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Work starts on the mk 2 , V6 A series.


mantaray
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  • 2 weeks later...

Been able to spend a bit more time on the A this week.

Rear corner is now all sorted.

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Next to do was have a look at the d/s front inner wing, blasting had showen up poor metal work.

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and I even found a big crack in the chassie rail, this was around the area were I had cut the rail to mount the brake servo. As I am now having a remote servo, I can repair this section back to original.

(Please excuse the **** welding that was done 13 years ago when I was a novice hysterical.gif)

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Right now it was time for a herble cigge and a cup of tea, while I deceided how I was going to takle the job. After some hunting around I found a section of inner wing I had cut off that very rusty yellow Manta before it went to the scrapyard. As luck would have it, it was just big enough to replace all the small patches in one go.

So the job I thourght would only be small has turned a bit bigger.

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Having cut out the old wing, this gave me better access to repair and strenghen the chassie rail and repalce a section of the top rail.

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You know how jobs just get bigger and bigger, well while repairing the rail I deceied that it would also be easyer to repair the bolk head while the wing was removed, so I have started to cut the bad metal out ready for a new section to go in.

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  • 1 month later...

Other side of bluk head as it was:

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After refabrication.

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Shapeing of new section.

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Got my new custom sections back from the lazer cutters last week, so I can now get on and finish the inner wing and bulk head when i find some time. (Got to finish decorating the spare room first eek.gif)

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This plate will be welded to the pedel box to convert it to a bais box.clap2.gif

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Managed to spend a few more hours on the Manta today and have finished welding in the remaining baulk head section, but as i am still waiting on some other bits for the inner wing I can't do any more here.

So I have made a start on putting the gear lever hole back to the original posision, which I changed when I fitted the 5 speed box meny moons ago. When i fitted the V6 I found that this moved the gear box folward and I had to extend the linkage ,so I am now going back to the standard linkage which ment repositioning the hole.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Bit more done over the last couple of days.

almost finished of the bauk head and started to put the inner wing back on.

I fitted both wings and the bonnet and set the gaps before claping the wing section in place, tack welded it in place and then checked the gaps again. happy all was good i then seam welded it

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Just the section up to the bauk head to finish now.

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new plate in bauk head for the wiring loom to go through is now fitted in place.

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And after having had the lend of a spot welder, I was so inpressed that i have just got myself a new toy. woo-hoo.gifwoo-hoo.gifwoo-hoo.gif

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It's looking more like a car now, more so than when I last saw it anyway!

When do you think you'll have it on the road ?

It's getting there slowly, I was hopeing to had her back on the road this year, But that is just not going to happen.

I don't have much welding left to do but when thats finished I want to do a trail fit up of engine and running gear ect. to make sure I have not missed any brackets. then it's strip back down and start preping for paint. I hope to have her in paint over the summer while I hope we have some nice sunny warm days. But as all work is done between paying jobs, we'll just have to wait and see how I get on.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bit of an update.

D/S inner wing and baulk head now all welded, just needs some more fettaling when i come to body prep.

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Just to make sure nothing had moved after clamping or during welding, I bolted the wings and bonnet back on to cheak the gaps.

Not bad at all, the P/S wing - bonnet gap is a little smaller than the D/S, but they are both uniform all the way up,well happy. :thumbup :thumbup

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And as this is the nearest it has looked to a compleat shell for years, I had to take a coulpe of pics. :thumbup

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I think that is all the major welding done, now it's a case of going round and welding any small patches or holes.

Finally feel as if I'm getting some where. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Chris, just having a look at how you have the car on the engine stands,i'm thinking of doing the same thing with my A so no more lying down with the welder.Can you tell me what height you have the front and rear fixings at from the floor to allow the car to turn over please.

Cheers Mick.

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The roll center is 42" from the floor. The roll centre of the body is around the top of the front panel and the boot lip.

I have mounted the front using the bumper mounts fixed to a drop plate, the bumper mounts are at 35" from the ground. The rear is mounted on a triangular frame that fixes to the rear supention struts and the boot lock.

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  • 3 months later...

Well after not being able to work on my Manta for a few months due to paying work, I have managed to spend a few days on her this week.

New jacking points now fitted.

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Spare wheel well repaired.

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and finaly now all the major welding is finished, I can make a start at painting the floor sections.

Inside of car has got a coat of Por15, once I get the underside painted, hopefully tomorrow, then I will be able to drop the engine and box in which will then allow me to weld in any brackets that are needed for things such as air box ect.

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It's rearly nice to see some paint on the car, it makes you feel as if I am finnaly getting somewhere.woo-hoo.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good to see the work continuing Chris. When you are painting the underside of the car try Rustbusters "Epoxy Mastic" http://www.rust.co.uk/epoxy-mastic.cfm I would highly recommend it to anyone. After using it on my car I tried a small amount I had left over on a rusty wheelbarrow in the garden. That was five years ago and there is no flaking or rust coming through on the painted patch.....anywhere!

As it's a two pack paint It will last for years on the shelf, and the lids don't weld themselves to the tins.

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Spent some more time working on the Manta over the past few days, and have managed to compleat a few more jobs.

Underside now has first coat of paint. paul the Por15 paint I am using is simular to the one above.

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Front seat mounts now finished and fixings welded in place. The sub frames started out as Manta GTE sub frames, both have had new rear fixings and the d/s one has also had the front fixing changed to a straght tube instead of the bent tube on the GTE.

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With that done, I beleave that all the welding to the underside is now compleat.

Next is to sort out any brackets that needs to be added in the engine bay.

This is quite a big day, as it will be the frist time in 5 years that the compleat engine has sat in the bay.

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With engine, gearbox and cross member in place, I could start to add the intake system and take a look at how to run the air feed. In the pic, the filter is siting on a block of wood, but I have made notes on how to make a bracket to finally suport it.

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Normally the disy pack is bolted to the p/s of the block on a Vectra, which puts it at the back on a RWD car. This is where I did have it mounted before, but although you could get at the plug leads it was not esay and had to be done from undernith.

So this time round I would like to move it somewhere a little more accesable. Not wanting to have custom plug leads (very expencive), I have used a selection of standard leads to see what areas I may be able to move it too.

After a lot off trial and error, this is the location I have come up with. I think it will sit nicely here, partly hidden but still accesable.

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Still have some more brackets to add for the expansion tank ect. but it's moving along.

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  • 7 months later...

Well it's been a while since I updated this topic.
Not a lot to report realy. With one thing and another i haven't had much time to spend on the old girl.
I have now got a 4HA rear axel and I am in the process of sorting out the conversion needed in order to get it fitted into the Manta using all the original mounting points.(IVA rules)
I have also started to prep the shell for paint, most of the work so far has been in the engine bay, but I have a couple of pics of the shell.

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Still can't deceid weather to fit the body kit or not, what do you think?

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get the arches on they are same kit as mine and you can run 00 et wheels with the 4ha axle no problem just filler neck for tank to sort out but i have gone fuel tank and filler in boot.

.

i have 225 50 14 tyres also on revolution wheels.

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  • 6 months later...

not so much as an update. That will follow soon once I'v got the pics uploaded.

But I found this old vid I uploaded on to youtube when the A was on the road. :D The filming is not very good, I hope your better with the Red Arrows Mr Taylor. :rolleyes: But the sound is quite good, I think that was Chris Cotterel in the orange manta.

It was my first time on a track day, and on just watching the flim again, you can tell. Brakeing very early and hitting the limitar, but it was great fun.

V6 roaring in anger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWum4rU2VuY

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