 18, 2022

Just come back to this topic to update. The last post was from my best mate Dan. God I miss him so much. He always took the piss and said it would never be done. Well Dan. It’s gonna be done. I’ll never get to take you out in it but I’ll always remember you saying it was too complicated 🤪

So. Let’s see the complicated work then.
The axle has been a bastard to do. Loads and loads of measurements. Bracket making. Now the brackets are done. The next bit is to send the axle to have the xjs v12 power lock installed into the 4HA.
the builder is simply performance. A jag axle specialist. They are taking parts of 3 axles I’m sending and when it comes back it will be a v12 jag power lock in a 4HA live axle. I have a few ratios to choose from 2.88 to 4.2 but I’m going for a 3.54.
The upper and lower arms are going for power coat this week.
moving onto the shell. Weld seams lightly covered in bikt Hamber seam sealer and a few litres of upol gravitex sprayed on to protect the underneath.
Gravitex seems to get a better review than raptor I was going to use.
picture dump now as I can’t seem to stager them.

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paulmanta · September 19, 2022

That's a serious amount of work on that axle and under the car, well done for pushing through with it. I had enough trouble with doing the Rover V8 axle/manta half shafts/tubes conversion.

Like the spare wheel well delete. smooth.

Very much liking the 5 spoke split rim side mission too.

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