Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Though it was about time I started a thread for the long road ahead. I've had numerous Manta's back in the 80's and 90's. Started off with a 83 Berlinetta hatch (TOC 80Y wonder what happened to that?), had a 1.8 coupe non sunroof with a 400 kit (soon grew out of that) and finally C419 GOV which was the best car I ever owned. Had this car for a number of years. Loved it. Pampered it. Then life got in the way. Marriage, kids, Mortgage reluctantly the Manta had to go. The Manta was easy to sell, Mum's partner Kev wanted it. Perfect I thought, I could keep an eye on it and when the time was right buy it back. Sale was agreed with the condition that I had first option to buy it back when it came up for sale again. Deal done. Then disaster. Mum & Kev split up! Not long after we lost Mum. The car although now a long way down the priority list was gone. Or so I thought! 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Fast forward 25 years, As I've said I loved that Manta. Toyed with getting another one numerous times, always glancing through Ebay and autotrader but for whatever reason never took the plunge again. earlier this year for once I looked on Facebook Market place. Up popped an advert for a rough Manta GTE for restoration. The first photo was the front of the car. "Nice Exclusive" I thought seeing the twin lights & red decals. Looked at the second photo which was the rear of the car & nearly fell off my seat. Staring at me was the registration C419 GOV!!! It was my car! Didn't recognise it from the front due to the broken number plate. Didn't care about the condition had to have the car back. Then followed what seems like hours of frantic messages & calls finally got hold of the owner. It was Kev, Mum's ex partner. Deal done & "The GOV" was mine again. Just the small task of moving the car. 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. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 There are even plants growing in the interieur... Thanks for sharing that story, and succes with the restoration. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 1 minute ago, H-400 said: There are even plants growing in the interieur... Thanks for sharing that story, and succes with the restoration. LoL yeah the brambles came in through the missing rear window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bris jas Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Great story, good luck with the restoration. Keep the pictures coming! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Finally viewing the car (agreed to take the car back unseen) showed up the true horror of the task ahead. Sitting in the garden for 20 years had taken it's toll. 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. Not sure why some photo's are uploading upside down. Any idea's ? Moving the car during a lockdown was fun. No Choice really as Kev was selling the house it had to go. Mind another winter in that garden would have probably finished it off. Now tucked up in it's temporary home whilst I source parts. 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. 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. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealExile Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Look forward to seeing your updates, brilliant that you found your car after all these years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 2 minutes ago, TheRealExile said: Look forward to seeing your updates, brilliant that you found your car after all these years. Thanks, The task ahead is very scary. The O/S swan neck is non existent The current stage of the project is the hunt for parts. Stock is slowly growing but plenty still to find. 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. Can anyone fix the upside down Photo's & tell me why some are posting this way? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealExile Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Hmmm it was happening to me too when uploading from a mobile, worked fine with images edited to size web large on Microsoft Photo Editor on the PC though, newer versions of office have killed it off but the normal windows photo editor can seemingly resize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike. Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Great to hear your reunited with your old manta, look forward to reading the progress updates 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumpy Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 love it will be following the build 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 What a great back story! Will keep an eye on the build and if you get stuck for parts I am sure we can all help you find something you to get past been stuck. Great to see these reunited stories, gives me a big silly smile 😀 I still have the log book from my 87 GTE Excl that 'went missing' but I doubt that will reappear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 7 minutes ago, Jessopia74 said: What a great back story! Will keep an eye on the build and if you get stuck for parts I am sure we can all help you find something you to get past been stuck. Great to see these reunited stories, gives me a big silly smile 😀 I still have the log book from my 87 GTE Excl that 'went missing' but I doubt that will reappear. Thanks Replacement inner wings, rear panel & the crossmember under the front seats (highlighted in the picture are difficult to find. 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...
Jessopia74 Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 NOS inner wings are available as is front panel, but bloody expensive. That crossmember will need to come from a salvaged car I suspect, and are usually in good condition. Let's see how things go when you get started cutting the crud off 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumpy Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) opel parts greece on here has inner wings theyre around the £290 mark each plus post.......my badjust found the messagebit cheaper than i thought... a nose cone around 1100 from germany i think and i may have the x member in mint condition on a shell cut as well as a complete bulkhead/battery tray section OPEL PARTS GREECE 29 Started conversation: October 20 Hello New full inner wing panels are available in genuine and new at 250GBP per item + delivery costs If you may not find them local....send pm Best regards Anthony Quote stumpy 154 Replied: October 20 himate thank you very much for the reply could yuplease get apostage cost for them to be sent to south wales united kingdom Quote OPEL PARTS GREECE 29 Replied: October 20 Delivery costs for both of them will be: +113GBP delivered with normal way delivery or Edited December 22, 2020 by stumpy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 2 hours ago, Jessopia74 said: NOS inner wings are available as is front panel, but bloody expensive. That crossmember will need to come from a salvaged car I suspect, and are usually in good condition. Let's see how things go when you get started cutting the crud off Thanks for the tip. Are the sections between the inner wing & nose cone available or do I need to raid a used set? Still investigating what the car needs. As soon as I get the bonnet finally open (going to have to get brutal with it) and remove the seats / carpets I'll have a better understanding of the task ahead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 That part between nose and inner wings is part of the nose cone, it comes as a complete assembly, I do not even ever seeing and repair sections advertised for them. Usual just sheet steel us cut to make replacement sections (patches if needed). If you get yourself a metal worker leather (sand) bag and bossing mallet you can make nice radius sections very easily ( stretching the steel sheet). there are a fair few parts that will need to be fabricated, but some are starting to batch run certain repair parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumpy Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) i have a complete nose cone here and another that woud be good for sections if you send pic of what you mean if you dont fancy making them] i can blast them back to clean steel ready for trimming fitting Edited December 22, 2020 by stumpy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 2 hours ago, stumpy said: i have a complete nose cone here and another that woud be good for sections if you send pic of what you mean if you dont fancy making them] i can blast them back to clean steel ready for trimming fitting Thanks. I'll take some photos when I finally get the bonnet open 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullsunian Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 Brilliant, just love the story! Good luck with the parts collecting and project. Dave at Mantasport is always good for parts, a chat and advice. I have a roll over jig here in Grantham, which isnt far away and doing nothing now.. Ian 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 Great story - good luck and please keep us all updated with progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 Due to the current lockdown no actual work has taken place on the car (it's stored 30 miles from home). However doesn't stop me collecting all the parts it's going to need. Here's some of the latest purchases. 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. 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...
H-400 Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Those body panels are normally very expensive, hope you didn't had to grab too deep in your pockets. Succes with the restoration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 1 minute ago, H-400 said: Those body panels are normally very expensive, hope you didn't had to grab too deep in your pockets. Succes with the restoration. Yes very expensive. Didn't help the piggy bank that I had to pay for shipping from Malta to the uk. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Vince, great story, great project, what a find, would i have my first manta back? No thanks, it was even a exclusive, but been there! Dont wanna do that. What did you order parts from Malta? What bits did you get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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