Hallo, another newbie

[BarryD89]

Hi all, just a quick intro. I’m of an age where MK1 Cavaliers, and Opel Manta Berlinetta’s were our second cars (normally after the first post driving test cars expired through either a lack of talent or rapid rust).  In the mid late 80s I was always into Triumph ragtops so never went down the Manta route.  

My long suffering wife agreed that I could have another Funday car, so I’ve been recently looking at tax free TR7s, and TVR Tasmins.  Neither car are really suitable for a long legged six foot plus chap whose not as flexible as he was. When I recalled the Coupe and Sports hatches of my youth.  And started looking round for a suitable car.  I was tracking some auction sites, - my car ownership rule is simple - I have to want it, and it must either have a sunroof or be a ragtop. 
 

Fueled by red wine, I won a low mileage Manta B sports hatch last night for a reasonable sum, leaving a few K in the budget to sort the immediate issues - I hope.  There a small parts trawl to do, but I think it’s a good rolling project.  Please be prepared for some really stupid questions - the most obvious one will be why didn’t I ask on here first 🤓

Catch you on line and maybe in a pub car park someday.  
 

 

 

[Mike.]

Hi and welcome,

very nice looking Manta you have there, I did see it online and looking through the pictures it looks well kept, only requiring small rust issues addressed but nothing major. Great purchase 👍

[cam.in.head]

hi. yes looking at that picture if its a current one it looks a good car. and it stands up well too .(nice wheelarch gaps)

lots of things for you to check on it and plenty of advice and parts on here for you as well.

 

[®evo03]

Great well preserved Manta.... Any plans, 

[BarryD89]

22 minutes ago, ®evo03 said:

Great well preserved Manta.... Any plans, 

Early days, and I’ve not seen the car yet.  But review and address the advisories, stabilise the bodywork, sort the glaring naughty bits and enjoy it. I’m not a stickler for originality but I will lean towards stock and as is.  It will be a used Funday car and not a garage queen though. 

[1200bandit]

Looking very nice and shiny.

I got one about 18 months ago,looked well in the photos 

Got it delivered from Ireland ,give it a good look over ,been working on it , never had it on the road,

Had a 12 mouth MOT on it. ( it’s on your project lrish blue)

Hopfully the manta will be sweet 

[Jessopia74]

Well done Barry, should be a great platform for the fundays 👍

[Sutty2006]

Welcome along! I do love a 1.8 gt exclusive. It is an exclusive isn’t it? I saw it on eBay but didn’t look further. Love the carmine red, mine started out a carmine red GT hatch but is far from it now 

 

[chrisb]

Welcome to Manta ownership, Your not too far away from me, im in Daventry. There are a few of us in the Midlands area with Mantas.

[Rick-Manta]

Well done on the purchase! I couldn't reply to you on my "Cars Wanted" topic as I think non-members are restricted from it for some reason. I was only a £100 away, huh?  My limit was £5500 on that beauty as I ideally want a C-reg or earlier, but at least this one is actually a genuine low miler (unlike most I've seen that have actually been around the clock) and it was just down the road from me. Once that bodywork is sorted out, and you've got the decals on correctly, I'm confident the car will be worth a lot more than you put into it. Have you collected yet? I was curious about the cam belt, as since this is genuinely 39k miles, then unless the guy who auctioned it changed it, it might be worth checking before driving it any distance. I didn't see any mention of it in the history and normally it's something a seller would state if done--it's easy to do on them being inline.

Say, if on the off-chance you decide the hatch isn't for you, I'd still be interested in it and you mentioned you were looking for tax/mot free stuff. I do have a tall person compatible '77 Cavalier (MK1s are Manta platform) to part-ex, but will need a sunroof added (which I could do).

Edited November 7, 2022 by Rick-Manta
Spelling

[BarryD89]

Hi @Rick-Manta (thanks for not being in a huff at the out bid) time will see, she arrives tomorrow - I kinda hope I fit in.  I’m having it shipped from the auction house as the v5 is old style and I cannot tax it until I get a new one.  My thoughts were to get it fully serviced - all fluids, filters etc and water pump and cam belt done straightaway.  There’s a few classic friendly garages around here.  Then to sort the advisories and look at the bodywork. I’ve a friend (Chairman of the Vauxhall Cavalier club) whose 6’5” and he was saying the Manta is not a tall persons car as well… My wife will royally roast me if I’ve bought another car unseen that I don’t fit into lol 

[IanG]

I was quite shocked how tight space was when I bought my coupe, not a lot of headroom and I’m 5’9”!

Not quite as I remembered space wise but lots of fun 🤩.

[cam.in.head]

have you got standard seats ? 

im 6' and have a gap above my head no problems ? i find them a little more cramped in the rear ,mainly leg wise but not above me ? 

[®evo03]

Yes, seat full back, zero leg room in back....

But workable, modern cars are larger in both height and width. Part it amongst modern cars, it looks tiny. 

[BarryD89]

39 minutes ago, ®evo03 said:

Yes, seat full back, zero leg room in back....

Well I don’t sit in the back, so not unduly worried.  Tomorrow will tell 🤓

[IanG]

1 hour ago, cam.in.head said:

have you got standard seats ? 

im 6' and have a gap above my head no problems ? i find them a little more cramped in the rear ,mainly leg wise but not above me ? 

 

1 hour ago, cam.in.head said:

have you got standard seats ? 

im 6' and have a gap above my head no problems ? i find them a little more cramped in the rear ,mainly leg wise but not above me ? 

Short legs, long body, think I was a Friday afternoon job lol

[BarryD89]

Well she’s here and all seems good.  Tax to sort when the V5 arrives… 

[cam.in.head]

excellent. thats certainly looks good on first impressions. 

its got a few years behind it so there will obviously be some issues but hopefully nothing too serious.

i assume after reading various bits and bobs on here that you know the main rust areas to check .plenty of advice and parts available when you need them .i had a 1.8 berlinetta hatch many years back. plenty fast enough to keep up with modern traffic and quite economical too.unleaded capable as standard but id try and avoid the E10 fuel if you can ,esso synergy 99 is a good option if its available by you.or your own personal preferance/combination.

 

[Rick-Manta]

Fantastic that it's with you now. Although it's a shame I didn't know your plans earlier, as I would have done you mates' rates on a major service, inspection and could have driven the car to you after. I'm a mobile mechanic specialising in classics and know the 1.8 better than the GTE. As above, definately get a tank of Esso Synergy or Shell V-Power through it, as they're both ethanol-free in the South (I've personally tested them for my Youtube channel) and all 1.8S and post-85 GTEs can run unleaded. Ethanol WILL damage the carb as well as rubber, silicone and plastic parts, despite anyone saying their car runs fine on it (which I kept hearing at this year's car shows!) 

Edited November 10, 2022 by Rick-Manta

[BarryD89]

Most kind of you @Rick-Mantabut would I have ever got her back lol.  Shame I’m out of area as I’d take you up,  Agreed she will get the good stuff fuel wise - it will probably take me a couple of months to go through a tank just bimbilling around.  

[Irmscher Man]

Hi Barry, Looks like you’ve got a nice project there, which should be enjoyable quite quickly. As everyone has mentioned, you should get lots of help on here and the 1.8 engine is a joy to work on….engine parts are easy enough to find at the moment being a GM family 2 engine used in many guises and cars over the years. It’s also quite easy to mildly tune and there are a few different replacement cams available that will liven it up a bit if you fancy it.

Like ChrisB, I’m pretty local to you (near Daventry too) so meeting in a pub car park can be easily arranged. I’ve also got a 1.8 Hatch but mines a bit older…..and golder! (See pic).
 

Looking forward to meeting you in the future. 

[AL Patrick]

Hello

I wondering if someone here can help my Dad relive some old memories:

Dad was in the RAF and based in Germany in the mid 70's. On leaving he bought a brand new series A Manta and drove back to the UK. It was his first brand new car, an awesome shade of 70's brown and thus immensely proud. However, and the story gets a bit vague here, he wrote it off... apparently on dual carriageway somewhere in the midlands and around a bridge! Pride hurt as well as wallet, I think he ended up in a Hillman Imp afterwards and has never sat in or driven a Series A Manta ever since - as I'm often reminded after a couple of pints. 

I'd love to get him a drive / ride in Series A for him sometime this summer, maybe at an event / rally. We're both into cars, him having worked in the industry for 40 years first at Rover than at Lotus as a instrumentation engineer and thus it passing on to me. He lives in Sheringham North Norfolk me in London but we get about across the country nevertheless.

So question to the for the forum:

- Are there any events this summer those of you will a series A will be attending?

- If so would you be willing to take him for a short drive whilst there?

 

Many thanks

AL

[Sutty2006]

2 hours ago, AL Patrick said:

Hello

I wondering if someone here can help my Dad relive some old memories:

Dad was in the RAF and based in Germany in the mid 70's. On leaving he bought a brand new series A Manta and drove back to the UK. It was his first brand new car, an awesome shade of 70's brown and thus immensely proud. However, and the story gets a bit vague here, he wrote it off... apparently on dual carriageway somewhere in the midlands and around a bridge! Pride hurt as well as wallet, I think he ended up in a Hillman Imp afterwards and has never sat in or driven a Series A Manta ever since - as I'm often reminded after a couple of pints. 

I'd love to get him a drive / ride in Series A for him sometime this summer, maybe at an event / rally. We're both into cars, him having worked in the industry for 40 years first at Rover than at Lotus as a instrumentation engineer and thus it passing on to me. He lives in Sheringham North Norfolk me in London but we get about across the country nevertheless.

So question to the for the forum:

- Are there any events this summer those of you will a series A will be attending?

- If so would you be willing to take him for a short drive whilst there?

 

Many thanks

AL

VBOA at Sywell aerodrome will be the answer you’re looking for I think. More details on this in the events section. 

[1900SR]

5 hours ago, AL Patrick said:

Hello

I wondering if someone here can help my Dad relive some old memories:

Dad was in the RAF and based in Germany in the mid 70's. On leaving he bought a brand new series A Manta and drove back to the UK. It was his first brand new car, an awesome shade of 70's brown and thus immensely proud. However, and the story gets a bit vague here, he wrote it off... apparently on dual carriageway somewhere in the midlands and around a bridge! Pride hurt as well as wallet, I think he ended up in a Hillman Imp afterwards and has never sat in or driven a Series A Manta ever since - as I'm often reminded after a couple of pints. 

I'd love to get him a drive / ride in Series A for him sometime this summer, maybe at an event / rally. We're both into cars, him having worked in the industry for 40 years first at Rover than at Lotus as a instrumentation engineer and thus it passing on to me. He lives in Sheringham North Norfolk me in London but we get about across the country nevertheless.

So question to the for the forum:

- Are there any events this summer those of you will a series A will be attending?

- If so would you be willing to take him for a short drive whilst there?

 

Many thanks

AL

I'm in Lincoln but do venture closer to Norfolk (did live near King's Lynn for a few years). I'm not booked in for much yet, but will probably attend some breakfast meets at The Ivys on the A17 at Swineshead near Boston. I'm also hoping to get to the King's Lynn show this year, but as with a lot of static shows it'll be parked there all day, although could possibly go for a spin after the show ends.