DeeBob Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 (edited) Hello there everybody, Dropping in to say hi, and to show off my most prized possession- my 1987 Manta GTE! This was my stepdad's car, and before I picked it up a couple of weeks ago, i'd only ever seen it once before it was tucked away and hidden in a garage forever- I was five years old, and the year was 2004. Around the age of 10, my interest in cars developed- Top Gear, Car SOS and Wheeler Dealers were all on telly, and I had a computer game called Rallisport Challenge that got me really into rally cars and the idea of driving fast off road. By the time I was 16, I'd discovered Mad Max (last of the i4 interceptors?) Mighty Car Mods and Roadkill, and I had a gaggle of car friends, some of whom already had their first restos on the go, and my enthusiasm for cars was really growing. Every time I saw my stepdad, I would joke with him about him giving me his rotten old Manta so I could do it up, and he always jokingly said "Maybe one day." April this year, I'm in the pub with him and I say "So, when are you going to give me this manta?" and to my incredible surprise, he tells me I can have it as soon as I have space to keep it. Soon enough i'd struck a deal to get myself a garage to keep it in, and in late June it was time to collect it. I'd been up to look at it a grand total of once in the gap between being told I could have it and collecting it, and to my great surprise, there really wasn't that much wrong with it- there were a few things I knew about, brake lines, fuel pump and lines, and a few rust patches which had put this car into the garage in the first place, but the rust was nowhere near as bad as expected. When pickup day rolled around, it only took myself and another strong lad a couple of minutes to rock the car into unsiezing the back brakes, and within the hour it was on the back of a truck heading to its new home. As my first ever total restoration of a car (myself and the motley crew that are helping me out joke that it's a barn find because of how filthy it is!) I'm here for all the knowledge, advice and parts I can get, as well as for all the Manta related geekery. I'm DeeBob, and this is my Manta- Edited August 11, 2019 by DeeBob Extra Info 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Welcome Deebob, and great to see another new coupe joining the club 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutty2006 Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Welcome, looking forward to more pictures especially after you’ve given it a bath! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymanc Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 Welcome to the club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 A very warm welcome - enjoy your car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 Hi DeeBob, welcome on this forum. The right place for advice and help! Waiting for pics, grts Herman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike. Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 (edited) Hi DeeBob and a warm welcome, this is a question for all the anoraks on here, some geekery to start you off:- your Manta is an 1987 model which has the side indicators on the front wings........ shouldn’t the indicators be above the wing crease body line and the Manta GTE decals below it, just like the exclusive? Nice Manta you have there, I have a very similar one but it’s an 1985. Edited August 12, 2019 by Mike. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 2 hours ago, Mike. said: your Manta is an 1987 model which has the side indicators on the front wings........ shouldn’t the indicators be above the wing crease body line and the Manta GTE decals below it, just like the exclusive? Spot-on Mike. They should indeed. I suspect it's had replacement wings fitted and the holes for the indicators were drilled in the wrong position. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 It’s the small details like this that makes this club 👍 I would never have noticed it 🙀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealExile Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 Speaking of which my 1983 Coupe has a pair of wings with indicators, should it not have any? I wasn't sure if what looks like a cable was for the indicators? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeBob Posted August 13, 2019 Author Share Posted August 13, 2019 11 hours ago, Monaco Blue said: Spot-on Mike. They should indeed. I suspect it's had replacement wings fitted and the holes for the indicators were drilled in the wrong position. I'm astounded- I never even knew there was a difference and yet to some people it's clear as day! The car was involved in a smash in the early nineties that resulted in the bulk of the front end being replaced, which is likely the culprit here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted August 13, 2019 Share Posted August 13, 2019 (edited) 41 minutes ago, TheRealExile said: my 1983 Coupe has a pair of wings with indicators, should it not have any? I think the side indicators were only added in 1986, due to a change in the law re same. Edited August 13, 2019 by Monaco Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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