Blown V8 Mattig Manta

[Roy]

No spite, the dirty one is a scene from the film manta manta....

[Chull]

I must admit the blue one is my fave,aswell as yours mate. It carries the blue really well, and the roof chop is awesome.

Does look better without the redbull decals though,then there is the manta 400 wheels, which must be custom made rims/ 2 piece splits with hidden bolts?

as I thought the widest 400 wheel was 10" those will be 13" at least surely.

Anyway back to the mattig in question how is yours doing.

Yeah the roof chop does look good.

Well not spoke to the chaps working on the car since I got the video, should be ready to come home soon. I've had a new alarmed garage door fitted on the 20th of Nov, so it's new home is waiting.

Right now I'm hitting the overtime hard so I can get the wiring and security done asap. Found someone to do it near by, got a rough estimate, just need the car back and some saving up.

No spite, the dirty one is a scene from the film manta manta....

Ha ha! I have seen a clip or two of that film, but I've never had the will or patience to sit down and watch it all.

Serves me right for not being such a die-hard manta fan as yourself.

[Chull]

The very, very, very nice man from the AA dropped off a nice Christmas present on Friday night.....

Things to bare in mind:

1. The engine is on a base setting, not tuned or rolling road set up yet, and seems to running very rich.

2. I left the bonnet sitting on the catch by accident.

3. This video is the raw footage filmed by my lovely wife Kate and is several clips spliced together, pardon the language.

4. That knocking noise is coming from the exhausts when they "pop" the gases out it seems, the phone filming seems to pick it up a lot.

 

This is the first time in about 15 years the car has moved under it's own power, just this small bit of movement made me very happy. I have to say after being slightly worried about fitting it with a manual I am happy to say it's a dream to use so far. I imagined the uprated clutch would be snatchy or rough but it's just like an everyday car, fine movement is not a problem or awkward.

Next thing to do is save up and get the electrics fully plumbed in, security and any MoT faults sorted out.  

Edited December 13, 2015 by Chull

[Volksdevil]

How have I never seen (Or heard!) this in Burnley?!

[GTREA]

This thing should chirp 2nd gear alright I reckon  

Can I ask what front springs you used for this?  

Looking for a suitable set for my V8 B 

[mantasrme]

OOOOHHHHH nice

 

You so need a wider garage entrance with those arches!

[Chull]

How have I never seen (Or heard!) this in Burnley?!

It's been sat in my garage for the past 10 years and before that was sat under a cover in Manchester. You'll note the lack of number plates in the video, turns out I've lost them in the house move or at another time. Give it a few months and I'm sure you'll see it around the place.

This thing should chirp 2nd gear alright I reckon  

Can I ask what front springs you used for this?  

Looking for a suitable set for my V8 B 

I was warned by Hauser Racing who did the engine fit that it'll "light the wheels at 90 if you're not careful" so I'm going to assume "lighting them up" in 2nd will be no sweat. 

I kind of went off what other members on the forum have put in their tuned mantas, I saw a couple of examples of 400lb front springs, so I got a 450lb set as the V8 on its own is lighter than the old 2.0l, with the blower and other bits it's just over so I didn't want to go too mad, they are also standard ride height. The guys at Hauser thought that they still felt a little too stiff and it might be a bumpy ride. I haven't got it road legal yet and driven it so I'm not sure either way, but I can always get slacker springs it they do make the car uncomfortable.

OOOOHHHHH nice

 

You so need a wider garage entrance with those arches!

Tell me about it. With only one wing mirror at the moment I can only see if I'm clear half the time. You have a matter of inches spare and I had to get the gas meter moved so the new garage door could be fitted to the inside edge. The salesmen wanted to fit them on the narrower inner edge and was curious why I was insistent that the new door should definitely not be any narrower than the original up-and-over door, now you can see why.

[evo3000]

and another thumbs up on youtube,beyond awesome love it.

[mantalica]

https://www.facebook.com/koen.ackx/media_set?set=a.10205008673165981.1073741878.1516688131&type=3

[Chull]

17 hours ago, mantalica said:

https://www.facebook.com/koen.ackx/media_set?set=a.10205008673165981.1073741878.1516688131&type=3

Thanks for the post, I'm not on facebook, but the wife is so I'll get her to click the link so I can look at your lovely purple beast.

As far as mine goes, I've got the updated log book back with the new engine size, number and correct colour now, just got to keep saving for the work plumbing the new engine loom into the existing loom and any other MOT work it needs. 

[GerryC400]

love it!! That engine looks fantastic, well done.

[Chull]

On 09/04/2016 at 11:12 PM, GerryC400 said:

love it!! That engine looks fantastic, well done.

I wish I could take credit, but all the engine/drive-train work was done by Hauser Racing.

I did pick the engine configuration though; I wanted a supercharged V8 running fuel injection, not a carb-->EFI conversion and as I love top fuel dragsters I wanted the same look hence the bug scoop/secondary throttles.  

[GerryC400]

I really like seeing the 4 side pipes, I know what I want to do next when the chrome ones go.. Are the pipes just running straight from each cylinder? It must sound mental in real life. I am happy with mine giving a nice v8 sound , I reckon yours will be another level.......... Glad to see custom mantas like this.

[Chull]

On 13/04/2016 at 10:35 AM, GerryC400 said:

I really like seeing the 4 side pipes, I know what I want to do next when the chrome ones go.. Are the pipes just running straight from each cylinder? It must sound mental in real life. I am happy with mine giving a nice v8 sound , I reckon yours will be another level.......... Glad to see custom mantas like this.

Funny you mention the 8-into-8 exhaust I did kind like the idea of that, a twin set of 4 pipes like a dragster also I think mad max had a similar setup, but with the exhausts upturned which is a no-no due to rain going straight in. When I mentioned it to the guys doing the build they said it was a bad idea for a road car as you'd need 8 silencers, the weight of 8 2.5 inch pipes, the lack of room under a manta without cutting the floor pans up pretty bad etc. So I went with their reasoning and compromised by having twin pipes from the manifolds which go back to 2 silencer boxes, then split what comes out into 4 branches. I get the look I wanted without all the extra weight, and none of them are fakes; the gases come out of all of them.

The car is ridiculously loud as it is now, the wife says it shakes the house even at idle, so it was a wise idea to heed the advice I think.

[Kevin Abbott]

When are you coming over the hill to mine in it? 

Mind you, I'd probably hear you set off 

[Chull]

On 14/04/2016 at 4:37 PM, Kevin Abbott said:

When are you coming over the hill to mine in it? 

Mind you, I'd probably hear you set off 

It's booked in for the electrics, mot work and security on 16th of May, the guy doing it is good but busy, so hopefully a few weeks after that matey, barring unforeseen hic-ups. 

[®evo03]

This creation needs a photoshoot beside a car of similar spec to it, before this beast was created, to show its evolution. 

[Chull]

On 16/04/2016 at 8:58 AM, ®evo03 said:

This creation needs a photoshoot beside a car of similar spec to it, before this beast was created, to show its evolution. 

This is a good idea, I'll keep a lookout for any black coupes when I get to the NW meets in the future.

I did take several pictures myself in the 90s, using film and a camera believe it or not, and I intend to take more pictures from exactly the same angles to show the differences before and after.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Chull

[MANTAMAN]

1 hour ago, Chull said:

using film and a camera believe it or not,

Yes i can believe it, i have boxes full of colour slides and packets of prints, in the loft is a full size darkroom with printing projector and the equipment for black & white printing,all redundant now.

 There is a marked generatonal divide, those of us who can remember a time before mass personal electronics and those who have only ever known a world with the internet, moblie phones and digital cameras etc

 The idea of taking a photo of a car in the same pose and/or location as a picture taken many years ago is a good one, could even form a regular then & now section in the magazine.

[evo3000]

On ‎2‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 10:31 PM, mantalica said:

https://www.facebook.com/koen.ackx/media_set?set=a.10205008673165981.1073741878.1516688131&type=3

Brillant user name dude.

Edited April 18, 2016 by evo3000

[mantalica]

no more updates on the car?

[Chull]

Said with a French accent: "4 Years laterrrr"

Hello all, its that time and the sun is on the way I'm told, time to update this topic with some news, pictures and video.

Where shall I start?

The last video I posted was from getting the car delivered from the guys who fitted the engine and drivetrain. Since then, the car was sat in an auto electricians for a couple of years, wonderful chap but couldn't get around to my car. So I tried another mechanic, who tried his best, but ended up causing the starter motor to jam after using it in gear to move the car on and off his transporter, he also made a mess of the inner wings to fit bonnet struts and cut into the bellhousing with an angle grinder to repair a clutch fluid leak, caused by the engines vibration and a metal-on-metal pipe incident. However, somehow he got the car ready for an MOT, fair play to him, and it passed, though I admit the tester was very "kind".

OK it's MOTed, all done then? nope. 

The engine is still on default US settings, so we found a company on a farm who could rolling road it and map everything/tune it. I had it sent on a car transporter as I didn't trust it on such a long drive yet, and unfortunately they went over a large speed bump very fast, making the strapped down car leap up and slam back down, popping one of the rear dampers. Only 13 miles on it. Good news though the company who made it repaired it for free, very nice of them.

Got it on the rolling road and the two chaps set to work, we watched the first few runs, filmed one, hopefully within this post, and left for some dinner. We drove down the lane into the village and ate lunch at a garden center. It was quite funny to sit down in their cafe and hear the car from about a mile or so away, made me sweat a little I can tell you.

Got back and great news, the chaps liked it, all was sound apart from a slight vibration at 2500 rpm they said but nothing to worry about, I cant say I notice anything myself, but then I'm no expert. More good news, on standard Unleaded, 95 I think we use in the UK, the engine gave us more power than advertised. When we bought it from Edelbrock, I was expecting 512hp, though Hauser Racing warned with the bends in the exhaust pipes it was liable to lose about 10 of that, so I was hoping for 500, and it came out as 536.9hp @5800rpm. I was very pleased about that. They also said due to the cars weight and it being a fuel injected engine that's new, I should get about 25 mpg max out of it, which surprised me but has turned out to be a blessing as the fuel tank that was installed seems a bit small to me, but I haven't run dry yet and hopefully never will.

I began short trips to the garage and took some friends out and heard a rubbing noise from the front wheels, turns out they were catching on the arches. So I spoke to Hauser and the spring makers I had used and they assured me it was standard ride height, just uprated poundage, so I thought its just the added weight of the engine etc causing the drop. Hauser thought they were lowered sports springs, I thought it was low, so ordered some more springs with +20mm "added height" and found Carl the Manta man near me who kindly fitted them. Thanks Carl, and for the other things you did/sourced. All sorted, ride height now correct and no rubbing.

I gathered some more bits from various club members, thanks to you all by the way, Dave, Kevin and anyone else I can't remember right now. Next MoT comes around, it's spring time, the season, so I back out the car from the garage. I put the hand brake on get out to look in the engine bay and as I come around to the front of the car, it rolls forward, as my drive is inclined, straight into the corner of my garage. I got out of the way, and it cracked the front bumper and grille/headlight surround. I was pretty miffed, the first incident, and it's not something you would expect like losing control of the back end in a corner, no, it rolled into a wall. I was thinking it was over, I cannot afford to get it repaired, or how to even find parts. The price of using a custom car I know. My wife, an utter genius, then suggested I should call the insurance company. I had not thought of that, as it wasn't a typical crash and no other cars were involved, but she was right when she said "It was an accident, exactly what you get insurance for."

Took it to a place in Cheshire, lots of porsches and other fancy stuff around, and they give a repair estimate of over £10k. Me and the wife were shocked and doubt they will pay, but they did! minus the £250 excess. So the hunt is on now for somewhere cheaper as though they may do an excellent job, I don't think it would cost that much. But that's another issue for later.

So before I get a repair and full respray, I thought I would try and get the few bits and bobs done, like the starter motor sticking, the F£$%&ing handbrake repaired, an oil leak from one of the rocker covers and a service. After much searching for someone who is willing to work on odd cars, I found a wonderful place called Kelbrook Classics, who said my car "was a bit new" for them, but they would take a look at things, even book extra time as they expect little jobs to suddenly escalate. Which they did funnily enough.

So me and the Wife drive down there a couple of weeks ago, 3 things to sort out, in our mind, and a service. We get out and show them the car and all of a sudden: "Oh yeah there's these bonnet struts, cut into the inner wings and you can see bare metal" then "the bonnet is a bit weak with that hole" and "what about this, and that and this thing over here" the poor chap was writing it all in his book and said he'd see to what he could do in the time he had allotted. A few days pass, we get some pictures showing the work in progress, even a video too. Turns out the diff oil is good, the gearbox oil was low, and still the one from running in due to small debris found in it, no damage inside thanks to a endoscope camera thingy. Then they noticed the flywheel was partially exposed, that the other damper was leaking onto one of the rear brakes, effecting the hand brake. To top it all off one side of the axle, the plate that basically holds everything to the axle was moving about, and liable to come off if it wasn't spotted. The whole wheel, hub, brakes, brake lines, probably a driveshaft would have flown off, resulting in me probably rolling the car and dying. Glad they spotted that one. They have given the whole car a good once over, found multiple niggly, small problems and large ones and fixed them all even if it meant some one off fabricating. They even filed down an old wrench as some of the spark plugs are inaccessible without removing an exhaust manifold. I'm told it will sit on the wall hook with a sign.

I cannot stress how much help they have been and what a good job they have done, the car feels "tight" and stable now, as much as it can with such large tires at the front , there's no leaks, I'm confident I wont die from things flying apart, and I'm told I could have proper water heated demister, after being told it was impossible without removing the supercharger first. To be honest, I'm going back to them with more work but they're booked solid until September at least.

The bodywork. I have tried several different places and most can repair the damaged front bumper as it's fiberglass, the grille however is some sort of solid plastic or resin and just this week the latest bodyshop who said they could fix it, then declined the work once they saw the car in person. I'm on the hunt for another bodyshop who may be able to repair it, I've also one the look out for a replacement grille, though it's a big long shot to find another Mattig one. If all else fails I'll have to fit the round headlight version.

The classic car guys managed to make the front lights look semi normal, so I think I'll chance a go at the MoT as it's up quite soon, if not then I'll have to wait until the body work is done to drive it again.

And I think we're now up to date, though I feel I've left a lot out and might have mixed up the order of events along the way. Hopefully the pictures and video links will appear once I have uploaded them.

Rolling road video:  

Fun with the Wife: 

Fun with a friend: 

 

 

Thanks to all on here for all your help over the years, I'm sure I'll be pestering you again soon.

Chull

 

 

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Edited May 12, 2021 by Chull

[mantasrme]

Glad to see you finally got it on the road to enjoy driving it after all these years. Its been many many years since i sorted you out those parts, i don't think i even had my workshop then.

Edited May 12, 2021 by mantasrme

[Mickfrad]

Hi

car looks great, what a beast. 
I took a front panel off my car when I bought it to return my car back to original. If your interested I’ll dig it out of the garage tomorrow and take some photos.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

[®evo03]

One happy man on his way when he sees that spare front!