JohnClayton Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 (edited) This is a new project which I hope the OMOC members (and Manta fans generally) will get behind and help make it a success. We are hoping to use a fairly modest machine to prove that one doesn't have to spend £1000s to compete in the sport. We are hoping to score a few points for 'the man in the street' and claim a few scalps from the rich boys with better cars. Call it 'underdog snobbery/one-upmanship' if you will! We're also flying the flag for the Manta against its long-time old school RWD rival, the MkII Escort (ever dominant in club level rallying and fetching five figure sums nowadays). This car will probably have the lowest power to weight ratio on any normal rally (i.e. any rally apart from 'historic' events), but this is where you guys come in. I hope to enlist the support of the vast pool of talented backyard Manta tuners and tweakers who can potentially help even the odds with sheer people power by passing on R&D advice to steepen the learning curve, selling key spares etc. [the big boys will just throw money at BURTON and other firms!]. Even better, would be to have people along to advise/assist on its rebuild (located at OX18 3LX in Oxfordshire) or running the car on events if anyone is up for it? 1987 E plate Manta GTE 2ltr Pinto Engine Fitted with a Type 9 Sierra 5 Speed box I'm told it has a good engine -quite newly rebuilt Brand new twin choke carb Standard tune –estimated at 100 Bhp Pinto engine (very heavy) Sports exhaust (possibly?) Diff may be a bit high-geared for rallying but good for track days 2 sets of standard 14" Manta alloy wheels on road tyres Safety devices cage - Don't think it's out of a manta though but not a bad fit. Probably from a Pug 205 –rearmost crossbar has lumps underneath it where the bars were probably ground off. Mantas are quite strong –shouldn't need body strengthening? Corbeau forza drivers seat and a cobra seat for passenger Luke 2" Harnesses Sump Guard Plumbed in extinguishers Not RAC Logbooked yet. The plumbed in Extinguisher is out of date, as are the belts and seats Basically the car was being used on rally sprint days / autotests etc originally, including the 'Bont stages': http://www.teifistag...o.uk/index.html Car has sat for couple of years so not sure how good it is underneath. Rust is bubbling around the sunroof and on front of bonnet, Noticed a bit of rust around by where the boot floor meets the back panel. Sunroof, boot + front of bonnet rusting. It starts and runs fine, Turns over + fired with fuel down carb but needs fuel in tank. Was Mot'd until April 08 and not moved since! There's a plate on the slam panel which says "1200kg" but this may be from before it was stripped out inside. Wikipedia says the Manta is 4.45m long [wheelbase 2.52m] Current weight unknown Edited December 18, 2009 by JohnClayton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted December 18, 2009 Author Share Posted December 18, 2009 First problem on the WORK LIST is as detailed on this thread... http://forums.mantaclub.org/topic/24395-coupe-roof/page__pid__173704__st__0&#entry173704 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantasrme Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Nice to hear there ia another manta rally car coming along Instead of replacing the whole roof you could just remove the sunroof and tray then plate the hole with sheet steel like i did Have a look at my project thread HERE to see how i did it and the rest of my rally car build. If the cage isn't meant for a manta i would have a word with your local MSA scrutineer before going any further. Because if it doesn't fit the shell well enough you may not get a RAC Logbook issued for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2908642343 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Hello and welcome to the forum. Looks like this will be an intresting project to follow. May well come and have a look at it in the new year as am only down the road in Reading. Mvh John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spewy555 Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 I`ll help where I can, been rallying Mantas for years now, I can tell you for definate you need to change the cage, if nothing else if you have a big one it won`t do it`s job properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vauxsenb Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Once you get sorted with the cage, perhaps it would be an idea to get shot of the pinto and replace with an early zetec to mate with the type9, or even swap to the Manta 2.0 OHC and Getrag 5-spd. I cant imagine the pinto being much of a benefit over the GM units. Cheers, Colin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titson Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 This is a new project which I hope the OMOC members (and Manta fans generally) will get behind and help make it a success. We are hoping to use a fairly modest machine to prove that one doesn't have to spend £1000s to compete in the sport. We are hoping to score a few points for 'the man in the street' and claim a few scalps from the rich boys with better cars. Call it 'underdog snobbery/one-upmanship' if you will! We're also flying the flag for the Manta against its long-time old school RWD rival, the MkII Escort (ever dominant in club level rallying and fetching five figure sums nowadays). This car will probably have the lowest power to weight ratio on any normal rally (i.e. any rally apart from 'historic' events), but this is where you guys come in. I hope to enlist the support of the vast pool of talented backyard Manta tuners and tweakers who can potentially help even the odds with sheer people power by passing on R&D advice to steepen the learning curve, selling key spares etc. [the big boys will just throw money at BURTON and other firms!]. Even better, would be to have people along to advise/assist on its rebuild (located at OX18 3LX in Oxfordshire) or running the car on events if anyone is up for it? 1987 E plate Manta GTE 2ltr Pinto Engine Fitted with a Type 9 Sierra 5 Speed box I'm told it has a good engine -quite newly rebuilt Brand new twin choke carb Standard tune –estimated at 100 Bhp Pinto engine (very heavy) Sports exhaust (possibly?) Diff may be a bit high-geared for rallying but good for track days 2 sets of standard 14" Manta alloy wheels on road tyres Safety devices cage - Don't think it's out of a manta though but not a bad fit. Probably from a Pug 205 –rearmost crossbar has lumps underneath it where the bars were probably ground off. Mantas are quite strong –shouldn't need body strengthening? Corbeau forza drivers seat and a cobra seat for passenger Luke 2" Harnesses Sump Guard Plumbed in extinguishers Not RAC Logbooked yet. The plumbed in Extinguisher is out of date, as are the belts and seats Basically the car was being used on rally sprint days / autotests etc originally, including the 'Bont stages': http://www.teifistag...o.uk/index.html Car has sat for couple of years so not sure how good it is underneath. Rust is bubbling around the sunroof and on front of bonnet, Noticed a bit of rust around by where the boot floor meets the back panel. Sunroof, boot + front of bonnet rusting. It starts and runs fine, Turns over + fired with fuel down carb but needs fuel in tank. Was Mot'd until April 08 and not moved since! There's a plate on the slam panel which says "1200kg" but this may be from before it was stripped out inside. Wikipedia says the Manta is 4.45m long [wheelbase 2.52m] Current weight unknown If you need any help,let me know,I am in N Beds and run a 2.4 manta 400r in tarmac trim,see my website. As Andy has said, if the cage isn't the right one, first thing to do is get rid of it. I have a 14pt Safety Devices cage in mine and certainly wouldn't fit anything less as it hurts when you bang em!!! 3'' , 5 point belts are the min requirement Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted July 2, 2010 Author Share Posted July 2, 2010 Just getting organised and starting to look at the Manta again. 1st priority is to find a 2H roof to cut & shut onto mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted March 27, 2011 Author Share Posted March 27, 2011 The lads in the bodyshop have repaired the roof. Hoping to get it in the spray bay in next couple of weeks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 Most of the welding done now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upk Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 photos please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 Good point -I'll ask Nick (who is masterminding the work on it) if he can take some pics. I'm still looking for a Cage, and have got some adverts up: http://www.britishrally.co.uk/classifieds_view.php?id=6587&view=22792 http://forums.mantaclub.org/topic/26914-rear-roll-cage/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted April 30, 2011 Author Share Posted April 30, 2011 Here's some gen on what gauge of tubing thickness is required for a rally car: http://www.britishrally.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=39039&sid=9f29f1f262dbcc9708c89f967e6cfde6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 (edited) Feast your mince pies on these pics! https://skydrive.liv...!310&parid=root The first photos in the series show the car in Dec 2008 and then Spring 09 (in white livery). The last 3 pics in white/orange show the car as it is not (post restoration. N.B. The interior of the boot IS restored. The engine bay and interior are NOT restored at present. Nick Stafford and his lads have done a truly beautiful job on the car -they are proper craftsmen, highly skilled. Quite remarkable the state they've got it into, especially after the awful state it was in originally (a proper 'rot box'). Nick's planning to run it with the existing standard Pinto engine at first. Once it's done some events, he's hoping to tune up another Pinto into a full rally spec engine. Edited December 1, 2011 by JohnClayton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opel2000 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Nice transformation on those piccies mate But must ask...... Why oh Why the Pinto? in original form the CiH is a better engine (may be answering my own question here) but tuning the Cih is ok to a point but gets tricky to source the correct parts I guess the tuning parts for Pinto's (Burton etc) are still plentiful........ Ok dumb question, just get a decent Pinto in there and let us know the power figures Must say it is damn good to see one getting some work done to it so that will get used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 Only running a Pinto 'cos that's what came in the car (and we just want to get it out as quickly and easily as possible!) I bought a new cage from Chris Birkbeck Rallying. Nick's not done much on the car of late, but he's hoping to finish it off and enter it into this event to display: http://www.ormskirkmotorfest.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Sorry for the lack of updates. Nick has done masses of work on the car recently. He prevailed and got the Manta finished/on the road just in time to be out in the Motor Fest: ORMSKIRK MOTORFEST 2012 See glimpses of the car at 2:27 & 3:23... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 More glimpses of the Manta -see the footage at 5:00 and 6:00: Ormskirk Motorfest - 26th August 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) Ormskirk Motorfest 2012 The Manta appears at 1:11 Edited April 2, 2013 by JohnClayton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted November 17, 2012 Author Share Posted November 17, 2012 Nick's planning to do a track day in the next couple of months as the car's first high speed outing/1st shakedown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted December 13, 2012 Author Share Posted December 13, 2012 Hoping to get this car MSA logbooked in January 13. I think it has both extinguishers so probably just needs in-date belts and window film... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnClayton Posted December 22, 2012 Author Share Posted December 22, 2012 We're considering trying to find an LSD for this car; anyone got any views/tips on this (or whether it is worth the expense)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallycinq Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 A lot depends on the type of event you are going to do. On the loose or wet it makes a hell of a difference, the tighter and twistier the stage, the better an LSD makes it. In terms of stage times its probably better value than upping engine power to improve times. Cheers D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickthemechanic Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Hi, the manta is all but done. I need some advice on what conversion to use for the front brakes pls. We want min two pot calipers and vented discs....they really need to fit behind the standard wheels as we have a glut of these to use on the stages. Any help greatly appreciated. Nick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantasrme Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Astra 16v calipers and modified Audi discs, have a look round the forum there's plenty of info on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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