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1978 Manta Sr Berlinetta - Australian Version!


GTREA
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The Manta is ready to be picked up, I will try and get a car trailer tomorrow.
First job when I get it back is to pull the front end out and finish off as I just slapped it back in to make it a roller, and has no front springs fitted, also needs the suspension arms strengthening kit welded in and all the new Ball joints and tie rod ends fitted.
Then prepare for paint, then engine in, then 368'000 small jobs :)
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There was always a dent in the boot lid which he fixed for me as well
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No more rusty arches and inners, feels good to see it solid...not rotten!
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Front valance now has new fabbed ends....where there was no ends before
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Which tie in with the new guards, as they are from a later model (plastic bumper) they needed some extra holes welded up, and a little bit of panel beating
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Hmmmm dish
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If a little small compared to the Skodas 18's.
I did not order gun metal centres, but there was a problem with the silver centred ones so took these for now, easy to change colour later.
Edited by GTREA
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Haha I run a small transport company myself, but my trucks are smaller....and less shiny :)

Ha ha ha small world :D. I only thought it was just a TV show like you get but it is a as it is in the programme its awesome would love to drive them beasts :D and would take my Manta A with me for sure :D.

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Picked the car up today, could not resist trying the wheels and tyres on for fit :)
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No front springs fitted at all so sitting on Bump stops and still turns full lock with no rubbing, Thankfully I think I got the Offset correct! (15x8 +20 with 205/50/15)
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Bees dick
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Front clearance
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Rear Clearance,
You can see where the guard has been rolled
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plenty of room, could have gone 9" with different offset
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Oh and they want us to evacuate or prepare to defend atm.......fuck that I have rims to try on! :mad:
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Fuck its like Baghdad outside, 6 or so Helicopters and 4 or so Water bombing planes.....and i'm trying admire my car!

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Cool first day back at school for the kids!

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The Skycrane is here now, I have at least made an effort and am out of my Jocks and have put some pants on just incase :)

Edited by GTREA
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  • 2 weeks later...
Its been a few weeks, but I am still plugging away at this thing.
The suspension is at a mates house having the strengthening plates welded in, meanwhile I have been prepping the engine bay and other areas for painting.
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All underbody now complete with underseal, as well as chassis rails, and front end.....I like this stuff :yup:
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Strong durable and for the most part you do not see it.
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I am not a good worker on cars really, and am easily distracted, the brake drums have been annoying me for a while, so dropped tools and cleaned them up, with satin black paint.
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I am going to try and rock the drum brakes for a while, unless the engineer says otherwise, as I do not want to over invest in this diff by adapting Discs to it, I have a full refurb kit coming for them to.
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Then I decided I might like to try some filler.
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.....And then I was reminded of these.
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Im not going to use them but need one for the boot, as a pretty spare, so....
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Ok, Flying along now with this thing!
Engine bay, etch primed and primed.
Still need a little filler here and there and some spray puttying, but i want to retain the factory look, so all holes and indents will remain.
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Same with the interior, although not bothering with imperfections here, it will be painted body colour, then Dynamatted anyway (not to mention the carpet)
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What do they say, Measure twice, buy once........
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Ooooops, Core width 740mm, chassis rail width 690mm :o
T'is a big radiator alright...won't overheat!.....got a bloke cutting 25mm off each end for me tomorrow, should sit snug then.
I knew it would not fit between the Manta radiator side plate things, but did'nt even think to check chassis rail width!
To keep it looking 'Factory' I am cutting the radiator side plate 'thingies' off and rewelding onto the chassis rail, which will still support this new radiator, and although wider to the untrained eye at least hopefully look factory.
Booked in with my mate for the long weekend (not this one next) to fit the engine, so need engine bay painted and front end all back together by then :)
For the life of me I cannot read the paint code on the build plate, maybe I have inhaled to many thinners, but this thing is Sapphire blue
Code: 17 71 218

Yes?

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this looks like a familiar stage in the build mate. :-)

I think that rad will look seriously good when its cut back and I like the idea of trying to reuse the rad support brackets

if you lots that step down each end of the rad header it will look like its meant to be

make sure you have a female boss in the bottom for a temperature guage, bit hard to see in the pics, but if its not there get one in at the same time

yeah you dont want to get into smoothing the engine bay, that's hours and hours of work as you know

Edited by opelmantagsi
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Ran out of Bandwidth Derek, pay for membership or wait till the end of the month until the photos are restored is what the website is saying.....I think I will wait for now.

Haha Kevin yeah the drums look 'Old Fashioned','uncool','low budget' and 'unserious' and I would prefer discs for those reasons, but I have some 296mm vented fronts coming, and with decent pads and fluid there is no way known on the street I am going to think to myself, god I wished I had upgraded to rear discs.......................................although I still want them :)

Finished priming the engine bay, cabin and boot areas today, hopefully lay some paint down late next week!

Photos to come March 1st :)

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Oh ok,I forgot about the photobucket bandwidth thing, should have as I ust renewed my annual subscription. I will have to hurry up your overtaking me! Look forward to the pics, have you had a trial run to see if the V8 and gear box will fit in ?

Edited by opelmantagsi
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The second day of Autumn, and theres a definate chill in the air (36 degrees here in Perth today) so I went out to my Mates place to finally get the engine out ot the wreck which I left at his house in October.
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Hose all the snakes and bitey things out of it, also emptied a can of Insect spray inside!
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The car has never had front wheels, has always sat on the ground, so I have never had a look underneath, I need a front sump 1UZ for the Manta..........
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WTF....I had read the internet, its never lied to me before!!!!!.....Soarers are supposed to be front sumps, then and only then did I realise Soarers are the SC400 not the LS400....I had somehow read the internetz wrong :(
I hate Toyotas!

Sumps
The easiest way to identify an engine is by the sump location. All engines feature an alloy sump that adds rigidity to the block with a bolt on pressed steel cap for the sump pan itself. LS400/Lexus/Celsior all have a front sump. I suspect the Aristo does too. These work best with Hiluxes/Surfs/4-Runners and Altezzas. Crowns have a centre sump, whilst Soarers and ambulances have a rear sump

No matter motors still coming out.......Out with the plasma cutter
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Hook the engine up to the Tractor and lift her out
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Now the engines out I can measure the Transmission, something I could not find an answer to on the internet.
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Mantas Transmission tunnel starts at 300mmm in width, the widest point of the 1UZ Auto Bellhousing is 340mm :(
On the plus side, I spoke to my mate who runs Final Drive engineering here in Perth and he said the Slip yoke problem with the autos on the A340 (the tailshaft is bolted to the gearbox) which everyone carries on about as being a major issue is infact no problem at all. an easy fix, he has aluminum adapters and uses Hilux slip stubs within the driveshaft itself.
Edited by GTREA
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Cutting the Soarer tunnel out and Grafting onto the Manta is the best / easiest option I reckon.

Plasma cutter does not leave very precise cut lines though, just melts the steel :D

Heres some rough dimensions from the engine we took out

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The Manta Trans tunnel is around 300mm at its widest point.

220mm wide around the Selector, (500mmm back from Firewall)

180mm wide (600mm back from Firewall)

740mm into the Manta trans tunnel (A340 gearbox length) takes you to the Handbrake bulge

Manta trans tunnel is about 200mm deep at the selector, about 260mm deep at the fire wall

Edited by GTREA
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just a thought,

have you considered dropping front axle out of manta, complete with wheels etc.

roughly mount the new donkey (soarer block), to front axle, rough engine mounts etc. get the engine where you want it.

then offer it in from under car, this will allow you to see where manta shell is going to need modified.

I'm guessing, front of bulk head, possibly wider tunnel.

easiest tunnel I ever seen modified was split across top of tunnel, bulk head outer edge cut out,

this allowed tunnel to be pressed out, (scissor jack,) small weld across top of tunnel, bilk head welder up, job done!!

Good luck with your Mods!

Edited by brady
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Yes I think we might try that method first brady.

So it will end up something like this
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Probably a 100mm section around the edge of the firewall for the bell housing would need to go then the odd hole cut along the tunnel, and so forth where it fouls
Or this is a Soarer Trans tunnel.
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Cut that out of my wreck, and use all or part of.
Until we get the car and engine together hard to say which way to go really.
I'm more annoyed about the sump issue atm! :)
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