zublet Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 (edited) With much sadness I have to put my beloved Manta up for sale. Reason is simple, I'm 22 and still live at my parents house and ive been getting it in the neck about having 3 cars on the drive... I use the car as a daily runner and believe me, it drives like a new car. I believe this to be one of the last if not THE LAST - 1.8 GT/J Manta left on the road... I havent seen another but I may be wrong! I am well aware that the 1.8 gearbox and engine are quite highly prized, but the car is 100% original, even down to the original main dealer sticker in the back window and original radio! I'd love for this car to go to a loving home that will try and preserve this nearly extinct model. Although I have done very little cosmeticly, the car has been completely gone through mechanically, including: Head skim New head gasket New head bolts New valve stem oil seals New rocker cover gasket Valves taken out, ground & re-seated Engine oil + filter change New thermostat (water pump and cambelt had only done about 1000 miles so didnt need changing) Varajet 2 carb completely stripped and rebuilt by professional (runs amazingly well) New complete clutch kit (including thrust bearing) Replacement back axle generously donated by OMOC member (no undue noises at all - all bushes were in excellent order) There are a few more little bits and pieces that have been done, but they are the main things. One thing I havent done yet is fitted a manual choke!! It takes a while to warm up in the mornings before it is ready to go, it really will need a manual choke fitting (very simple job). Now for the exterior, good & bad bits: Both sills are bubbling at the back near the rear arches (you can get complete sills through the club for £35 a piece) The rear arches dont actually look too bad, there is some slight bubbling in places, but suprisingly good! The drivers side wing has rotted around the arial and there is some more rot up near the front - could do with a new one idealy. The nearside wing is near perfect condition. The battery tray had some rot, so to stop and water ingress into the cabin I have fibreglassed it for the time being (needs welding) The roof has an after market moonroof put in, but it appears to be 100% rust free! The tailgate has some bubbling around the glass at the bottom, I assume that it will need seeing too in the future to stop leaking. There is some rot on the bottom of the doors, although you need to get underneath to see it really. I have had the car on a ramp to check the underneath and it is VERY solid. The swan necks are very good and the floors appear to also be in good order. There is the beginings of some rot around both front jacking points, although the car was lifted on a four poster ramp with them and they were proved strong. The interior: Overall in very good condition, there are no tears to the carpet and the dashboard is in very good condition (no cracks!) The one bad point I suppose would be the drivers side seat bolster which has worn down to the horse hair The car has 10 months MOT and about 5 months tax, I use it as my daily runner and it has never let me down. It stands me in at about £1800 after all the mechanical work and i'd really like an offer close to that if possible! My number is 07546232689 and im in Leicestershire, if you have any questions then just gimme a bell! I have tried to be as honest as possible, but here are some pictures to do some more talking: Cheers, Sam. Edited June 30, 2012 by zublet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZYDAVE Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Oh nooooooo I really feel for you with this one Someone please buy it cherish it and keep it standard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manta88 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Hi Sam, good luck with the sale ,that looks like a nice car. A mate of mine spotted you a week or so back in the Manta ,not too sure where but he lives in Fleckney and he has a 1.8 s silver hatch. Cheers Mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scribe of Lincoln Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Sam, Good luck with the sale. Nice to see an original GT/J - let's hope the person that buys it keeps it that way - they're very thin on the ground now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zublet Posted July 1, 2012 Author Share Posted July 1, 2012 Cheers guys, times like these I wish I had my own place to hide it away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper1483 Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 That's a shame pal, can't you keep the car and sell the parents....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zublet Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Theyre older then the Manta! probably classics in their own rights Im going to put it up on classic car sales later for £1800, if anyone in the club wants her then i'll let it go for £1500. I'll make a loss but at least i'd know it would be going to a good home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zublet Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 Last offer of £1400 to a club member, any interest before it goes on ebay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt/e paul Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 lovely early hatch manta,i dont think ive seen them with vinyl door cards before,shame you gotta sell mate hope she finds a good home. should do at that bargain price. all the best with the sale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zublet Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I've got to get her gone now guys, tried all the conventional methods with little interest. If anyone wants to give me a sensible offer around the £1100 mark, gimme a shout. I really would like it to go to an enthusiast before I resort to sticking it on the street corner for a randomer to buy. Already had a time waster on ebay and various other tyre kickers, at that price I will take a substantial hit on what i've spent on the car, but you seriously need to drive her before you realise how nice it drives. Cheers, Sam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantai200 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Hi Can you e-mail me pics of the areas that will need work : tailgate,wing, doors,sills, driver's seat,battery tray etc as I am very interested in this one. mantai200@sky.com Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantai200 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I went to see this car, with the intention of buying and saving it. Unfortunately it needs : 2 x sills, both rear arches, lower rear quarter panels, both front wings, driverside chassis rail repairing, plus lower floor panels, n/s headlight cracked and play in n/s steering or bearing. I would have loved to have it but it was too much money for what needs doing, just hope someone does buy it and keep it original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zublet Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 Car is now sold! Thanks for all the interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monza Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I'm sorry guys, but I have to laugh when I see replies like this... mantai200 Posted 21 July 2012 - 04:31 PM I went to see this car, with the intention of buying and saving it. Unfortunately it needs : 2 x sills, both rear arches, lower rear quarter panels, both front wings, driverside chassis rail repairing, plus lower floor panels, n/s headlight cracked and play in n/s steering or bearing. I would have loved to have it but it was too much money for what needs doing, just hope someone does buy it and keep it original. What can I say, other than... S o what did you honestly expect for £1100 - a show winner?... It's an UN-RESTORED, 30-Yr old Opel Manta - a running daily-driver that you can simply get in & drive away and use...and an incredibly rare one at that, too... More or less EVERY IMPORTANT point that you said it needed doing, has already been told to you in the original advert - plus more... The fact that its now been sold to another Manta enthusiast (with plenty of experience) show's just how bad it really was I suppose!!! Regards - Guy. PS - I notice how you also failed to mention that you still offered £500 for it , without even driving it - I f it was as bad as you imply, I'd have thought you'd have just walked away instead, wouldn't you??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantai200 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 For your information Monza, I have had manta's for over 18 year's and have restored 95% of them, so I have plenty of experience. I offered £500 as that to me, is what the car was worth. You fail to mention that the car had 10 months mot, yet all the severe rot was at load bearing points and the chassis rail had a 4" crack clearly visible, mmmm so you tell me that that mot was legit. I was told that both chassis rails were perfect aswell. I even told him that i'm not a real fan of hatches but wanted to save this one from being stripped of the 16v parts, so perhaps you should get your facts right before you come onto this forum and start throwing crap about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monza Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Mantai200 I say... Well, we all have different expectations I suppose... Oh...and just so that you know - I have, and have had - Manta's, Monza's, even Lotus-Carltons and many, many other GM-Vauxhall/Opel products for over 25-yrs now myself...my facts were right as far as I was concerned - that's one reason why I also offered to buy the car from Zublet...and I feel that that also gives me as much right to comment on it, as you... I'm not going to get into an argument with you fella - the car is sold now, anyway...and someone else is going to save it...that's the important thing - what you or I consider to be 'fair for the price' and then comment on publicly, is irrelevant now too really, isn't it! Toodle-Pip!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casper1483 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) I've got this car and I'm chuffed to bits with it, the bloke I got it of is a genuine nice bloke and was gutted when he saw what was written about it, I've bought it as it is a rare car and it's an alright car, can't believe that the person who went to look at it asked for the factory jack and tried to jack it up using the jacking points, I wouldn't do that to a new one, let alone a 30 year old hatch, the car drives bang on and the bit of interest that the bloke had in the club has gone, because of the way a fellow member/ user slatted his Manta ( now mine ) Edited July 27, 2012 by casper1483 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monza Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Hi Casper1483, I'm pleased that you got the car sir, and that your happy with it and that you appreciate it for what it is - good on'ya fella! You beat me to it in the end, chap - but at least its gone to a good home... Look after it... Kind Regards, Guy (Monza). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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