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My Hatch Project - Lots of pictures


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CAR0.jpg

Two into one will go. My old green Exclusive kindly donated many parts

for my other Manta, including doors, wings, hatch and interior. The white one was free (thanks dad)

car1.jpg

Picture of the engine bay before any work was done.That is a 2.2 engine.

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Battery tray. The black stuff you can see IS underseal! It took an age to remove but did preserve it well. Apart from

welding near the inner wing, it was basically sound. I made up a new raised bit for the

bonnet release cable so it doesn't sit in water.

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More underseal.More time to remove but sound underneath.

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Amazing what a clean and a bit of paint can do. The wing tops are nut and bolted on using plated brass items.

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Previous work here I decided to redo. Although basically sound, didn't look right, so I cut it out.

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New sections made up and welded in. That area is a pig to do because it tapers in towards the front and isn't just flat.

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The front scuttle was solid except for the ends. So decided to repair rather than replace.

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Good as new.

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Wing replaced.

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A good clean and new parts makes all the difference. (The bottom one if you haven't guessed!)

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Mmmm... This doesn't look to bad..

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Okay, it's a bit more crusty this end.

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B******S! holes and lots of filler.

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Eighteen inches needed to be replaced on the sill.

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A bolted on jacking point!

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Start of the welding marathon. The inner sill part replaced (and welded to the jacking point). I could jack the car up on

this piece alone.

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One piece of home-made sill.

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Time to start on the wheel arch.

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I thought, I'll make my own sections up. Never again!

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Lower back quarter. What the ****! The inner part was cut right back upto the swage line thats inside and from end to end

and then replaced with one single piece. The outside I used a modified coupe repair panel I had.

car21.jpg

More work. It was easier to remove the whole of the filler area and replace with new.

car22.jpg

Getting there. The hole for the filler neck was a bit tricky because it's offset. I must have spent about two hours measuring

my brothers Manta one up. I took measurements from what was left of mine as well. I had no idea if it would fit until it was

finished and ready for the tank to go on. The effort paid off and was spot on. I have done away with the original rubber-and-water-

trap-gommet and gone for a simple grommet.

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Starting to look like a car again.

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Fuel flap with rubber seal.

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The other side wasn't much better (this side was done first).

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More welding, cutting, grinding.... You've all been there.

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More paint - more new parts. New drums, pipes, cylinders, shoes. Uprated springs. Three of the four original ones were

broken. I didn't know at the time but a spring broke (a loud bang was all I heard) going over a speed bump when I was in

Hemel a couple of years ago and a long long way from home. The car felt the same so hoped it wouldn't collapse in a heap

going down the motorway but it was okay. The petrol tank is in fantastic condition still. It had two small patches several

years ago. After I cleaned the old paint off there was very little surface rust. A couple of coats of undercoat and topcoat

with a good coat of cavity wax as well, it should last. Before you ask, no the car isn't on the paint tin.

Just had to take the glass out of the hatch to repair a small hole in the corner in an otherwise excellent hatch.

I seem to finish one job then find two. One day soon it will be finished. I want it for the summer! I'm fed up with driving

a car that's warm, quite, reliable, starts every time. I miss the uncertainty!

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Good effort there, shows rotten cars can be saved!! My Black Coupe is about as bad as that and the same at the front footwell corners too, given me inspiration to get on with it...[8D]

Mick

OMOC 5924

middle_lane_shot.jpg

1980 Black Berlinetta Coupe, 2.0 SRI Project

1984 Silver GT/E Coupe, Road Rally Car

1980 Cavalier 1600 GL, Slammed Retro Cruiser

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I do wear gloves a lot when working on the car, just the disposable latex ones. Have got through several boxes.

As for the engine, it's from a Carlton ('84 I think).

The drivers side of the car was the worst side. If I had known it was this bad I might not have gone ahead with it.

My dad first brought the car back in 1988 as a wedding anniversary present for them both as it was the type of car they both wanted as me and my brother now had our own cars but unfortunately two years later I lost my mum to cancer so that was reason enough to keep going.

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Well impressed with work done, everybody who puts these projects on the forum give me enthusiasm to get my car body etc in good working order.and that nothing is impossible when you are determined to get the job done. I have finally got my car in to a workshop space to start on the bodywork, chasis etc, so hopefully soon my work will be progressed on the forum too.

Rob

Membership No.5890

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Rear arch sections eh?[xx(]

I'd rather do 10 chassis rail repairs than one rear arch, absolute pig to get right. I done 2 of these last year very similar to yours Exclusive Opel, then found I had to do approx one third each side of the Hatchback I got. So when I read your comments that go with the pics I knew exactly what you were on about.

Hope you're feeling proud Exclusive Opel, you deserve to be after that work, very impressive feat you've performed there

V8 'B' series Manta coupe.

SEH 'B' series Manta Coupe.

CIH 'B' series Manta hatch (daily drive) soon to be turbo'd.

http://www.customsolutions.me.uk

perhaps one day then.

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Thank you for all the kind words, makes it all worth the effort in the end.

Couple of more pics. The hatch is now done. A couple of small insignificant bits and a small rust hole. Chopped out the rust and let in new metal. Why is it always a corner!

hatch1.jpg

hatch2.jpg

I stripped the paint off to the bare metal on the lower half of the hatch and was amazed to find no other rust, even on the edges [^]

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Well done!! The work on the rear jacking points / arches looked worse than any I have done, like the other guy said I would rather do chassie rails than rear arches. Your mum would be proud![:)][^]

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  • 3 months later...

Thought it was about time I done an update on mine.

update1.jpg

update2.jpg

Both sides are now resprayed with just the bonnet and bumpers to do.

update3.jpg

Red and white Mantas, very patriotic!

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Really pleased how this back corner has turned out, considering I had to replace most of the lower half inside and out.

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Back lights are now in along with the infill panel.

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I thought I would give colour coded handles a try.

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update11.jpg

How to hang a door yourself.(felt like using it on myself sometimes when things go wrong!)

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That is looking very nice indeed, The door hanging method looks familiar, in my old workshop i had a similar method, now i am on an industrial estate there is usually a hand to be found somewhere.

Its pics like these that keep me going with my fleet of projects.

I have always been here,

I have always looked out from behind these eyes.

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I love the your project section on this site, it really does lift your spirits when you get back from a hard nights work on your car feeling like the work will never end to see the brilliant results members are getting with their cars. I hope mine looks this good when it's finished.

Dan

4f8.jpg

Member: 5612

http://www.mantaclub.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6321

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Thanks for all your kind words, it really makes it all worthwhile. One thing I will say is white paint + digital photos are very forgiving! Probably looks better than it really is. I'm glad to say the back is now finished all by a few spots of underseal to apply and hang the rear box.

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Heres a shot of the petrol flap open. Note the absence of the original grommet and replaced with something more simple and less likely to trap water. Adding the rubber seal on the flap had an extra bonus because it stops the flap from going in to far.

update13.jpg

Rear bumper now painted and fitted and yes I have opted to keep the fog light in the same place. All lights worked first time as well! I had forgotten how noisy the rear washer pump is when empty.

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The corners of the bumper are a bit of a close fit.

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Also sprayed the underneath of the bonnet today which was fun...not. Not the easiest thing to spray. Looks good in the photo (see previous comment) but is a bit ropey. All the inside of the rear quarters, arches and rear have had a good dose of wax as well.

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  • 4 months later...

Another update on this one. Engine all in now and running. A couple of bits to screw back on, some more wax, bleed the brakes, paint the wheels and fit new tyres, fit decals, a couple of square inches to spray and some other odds and sod's still left to do (note to self - tighten the fan nut up)!

I wouldn't describe it as perfect, just tidy.

Here's some more pics:

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This is the size of garage it was all done in.

P1010109.jpg

A shot with my brothers 1.8

sig.jpg

OMOC 5866

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