Hello. I am new.
Discussion
Hi, I am new here, I have just registered after being a lurker for a very long time. Always enjoy a good read of general gassing and Pie and Piston so though I might jump in and join in !
I own a few old Opel Mantas and Asconas and a Mark one cav some of which work some dont, the ones that dont are the ones i have been plying with and have not finished yet the ones that do work were bought working and I have not got round to taking them apart yet.
The Ascona is a little gem in original Jade Green. Its concours condition, i do the local shows in it and have exhibited it at the 2007 classic car show at the NEC. and its always at the annual VBOA show at Billing aquadrome in july.
The Blue 86 Manta Coupe is a V8, a recently rebuilt and cammed 3.6 rover engine with 500 cfm edelbrock carb and a few other bits and bobs to make it more entertaining, still putting the finishing touches to the engine bay and new gearbox mounts then its on the road for this summer. I bought the car complete and running with the bodykit and a Jag autobox from a good mate, I had helped him to build the many years before and when he decided to sell i bought it with no hesitation, couldnt afford it but hey, one life etc...
I have also got a 1972 Opel manta A series that I am fully restoring, This car is getting fitted with a nice genuine GM crate 2.4 engine (originally intended for a vauxhall Frontesaurus) this engine is the same basic block as the old 1600 that came out so space is no trouble, i have made up an Injection system for it using a mix of old 2.2 vauxhall carlton parts and the 2.4 stuff, the gear box is the dog leg 5 speed made by Getrag and fitted to the BMW M5, the bell housing is from an opel Monza and clutch from a Vauxhall senator, the rear nose of the BMW box has been replaced with a nose from a late 80's south african Taxi so I can run a speedo cable instead of having to try and take a pulse from soewhere and convert the pulse to talk to the old Opel speedo.
Other projects include a mk1 cav, beige, nuff said. A white Manta coupe GTE with a 2.2 carlton engine and a few parts cars cluttering up my yard.
I own a few old Opel Mantas and Asconas and a Mark one cav some of which work some dont, the ones that dont are the ones i have been plying with and have not finished yet the ones that do work were bought working and I have not got round to taking them apart yet.
The Ascona is a little gem in original Jade Green. Its concours condition, i do the local shows in it and have exhibited it at the 2007 classic car show at the NEC. and its always at the annual VBOA show at Billing aquadrome in july.
The Blue 86 Manta Coupe is a V8, a recently rebuilt and cammed 3.6 rover engine with 500 cfm edelbrock carb and a few other bits and bobs to make it more entertaining, still putting the finishing touches to the engine bay and new gearbox mounts then its on the road for this summer. I bought the car complete and running with the bodykit and a Jag autobox from a good mate, I had helped him to build the many years before and when he decided to sell i bought it with no hesitation, couldnt afford it but hey, one life etc...
I have also got a 1972 Opel manta A series that I am fully restoring, This car is getting fitted with a nice genuine GM crate 2.4 engine (originally intended for a vauxhall Frontesaurus) this engine is the same basic block as the old 1600 that came out so space is no trouble, i have made up an Injection system for it using a mix of old 2.2 vauxhall carlton parts and the 2.4 stuff, the gear box is the dog leg 5 speed made by Getrag and fitted to the BMW M5, the bell housing is from an opel Monza and clutch from a Vauxhall senator, the rear nose of the BMW box has been replaced with a nose from a late 80's south african Taxi so I can run a speedo cable instead of having to try and take a pulse from soewhere and convert the pulse to talk to the old Opel speedo.
Other projects include a mk1 cav, beige, nuff said. A white Manta coupe GTE with a 2.2 carlton engine and a few parts cars cluttering up my yard.
Getragdogleg said:
The Blue 86 Manta Coupe is a V8, a recently rebuilt and cammed 3.6 rover engine with 500 cfm edelbrock carb and a few other bits and bobs to make it more entertaining, still putting the finishing touches to the engine bay and new gearbox mounts then its on the road for this summer. I bought the car complete and running with the bodykit and a Jag autobox from a good mate, I had helped him to build the many years before and when he decided to sell i bought it with no hesitation, couldnt afford it but hey, one life etc...
Cheers guys, I am down in Cornwall so not much of a car scene here in the winter and in the summer its packed with visitors. I do a few of the big shows but not as often or as many as I would like due to it taking 3 hours to reach civilisation.
I will pop some shots of the engine bay on the V8 up once i have it looking more respectable, I have swopped the Auto box for a 5 speed manual and completely re-made the transmission tunnel to fit it, the engine bay is all painted and the motor spruced up a bit.
Other fun stuff is the front is on Airbags, and I am building a hybrid rover V8/opel manta rear axle with LSD which will also run bags not coils. although that mod is waiting till next winter.
I will pop some shots of the engine bay on the V8 up once i have it looking more respectable, I have swopped the Auto box for a 5 speed manual and completely re-made the transmission tunnel to fit it, the engine bay is all painted and the motor spruced up a bit.
Other fun stuff is the front is on Airbags, and I am building a hybrid rover V8/opel manta rear axle with LSD which will also run bags not coils. although that mod is waiting till next winter.
Hi Paul... I know it's you!
It's Ian N here, Virco's friend
Nice to see you on PH as well, though i do check in on the OMOC on occasion, I haven't been doing much with the manta recently
Just a a bit of news for you on that Bedford, it's got BRAKES again
Spent 2 days working on it for Virco, it having failed the MOT on brakes (again), front shocks gone and rear bushes. It's all been sorted and you can stop it faster unloaded than my BMW 
It's Ian N here, Virco's friend
Nice to see you on PH as well, though i do check in on the OMOC on occasion, I haven't been doing much with the manta recently
Just a a bit of news for you on that Bedford, it's got BRAKES again
Spent 2 days working on it for Virco, it having failed the MOT on brakes (again), front shocks gone and rear bushes. It's all been sorted and you can stop it faster unloaded than my BMW Hi Ian, Hows tricks mate ? I have stopped going on the OMOC forum for a bit due to the massive bun fight it had become, loads of good users there but a few very vocal muppets that ruin a good read.
Damn its cold down here today. I got in the daily hack ( 52 plate tDI Golf) and the outside temp reading was minus 6, moving it went as low as minus 11 but that was wind affecting the sensor. still its brass monkeys here !
Damn its cold down here today. I got in the daily hack ( 52 plate tDI Golf) and the outside temp reading was minus 6, moving it went as low as minus 11 but that was wind affecting the sensor. still its brass monkeys here !
The Green car is a 1980 Opel Ascona, 1600cc but I took the old solex carb off and popped a new Weber on it with a air filter converter from a BMW 2002 so i could use the standard air filter housing. I put a Manta GTE electronic Dizzy and coil on and also GTE manta Brakes all round, the wheels were a factor option but the car has been lowered a little to bring it out of the clouds.
Plans for the near future are a 5 speed conversion but I will make up a gear linkage to enable me to keep the old long 4 speed selector so the interior will keep its original look.
Been thinking about putting a 2 litre crank and pistons in and a bigger valve head to give it extra go but its actually a perky little thing with the weber, before it would struggle to do 70mph.
I am trying to keep the original look and keep the numbers matching, no V8 or 2.4 for this car its just too mint. Its never been welded (and will not need it if i keep looking after it) and has only 56000 miles on it from new, its brand new inside.
And the Wife likes it. mega bonus. (the other cars are misunderstood)
Plans for the near future are a 5 speed conversion but I will make up a gear linkage to enable me to keep the old long 4 speed selector so the interior will keep its original look.
Been thinking about putting a 2 litre crank and pistons in and a bigger valve head to give it extra go but its actually a perky little thing with the weber, before it would struggle to do 70mph.
I am trying to keep the original look and keep the numbers matching, no V8 or 2.4 for this car its just too mint. Its never been welded (and will not need it if i keep looking after it) and has only 56000 miles on it from new, its brand new inside.
And the Wife likes it. mega bonus. (the other cars are misunderstood)
Getragdogleg said:
Hi Ian, Hows tricks mate ? I have stopped going on the OMOC forum for a bit due to the massive bun fight it had become, loads of good users there but a few very vocal muppets that ruin a good read.
Damn its cold down here today. I got in the daily hack ( 52 plate tDI Golf) and the outside temp reading was minus 6, moving it went as low as minus 11 but that was wind affecting the sensor. still its brass monkeys here !
Tell me about it, I pop in on occasion but eh... it's not the same forum it once was.Damn its cold down here today. I got in the daily hack ( 52 plate tDI Golf) and the outside temp reading was minus 6, moving it went as low as minus 11 but that was wind affecting the sensor. still its brass monkeys here !
Things are good, the BMW 320i i have now as a daily hack has had some more tune ups (thicker anti roll bars, new water pump), the 1800 i came down 3 years ago in is unfortunetly now riding the roads in scrappy heaven
Time and rust caught up and i couldn't keep it.I've still got that coupe though, and the bits i brought from you, though I recently got some wellersport wheels which are quite a bit lighter and have more clearence on the brake sides of things so the wheels may be sold to Virco for one of his projects.
Virco's alright these days, though as you probably heard he's been direly unwell recently. The Bedford ran out of MOT and was in dire need of a major overhaul (for the 3rd time!) so i filled in and rebuilt the brakes (Ho hum easier said than done!
) new pads, cylinders on the rear axle, handbrake cable... Front got new pads, cylinders cleaned out and new shocks, and 2 new bushes in the rear springs... all in 2 days in 0C temps over Christmas 
The difference.. that damn thing can stop! I even bet Virco it'd break the machine at the MOT centre... and i was right!
The machine did the fronts, and then refused to do the rears but it got it's ticket and lives to fight another day 
Hi bud.. 
There was a write in a recent 'Retro Cars' magazine (Jan issue), a chap had built a Manta with (I think) BMW E46 engine and got it running with aftermarket management ECU etc...
Talented guy, anyway he was using it for drifting.
Just wondered if you saw it? Bright green i think it was.
Anyhoo...welcome.
Apologies - nice car too.
There was a write in a recent 'Retro Cars' magazine (Jan issue), a chap had built a Manta with (I think) BMW E46 engine and got it running with aftermarket management ECU etc...
Talented guy, anyway he was using it for drifting.
Just wondered if you saw it? Bright green i think it was.
Anyhoo...welcome.
Apologies - nice car too.
Edited by Waynester on Thursday 8th January 22:18
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