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Mike's Manta.


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Mike, whats happening with the quarters etc, all ready painted? Are they getting another coat? Interesting method how are the doors gonna catch up in paint coats? 

i read somewhere, even after baking, paint isnt fully cured for a few weeks.

great job, looking very good. 

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The wings are now going to stay on, the doors are coming off as will the bonnet, the rear quarters at the moment only have one coat of 2K along with the outside of the shell. The whole shell will get another 3-4 coats of 2K and the doors, boot and bonnet will be put on stands and given the same number of top coats. Front and back bumpers sprayed separately as they are plastic and the rubber boot spoiler sprayed with plasticiser added. When the black gutter detail will be added I’m unsure but I have explained the masking lines, I went and looked at an exclusive coupe for this information and the location of the skirts gap below sill level as I couldn’t find decent pictures on the internet. I have requested that the painter keeps some polar white paint for me from his spray gun for touching up stone chips later on, not that I want any!!

I will be keen to fit the GTE Decals, as I think these finish off the car but I’m going to wait a good while before fitting just to make sure the paint has cured.

Edited by Mike.
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  • 2 weeks later...

I was hoping to get a phone call on Friday to tell me to come and pick up my Manta on Saturday morning, but no such call, I went in past the bodyshop (today) Saturday morning for a progress report, they have been busy with insurance work all week so no progress on the Manta,

front wings stone chipped on the inside and painted polar white to match, sealed into place and fixed with a new pack of wing bolts, the old ones had seen better days,

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I like to see the A post and hinge area clean,

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A photo of the inner wing, my Manta is the 1985 “B” registration with no side repeater, indicator on the wing, so no holes or wires needed here. The Manta GT/E decals will go just above the wing crease line, the later cars had to drop the decals below the wing crease as the indicator was mounted above,

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All I can do is wait, I did ask if I could pick her up this coming weekend as it’s the long weekend for May Day, I’ll just have to wait and see.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Appointment with the spray booth booked for Friday 24th May, as can be seen the paint has all been flatted in preparation. Black detail on gutters and aluminium trims booked in for Saturday morning 25th May, 

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Looking forward to seeing the paintwork completed, that I’m sure will be the biggest hurdle overcome in this whole restoration,

boot lid seam sealed,

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Doors seam sealed,

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all panels have now been seam sealed on the joints, the original factory applied sealer was removed when the shell and panels were taken down to bare metal, so now before paint they have the seam sealer re instated.

Edited by Mike.
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Looking very nice there Mike, quick question on your door hinge pins. Never seen 2 piece before, is it something you have made or bought?

I would think they would be harder to knock in once the door is hung? Always open to new ideas:thumbup

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Hi bris jas,

the door hinge pins was a new set sourced from Autovaux, originally they came as a set of four but my bodyshop has cut them in half and if you look closely they have chamfered the ends so they start easier. The doors have been on and off for fitting a lot and the access is tight when the doors are on, they find it easier working with shorter door pins so as not to mark the Hinge post paint. Put both half’s together and it’s still roughly the same length. Small details like this I spot right away as well.

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Too right they do! Every weekend I’m checking for progress photos, to no avail,

the bodyshop gave me a date for final spraying, then moved it back a week and gave a new date for a weeks work, car went in and some work done that week  but not completed and five weeks on and still waiting, getting the Manta painted has been the difficult job and most time consuming of the build jobs. One thing I can be sure of is they will make a first class paint job, that’s why I’m so patient.

heres hoping this weekend...............

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Wasnt this car painted before? Confused? Did something go wrong, looks stunning, flawless, its all downhill from here, its the cleanest you will ever have it, not even a full week of pampering will get it this clean again. 

Im afraid to ask.... but that has bound to cost a small fortune, regardless it shows the time effort and skill needed to pull it off, fair play

Was it painted and flattened, take it next stage is a flat and mop. 

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Hi evo03,

the Manta was into the bodyshop first time on a dolly to get all the underside painted and stone chipped, engine bay finished coated and inside boot Matt black finish, then only one coat on top to keep her from rusting, then I took her home to install engine, running gear etc then now here we are back at the bodyshop a rolling shell for finishing, didn’t want to put a ding in it when I was doing all the heavy engine, box and subframe work. 

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Went in past the bodyshop today to have a look at the black detail that was applied this week along with all the panels fitted,

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Under the bonnet all painted but the box section cavity’s will be treated to some wax oil,

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she is now sitting better in height at the back but I still have petrol tank, glass and interior trim so she will still have to settle a little more yet,

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matt blank masking detail on B pillars,

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coupe louvres still to go on,

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Matt black masking detail on A pillars,

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front quad light and under bumper trim detail,

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lights to fit yet and adjust beam for MOT, 

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Original small black rubber bump stop fitted inside petrol flap to keep fuel cap flush with rear quarter,

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I’m absolutely delighted with the paint finish and panel gaps, Manta GT/E decals being fitted next week,  along with laser wheel alignment, wax oil all cavities, chassis rails, Sean necks, inner wings, sills etc

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Im getting her home next Friday/Saturday weather dependant, got to get her home dry.

Boot lip spoiler has turned out really well, fits perfectly, bolt holes treated with wax oil before being fitted,

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again box sections inside boot lid going to be wax oiled,

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new rubber boot seal fitted,

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Side skirts and rear arches all fitted, retaining original joints between straight sections and arches,

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Edited by Mike.
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Yep, looking very factory fresh, even opel would be proud of this one, or you have put opel to shame, whatever way you look at it,

you will be surprised at now much the glass will pull the height down.

Have you any idea of value of this car for your insurance purposes when complete, or a rough estimate at how much it took to get a entry level car to this level of perfection....... it will give other club members an idea of what cars are worth, be it their oen, sellers, buyers or any one else. 

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I am trying to restore as much of the original details as possible, some missing parts have been difficult to find but perseverance always pays off, what I won’t miss when she is complete is the hours lost searching on line, e bay etc trying to find or source parts. I’m hoping to be able to put the mobile away or off every evening and weekend and free up my time to drive her.

i have kept a build portfolio of all receipts, records and paperwork associated with purchasing parts, professional labour, materials etc. I haven’t been brave enough yet to tally these up, but I have tried to keep a lid on expenses by doing as much as possible myself then I don’t feel too bad about getting experts on the job for the skills I don’t have.

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its nice to keep a record, all filed in date order, from the receipt of sale up to present, hopefully not a lot more to go in! I have also amassed approx 1500 progress photos again taken from delivery up to present, at every part of the build.

Manta GT/E decals looked out for application next week, I think these add a nice contrast to the polar white paint, looking forward to seeing them on,

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engine bay sticker will be added at the same time.

Edited by Mike.
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Hi 1200bandit,

the paint code for my Manta is E452 which is polar white, this is located off the VIN PLATE, the later Exclusives had glacier white but I didn’t know the paint code for them.

polar white has a warm look, slight touch of cream in it under certain lights,

Glacier white is colder looking, pure white.

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