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New Manta Owner


Olly928
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Hi all,

I just recently purchased a 1985 Manta 1.8 GT, I suspect a few of you may have seen it up for sale as I saw it advertised in a few places. This is the first non Ford I've owned/own, and am looking forward to getting stuck in with making it usable again.

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I'm aiming to tidy it up, get it road worthy and get some use out of it, with the eventual aim to drop a red top in, but we will see what happens. It needs welding in a few areas first, swan necks, sills, above the headlights, below the washer bottle and behind N/S head light. I've found some good spare panel availability, but first question is if anyone knows of repair panels for the front panel behind the lights, or will it be easier to just fab up a panel myself to fit? its gone at the point where the inner wing meets the front panel.

IMG_0318.jpg

Anyway I look forward to my future Manta adventures.

 

 

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Welcome along. 

Panels are hard to find and the panels you are asking for a hard to find, new grills/nose cones come up now and again as do complete new front ends. Depending on what you are wanting there are fibreglass ones available too. 

If you are going down the red top route you have all the bits you need so you are onto a winner.

Be sure to join the club for maximum content and advice, well worth it and it only costs a round of beers.

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Inner wing join to front section by headlight and the actual headlight mounting panel are all common rust areas and easy to fabricate . I personally now do all my repairs in galv if i can .its worth the extra effort in prep.

my cars are cavaliers rather than actual mantas and ive never ever seen rot on the inner of that top piece .upper top by headlight yes but never further round.maybee thats just a later manta trait ? .

as been said replacement front ends do pop up for sale ,im sure someone on here should be able to help with either a full panel or a section of it .  Or just fabricate it .its not an overly complicated shape. 

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Its amazing how the later mantas seem so much worse than even the early cavalers (1976) i have also seen uk built cavs that were worse than belgiun built ones but never that bad !.   

All repairable thou ( well almost all! ) 

looking at the posters manta that front panel would be repairable as its not an immensly complicated area but depends on how the rest of it is with regards just swapping the entire front panel or at least the top skin of it.

hes in the right place for help and advice thou !

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I'm not worried about the top of the front panel, it was more just cautious about recreating the curve up the side behind the light with the strengthening steps in it, but I don't mind if it doesn't look 100% original, so i will probably just fabricate something.

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No problem.

once you get the wings off you will be able to tackle the sides easily and any other areas that need doing behind.it also makes it a little easier to do chassis legs and jacking point as required.

enjoy yourself and look forward to having a great car once finished. Your in good hands on here !

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