Picked this up yesterday. Like most of my build threads this will move slowly and be updated infrequently.
Plans are undecided but once I get an engine in the Miata I'll pull it into the garage to start work.
The large gauge is oil pressure.
Picked this up yesterday. Like most of my build threads this will move slowly and be updated infrequently.
Plans are undecided but once I get an engine in the Miata I'll pull it into the garage to start work.
The large gauge is oil pressure.
These are such pretty cars. Good luck with the build, I'll be watching!
Rally???
Rally car is high on the list of wants, also hillclimb. It will eventually get a 13b but I'll probably run it with the stock 1.9 while I sort out other issues.
I like this already.
I've wanted a manta or kadett for years, I can't believe I finally own one.
Yes, please. I'm looking forward to seeing it come along. A Manta is very high on my "Most Wanted" list.
Love the looks of the Manta. That one looks super original, what a great platform to build off of. Any rusty areas?
If it were mine I'd first be thinking of how to ditch the battering ram bumpers and then how to fit an ecotec in there.
There is a small hole in the battery tray and some bubbling on the rockers behind the front wheels but other than that it looks solid.
The seller didn't really know anything about it, he bought it so it wouldn't be crushed by the PO who gave up on fixing it. There were some parts in the back seat, Spare carb, a couple carb rebuild kits, new swaybar bushings and some poly control arm bushings.
Rotary? Whats the engine now?
Personally I think i'd go for a boosted eco tech or something similar.
Great looking car. Another one that I never knew I wanted.
The current engine is the Opel 1.9L, 80 or so horsepower. I already have a boosted 4 cylinder car so I don't want to go that route with this one. It would either be a high compression screamer or ported rotary. I have both a 1.6 Miata engine and 13b rotary sitting in my garage.
I love the Manta. I don't want to influence you too much... but they look really good with flares and no bumpers.
...or with a little euro bumper and a massive air dam. And FLARES.
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
I agree.
The large bumpers will have to go. Either earlier small bumpers or none.
Wow I haven't seen one of these in years, figured they all dissolved by 1995 or so. Subscribed, can't wait to see what this morphs into.
Stop it! Get out of my head! I've been entertaining getting one of these for the past couple of weeks. Mind telling my how much rust your going to have to repair, and also how much you shelled out so I can figure out a what price range these are going for?
Great score ! ! ! A very lovely silhouette.
" . . . also hillclimb."
I'm hoping to build my current autocross car project with an eye towards using it for hillclimbs as well. If you're planning a build thread, I'm already interested !
Luck—
t25torx wrote: Stop it! Get out of my head! I've been entertaining getting one of these for the past couple of weeks. Mind telling my how much rust your going to have to repair, and also how much you shelled out so I can figure out a what price range these are going for?
Not much rust to repair but there are some dented panels. The bit of rust that looks like it may go below the surface is on flat panels and should be easy to patch. I paid $1000 for it.
My dad's was a '74 Opel Manta Rally. He did SCCA rally in the late 70's and maybe early 80's. I remember many Sunday TSD's and working two giant metal boxes that attached to the driver front wheel, setting CASTs and flipping the switch back and forth when the notes told me to.
4 large Cibie lights on the front bumper made from a street sign post. Racing seats and harnesses. I tried to find one when I decided to rallycross for sentimental reasons and couldn't find one. I'd probably still buy one now. (This is even the color he painted it after he rolled it on a weekend rally, when it started life as white.)
I like what I see here. Will be following.
Watching with interest.
Always liked the looks of them. This will be a fun project to watch.
In reply to Jerry:
I am always keeping an eye out for some round Cibies at a decent price, I have a pair of rectangular ones but those are going on one of the Volvos and they wouldn't look right on the Manta.
Awesome!
I also found a spare gauge cluster with tach in the back seat to replace the original with no tach. I'll just switch the tach over and keep the original (51k mile) odometer.
The brake pedal goes to the floor but there is fluid in the master cylinder. I'll have to investigate more when I get it into the garage.
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