Conference terri::cars_uk

    Hello Manta lovers -
    
     (not may of you left judging by the activity in this topic!)
    
    I'm new to this conference and the topic looks like its lost
    its momentum... but here goes anyway.
    
    	I have a B reg GTE hatch and this is my second Manta. I was so
    impressed with the first one (2.0 SR - 1978) I bought another!. Had
    my first Manta for well over two yesr's and had no trouble at all.
    It certainly seemed to have a bit more Go in it than the GTE but i
    guess that may be the carb Vs electronic ignition!. The thing I like
    most about the Manta is its simple engineering (easy DIY fixes) and
    reliability. The GTE is much more economical and the fifth gear make
    a difference on rev's. One thing about the Manta'a that never impressed
    me  are the headlights. I've noticed some Manta's with twin headlight
    upgrades and would like to fit them on mine if i could find a company
    that supplies them. (GM don't) Any pointers appreciatd.
    
    	May be I'm the last Manta owner in DEC. I believe the Manta
    is and will remain a classic . 
    
    Bye for now. Keep on truckin. STeve. :-)

    
    Hello, you are not the last Manta owner as I have one also. Mine is an
    1.8s Berlinetta Coupe which I have had since last June/July. I have had
    great fun with it but my only worry is that it has a problem with
    pinking. It is an A reg and has done round about 77,000 miles, I've
    tried having it tuned then retarded which seemed to work but I have
    noticed again.
    
    I don't know if it is my driving but it seems to happen at around
    2500rpm when there is a little strain on the engine. I can usually stop
    the pinking by dropping a gear and letting the revs go up - is this
    really the solution.
    
    I think I should also replace the tyres, what tyre sizes can be fitted?
    I ask this as I have seen some rather nice sporty looking ones on the
    more modern injection cars.
    
    The Manta has my vote any day - yes definetely a classic.
    
    Tony

My sister in law has one, it's quite a nice car.  However, what I really want
is a chrome "berlinetta" badge from the earlier model.  I don't suppose that
you have one, do you?

Dave

    Re :-1,-2.
    		Well that makes 2.5 of us. 
    
    Tyres : I have 185 P6's on the GTE and i also had 185 Goodyears on old 
    Manta ( low profile ) (hang on may have been Mitchellin?) Best thing
    is check down at Humphreys in Reading they will fix you up with some sexy
    tyres at a good price..
    
    Pinking : Had the same effect on the old Manta when it reached 80K. The
    guy I sold to had the head decoked and it cured it.
    
    Badge : Will Keep my eyes open..
    
    
    Keep em coming.
    
    STeve :-{

Hi.

Well, you're certainly not the *last* Manta owner in here.

Unfortunately, since my earlier reply about the restoration, not a whole
lot has happened since I brought it home.  I have been having a horrible
time getting parts, and all the Opel Clubs in the USA are a scam, and the
only used parts dealer around sells junk.

More help on parts is needed... and appreciated!!

                                         Thanks,

                                              .steve.

    
    If anyone is looking to buy a Manta - I know someone who has one for
    sale. If interested, contact me via electronic mail. (IOSG::MITCHELL)
    
    
    Elaine

Mine's a 1.8 Berlinetta Coup� A reg 47,000 miles, Black.

I was having some engine trouble with it (loosing a lot of oil and water)
but a quick re-build (new Cylinder head gasket, clean up etc) has solved
all those problems.  Still needs to be tuned, Any one know a good
place to get it tuned. 



		Mike.

P.S. 	Jane don't you say ANYTHING about my nice car :-))))

    
    Who me ???

Yes you :-)))))

    
    Hi ,
        Here's a brain teaser !.
    
    How do you top up the rear axel on the later Manta's !. I thought
    i'd top it up the other day and found (or should i say didn't find)
    a filler plug ?. I've noticed what appears to be a grease niple
    half way along the axel but i don't believe this is the filler.
    
    So here's the teaser : How do you know how full it is and how do
    you fill it !.
    
    Cheers Steve.
    
    Ps : Could it be that you throw them away if they need filling.

Don't know not tried to do it.   Have you looked in the Hayes Manual ?  If
not I'll look in mne for you.



	Mike.

    
    
    Thanks for your input Mike.
    
    Checked the supplement in the Heynes manual but only mentions the later 
    specifications and then referes you to the old versions for maintenance
    and dismantling etc. It's probably mentioned in the manufactures manual
    if any one as one of these. I'm begining to think its one of these
    factory filled types that lasts the life time of the car ! (What ever
    that is ?).
    
    Still curious .
    
    Cheers Steve. :-) 

    
    I had a slight bump a few months ago which hurt my front
    bumper/spoiler. When I removed it to see what damage had been done I
    noticed that one of the metal brackets had bent, what this means is
    that my bumper is now supported by only one metal bracket and the
    supports in the wheel arch.
    
    My qustions:
    
    Can I replace this bracket?
    
    Where can I get a new bumper, how much is this?
    
    Tony

	Try asking one ot the Opel dealers in the area.


	I think they are :-

	Great Westen Motors Reading neat Queen House


	J.Davy (I think) Near the ice rink in Blasingsmoke.


	How had was it to remove to front bumber and Spoiler I've been meaning
	to do it because the Headlight wash wipe units on my Manta are not 
	working too well.


			Mike.

    
Re : -1
        
    I've removed mine a couple of times. There's just four bolts on
    either side ( two on each wing and two on each inner box section) plus
    you need to disconnect the indicator lights and then the whole thing
    just slides out. (hang on a sec!, you need to disconnect the water
    jets for headlight water pistols)
    
    Re : -2
    		If you remove the whole bumper, you can take off the
    metal support member from the bumper and get it welded (much cheaper).
    
    Steve :-)
                                    

	

	Thanks Steve, I'll give it a go when I next have some free time after 
I've fixed the Sterio......


		Mike.

    I guess this means that no one still knows how to get *real* factory
    parts for a *real* Opel Manta. (re: -~.10)
    
    This is *NOT* fun.
    
                                          Sadly,
                                                      .steve.

I think I've already said this.   I get all my `Origional' parts from 
Great Western Motors near Queens House in reading.   Most of the parts used in
the Opel Manta are the same as the ones used in the Cavalier particularly the
old style.   This is because both are GM cars.  There used to be four Cavaliers
in my family (and my Manta) and when you started looking closly at them you 
could see that they were vertually the same car.

		What parts are you after?......



		Mike. Who's never had problem getting bits of engine, cables
	etc..etc....

    re-1
    
    That is because the Manta was a Cavalier BUT was called the Manta.
    
    Grant

I have never seen a Cavalier equivalent in Great Britain for the 1974 Opel
Manta (that was built in Antwerp, Belgium).  Perhaps this is a misconception?
I don't think so.

Please don't take offense, Brits, but the front suspension parts that I ordered
ended up coming from a British company called Quintan-Hazel (sp?) and were
in the tradition of MGB king pins:

Cheap quality, immediately surface rusting, and designed to fail quickly.

Not much like the original that was in the car... 8^(

Thanks for your help... keep those suggestions coming.

                                   .steve.

    
    My manta tends to pink at around 2500-3000 revs. I've tried retuning
    then retarding the timing but to no avail, BTW how far can I retard the
    timing without this becoming a problem in itself.
    
    
    I have noticed that when the engine is not at normal operating
    temperature the pinking does not occur, does this mean that the engine
    has hotspots? If it does how much does this cost to sort out or better
    still is it possible to do it yourself?
    
    
    Any advice?
    
    Tony

    My Renault seems to exhibit the same symptoms...... despite having
    all the official factory mods to convert the engine for lead-free
    fuel. The only advice that I consistently get is to run a tankful
    of 4* leaded to burn all the crap away from the combustion chambers.

    
    I have always used 4* petrol, not because I don't care about the world,
    but have been under the impression that the pinking would get even
    worse. There must be a solution, just need to find it.
    
    Any more advice?
    
    Tony

    Hi,
        I drive a Manta GTE 2.0 and have been getting loads of engine
    trouble recently,the engine has only done 50,000 miles approx.
    
    The problem at the momment is that I am burning too much oil and lots
    of smoke is dispursing from the exhaust,especially any acceleration in
    second gear.
    I have been advised that the main problem is the oil rings have gone
    and the timing chain is on its way out?
    
    Therfore what is the best solution to go for:
    
    1.Get it re-bored  (Will it cure problem? What's the cost of this?)
    
    2.Consider a reconditioned engine. (What will fit in a Manta?Costs?)
    
    3.Get rid of it before anything else goes wrong.
    
    With a reconditioned engine what other modifications would need to be
    done?
    
              Cheers for any help....
    
                                               Aron...

    
    A rebore MIGHT be required, but it could be a simple cause of worn
    valves/seats. This would require only a new/reconditioned head, which
    won't cost a fortune (about 200 quid at a guess).
    
    A recon engine of the same type won't cost a great deal, but there's
    quite a market for 2.2 & 2.4 big bore (or is it stroke, Rut?) Manta
    engines and also there are a new of mods to fit the GM 2 litre 16v
    engine into the car (These tend to be a bit dear, though!).
    
    Mark

My Opel Manta had the same problem, loads of oil heading out the tail pipe, the 
cause of the problem was the cylinder head gasket.....



Timming chain!!!

My Manta is the 1.8 Berlinetta and has a timming belt, it take about an hour or 
so to change.  Mine took longer to change as it decided to `slip' while I was in 
central London and I had to re-align everything, fortunatly the cylinder heads 
did not head butt the valves.

I had/have an acticle some place on putting an old Rover 3500 engine into the 
Manta.


Me, I want to know if anyone out there has any advice on how to repace my
Varijet (?) Carb with auto choke with the manual coke webber carb I got a week
or so ago.  And what effect the new carb will have......


Mike

�    I have been advised that the main problem is the oil rings have gone
�    and the timing chain is on its way out?
    
    May be more than just the oil rings.  Could be the compression rings
    too, or the piston and/or the bores.  If so, bearings are likely to
    be worn too.  If the timing chain is worn, it will probably be noisy,
    with a rattling noise from the front of the engine.
    
�    1.Get it re-bored  (Will it cure problem? What's the cost of this?)
    
    If you have a re-bore, you need the engine taken out and completely
    stripped down.  When done, you'll need new pistons for the larger bore.
    Basically, a re-bore constitues a reconditioned engine (if done right).
    
�    2.Consider a reconditioned engine. (What will fit in a Manta?Costs?)
    
    As for what will fit, you would normally get an exchange engine of the
    same sort as you are taking out (another 2.0 litre).  If you wish to
    uprate your engine, then it will cost you more (no figures off-hand).
    
    As Mark pointed out, you can get 2.2 or 2.4 litre versions of this
    engine, which use a larger crank (and possibly bored-out for the 2.4
    but I cannot remember the details).  You can buy a 'short' engine of
    either of these sizes and then put your head assembly onto that.
    
    One thing I dislike about the 2.0 GT/E engine is that it is gutless !
    It has very little low-down power and not too much 'up top'.
    
    Putting in the 2.2 actually makes a noticeable difference to torque,
    with the engine pulling well from something like 2000 rpm.  If you are
    going to modify the engine in any way (as opposed to reconditioning
    work) then there is no end of things that you can do - if money permits.
    
�    3.Get rid of it before anything else goes wrong.
    
    That depends on how much you like the car.
    
    J.R. (who's also got a knackered 2.0 engine from a GT/E at home)

    I too have a problem with my Manta however not of a mechanical nature.
    The problem is that somebody has decided to help themselves to the
    front spoiler along with all the fittings and the indicators, 
    
    I have phoned a main dealer for prices and it comes out around �250
    plus paint, however I don't think the car warrants this type of
    expenditure and claiming on the insurance would only result in an
    increase in my premium of around the same figure. I've tried all the local 
    breakers ie Total Loss Recovery, Brierleys etc but so far no luck.
    Does anybody know of any other alternatives ? There used to be a time
    when magazines were crammed with adverts for companies who supplied
    Manta GTE bodykits etc, however I can't remember any names although
    from memory they were substantially cheaper than main dealer prices.
    Can anbody help?
    
    Thanks 
    Chris
    

Re                              -< Manta Cosmetics >-
    
    A look at CCC magazine should sort you out.
    
    I've got the latest at home, so if I can remember, I'll check for you.
    
    From memory (phone numbers *may* be in this conference somewhere) :-
    
    	EARS, based at Macclesfield.  They do plenty of Manta bits, but
    	I'm not too sure what they have in the bodywork line, although I
    	am sure they used to sell standard (GT/E type) front bumpers/spoilers.
    
    	Steve Thompson Cars, Walsll (?).  Irmscher dealers, so expensive !
    
    	M.C.Rallying, Isle Of Wight.  They do all sorts of fibre bodykits.
    	I would guess they do the later front-end.
    
    	[maybe] Autocross, of Bracknell.  Ford guys mainly, but may help.
    
    The above companies would probably be happy to sell you a '400' bodykit.
    
    Tell you what, you buy a 400 bodykit for me and I'll give you the front
    bumper+spoiler from my GT/E, complete with indicators !!!
    
    J.R.
    
    PS If you can find the 'phone number of 'Howards Car Spares', who are
       on Hayling Island, I know that they do keep car bumpers so *may*
       have one for a late model Manta...

I'm in the process of converting my Manta rally car
to use the GM 2 liter 16V lump (from an Astra GTE 16v)
and have a couple of questions that need answering:

    1)	on the TDC sensor connector for the wiring
	loom, which coloured wire goes to which pin?

    2)	What is the distance between the end of the
	dipstack and

	    a)	the min oil mark;
	
	    b)	the max oil mark; and

	    c)	the lower edge on the bung which stops
		you pushing the dipstack futher into
		the engine.

If you have a GM car with one of these engines, and
you park it in DECpark during the day, could you
let me look at the engine bay...

thanks...		--Nick

Hey MANTA fans,


I have a Manta with the 400 Irmsher kit. You know the broad version.
I have rally springs and shocks, so verly low and stable.

(This is my second Manta, the first one I drove total-loss.)


I wanna have a little bit more power in the car, so I put a 2.0 engine in it with
two Weber-40 carbs and a spaghetti(group A) exhaust and a faster cam.
How many BHP can I expect now. (�140BHP ???)



Have fun,

/-/	Henk.
	(Holland)


(Are there more DEC people around with a Manta 400. The real or a kit one.)

    
    Hello fellow Manta lovers !
    		I'm new to the Digital workforce having joined six months
    ago and have just discovered this conference. I'm on my second GT/E
    coupe which I bought new and intend to keep and look after with tender
    loving care cos I love them !!
    		It's the standard 2.0L GT/E but a short while ago I fitted
    a twin headlamp conversion kit to it which I think added to its
    appearance and most of all improved the lighting !! The next job done
    was to fit a large bore exhaust ( Sebring ) which surprised me in the
    difference it made - and only a little more in cost over the GM
    replacement. I didn't replace the exhaust manifold however. Is this
    worth doing ?
    		What I'm looking to do next is replace the cam shaft to
    give it better acceleration. Does anybody know of a good cam to fit and
    is it an easy job to do ? 
    
    
    		Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
    
    				Until the next time....
    
    						Mark
    	

    
    Hi,
    
    	I used to own a Manta 2.0 SR Hatch, for which I still have the
    following Brand-New/Never-fitted/etc,etc.. bits in my garage, if anyone
    can make use of them then perhaps we could come to some arrangement :-
    
    	Twin 40 Weber Carbs 
    
    	Inlet Manifold for above
    
    	Twin Throttle Cables
    
    	Single choke cable (I think)
    
    	Matching K&N Filters (the sort you can't use in California ??)
    
     These were never fitted as I was told (after I'd bought them) that
    the Brake Master Cylinder and Servo would need moving, and the Company
    (EARS of Macclesfield) weren't prepared to do that sort of work on a
    Road Car. I've subsequently learnt that perhaps they could have been
    fitted after all !
    
    
    Graham_the_hippy_with_a_haircut
    

    I thought it might be an idea to start this note up again.
    
    Am I now the only Manta in Dec Park (I think the only other one left a
    while ago). 
    
    Basically I am looking for a newer/better model as my B reg 1.8 GT/J is 
    getting a little long in the tooth. The car has just flown through it's
    MOT so it is not an urgent matter, but if a nice/lower mileage/GTE
    version cropped up I may be *very* interested. Most models in the
    Trader at present are of similar age/mileage/etc which is not much use
    to me! My folks have a pristine E reg model but I feel that if I bought
    it off them and anything happened to it I would never be forgiven! 
    
    So, if anyone knows of a Manta looking for a new home can you give me a
    call or mail with some details. BTW due to impending fatherhood, and
    a dog that loves the car as much as I do (white hair in a black cloth
    interior! Lovely to clean), I will be looking at the hatchback versions 
    instead of coupes (Boo Hoo!) because of the enormous space they have.
    
    
    
    			Stretch.