It,s a 1972 Opel manta A series in much need of a bit of TLC.
1
Manta A Restoration.
Started by mantaray, Jan 24 2010 09:01 PM
15 replies to this topic
#1
-
- Members
-
- 11 posts
Tea Boy
- Gender:Male
Posted 24 January 2010 - 09:01 PM
Some of you may be interested in a new restoration job I've just taken on.
It,s a 1972 Opel manta A series in much need of a bit of TLC.
It,s a 1972 Opel manta A series in much need of a bit of TLC.
#2
-
- Members
-
- 1,312 posts
Retroholic
- Location:Herts / Essex Border
Posted 25 January 2010 - 10:15 AM
I do like an A! I look forward to lots of progress pic's. Is it your car or being restored for a customer?
#3
-
- Members
-
- 11 posts
Tea Boy
- Gender:Male
Posted 25 January 2010 - 12:28 PM
The car belongs to a friend, we will be doing the work togeather.
Got the car in my garage on Friday night and started to strip it, after about 8 hours work it is now up on my roll over cradle, and ready for the weldathone to start. Enjoy the pics . As we expected the Manta is in really bad state and a lot worse than we first thought, but that’s Manta’s for you.
Passenger side:
Drivers side:
Rear valance:
Got the car in my garage on Friday night and started to strip it, after about 8 hours work it is now up on my roll over cradle, and ready for the weldathone to start. Enjoy the pics . As we expected the Manta is in really bad state and a lot worse than we first thought, but that’s Manta’s for you.
Passenger side:
Drivers side:
Rear valance:
#4
-
- Members
-
- 11 posts
Tea Boy
- Gender:Male
Posted 18 February 2010 - 10:44 PM
Up date.
Sorry we have not been on for a while, time just flies when your having fun.
Well there have been a few changes since I last posted. We have to admit that the yellow shell has beaten us. But only because, we have managed to find another shell in much better condition.
The rear end is solid, but it does need both rear arches and n/s rear corner. N/s sill need a small repair and another small repair to the n/s front inner wing. The worst thing on the n/s is that the door hinges have been cut and so need replacing (at least part of the yellow car will live on.)
The n/s chassie rail is excellent only needing a small repair, not seen one as good as this for a long time.
So as you can see, once we had this new shell the fate of the yellow shell was doomed.
The yellow shell has not gone to wast tho, we have cut all the good panels out to keep for spares and Kev wants to make a trailer out of the rear end.
Bit more done today.
N/S rear is now all welded, had to fabrecate both front and rear sections of inner arch and rear section of sill.
Inside of boot still needs a little work but almost there.
Sorry we have not been on for a while, time just flies when your having fun.
Well there have been a few changes since I last posted. We have to admit that the yellow shell has beaten us. But only because, we have managed to find another shell in much better condition.
The rear end is solid, but it does need both rear arches and n/s rear corner. N/s sill need a small repair and another small repair to the n/s front inner wing. The worst thing on the n/s is that the door hinges have been cut and so need replacing (at least part of the yellow car will live on.)
The n/s chassie rail is excellent only needing a small repair, not seen one as good as this for a long time.
So as you can see, once we had this new shell the fate of the yellow shell was doomed.
The yellow shell has not gone to wast tho, we have cut all the good panels out to keep for spares and Kev wants to make a trailer out of the rear end.
Bit more done today.
N/S rear is now all welded, had to fabrecate both front and rear sections of inner arch and rear section of sill.
Inside of boot still needs a little work but almost there.
#6
-
- Members
-
- 11 posts
Tea Boy
- Gender:Male
Posted 24 February 2010 - 09:23 PM
Finished of the inner n/s rear corner and spare wheel well.
Kev sorted out the welding that was needed to the n/s inner front wing and bottom of A post.
o/s inner wing box section was totally shot, so I had a go at making up a new box section.
Made up a card template.
After transferring shape to sheet of steel, started to bend.
Not too bad a fit.
All welded in, primed and seam sealed
n/s door hinges replaced.
Kev sorted out the welding that was needed to the n/s inner front wing and bottom of A post.
o/s inner wing box section was totally shot, so I had a go at making up a new box section.
Made up a card template.
After transferring shape to sheet of steel, started to bend.
Not too bad a fit.
All welded in, primed and seam sealed
n/s door hinges replaced.
#7
-
- Admin
-
- 14,383 posts
Administrator
- Gender:Male
- Location:Surrey, UK
Posted 19 March 2010 - 04:10 PM
Awesome work, congratulations!
Keep us all updated with your progress.
Keep us all updated with your progress.
#8
-
- Members
-
- 11 posts
Tea Boy
- Gender:Male
Posted 14 April 2010 - 05:06 PM
Sorry I’ve not up dated for a while, but been away on holiday and just had too much work on.
Anyway, all the welding is now finished and we are on to the body prep.
Although the driver’s side looked good, we found that the sill had been repaired by just welding a new one over all the old rot, so off it all came so the job could be done properly. This was down to kev as I was on holiday.
With all the welding now finished Kev was a happy man.
He even managed to get his partner Ruth, in on the act, painting a high Zink primer on the new metal before a new coat of under seal.
And so this weekend we started to prep the body for paint.
Spent the last few days getting the car ready for paint. If all goes well I hope to have it in the first coat of primmer this weekend.
Anyway, all the welding is now finished and we are on to the body prep.
Although the driver’s side looked good, we found that the sill had been repaired by just welding a new one over all the old rot, so off it all came so the job could be done properly. This was down to kev as I was on holiday.
With all the welding now finished Kev was a happy man.
He even managed to get his partner Ruth, in on the act, painting a high Zink primer on the new metal before a new coat of under seal.
And so this weekend we started to prep the body for paint.
Spent the last few days getting the car ready for paint. If all goes well I hope to have it in the first coat of primmer this weekend.
#9
-
- Admin
-
- 14,383 posts
Administrator
- Gender:Male
- Location:Surrey, UK
Posted 14 April 2010 - 10:02 PM
Very nice work. One question though, is it okay to paint directly over old paint? Don't you have to really take it back to bare metal before priming?
#10
-
- Members
-
- 11 posts
Tea Boy
- Gender:Male
Posted 15 April 2010 - 09:57 AM
As long as the old paint is solid with no flakeing and has been keyed then there should be no problem. I have DA'd the whole car with 120 grit and then again with 400 grit so any lose paint will have been removed.
I will also be giving the whole car a coat of bar coat before the primmer, just to seal the old paint and stop any possible reactions.
The car will get a coats of high biuld primmer, then flated with 600grit. Then 2 coats of normal primmer and flated with 1000grit before 3 color top coats.
I will also be giving the whole car a coat of bar coat before the primmer, just to seal the old paint and stop any possible reactions.
The car will get a coats of high biuld primmer, then flated with 600grit. Then 2 coats of normal primmer and flated with 1000grit before 3 color top coats.
#11
-
- Admin
-
- 14,383 posts
Administrator
- Gender:Male
- Location:Surrey, UK
Posted 16 April 2010 - 10:26 AM
Ahh right ok that makes sense. What base primer do you normally use? Somebody was telling me about Epoxy the other day.
#12
-
- Members
-
- 89 posts
Average Joe
- Gender:Male
Posted 18 April 2010 - 06:54 PM
I saw one of these for the first time last summer and had to have a closer look as i didnt recall seeing one before. What a beautifully shaped car they are. Hats of to you for rescueing it 
#13
-
- Members
-
- 11 posts
Tea Boy
- Gender:Male
Posted 26 April 2010 - 09:21 AM
Friday 23rd. 7.30pm
After getting the first coat of primmer on the whole car on Thursday, Kev came over tonight and we did the final prepping to the car, it’s not perfect, but then again neither are Kev or myself
We have done our best with in the time and money restraints of the project.
We worked out how many hours this project has taken so far and were amazed that we had done so much in only approx 240 hours ( 1 month at 8 hours a day ). So far this restoration has cost a total of £1165.00 which include : purchase of original yellow Manta A, front wings, new headlights, new front indicators, new boot seal ( from Germany ), rear wheel arch panel, lower rear quarter panel, offside sill and new twin back box. So all in all, a very very cheap restoration.
Finish for the night 1.30am
Saturday 24th 1.30pm
Kev came over again straight from work. IT’S paint day!
First thing on the to do list was to get the primmer on. So after a wipe down with panel wipe, it was all systems go.
After 2 coats of primer, a little more fettling was done and the primer blow back in. A qwice rub down with 1000git and she looked like this.
9.30pm
The car was now ready, as far is it was going to be anyway, for the top colour to go on. All we needed was for kev to get ready.
-
-
-
That should do it.
At this point I left Kev to it, but could hear the old compressor kicking in every few minuets for next couple of hours.
Sunday 12.30am
The compressor finally goes quiet. Top caot is finished.
ENJOY.
Kev finally got home at 2.30am, after an hours drive.
1pm
Kev came over again today, to do some parts cleaning and painting ready for the re-fit and he started to re-fit some of the parts in the engine bay. Also got all the rear loom back through the sill, into the boot, and up the A post to the interior light .
The main build starts next weekend.....
After getting the first coat of primmer on the whole car on Thursday, Kev came over tonight and we did the final prepping to the car, it’s not perfect, but then again neither are Kev or myself
We have done our best with in the time and money restraints of the project.
We worked out how many hours this project has taken so far and were amazed that we had done so much in only approx 240 hours ( 1 month at 8 hours a day ). So far this restoration has cost a total of £1165.00 which include : purchase of original yellow Manta A, front wings, new headlights, new front indicators, new boot seal ( from Germany ), rear wheel arch panel, lower rear quarter panel, offside sill and new twin back box. So all in all, a very very cheap restoration.
Finish for the night 1.30am
Saturday 24th 1.30pm
Kev came over again straight from work. IT’S paint day!
First thing on the to do list was to get the primmer on. So after a wipe down with panel wipe, it was all systems go.
After 2 coats of primer, a little more fettling was done and the primer blow back in. A qwice rub down with 1000git and she looked like this.
9.30pm
The car was now ready, as far is it was going to be anyway, for the top colour to go on. All we needed was for kev to get ready.
-
-
-
That should do it.
At this point I left Kev to it, but could hear the old compressor kicking in every few minuets for next couple of hours.
Sunday 12.30am
The compressor finally goes quiet. Top caot is finished.
ENJOY.
Kev finally got home at 2.30am, after an hours drive.
1pm
Kev came over again today, to do some parts cleaning and painting ready for the re-fit and he started to re-fit some of the parts in the engine bay. Also got all the rear loom back through the sill, into the boot, and up the A post to the interior light .
The main build starts next weekend.....
Edited by mantaray, 26 April 2010 - 09:22 AM.
#14
-
- Members
-
- 1,312 posts
Retroholic
- Location:Herts / Essex Border
Posted 26 April 2010 - 09:49 AM
Love it, fair play guys
#15
-
- Admin
-
- 14,383 posts
Administrator
- Gender:Male
- Location:Surrey, UK
Posted 26 April 2010 - 03:22 PM
Looking great!
#16
-
- Members
-
- 292 posts
Average Joe
- Gender:Male
- Location:Oldham, Manchester
- Interests:Speed, plenty of it!!!:D
Posted 28 April 2010 - 11:23 AM
spot on blokes!
1 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
