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Very late GT/E hatch. Barn stored 18 years


Danny D114BCW
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HISTORY;-

the car was bought in 1997, it needed work (condition hasn't really changed since then apparently) so was put in a barn as the gentleman in question was a mechanic and car restorer. He had many projects on the go but bought all the parts needed to restore the manta, including new brake parts, a new wing etc etc. As time floated by and other cars came and went time for the owner also rang it's bell and he sadly passed away. The car stayed in exactly the same spot, and was nearly scraped last year due to storage issues, but it survived untouched for nearly 19 years until now. 

I made enquiries about this car but never heard back. When the car sold via eBay some time later I thought that was that. Weeks later I got an email asking if I was still interested due to a few messers on eBay. I bought the car off pictures and collected it last night.

The car is a very very nice straight and rare car, the interior is rare (maybe because it's brown!) but to be honest I kinda like the rareness and it is like new, I don't even think the back seat has ever been sat in! Obviously being a Manta it needs welding but not a load like you might expect, the car only runs from a can so that's issue one to sort, then other plans include a few exclusive bits and paint.

So last night it was wheels changed, and for the first time in nearly two decades it was rolling up the M6, cruising and 60ish behind the van back up to the NorthWest! 

But the car is a GT/E on an E plate 1988, surely this has to be one of the last GT/Es to be registered? Anybody any ideas or information? 

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1 hour ago, Danny D114BCW said:

But the car is a GT/E on an E plate 1988, surely this has to be one of the last GT/Es to be registered? Anybody any ideas or information?

There were quite a few 1988 F reg's around at the time. As to how many survive now, who knows.

I recall a table that was published in Autocar or Motor way back then (1989) that noted how many new cars and types that were registered that year and in there, there was 1 Opel Manta. One wonders what happened to that one!

That's a nice looking Manta you have found there! Presuming it's Steel Grey from the photos. One of the best colours IMHO. The brown interior is nice if you can live with the sickly 2 tone dash.

 

 

 

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Yeh the dash, hum yeh......the dash. It will have to stop haha. I am using it until either somebody makes a good offer on it when it's done, or when ever my coupe is done as it needs a few bits doing now. 

It  is steel grey and I will get some pictures up soon of it and the progress. 

Edited by Danny D114BCW
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Just bought it a cover to keep the rain or at least most of the rain at bay. So here's two daytime pictures. 

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5 hours ago, plumster said:

Its the 80s when brown & various shades of brown were, well pretty cool. :thumbup

Hmm, that's a debatable point! :) I can't imagine that interior, or at least the plastic bits ever looked cool, more so in this case with the Steel Grey paint. A grey interior would have been much more in keeping. Perhaps the reason Steel Grey examples are hard to come by. 

Another example of questionable taste were the orange Recaro seats and matching door cards that were fitted to some of the early 80's Kadet SR's. Yuk! 

Anyway, the hatch does look rather nice in daylight. I'll look forward to seeing more in due course.  

When I ordered my GTE Coupe back in 87 my colours of choice were Monaco Blue, Steel Grey and Dolphin Grey in that order. My local Vauxhall-Opel dealer could source any of them from UK stock, but as the blue example was nearest to home and could be on the road the following week that's what I went for. Rather pleased now that I didn't choose Steel Grey! :)

 

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Yeh I kinda like it, the car needs to run in the key first. 

Yeh that dash is busy but as a young person I wouldn't in a million years choose it. But I kinda like it because it's different but my Chicago grey interior won't be getting changed in my coupe haha

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I notice that this 1980 Cavalier Sportshatch which is currently on eBay has the same dashboard etc. however it has a brown instrument binnacle rather than black.

Mix & Match! :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/252745143867?clk_rvr_id=1161856523696&vectorid=229508&lgeo=1&item=252745143867&rmvSB=true

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I suspect you got whatever was lying around at the time.

I remember going to Dagenham & seeing the "cripples" as they called them, basically any vehicle that the pulled off the line due to missing components, they would finish these off with anything to get them out of the door.

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4 hours ago, plumster said:

I suspect you got whatever was lying around at the time.

I remember going to Dagenham & seeing the "cripples" as they called them, basically any vehicle that the pulled off the line due to missing components, they would finish these off with anything to get them out of the door.

That's why every end of production model is called "Special Edition" or similar just to use up old new stock. lol :wacko:

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Another great find for the Manta world and looks like another good project to get your teeth in to. Thought I better comment on the subject rather than going off topic :ph34r:.

The interior sort of grows on you and it looks in great shape, it is a pity the dash binnacle wasn't manufactured in the same colour (all where black as far as I know) as it would suit this interior better IMO. in a perfect world the dash wouldn't be two tone but that could be just sun fade?

If it turns out as good as your last project will be a stunner, look forward to the project thread. :thumbup

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23 hours ago, Danny D114BCW said:

It's not faded the interior is untouched and as new. Picture is the best to be honest 

Sorry if it sounded negative, it was the two tone of the dash upper and bottom, would take some getting use to with my eyes. Interior looks sound and as being colour-blind it takes a little getting use to seeing the brown seats (look grey at first to me as I am use to seeing grey recaros). it is strange as I can tell the door cards are brown/tan

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2 hours ago, Danny D114BCW said:

Still the same haha

Third time lucky if it don't work this time I'm getting out the whiskey, only put it away last night well maybe this morn :blink:

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This 1 owner 87E Plate GT/E Hatch in Platinum has a grey interior. I'd have thought that would have been a prime candidate to have had the beige interior.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OPEL-MANTA-GTE-2-0L-A-VERY-RARE-1-OWNER-CAR-FROM-NEW-/122337874298?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

The letter above from Vauxhall re Manta numbers is an interesting read! The GT/E Exclusive Hatch's outsold the coupe's albeit just.

 

 

Edited by Monaco Blue
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