biffy1984 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) So I think it's about time I get going with my manta again, really wanting to use the car this summer. I restored it in 2010 and used it as my daily driver all year round for 3 years which fairly took its toll shall we say so it's been lying in my garage for the last 3 years and never moved. I did start to strip the car in 2013 to see what all was needed but had to abandon due to other projects. Im pretty sure the only welding required is both door posts where the check straps are mounted, a small hole in the scuttle panel and the front panel to sort out, the rest is just replacement wings/doors etc. I will paint the car this time steel grey (original colour), fit the 9x16 borbets, I have finally found enough seats to make a good full Daytona check recaro interior. I'm in the process of fitting 400 vents in my original bonnet which will hopefully come good when it's done. Will be keeping the exclusive boot spoiler and fitting an exclusive rear bumper to replace the elegance style one I had on before. Also have a brand new scorpion stainless exhaust to go on. Here is a couple of pics, first one is when it came off the road in 2013 and 2nd one is where we are at now. May be a few weeks before I get started but will be taking lots of photos on my phone so if uploading them works on here this thread should be a success.... 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 February 7, 2016 by biffy1984 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Started to my bonnet, cut the vents out of a spare fibreglass one. Going to glue them in and tiger seal around the inside edges then smooth them in with some flexible bumper filler so hopefully it won't crack out. 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 21 hours ago, biffy1984 said: I did start to strip the car in 2013 to see what all was needed but had to abandon due to other projects. Looking at the collection in the first picture you have several projects on the go, a real eclectic mix ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 On 7/2/2016 at 7:26 PM, biffy1984 said: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Great looking car, even looks good on ronals. Good luck with the tidy up, every thing about this car rocks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Got a bit more done with the bonnet yesterday, vents in with gorilla glue, ready for filler once the foaming glue has set up properly Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) Went to the old car today, not been started for probably 2 years so put on a charged battery and fired up first time. So I blew up the tyres so all ready to load aboard the trailer hopefully sometime this week. Hopefully there will be no more hidden horrors once I start digging other than the ones I know about already! 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 June 15, 2016 by biffy1984 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 Finally gotten around to getting the old girl out and to the garage Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Where she will spend the next couple of months just not sure what bit to tackle first 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Looks like a serious place to take any car, it looks the bizz even as it sits, my kinda car, low and mean, nice wee touches, like the 16v logos, any chance of a pics, any pics of the car resto no.1. Good luck with the restoration 2, it honestly does not look too bad, just needs a spruce up! Some inspiration for ya! Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Or Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 looking at the pictures taken from the rear you can imagine that this is how the back looked when the designers first sketched out the Manta, then they had to add bumpers, numberplate, foglamp. Perhaps this could be an idea for a project Manta, completely plain rear except for rear lamps and a recessed number plate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 (edited) Had a few hours on the car yesterday afternoon, stood and looked at it for a while and wondered what to do first, decided to fit my new Astra calipers and Audi 80 discs, thought if I got all the mechanical stuff out the way I could go for the welding after that. So while checking the suspension etc around the front end I found the lower arm bushes are pretty soft, thought well I might as well get a poly bush kit since I've done the back already. Obviously easiest way is subframe out so ended up going a bit further as I originally planned. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Planning to strip the subframe and put it all for blasting and paint, will clean up the engine and box while I'm at it. Glad I took it out now as it'll be a lot easier to clean/paint the bay. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Also, I have a new front panel to go on, think once the subframe is stripped that'll be the next job. Thinking to weld on lugs and make it bolt on so it can be removable, anyone done this before?? Edited June 15, 2016 by biffy1984 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 Yes I attached a front nose cone using bolts. I just used the existing flanges and used M8 bolts around the sides and four M10 bolts at the main mounts on the chassis rails. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 (edited) On 14 April 2016 at 7:03 PM, ®evo03 said: Looks like a serious place to take any car, it looks the bizz even as it sits, my kinda car, low and mean, nice wee touches, like the 16v logos, any chance of a pics, any pics of the car resto no.1. I have some pics but they're not on my phone, here's pic of what the car used to look like in the 90's, it had an XE in it back then with twin 48 carbs, I believe the servo was moved to make room for the carbs. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. And this is after I restored it in 2010 Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Edited April 16, 2016 by biffy1984 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 17, 2016 Author Share Posted April 17, 2016 Got a bit more done this afternoon, engine bay bare now. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Battery tray a bit crusty Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. All glass out and gutter trims off. 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. A bit crusty around the rear quarter windows. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. What is recommended for sticking the trims on around the rear quarter windows? I remember last time they were siliconed on and I wrecked them removing them so I stuck the new ones on with double sided tape....which was the wrong thing to do as I've buggered these as well! Thankfully I have one more set left. Lifted the engine off the subframe, degreased and steamcleaned. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Going to drop it along one of my mates who seems to like cleaning and painting engines for some strange reason so it should look a bit nicer when it comes back. So tomorrow's planned jobs are to cut the front panel off, steamclean the engine bay and strip the subframe for blasting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Great work and a nice place to do it in. RE the trims, on the red coupe I've just done the 1/4 trims are a passive fit, no sealer at all. If I needed any I would of used a screen sealer, no setting and just a little. Silicon contains acetic acid and attacks steel, the coupe I'm restoring had the crappy welds covered in silicon and it rotted a 1" line along the bottom of the sill to a point there was no steel left. I was also thinking of a removable front end using speed clips 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 Got a bit more done this afternoon, cut off the front panel....the rough way 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. Cleaned off spot welds and offered up the new one Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Fits well 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. Edges on the car are quite crusty so will trim it back and weld on lugs for bolting it on, will lay on wings and bonnet to make sure it's all lined before drilling the mounting holes. Stripped the subframe, all parts going for blasting tomorrow so will have to get the bushes out before it all goes Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. That's all for now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 18, 2016 Author Share Posted April 18, 2016 Don't know what's gone wrong with these bloody pics, it's showing them all jumbled up on the iPad but all right enough on my phone, damn it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Pic order looks ok to me, headlight surrounds off, nosecone off, new trial fitted, very nicely done btw, ending in front suspension bits. Take plenty of pics between cursing, when your removing and fitting bushes, got this coming up soon! Pic thing might be your phone or more than likely this forum, took me a good few hrs posting up a thread over the weekend, lucky the screen wasnt punched to death a one stage! Upgrade needed bigtime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 Not a lot of progress this afternoon, pulled the car outside and steamcleaned the engine bay, looks a lot better already. 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. Set the wings and bonnet on to check panel gaps and tweek the front panel to suit, think I'll get it all squared up pretty good. 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. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted April 22, 2016 Author Share Posted April 22, 2016 Not a lot of progress the last couple of days with the car, been wire wheeling and needle gunning rust in the engine bay only to find the usual holes in battery tray, washer bottle tray etc which has pissed me off a bit! Will get my motivation back next week! On the plus side, my mate has stripped the engine and painted the first coat on the block Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Decided I will strip the head since it's off, grind in the valves and fit new seals. Will get that done next week so the engine can be built up again. And I got my front suspension bits back all blasted from another mate tonight so will have to get it all painted up before it turns ginger! Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 (edited) Not been a great deal of progress with the car this week, stripped and rebuilt the head, valves all ground in and new seals fitted. Also cleaned the tappets in the hope they'll not rattle like they did before. 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. Painted up rocker cover and timing belt cover with some old Ford silver I had lying about and a few coats of 2k lacquer. 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. My mate has been busy getting engine all cleaned up and back together, some difference to what it was before, he's done a fantastic job!! 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. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Thought I'd be a little different with the plug cover. So hopefully get the new bushes in the subframe once it's painted and build it all back up. Edited May 4, 2016 by biffy1984 Adding text 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted May 4, 2016 Share Posted May 4, 2016 Unless you dont know, the exhaust gasket can sometimes restrict the gas flow, i enlarged the gasket to suit the rwd manifold, with a dremel. Perfect time to suss it out! Engine looks like new, fair play lad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiney_norman Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 That's a sexy looking engine, and I just got some funny looks for saying so in work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted May 5, 2016 Author Share Posted May 5, 2016 Got a fair bit done today, all front suspension hung up ready for top coat, it's already had 2 coats of Zinga galvy paint 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. And put on 2 coats of black international applied with the schutz gun so nice and thick 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. Also welded up the battery tray, top of door post, scuttle panel and new wing rail, just used 3mm flat bar for this. Cleaned up the n/s inner wing and got some primer on the bare bits so fairly getting there now. 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. Onto the o/s next, maybe tomorrow. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffy1984 Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 Got quite a bit done the last few days, all welding finished in engine bay, wing rails, battery tray, washer bottle tray, scuttle panel etc. 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. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Because there were so many imperfections I couldn't be arsed to faff around with I decided to stone chip the bulkhead and chassis legs before primer. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Then on with a few coats of etch primer. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. And on with the grey. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Followed by 3 coats of 2k lacquer. 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. although the stone chip is a bit rough the paint has come good on the inner wings and I suppose that's the bits you'll see the most of when you open the bonnet. Also managed to get the subframe built up with new poly bushes. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. And then realised I had forgotten to paint the springs so gave them a couple of coats before I finished up tonight. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. So it's finally feeling like I'm getting somewhere! Still to clean and paint the rack before the subframe is ready and engine mounts not arrived yet but as soon as they do I'll try and get the engine back in the hole before I tackle the bodywork. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Very nice work mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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