djpshadow Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Hi everyone I don't actually own an Opel at present but am seriously considering purchasing one. About 12 months ago I happen to see an Opel Manta A at a Vintage rally and was totally impressed by the cars looks and styling. For me, it't one of the most beautiful looking vintage cars out there. I've been on the look-out for one ever since but unfortunately very few come up for sale. One did appear for sale a couple of months ago; a Maroon coloured 1973 Berlinetta but was sold before I got a chance to go and view it. It was advertised for £5,350. I now have the opportunity of purchasing a Black 1973 Opel Manta A that has been 'Retroed' as a Manta Turbo. It is in showroom condition and has a 5-speed Vauxhall Calibre red-top 2.0L engine. However, the price is more than double the previous car's price at £11,600. I don't know a lot about the value of these cars. Any views on the price? Is it too expensive? Unfortunately I can't seem to attach photos of the car on here. Thanks Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickfrad Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Hi Don It all depends what you want, whether it's standard or modified and condition will make a huge difference in price. There is a standard 1973 A series on EBay at the moment that needs tidying up for £6995 which is in my opinion a fair price. To get this to the standard of the £11600 one your looking at would cost a LOT more than the difference between the two, depending on how well and what's been done. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232548639749 So really depends on your circumstances and needs. You could buy a car that's all done or spend the difference sorting the original one to your spec. Hope this helps Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 The retro-ed Manta Turbo sounds interesting! Could be very nice given the asking price. Can you post a link to where it's advertised or whatever? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
399 road Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Have a really good look round the car's body as panels for these are expensive and some panels are hard to find. Mine looked mint when I bought it a year ago and now I'm replacing wings,arches, sill ends etc. Make sure body is solid and not just a beautiful but rusty car that's been polished up to sell it. I think the price is good if it's got good panels and paint. Sorting rust that might look like a tiny bubble could lead into a few grand quite easily. Manta Turbo styling sounds good though and a modified car will be easier to run with unleaded fuel, ease of sourcing engine bits etc etc. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpshadow Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 Hi guys Thanks for your replies. Really appreciate it. I'm attaching a link to photos of the car. I took it for a test drive recently and all went well. The one thing the owner did say was that the rubber seals around the drivers door will need replacing due to wind noise. Are door-seal rubbers easy to source? I did have a good look around it for rust and didn't spot any, and the owner assured me it was rust-free too. The car isn't actually publicly advertised. It was a friend of a friend who told me about the car and that the owner 'may' sell. Spoke to the owner again this afternoon about he price. Final price he'll accept is £10,480. It's not a great deal more than the one currently advertised on ebay. Link to photos: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3dvtvi8McbeUndTT1FGc2tNckk Thanks Regards Don 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shug Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Dr Manta sells door seals. As does Lenk (and PS-Autoteile I think) That car looks pretty damn good. If its clean and solid underneath then worth every penny I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealExile Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Agreed, looks very nice did it look okay underneath? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapierdave Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Agree with Shug Assuming its as good underneath as the pics look on top then worth £10K at least Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 (edited) 55 minutes ago, Rapierdave said: Agree with Shug Assuming its as good underneath as the pics look on top then worth £10K at least Seconded! Looks really nice! I'd have it if I had a spare £10K or so. A set of Campagnolo alloys (as per below) would look the business on your prospective purchase. Edited November 3, 2017 by Monaco Blue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpshadow Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 Thanks guys for your replies The car has actually been in an Opel garage showroom for the past 5 years. The garage owner purchased it five years ago as a Broadspeed Turbo look-a-like just to have as a showroom car. But he also wanted it as a usable road car so he had a number of things done to it over the past five years. I'm probably going to go ahead and purchase it next week. But will have a good look at it underneath before purchasing. However, because it's from an Opel garage I imagine the car is in good nick. And the garage owner said he would not sell it unless I could assure him that I'd be keeping it in a garage, which is a good sign that the car's been looked after, I think. Martin (Monaco Blue), you mention the Campagnola alloys...are those the alloys seen on the car you highlighted (Manta A D.o.t. Broadspeed Turbo Vmt 409M)?? Thanks for the links Shug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 12 hours ago, djpshadow said: Martin (Monaco Blue), you mention the Campagnola alloys...are those the alloys seen on the car you highlighted (Manta A D.o.t. Broadspeed Turbo Vmt 409M)?? Indeed they are. The same wheels were also fitted to Cavalier Centaur's and some Chevette's (GLS) as optional extras. The Manta A also suits the Avon alloys that were fitted to the Droopsnoot Firenza's and Chevette HS's. Good luck with the purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
399 road Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 I think I'd change the wheels too. If you like the look of the Chevette HS ones and decide to fit those, be careful not to get Firenza Droop snoot ones as the stud spacing isn't suitable. That Black car looks real tidy in those pics. A good price if it's solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 Is this Manta A Broadspeed replica the one Robbie Stinson built ? looks like it could be and i'm sure he sold it to someone in the car trade, that had a Broadspeed appearance and a 16 valve engine. What i know of the Robbie Stinson Broadspeed look-a-like is that it was originally a standard Manta A and came from Bedfordshire, the person who sold it to Robbie had re-upholstered it and put a lot of other new bits on it but there was body rot which Robbie thoroughly attened to, The engine and gearbox came from the Green Exclusive Coupe of Del Demner, while in the Green Coupe the woodruff key in the crank sheared and lunched all the valves, it was rebuilt using an Astra 16 valve engine, i know this because i was involved in its rebuild ! This engine had quad Webbers and made 175 bhp on Northampton Motorsports rolling road, it was dressed up with a lot of polishing and some of Clive Armstrongs finnest bling, with the good interior and Robbies diligent work this Manta won the Manta Club Car of the Show at Billing. If this Manta A Broadspeed replica is the one built by Robbie Stinson and its in the condition it was when it won Car of the Show then this is a very good Manta A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1900SR Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 (edited) Yes that'll be the one Robbie built, here's a pic of it at Billing in 2007. Edited November 8, 2017 by 1900SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpshadow Posted November 5, 2017 Author Share Posted November 5, 2017 I guess this must be the same car restored by Robbie Stinson then, that ye are referring to guys. So was it restored as far back as 2006/2007? I thought the Opel garage owner only purchased it around 2011 or 2012 but maybe i'm wrong. He did say that he purchased it from someone in Northern Ireland who had spent considerable time and man-hours restoring it and making it a Broadspeed Replica. Does that sound like the same car? I know some changes have been made to it over the last five years also, but it still looks great. I notice the alloys are different to the picture above. Also, I do know that a new exhaust system has been fitted. I think it had a twin exhaust when he purchased it five years ago. It's really interesting to hear some more history on the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 59 minutes ago, djpshadow said: He did say that he purchased it from someone in Northern Ireland who had spent considerable time and man-hours restoring it and making it a Broadspeed Replica. Does that sound like the same car? YES !! i only know of one Manta A being made into a Broadspeed replica in Northern Ireland, and Robbie sold it to someone with a car showroom in Southern Ireland, don't know how long Robbie owned it before selling but that could have been many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpshadow Posted November 6, 2017 Author Share Posted November 6, 2017 Thanks guys for all your advice. I purchased the car earlier today. And yes it is definitely the car that Robbie restored (found an old letter of his still in the glove compartment). Had a good look underneath the car today and no signs of any rust. Plus it has been kept indoors too. Is Robbie Stinson still involved in restoring cars? Something a bit odd, i've been told it's a 1973 but when I check the UK reg on UK.GOV database it shows up as a 1971 Opel first registered in June 1971. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealExile Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Can't wait to see more pictures of this one, looks fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta Mal Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Hi Don, I thought that must have been Robbie's manta, being the same spec, body colour, interior and opel gt rear lights. The registration plate had a 'J' suffix back then, so that should also make it a 1971 model. What suffix is on it now? Must say, that car was one of the best Manta A restorations Iv'e seen, while being a omoc member, for well over 20 years! Not sure if Robbie or his project build posts are on here now? I contacted him a couple of years ago, via his own Facebook page or give a shout out on the Facebook page .. Opel Manta fan club. I guess Robbie would still have the full rebuild history, photo's etc on his computer and may agree to email them to you. If no luck with Robbie or other members, then I do have a full printed off copy in 2 thick A4 folders, but would take hours to scan or photo copy them. Robbie even had a purpose built Manta garage at home, more like an Opel showroom! Cheers.... Mal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 19 hours ago, djpshadow said: I purchased the car earlier today. Brilliant !!! 19 hours ago, djpshadow said: Is Robbie Stinson still involved in restoring cars? I'd guess Robbie still has Opels and at the least tinkers with them, Classic cars are an addiction that is hard to break, as if you'd want to ! Robbie and his huge motorhome did drop in on the Manta Club at the VBOA Rally at Market Harbrough this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moodoo Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 I was up with Robbie maybe 3 years ago buying some parts for my A series. At the time he was in the middle of building a Cobra replica if I remember right. He gave me a look around his 2 Mantas, and if the car you have bought is anything like the standard of the V8 A series he has, you have some car! Dead jealous...whereabouts in Ireland are you by the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpshadow Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 Hi guys Thanks for your posts and updates on the car. I've been dreaming of one day owning a Manta A. And it seems I've stumbled on quite a gem indeed thanks to Robbie Stinson and others involved in it's restoration, as mentioned by Ian above. Will be picking it up either this Friday or mid-next week. From what I understand the car has been sitting in an Opel showroom in Cork since around 2012. But it's very soon to move to it's new home here in Tipperary. Malcolm the car has Irish reg plate for past 6 or 7 years at least. (ZV Vintage number plate). I don't have the paperwork yet so still not sure if it's a 71 or 73 still. Opel garage owner told me it's a 73. I've been going back over chat history on here and seen the entries Robbie made about the restoration of the car over 10 years ago. Unfortunately the photos are no longer visible. I will try and make contact with Robbie over the next while and if unsuccessful I may get back to you Malcolm Moodoo I can imagine how Robbie's cars look, going by this car. Amazing to see photo of his showroom. I will take proper photos of the car and put them up here once I've get the car over the next week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moodoo Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Ah I'm in Monaghan, bit far for a meet up! There must have been a bit of a trend for having old Opels in showrooms. The A-series I have was in an Opel showroom in the west of Ireland, along with a GT and a Kadett, but when the owners son took over the dealership, he got rid of all of them! Best of luck with the new purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpshadow Posted November 8, 2017 Author Share Posted November 8, 2017 Forgot to add, this car featured on the front cover of Retro Cars Magazine in July 2013. https://pocketmags.com/eu/retro-cars-magazine/july-2013 Described on the front cover as '72 Manta A runs 2.0-litre 16v Redtop on twin carbs and Broadspeed replica parts to pay tribute to the turbo cars of old...' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berlinetta Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 On 08/11/2017 at 09:55, moodoo said: Ah I'm in Monaghan, bit far for a meet up! There must have been a bit of a trend for having old Opels in showrooms. The A-series I have was in an Opel showroom in the west of Ireland, along with a GT and a Kadett, but when the owners son took over the dealership, he got rid of all of them! Best of luck with the new purchase. Interesting discussion guys. Would that be an (ex ?) Opel dealership in Mayo? If so, the 'son' you mentioned now has a few classic Opel's on the go.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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