ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 (edited) So another project has happened 🥴 this one me and Danny have decided to restore together. We have worked on each others cars and helped each other out over the years but never done a full resto together till now. With our combined manta knowledge and capabilities we are expecting this to be pretty straight forward and turn out great once finished. Dan found this car and knows more of its history than me, so I'll let him add some of the back story. I'm looking forward to this one and should be a very special car once finished. Progress has already started and I'll continue to upload as we go along. On the whole the shell is really good with only minimal welding in the usual swan neck/chassis rail areas. With the exception of the odd little patch in the floor pans and a small repair to rear arch that's pretty much it for the welding. 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. Opps no Idea how it ended up in the tech help section 🥴 Edited October 26, 2021 by ANDY ABBOTT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutty2006 Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 I do love a red coupe! All the best to your project! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monaco Blue Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Will look forward to watching progress. Looks pretty tidy. No MOT history so presumably been stored away for years. Being red on a D plate, presumably it's not an original Exclusive. Not that it matters. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 24, 2021 Author Share Posted October 24, 2021 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Monaco Blue said: Will look forward to watching progress. Looks pretty tidy. No MOT history so presumably been stored away for years. Being red on a D plate, presumably it's not an original Exclusive. Not that it matters. It's actually an exclusive before exclusives was released 😉 although irmscher exclusives was all D plates but mind you no red ones Project thread now started in the correct section Edited October 24, 2021 by ANDY ABBOTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny D114BCW Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 The car was owned by the legend that was Ian Virco. I don't quite know when Ian acquired the car as no logbook has landed yet but it was last on the road in 2005 and was put in a barn to preserve it before it started to become rusty/rotten. If memory serves me correctly the car was bought new in 86 by a company to be used as a company car by one of the employees, as it was a GTE with the rarer brown Recaro seats the person who would be driving the car (who went on to buy it off the company) asked if he could pay the dealership direct and spec the car to look more 400/Exclusive - hence the narrow type Irmscher spoiler, quads, black wheels and rear bumper. It was rarely used and lived in a garage most of its life from the early 90s and then subsequently in a barn for 16 years from 2005 which would explain why the shell is so good. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny D114BCW Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 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. 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...
Jonathan Pounsett Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 You’ll need to repair the boot floor if you lift the front any higher! I put the rear wheels on ramps and then I only need the front 500 or 600mm from horizontal. Good luck with the resto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny D114BCW Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 55 minutes ago, Jonathan Pounsett said: You’ll need to repair the boot floor if you lift the front any higher! I put the rear wheels on ramps and then I only need the front 500 or 600mm from horizontal. Good luck with the resto! It was only to get the running gear out. Will be getting done over a pit and on a rotisserie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 2 hours ago, Jonathan Pounsett said: You’ll need to repair the boot floor if you lift the front any higher! I put the rear wheels on ramps and then I only need the front 500 or 600mm from horizontal. Good luck with the resto! Boot floor is fine, we have done this many a time with no issues its precession work 😉😀 Floors looking good with only small patches required in the usual spots over the jacking points 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...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 A posts looking good also 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...
Vince Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Thought I recognised this car. I'm sure I saw it on the A508 just outside Milton Keynes on the back of a transporter last week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 (edited) All stripped and on the jig ready for welding 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. Edited October 25, 2021 by ANDY ABBOTT 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny D114BCW Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 3 hours ago, Vince said: Thought I recognised this car. I'm sure I saw it on the A508 just outside Milton Keynes on the back of a transporter last week. Yep, that was this one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutty2006 Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Do you use one of them weird looking wheels on a grinder to clean the underseal/paint off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooker Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Is that the adjudicator on his phone for the Manta rebuild Guinness record attempt? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 25, 2021 Author Share Posted October 25, 2021 26 minutes ago, Sutty2006 said: Do you use one of them weird looking wheels on a grinder to clean the underseal/paint off? Yes also a roloc, DA sander, heat gun and few other things 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 Good to see one Ian’s motors getting some love. He would be elated 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 26, 2021 Author Share Posted October 26, 2021 (edited) A little bit more stripping of the underside today so we can make sure theres no hidden nasties under there. Really suprised so far. Once it's all stripped to bare metal I'll start getting the new chassis in. 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. Edited October 28, 2021 by ANDY ABBOTT 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted October 27, 2021 Share Posted October 27, 2021 Shiny metal without holes is always pleasant to see. Cracking work so far chaps 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Great to see it getting saved lads, always liked the red exclusive, black wheels, green tinted glass. Mr Virco would be blown away at this progress, a bit of a dark horse, any idea how many mantas he owned? Remember him selling a early b, 1976, and it slowed in progress and project dissapeared? Shame he didnt get to see more of his saves get put back on the road, Ian was the one who travelled in his old beford recovery collecting these up, saving them from the crusher, when they where not sort after. Great project, keep her lit! Great to see it getting saved lads, always liked the red exclusive, black wheels, green tinted glass. Mr Virco would be blown away at this progress, a bit of a dark horse, any idea how many mantas he owned? Remember him selling a early b, 1976, and it slowed in progress and project dissapeared? Shame he didnt get to see more of his saves get put back on the road, Ian was the one who travelled in his old beford recovery collecting these up, saving them from the crusher, when they where not sort after. Great project, keep her lit! 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...
Danny D114BCW Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Sadly a lot were broken as they were rotten hatches. This car is a GTE not an exclusive and we are hoping to do him proud with this one as it was the only one he never wanted to part with. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanMc Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 Good work and good luck lads - this car is in very safe hands 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted October 31, 2021 Author Share Posted October 31, 2021 (edited) Some stuff landed ready to rebuild the engine. Chassis rails and swan necks arrived and a box full of zink Rich primer too Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Edited October 31, 2021 by ANDY ABBOTT 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted November 9, 2021 Author Share Posted November 9, 2021 Bit more done on the red rocket last Saturday & today. More stripping down to metal on the underside and all bare metal coated in phosphoric acid. Crossmember stripped apart for blasting, painting and polly bushes to go in. Drivers side chassis rail and swan neck inner and outer removed and replaced. Hopfull on the the other side tomorrow. 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. 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...
ANDY ABBOTT Posted November 10, 2021 Author Share Posted November 10, 2021 Passenger inner and outer rails done today 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. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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