gunman Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 Plumster, I know what you're saying but my time doesnt cost £20 an hour. If it did I couldnt afford myself[:0]. New front end was only 2 slot as well so i would have to do some cutting and welding anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 The really sad thing is I gave three decent four slot nose cones away to a non-member last year as no-one else seemed to want them at the time. Cheers, Joe. Made it Ma, top of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 It,s always the way Joe [] Mark your 16V caliper discs are done and dusted ready for collection [] The other kit with the adaptor spacers will be done by Tuesday, spacers are done now just the discs are getting sorted. [] http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunman Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 good stuff robbie. I'll have top see when I can get back down. Hmm.. I'll be in touch. I did get a 'decent' second hand nose cone locally but when I started stripping it i found that it was fairly rusty just covered by 3 layers of paint. You saw some of it robbie. I didnt want to weld in half rotten metal so I began to make new! sad thing is when i bought the car it was described as immaculate! Your @rse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 quote:God but these cars ROT!id="quote">id="quote"> Yes they do, look what's left of mine!!! As Clive said, it's good to see people actually restoring a car, not chopping bits off to sell on ebay!!! Good work there Gunman[] Stuart Kowalski Moderator & Publicity Officer - OMOC UK moderator@mantaclub.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Just to qualify 'decent', one of them had been completely stripped of paint (and what a job it was doing that, awful, they're SO complex) and was virtually rust free. The other two were certainly not that bad either. I still have a two slot nosecone left but I want to hang onto that for the moment. That one does need work though. The main problem is the things are so big and awkward to store. Cheers, Joe. Made it Ma, top of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 quote:Originally posted by stuart As Clive said, it's good to see people actually restoring a car, not chopping bits off to sell on ebay!!! id="quote">id="quote"> You could always pop that lightly used bootwell on ebay Stuart [] http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunman Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 Sorry Joe, wasnt for a moment suggesting your spares were in bad order[:I]! I was just making the point that in this case it was much better to make new than weld poor quality panels in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 And I wasn't implying that you were, so to speak! No apology necessary. I just wish you'd needed it when I had it. Cheers, Joe. Made it Ma, top of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuart Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Good idea Robbie, something like : genuine RARE hard to get hold of now, Opel Manta spare wheel well, dry stored last 18 years, needs slight attention.......etc etc.............[] Stuart Kowalski Moderator & Publicity Officer - OMOC UK moderator@mantaclub.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Joe, know what you mean about storage,garage,trailor,shed&loft full with parts moving now into the wifes greenhouse. [] Stuart,your parts will sell nae problem on E-Bay the worlds full of idiots did you you not see the `Sprout` for sale. Scottish Rep /OMOC Mem.2094 Opel Team Scotland. `ScottishClanManta` Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunman Posted January 21, 2006 Author Share Posted January 21, 2006 Not much else to report for time being, progress is slow. I have now repaired the front panel. Just need to weld the nosecone back on now which means a complete rebuild of bonnet and gaurds to make sure they're all lined up properly. Heres some photos: I didnt remove all of the headlight surround on the passengers side, it was nowhere near as bad as the drivers and I had concerns over the light positions. Still its all solid now. Takes ages doing it right, could have bodged it in a tenth of the time. Have mon and tues off work and my brother is calling up for 2 days to help. was hoping to get all the welding completed but I've found more. Needs a couple of plates on the chassis and the panel under the water bottle turned out to be dozey so I cut out the most of it. Suppose I'll find more when I start stipping it underneath. I had a moment of frustration today and felt like abandoning the project... It soon passed, just seems like I'm getting nowhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Keep up the good work Mark, they do tend to drive us nuts, we think we have mint cars cause they look good, but once you start proding about you soon find out whats really there. On the bright side , fix it now and you have a good car, left alone car would be bad in a couple of years [] http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opel2000 Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Horrible feeling when you think like you are getting nowhere, especially having spent ages doing loads of work, easy to lose interest I got to this point time and time again on my V8, but what kept me going was the image in my head of the finished item. And when everything such as cleangloss jet black shiny body panels were going on covering up all the hard work and the mental image started taking physical shape, then wow, it pays off to not lose interest. V8 'B' series Manta coupe. SEH 'B' series Manta Coupe. CIH 'B' series Manta heatch (daily drive) soon to be turbo'd. http://www.customsolutions.me.uk Any day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunman Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Right, been a bid of progress. Front grill is back on (well Tacked on[]) had to build the bonnet and guards back on first. It was all this fiddling about that gave me the 'no progress' feeling in my last post! I have ordered a pair of new healights (square type) and I just hope they'll fit in the sections I made up[:I]! have lined up with the old ones and may need fettling! Still need to weld the 2 holes in the sills, could really do with repair sections for the bottom of the quaters for this, I missed a pair on ebay just before xmas. Wasn't sure they were 100% rigt so left them DOH! Got a bit sick of welding so started to strip the car underneath today. I did the back of one inner guard back to bare metal and the underside of the boot. Didnt do it right back to bare metal tho! Heres the plan (it works): 1) heat up the underseal with a 2kw heat gun. 2) scrape the top layer of underseal with a wood chisel! Your left with these wee bits of dark grey rubber but I'll come to that! 3) rub down the area with coarse steel wool and celli thinners! This removes any traces old underseal or top paint left! 4) Your now left with the bottom coat of primer. This stuff is hard as nails! rub down with 100g sandpaper till all is smooth! I was removing it by applying Nitromors (by the way did you notice the Blitz logo on the tin? Its obviuosly designed for mantas[]) and then taking to it with the angle grinder and a cup brush. This takes balls as you get hit up the face with burning chemical stuff! I have since ordered a full face visor! If you want back to bare metal I havent found a better (quicker) way mind! It was good to get to do something other than welding and the underside does seem to be in good condition. Will jenolite, red oxide and hammerite till rust is a distant memory![8D] May post some pics tomorrow, I'm far to tired to go back out to the garage tonight![|)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 definitely a job well done there mate good to see another manta not falling off the road eh? Every day is a track day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunman Posted February 21, 2006 Author Share Posted February 21, 2006 Right after some advice now. Just recieved my new sills today and am unsure how much to replace. The thing is most of the N/S sill looks 100%. theres just a hole near the jacking point. O/S similar but there is a patch of scabby rust under the door. I dont know if i would be as well fitting the entire outer sill. I'm worried about ruining the look of the sill in the door openning. I had thought of cutting it just below the top of the sill ext so as to hide any join! Would this weaken the car any? Also on the N/S would I be as well just replacing the back section? Then I start thinking if the whole thing is renewed and pumped with waxoyl it will last for years. If you're reading this robbie you'll know the way I think![] Heres some photos: hole at jacking point Scab on sill door entrance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opel2000 Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Bloody hell gunman, sills now,[:0] what next? I know what you mean about the split though, the original sills stopped short and the quarter panel took over, if I can remember correct I think its approx 17 and 1/4" that the sill runs on the quarter panel if you get my drift. I ve never had one rot at the front of this point yet touch wood http://www.customsolutions.me.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 Doing a great job there, fill it all with wax and it'll last longer than Opel ever intended it to...keep at it, its worth it.... Mick OMOC 5924 1980 Black Berlinetta Coupe, 2.0 SRI Project 1984 Silver GT/E Coupe, Road Rally Car 1980 Cavalier 1600 GL, Slammed Retro Cruiser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunman Posted February 24, 2006 Author Share Posted February 24, 2006 Right, thought I'd better post a few pics in case anyone thinks I've given up on the job.[] I've spent most of my time stripping the car underneath back to bare metal (well not in some places, just back to primer) I did try painting in red oxide but it went a bit wrong! it all went shiney and you could scrape it off with your nail[]. So I now am painting in durabond rust primer and it seems a better job. Anyway heres some pics: Boot floor, stripped, sanded, jenolite'd and primed (note no welding needed): Mid section, stripped, sanded, jenolite'd and primed (again no welding needed here): front section, stipped and not much else (wee bit of welding required to chassis rail, just behind jacking point): Rear arch, stipped (well...Almost): Still a bit of stripping to do but the worst is over and I need a new visor as the nitromors has melted it a bit[]. Both sill to replace as well. I am beginning to think that the car wont be at billing tho[], but we'll see. If what I say can be taken in 2 ways and one of those ways get you angry....I meant it the other way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entwistlecymru Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 How are you stripping the paint/underseal off? It looks great! I've got my SRB ready to go up on its side to start stripping the underseal off [xx(] 79 SRB coupe - anyone know what a B230FT is?, 79 Cav saloon - 16v sleeper, 198? GT/E hatch - building from a bare shell to factory spec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunman Posted February 25, 2006 Author Share Posted February 25, 2006 I use a heat gun and wood chisels to remove the top section of underseal. then nitromors. this then gets removed with an angle grinder and cup brush. An air die grinder also proves to be an exceptional tool with a wire brush head on it, it gets in places where the grinder just wont reach. I wear ear defenders/full mask/gloves and overalls but you still get stung. You can use steel wool and celli thinners to remove the last of the underseal and just leave the original primer but its slow! I prefered going back to bare metal, it shows any wee spots of rust and you can deal with them. I can no longer remember what its like to have skin on my knuckles and no burn marks on my neck, but I keep telling myself it'll be worth it![}] If what I say can be taken in 2 ways and one of those ways get you angry....I meant it the other way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h0tr0dder_uk Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 that looks the dogs dangly bits [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 mark all the weeks of hard work and bad language are paying of the underneath is looking really well. Hard to beat stripping and painting under the car, heaps of work but worth it in the end [^][^][^] http://www.mantamagic.com OMOC N,Ireland Rep id="blue"> OMOC 5706 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h0tr0dder_uk Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 pity you can't just bare metal it and clear coat it. that would look awesome. seen a few hotrods like that in california. its a bit drier there though[8D] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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