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1976 Opel Manta coupe. A long haul project. Engine running!


sutty2006

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I’ve many projects. This one I bought for £60 in 2008 because I was after an engine for my other later manta.

a lot of welding has been done. I’ll post up more when I’m less tired. But here’s today’s picture. I’ve turned it round in my unit today so I can have a go at repairing the wheel arch. I’m not a good welder, nor fabricator so I need ideas on how to tackle this. 
 

The original 1600 engine was missing. So I’m putting a 2.0 CIH in for now. 

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I did consider engine upgrades. But having a C20xe already in my other manta I want to keep this one as standard as possible. Getting the right components to run a newer engine is costly now, and I have all the bits I need to run a CIH. Wouldn’t mind putting an Isuzu 1.7td in for Uber cheep motoring but I can’t bring myself to lower its value anymore lol 

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I’ll be keeping it on carb for simplicity. I did want to fit GTE engine and management but getting the bits will prove slightly harder. I’ve got a twin 40s manifold and a matching exhaust manifold and down pipe I could use but for now a standard Weber is what I’ve got for it. 

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The original front axle on this car had its engine mounts swapped round. Luckily I saved a front axle off a 77 auto I broke a few years back. All the bushes and joints were fine so I cleaned it up and chucked two coats of chassis paint over it. Second hand springs off my other manta used. Reconditioned steering rack I bought about 10 years ago (had to change gaitors as they’d perished in my unit) new track rod ends. 

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4 hours ago, Sir Snipes said:

I didn't now (or simply forgot) they did a 1.6 Manta B.

I've been sniffing about on Leboncoin at these and you could get a 1.2 in Europe for maximum misery. I'd not care, all I want is a decent shell to start with, the engine I'll worry about later. 

it'd be fun* roadtripping a 1.2 Manta back from the south of France?

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They used a 1.3 ohc in some later B mantas, one of the guys in the club brought one back from Belgium a few years ago. I’d definitely rip the 1.3 out and replace it with a 2.0SEH but he’s keen to keep it original.... oh well lol. Some A series manta’s had the 1.2 in it. Very miserable indeed. 

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A bit more done tonight. I bought a set of second hand calipers, backing plates and disks.. forgot I’d already bought new disks, but oh well. The backing plates are in good nick so I gave them a lick of BBQ paint and chucked one side on. Along with new pads. Got new hoses to go on but need a hose bracket for the chassis as the old one is missing. 

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also took off 4mm of wob from the offside rear lower quarter. No idea why it had been wobbed it’s not that bad underneath it all. 

 

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smol amount of welding required 

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and I took the grinder to the wheel arch. What’s best to weld this up? Weld along the line or go a few cms above it? 
 

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16 hours ago, omegod said:

Would a Saab B206 turbo engine not fit rather neatly in that engine bay ?

Anything in the GM family 2 OHC engine line, including the XE 16v performance engines as the found in the various GSI models of the mid/late 90s, can be made to fit as later Mantas were offered with OHC engines. It does mean many a Manta was scrapped to provide various RWD XE applications (kit cars, Escorts etc) with parts though. I don't know if that's still a sore point amongst the Manta community- it sure was back when I was into them.

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7 minutes ago, brownnova said:

All moved for you @sutty2006 

Thanks mr Brownnova you’re a star. 
 

yes the 1.8 manta’s were robbed blind for their sump, gearbox, oil pickup and engine mounts. 
however the CIH engined mantas non of the components were compatible with the XE/SEH type of engines. 

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thing is, the manta ohc bits are now extinct and rarely turn up. as for a b204 or b234, they fit but need a hand made sump, the mounts are best done like a mk2 escort world cup style, and you will implode a manta 1.8 box. use a bmw box, bellhosuing convertor and make your own mounts and sump. youll need a better rear axle too. volvo wouldbe my choice. 

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7 hours ago, sloth said:

thing is, the manta ohc bits are now extinct and rarely turn up. as for a b204 or b234, they fit but need a hand made sump, the mounts are best done like a mk2 escort world cup style, and you will implode a manta 1.8 box. use a bmw box, bellhosuing convertor and make your own mounts and sump. youll need a better rear axle too. volvo wouldbe my choice. 

Does an Omega box not fit the B204/234?

 

It was always at the back of my mind that the C20xe and Omega box in my Locost would fit in a manta quite nicely. It's sold now so the temptation is gone...

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