lewis p Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Well a year or so ago I hear about a manta over in belgium that had been " stood for a while " and as my own project had stalled a bit I thought it wouldn't do any harm to find out a little more.Anyway after having to deal with it all through a friend who spoke to the daughter of the actuall owner of the car some picture were sent and I decided I was very intrested.It turns out its a 1979 1.3 non sunroof coupe.Due to finances /space/ work /my towing vehicle and having to almost completly rebuild my car trailer with a lot of help from mates I finaly managed to get over to belgium and fetch the car.by the time I had left for the ferry my old project shell had been sold and deliverd so I had pretty much comitted to buying the beligan manta whatever state it was in. So after a gale force 9 first ever crossing on a ferrry this is what was waiting for me ..... The guy who wasn't there so we delt with his daughter had left the car over his pit with jumpleads attached. To be fair I couldnt of hoped for any better from a car that has stood since 2001 I was able to drive it onto my trailer the bloke had even washed the car topped up the levels and fixed a fuel leak according to his daughter he had been tinkering between jobs in his garage all week before we got there.The condition of it underneath is far better than my old project there is only a couple of obvious spots of welding for mot.So for now the plan is just to get it on the road for billing eventually there wil be a full strip down rebuild but for now just roadworthy and a few add ons the plan was never to keep it original so for now i'm just going to use bits and bobs i have had hanging round like a chicargo grey interior because the seats in it are knackered.anyway here a few more pics before i start .... It only runs....and drives ... first time behind the wheel of a manta for many years All loaded up ready for the trip back. Safly back in its new home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robah Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Another Manta Barn find saved, it makes a change for more cars to come to the UK rather than leave these shores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 (edited) Nice, look forward to seeing it at Billing. Would love to find out more about the process of finding it, cost to purchase, challenges landing it in the UK (import registration etc) and to see a 1300 model with OHC setup in it. Edited May 8, 2012 by stradacab 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis p Posted May 11, 2012 Author Share Posted May 11, 2012 It was found by chance when a friend of mine was talking to the daughter of the guy who owned it through work.the car itself cost 600 euros but then there was the ferry plus fuel etc. I've not had to pay any import duty due to its age and value so wxt step is mot then insure it and register and tax it at the same time.I've started doing a few buts hopefully this weekend will see some more jobs ticked off the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis p Posted June 18, 2012 Author Share Posted June 18, 2012 Well Saturday is d day or goes for mot depending how it gets on decides if it will make it to billing or am I going to have to rough it in my discovery.fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Roll on Saturday and good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis p Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Well passed the mot last weekend and today I've been to the dvla in Bangor to register it just have to wait for paperwork and tax disc in the post.cambelt water pump and oil change tomorrow then its just clean and polish as best as I can and run round for a bit before trip to billing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapierdave Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 Looking forward to seeing this at Billing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis p Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 Just been flicking through the projects and came across this and had forgotten about it.so well overdue for an update. well I made it to billing in 2012 by the skin of my teeth on the Wednesday afternoon I had a phone call from the dvla office in Bangor an hour away.saying everything was fine and they had issued the registration number etc and did they want them to post the documents. I said I would collect them Fri morning ( the day I was leaving for billing ) as I had worked on the thursday. So 8 am Fri off I sped to the office to be there as the doors opened thanked the lady who had felt with it all and off I went with my paperwork including the letter to allow me to get number plates made which I did on the way back along with ringing my mate to tell him we were going to billing in the manta after all. I got home about half ten staryedted the old girl up screwed the new plates on,bit whilst hitching the trailer tent on she cut out...... At this point we are running a bit later than planned it's raining fairly hard and we just want to get going and yep we had run out of fuel.I had put a gallon in when I had got back from Belgium and had only driven in and out of the garage on and off the trailer and during the mot but non the less it was out. So a quick dash to the peril station for a can full and afree some coughing and spluttering off we went. Startinqg an 185 mile journey in a car that had been sat in a garage for 10 years and was running like a bag of nails. We got a couple of miles down the road to the petrol station Still running rough but we decided it had dragged some craps through with the last of the fuel and it would hopefully clear after a few miles so we filled it to the top a and off we went. So at this point it was billing or bust. After about an hour into the journey and a lot of cutting out and messing about we were on the m6 it's seemed it would run fine for a while then not.every time it seemed lie it was clearing it would doe and almost stop aftwr a few more miles we decided that a detour was required so Shaun checked for the nearest motor factors on his phone and rang them to see if they stocked in line fuel filters as we suspted it was rubbish floating round in there that was part of the problem. So after quick pit stop and changing the filter outside the shop of we went again. It didn't solve the problem completely but much much better.by this time we had been on the road for about 4 hours ( billing usually takes three and a half) and we we only just passing Birmingham. So whilst still chugging along approaching the m1 Shaun rings our mechanical friend who was due to be meeting us later on that evening at billing. Told him. What was going on and he said it was craps in the carb to stop and pick another filter up and a bicycle pump and he would sort it at billing. So after 6 hours on the road we pulled up at the gates of billing just as we going through the gates there was a heavy down pour of rain which lasted about 20 mins.so we waited for it to stop before diving out and putting the trailer tent up in record time.Had a few words with a coue of members about our marathon journey and the down pour we had just had, bit we had made it and camp was set up so it was time for food beer and bed.until about 12.30 our mechanical friend and his mate turned up woke us up saying his car and as stuck about 20 yards from the tent ( we were at the far end of puddleduck by the foot bridge) so we gave him a little push and we were sorted Settled down and went to sleep. The next morning we were awoken by the sound of an enngine revving and load ish voices and looked out to what can only be described as the carnage rant was billing 2012 there was a car a nd caravan stuck near where are mate had been stuck being towed out by a landrover and a lake between our cars and the roadway up the field.anyway we all know what happened then however we were 2feet off the ground in the trailer tent and so stuck ot the weekend which ended in an gathering by the fair on the hardstanding by the fair for all thowe who stick it out and we were rewarded by some sunshine. So a fairly memorable first billing actually in a manta. To be honest apart from enjoying using her the odd run out and billing 2013 and 2014. I haven't done an awful lot to her,but now time has started catch up and there's a few things I would like to do and need to do.there ahs been some progress and parts bought etc. So some pictures ( when I sort out how you upload them on here again lol) and details to follow. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 thanked the lady who had felt with it all and off I went WOW !! some way to thank a lady# the peril station Yes i get a feeling of dread when i have to fill the car up there was a car a nd caravan stuck Sutty !!! I remeber this Manta, it illustrates how different things where in mainland Europe, they got the overhead cam engine before the "four slot" facelift. I believe the 1300 Manta was the reason that led them to being able to make the 1800, I am sure it is all to do with engine production, the 1196cc was dis-continued so the bottom of the range Manta had to have the overhead cam engine, this gave the correct gearbox pattern so later, when the carbureta CIH was dis-continued it could be replaced by the carbureta 1800, 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I love this car! The engine is so low-rent (and I mean that in the most complimentary way) It's so unusual and possibly unique in the UK and I always enjoy seeing under the bonnet . My Dutch brochure lists the 2.0 and 1.3 GT/J with the 1.3 rocking about 75bhp. All show but not so much go. Fair play to you for keeping it this way, probably tempting to give it more power, but without that engine it's just a LHD Manta. Good on ya! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 (edited) I believe the 1300 Manta was the reason that led them to being able to make the 1800, I am sure it is all to do with engine production, the 1196cc was dis-continued so the bottom of the range Manta had to have the overhead cam engine, this gave the correct gearbox pattern so later, when the carbureta CIH was dis-continued it could be replaced by the carbureta 1800, Edited April 28, 2015 by brady Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 So, to cut a long story short, a xe could be fitted.? I would have thought it would be the same gearbox as the UK 1800 Manta's, unless the 1300cc was a small block, something i hadn't considered until now, when i see this Manta again i shall have to look. The point i was making, The overhead cam engines were almost forced on the Manta by the ceasing of production of 1196cc and Carb CIH and there still being a market for both these types of Manta. The 1800 unlocked access to all manner of front wheel drive engines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis p Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 Thanks for highlighting my spelling /grammar mistakes Ian lol. Cheers for the comments chaps. Well I'm fairly sure it's not the same box as a 1800 as for starters it's only 4speed. Tho an xe May bell match up to it. To be completely honest I am very torn about the future of the old 1300. When I originally bought it the plan was to rip it out and throw my xe on carbs into it my 5 stud conversion and eventually build it into a reasonable authentic (lhd) 400. However I have come to like the the uniqueness of the little motor and if the interior and bumpers had been in better condition would of left it original however it's not original now so does that make taking the 1300 less of a crime? The other factor is the ring gear on the flywheel is badly worn and it's becoming increasingly unreliable to start where will I find the bits to fix this ? If I do leave it as is then what do I do about scratching my itch for a 400r as where would I find another lhd shell ( bit concerned about driving a lhd hard going to change gear and opening the door) and possibly more importantly what would the mrs say about another one ??????? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) bit concerned about driving a lhd hard going to change gear and opening the door Or going to use the window winder and grabbing the misses....... You do have a dilema, very probably being unique in the UK then keeping original would be worthy but hardly the 400 experience your craving, and if the mechanicals and interior are shot then it might make the decision easier. Didn't know it had a four speed, if the is the old style box then it might have a seperate bell housing and being different to the Getrag could be a small block engine, i always thought that this was a replacement for 1196cc engine but it could actually be to replace the 1600cc CIH engine which was the same 75 bhp. Edited April 30, 2015 by MANTAMAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymanc Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 just do whatever suits you as am sure most would not like driving a smaller engine Manta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewis p Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 That's tho other thing with it driving it to billing on the motorway is just frightening lol and kinda feels like showing up to Porsche show in a vw beetle Ha Ha. the interior was shot when I bought it so I just fitted a gte one as I had it already. well it will definitely still be a 1300 at billing this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiney_norman Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 kinda feels like showing up to Porsche show in a vw beetle Ha Ha. Wouldn't worry about that mate, the nearest I've managed to a Manta at Billing so far is a mk2 Cavalier. We won't talk about the year I came up in the Astra van Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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