SOTW: Opel Manta
The Opel Manta: As eighties as a Rubik Cube, but a lot more simple...
The second generation of the Manta arrived in 1975 and lasted all the way to 1988. It kept its ‘Opel’ badge even in the UK and engines ranged from a titchy 1.2-litre OHV unit all the way up to 2.0-litres as seen in the later GTE/GSi. It gained an instant following for its good looks and fun rear-drive handling. A finely judged coil and spring setup, incorporating anti-roll bars, meant that the Manta had a good blend of comfort and grip, and this was joined by a decent amount of feel through the rack and pinion steering.
Somewhere in the middle of the range sat the manta CC Series Berlinetta. This car was designed to be the comfort model, with plush trim and extra soundproofing, and Vauxhall sold it on its refinement rather than all-out sporting credentials. It came with both coupe and hatchback body styles and featured 6J alloys as standard.
The car may have had just 90bhp and 105.5lb ft of torque, but performance was sprightly and the Berlinetta could be hustled along at a reasonable lick. It’s a shame that Mantas aren’t seen much on our roads anymore. It’s the kind of car that couldn’t be more eighties if it was wearing neon socks, and I for one think it still looks sharp today.
The example we have found on Autotrader has full service history and has been family owned since new. 103,000 miles shouldn’t be too much of a problem and the car seems to be well looked after. There’s even tax and MOT thrown in too – all for less than a grand. It has to be well worth a look and as the ad says, all you have to do is ‘PHONE BARRY’. I’m not saying anything…
Ad says: '1985 C Reg OPEL Manta 1.8 S Berlinetta. 103,000 miles. FAMILY OWNED FROM NEW, FULL SERVICE HISTORY, ALL RECEIPTS AND MOT'S, RED, SPORTS CLOTH INTERIOR, ALLOYS, RADIO CASSETT, MOT AND TAX, EXCELLNT ORIGINAL CONDITION.PHONE BARRY. 07760153271. £995'
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I would prefer a Coupe to a Hatch becuase cabin noise is slightly greater, but when I've finished dropping an LS6 into the Opel I might go looking for one of these.
Loads of happy memories driving in these
Good shed, but really white sock.
Garlick if your reading this, i think i may have found you a Granada Ghia X. A lovely white one...
People used to laugh at me at time, the guideless windows were hopeless and sagged outwards allowing easy access with no key. The colour was a dubious rusty gold and the interior had corduroy seats in brown and yellow. The carpet was orange with yellow flecks and the comedy gear stick must have been stolen from a Luton van. The sunroof leaked, the suspension was crap. The s
tty Piebourge (spelling ???) carb’ used to have two chokes, one of which used to fall to pieces every now and again, giving a full on / full off throttle. It drank fuel, especially as the tank leaked where the securing belts caused it to rust. It leaked so much water through the windows and sunroof that toadstools grew in the carpets. I can’t believe the Manta had much better build quality, so pretty crap shed really.
That said it was by far the most amusing car I have ever owned, if I wanted a “clown car” for the circus it would be top of my list.
Z
Good shed, but really white sock.
Garlick if your reading this, i think i may have found you a Granada Ghia X. A lovely white one...
Mentioning Courtney brings it all back now!
People used to laugh at me at time, the guideless windows were hopeless and sagged outwards allowing easy access with no key. The colour was a dubious rusty gold and the interior had corduroy seats in brown and yellow. The carpet was orange with yellow flecks and the comedy gear stick must have been stolen from a Luton van. The sunroof leaked, the suspension was crap. The s
tty Piebourge (spelling ???) carb’ used to have two chokes, one of which used to fall to pieces every now and again, giving a full on / full off throttle. It drank fuel, especially as the tank leaked where the securing belts caused it to rust. It leaked so much water through the windows and sunroof that toadstools grew in the carpets. I can’t believe the Manta had much better build quality, so pretty crap shed really.
That said it was by far the most amusing car I have ever owned, if I wanted a “clown car” for the circus it would be top of my list.
Z
The front wings weren't welded right and used to flap on the motorway!
It had an oel gauge. We could never find a shop that sold oel.
The engine was tiny and the bay was huge! You could sit inside the bay when working on the engine.
And it looked well mean! It just lurked...!
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