luke 626 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Hi, Im new to the site, im 20yrs old and for my next car i really fancy a mid 80's manta, and im wanting to buy a manta gte soon. I just wondered if anybody could give me any tips on what to look for and the problems the manta has. Im only wanting to spend £2500 what kind of car could that get me? i dont want a modified car, no red top conversions etc, just a standard car, that i can take to car shows etc, i dont mind doing a bit of restoration, but dont want a lot of rust as i cant weld very well Thanks Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantaray Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Hi and welcome. For that sort of money, you should be able to get a pritty good Manta. Have a good look in the prodject area, as this will show you the areas that you need to check when looking at possible cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapierdave Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Hi & welcome to the forum Luke. To get a tidy relatively rust free GTE coupe would possibly be above your budget, you could however get a a nice GTE hatch for that amount. Areas to look at are rear wheel archs, rear of the sills, front footwells, jacking points, front chassis legs called "swan necks" because of their shape, battery tray area, area beneath the washer bottle, top of the inner wing where it meets the A pillar, spare wheel well, if its a hatch the fuel tanks rot out. Check that the carpets aren't wet, indicating possible windscreen leaks or holes below the washer bottle/battery area. The only part of a Manta that's rust resistant is the glass The earlier cars pre 1982 tend to be slightly more rust resistant. I don't want to put you off but be careful, if the car is bodily a basket case then it will be a money pit to put right unless you are an ace welder like OMOC member Stradacab. Other than that they're great cars One of mine is up for sale if you want but its a bit above your budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke 626 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 Hi, thanks for the help i currently own a mazda 626 which has started rusting on the wheel arches so im no stranger to the stuff I could increase my budget a bit, i dont mind if i get the coupe or hatch. What basic modifications could i do, just to squeeze a little more power out if it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke 626 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 Also what comforts do you get inside, i have not seen one with electric windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke 626 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OPEL-MANTA-GTE-EXECLUSIVE-/171027162974?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item27d203675e ^^^^ seems a bit expensive to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiffy220 Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 Also what comforts do you get inside, i have not seen one with electric windows. Comforts? Manta? Apart from nice seats, and a rear window demister and maybe an intermittent wash/wipe, you're looking for the wrong car mate if you want comforts! Manta's are great, look fantastic and drive well, but they are not 'hi-tec'!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke 626 Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 no, i didnt think so, im not bothered about them anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.