Red 1984 GT/J hatch - Seen in the club years ago, colourful engine bay, but now looks a bit of a wreck.

[Rick-Manta]

Anyone bidding on this? I am, but let me know if you're trying to get it, as I'm close to what I'd want to pay already, so will hold off instead of bidding it up for you.

I remember this at Billing for a few years. The owner was a painter and ended up painting the engine and most of the plastics in some very bright "Lego" colours. I felt bad for him when he lost out on the concours 3rd place, as people voted for a trailer/barbeque over his car! 

I had a A-reg GT/J, what was technically the "base model" hatch for two years. I'd love to get another and put it back to that spec with the steel wheels that were commonly on Astras, the Donegal Tweed seats with plastic hollow headrests. They also had vinyl rather than carpeted boot area and something else unique to this model that I've long forgotten. This one, mine, the one featured in the dealer brochures and another I saw about town in the late 90s were all red too, but that may well have been a coincidence. 

I've got to say the listing description is pretty poor. No mention of the obviously missing parts or the work done on the "seals" and arches. I guess it'll get the money because of the gearbox.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134890028542?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230811123856%26meid%3D6507382474214effa43e6186cc604f03%26pid%3D101770%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D134890028542%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2&_trksid=p4375194.c101770.m146925&_trkparms=parentrq%3A0f693e0e18d0ab3a1705690ffffef7a0|pageci%3A129c7cf1-b3fc-11ee-8a2c-fa66ab353ec3|iid%3A1|vlpname%3Avlp_homepage

[®evo03]

Bought said 😂

Barbeques are over rated 😂

Red 18s would make a nice wee car put back to barbeque spec, oh, I mean original spec, can't be many left, and originality is King 👑

Edited January 15 by ®evo03

[1200bandit]

The red one is up to £2,600 ,Are prices on the up again 

[Rick-Manta]

Reserve not met at my latest bid. For what's obviously a project, I think he's a little optimistic. A red GTE hatch with some questionable mods sold for £2500 towards the end of last year and that was running and driving. I'd be gutted if this one gets it's gearbox swiped as there were hardly any of the "C" or "B2" series GT/Js.

[®evo03]

Is there a difference between 18s and 1.8gtj? Any spec difference. Both had poverty seats, both square lights.  

Worth a lot more, standard and unmodified. Nice reversion project for someone. 

[Rick-Manta]

5 minutes ago, ®evo03 said:

Is there a difference between 18s and 1.8gtj? Any spec difference. Both had poverty seats, both square lights.  

Worth a lot more, standard and unmodified. Nice reversion project for someone. 

No, the seats and interior were different and not like the other 1.8s, they had hollow plastic headrests like a Nova, and a rougher, thick seat material called Donegal tweed; the door cards were in Donegal tweed too. My GT/J was broken to XE a guy's Chevette and I wish I'd have kept the cards and I've never seen any anywhere else either on or off a car. No 1.8s had the Recaros, so the seats we're more familiar with were actually the Berlinetta option in 1983/4. There was a lot more vinyl than carpet, all were non-sunroof hatches and according to the brochure, the rear wash-wipe was an optional extra that looks like it never came to have a non-wiper version and instead all hatches had it.

Not sure on the steel wheels. I think I saw later "GT" models with them, with the option for the Berlinetta alloys.

[1900SR]

5 hours ago, ®evo03 said:

Is there a difference between 18s and 1.8gtj? Any spec difference. Both had poverty seats, both square lights.  

Worth a lot more, standard and unmodified. Nice reversion project for someone. 

1.8S was just the engine designation, so all 1800 Mantas in the UK were 1.8S, whether GT/J, later GT or Berlinetta.

[®evo03]

Is Donegal tweed the lighter grey colour. 

Hatches had more of a mix match, on spec, four different model names, 18s, GTJ, GT and berlinetta, I think mine is a 1.8s, but something else on V5. 

The later exclusives where a get what you're given spec, think they ran out of twin headlights in the end. Body bump stops with skirts fitted.  

[1900SR]

This was my old 1.8 Berlinetta hatch, as you can see just badged 1.8S on the boot, but Berlinetta on the side.

[Jessopia74]

1 hour ago, 1900SR said:

This was my old 1.8 Berlinetta hatch, as you can see just badged 1.8S on the boot, but Berlinetta on the side.

I think that would be right. I don’t believe they badged Berlinetta on any boots. 

[1900SR]

So as far as the UK market was concerned, the B2 was launched in September 1982, originally available only with the 1.8S engine. You could have a  2 door coupe in Berlinetta spec, or 3 door hatchback as either GT/J or Berlinetta. (In July 1983 the GT/E was introduced as either a hatchback or Coupe with the old favourite 2.0 CIH with injection). Then in August 1983 the GT/J was renamed the GT. A few minor changes were made to specs through production, then in September 1987 the GT became the GT Exclusive for the run out models and the Berlinetta Hatch was discontinued (The Berlinetta Coupe was dropped in October 1986 leaving the coupe only available as a 2.0).

[1200bandit]

Went up to £3.400 not sold?

[Rick-Manta]

11 hours ago, 1900SR said:

Then in August 1983 the GT/J was renamed the GT...

Less than a year for the GT/J "B2" then. This one and mine were A-reg, so must have been registered right at the end of the changeover (that's what made me think they were run for a little longer). Almost all registered would be Y-plate in that case.

On 19/01/2024 at 20:20, ®evo03 said:

Is Donegal tweed the lighter grey colour. 

It was more dark grey, but it was a different material altogether than all the other trims. Looked like the duffle coats we wore in the late 70s early 80s. If anyone has the red Manta brochure from 1982 you can see the seats of the GT/J in all their basic glory--as well as how each model was specced.

Hey, check out the side door decals they had. The reproductions were even discontinued when I was trying to do mine in around 2008-9 so I was busy making up templates, not realising you can easily make the J from the G on any manta decal. I later got a tattoo of my daughter's name, Millicent, all in the Manta font by simply using the sections of GTE decals.

Supplying 3 is technically wrong as has been said, the "Manta GT/J" or "Berlinetta" appears only on the side, and "Manta 1.8S" on the rear; not to be confused when we're saying 1.8s to describe 1800s.

Edited January 21 by Rick-Manta

[1900SR]

Yes the B2 GT/J was very short lived, although I'm sure there was unsold stock lying around for a while. Trim wise at launch as you say the GT/J had Donegal Tweed with the "see through head restraints" as the launch brochure desribes it, and the Berlinetta had Lyon Velour with cloth covered head restraints. I've got an early 1984 brochure which shows that by the time the GT had arrived it also had velour and cloth covered head restraints the same as the Berlinetta, and then in around 1985 the trim changed to that striped grey cloth on both models.

I suspect the decal kit supplying 3 GT/J stickers may be right, as I think there was one on the front spoiler, certainly the GT shown in the early brochure does have the logo  there as well.

[Rick-Manta]

Ah yes, I forgot about the front bumper/spoiler decal.

[hoobby]

My old gtj before full restoration by full fullsunian.

"Now the car is a strange one, its a standard 1982 GT/J coupe with none opening quarter glass, none tinted glass, no spoiler on the boot lid, the one on the car was added later and has a 20 litre S engine running a carb and 4 speed gearbox all in a late big bumper/air dam shell.. The 4 speed gear lever enters the car through a hole in the tunnel that is in the same place as a 5 speed. The 20S engine and 4 speed box are original, as is the 5 speed hole in the transmission tunnel. I have a German sales brochure from 1982 show the exact same model with both big bumper/air dam and 20S with 4 speed box, basically a bottom of the range car. A chat with James down in Bristol also confirmed that its an original car. Ironically I have a letter from the club dated mid 90s saying its a modified car and someone has fitted an earlier engine and gearbox!."

[1900SR]

9 hours ago, hoobby said:

My old gtj before full restoration by full fullsunian.

"Now the car is a strange one, its a standard 1982 GT/J coupe with none opening quarter glass, none tinted glass, no spoiler on the boot lid, the one on the car was added later and has a 20 litre S engine running a carb and 4 speed gearbox all in a late big bumper/air dam shell.. The 4 speed gear lever enters the car through a hole in the tunnel that is in the same place as a 5 speed. The 20S engine and 4 speed box are original, as is the 5 speed hole in the transmission tunnel. I have a German sales brochure from 1982 show the exact same model with both big bumper/air dam and 20S with 4 speed box, basically a bottom of the range car. A chat with James down in Bristol also confirmed that its an original car. Ironically I have a letter from the club dated mid 90s saying its a modified car and someone has fitted an earlier engine and gearbox!."

Was that car a personal import, or maybe sold to a member of the British Forces Posted Overseas as it certainly does not appear to be UK spec, but is right hand drive?

 

[®evo03]

Any photos of the brochures, 

Interesting specs for different markets. 

[hoobby]

4 hours ago, 1900SR said:

Was that car a personal import

The reg document stated originally used abroad and was right hand drive I assumed probably someone in the forces.

4 hours ago, ®evo03 said:

Any photos of the brochures

You will have to contact fullsunian the quoted text was from him.

[®evo03]

Think at the time it was cheaper to import. From New. A few GSI cars here, from new.

Avoiding UK tax 👍

[1900SR]

11 hours ago, ®evo03 said:

Think at the time it was cheaper to import. From New. A few GSI cars here, from new.

Avoiding UK tax 👍

If it was a BFPO buy then it would have been tax free as long as it stayed in Europe (Germany usually) for a period of time before coming to the UK. Personal imports were also popular in the 80s as cars were quite a bit dearer in the UK than in Europe, but that wasn't down to tax. A lot of UK cars found themselves getting specced up to make them better value, such as the sunroof becoming standard on UK spec Mantas from around 1985.

[Rick-Manta]

Wow! Never seen a B2/C coupe body shell with the early B running gear in. Even that "2.0S" badge isn't something we ever saw here.

My 2nd ever Manta was an Anthracite 1.8S Berlinetta hatch which was registered overseas but right-hand drive, oddly getting registered "new" on an A-plate, despite it being used wherever it was first used. I remember it being difficult trying to get insurance as a lot of clueless idiots at the call centres said "If it's Opel, then it's an import scoff scoff. It would be Vauxhall if it wasn't snarf snarf.." which was frustrating, but in the case of some of these, they were first registered overseas, again despite being declared new at first registration.. 

Edited February 1 by Rick-Manta