RE: SOTW: Opel Manta
Discussion
Stigmundfreud said:
LHDisbest said:
Stigmundfreud said:
Ah at the time I had a Capri 2.8 and my cousin had a 2.0 Manata, it was a source of arguments. I look back now and have fond memories of the Manta and I think the car is aging slightly better. Still it was a shame they never did a decent engine but their suspension set up was a leap in front of the capri's
You could get a Courtney turbo conversion for the 2.0 Manta, was meant to be ruddy quick. I would agree the Manta has aged much better than the Capri, but not in hatchback form.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!
Courtney did turbo convesions for a few models, my favorite being the Senator mk2.
Friend of mine bought a Cavalier coupe from our old history master, bolted a 400 kit on it, painted it red and boy did it look good. Then he started tuning the engine, and that broke gearboxes.
I went out and bought a genuine Manta - 1975 1.9SR in Orange with black and white dogtooth check interior. Bolted a small (and I mean smaal) steering wheel on it and merrily opposite locked round the lanes of Epping and Abridge - Russell Brooks or Jimmy McRae - never could make up my mind. Finest moment was getting it very sideways at the mini-roundabout in Chigwell High Road - nearly ended up having lunch with the ladies that were lunching.
Happy days
I went out and bought a genuine Manta - 1975 1.9SR in Orange with black and white dogtooth check interior. Bolted a small (and I mean smaal) steering wheel on it and merrily opposite locked round the lanes of Epping and Abridge - Russell Brooks or Jimmy McRae - never could make up my mind. Finest moment was getting it very sideways at the mini-roundabout in Chigwell High Road - nearly ended up having lunch with the ladies that were lunching.
Happy days
rubystone said:
Friend of mine bought a Cavalier coupe from our old history master, bolted a 400 kit on it, painted it red and boy did it look good. Then he started tuning the engine, and that broke gearboxes.
I went out and bought a genuine Manta - 1975 1.9SR in Orange with black and white dogtooth check interior. Bolted a small (and I mean smaal) steering wheel on it and merrily opposite locked round the lanes of Epping and Abridge - Russell Brooks or Jimmy McRae - never could make up my mind. Finest moment was getting it very sideways at the mini-roundabout in Chigwell High Road - nearly ended up having lunch with the ladies that were lunching.
Happy days
A highlight for me was some walkers waving their walking sticks at me as I tried to chase down a golf gti down in the lake district in mine or navigating roundabouts on opposite lock on rainy days. Happy days indeed.I went out and bought a genuine Manta - 1975 1.9SR in Orange with black and white dogtooth check interior. Bolted a small (and I mean smaal) steering wheel on it and merrily opposite locked round the lanes of Epping and Abridge - Russell Brooks or Jimmy McRae - never could make up my mind. Finest moment was getting it very sideways at the mini-roundabout in Chigwell High Road - nearly ended up having lunch with the ladies that were lunching.
Happy days
Replaced it with a 1.9 205 gti but it just wasn't the same thing at all.
Back in 1989 I had an '87 Manta GTE exclusive in dark Blue which was far far better than the competition from my mates with XR3i's and Capris, great to drive, rear wheel drive, frameless windows. Too new for the rust problems, it ran like a dream. I sold it for what felt like nothing just as a recession was starting ......
I think Vauxhall should have kept the Opel name for it's coupes and sporty models over here. I think it might have worked as the only Opels to sell in big numbers here in blighty were all coupes They could have made a bit of an "MG" style brand e.g. it should have been the Opel Calibra and the Opel VX220 and the Opel Monaro etc
I don't recall there ever being a 1.2 Manta - the 1.2 was used in the Kadett. The Gen 1 Manta had a 1.6 and 1.9 and the later cars had 1.8 and 2.0s like the saloon Ascona.
Edit to add I see they did a 1.2 in Europe - that was presumably to compete with the arthritic 1.3 Capri.
I wasn't much of a fan of the Mk II, I always wanted the black and gold Dealer Opel Team (DOT) Manta Mk I Turbo - although I wanted a Droop Snoot Firenza more.
Edit to add I see they did a 1.2 in Europe - that was presumably to compete with the arthritic 1.3 Capri.
I wasn't much of a fan of the Mk II, I always wanted the black and gold Dealer Opel Team (DOT) Manta Mk I Turbo - although I wanted a Droop Snoot Firenza more.
Edited by LuS1fer on Friday 21st November 13:58
I ran an gold 1.8 Berlinetta which I upgraded the seats to Recaro spec, then bought a 1987 Black GTE, which I absolutely adored.. until the first TVR arrived in 1997.
Kept the GTE well into 1998 where it sat on my drive as a kind of mobile pond, complete with algae et al.
Finally scrapped in late 1998.. fond memories though !
Kept the GTE well into 1998 where it sat on my drive as a kind of mobile pond, complete with algae et al.
Finally scrapped in late 1998.. fond memories though !
Edited by den on Friday 21st November 14:05
Nicholas Blair said:
Loved mine.
Black GTE from 87, C289 CVS. Would be good to know if it's still on the go.
Nick
Fraid not; Black GTE from 87, C289 CVS. Would be good to know if it's still on the go.
Nick
The vehicle details for C289 CVS are:
Date of Liability 22 11 2005
Date of First Registration 13 09 1985
Year of Manufacture 1985
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1979CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour BLACK
Vehicle Type Approval null
I had four all told.
They were brilliant cars for an 18 yr old in 1994. However...
The 1800 OHV engine was the basis for the very first of the Family 2 engines. Which means the 1800 gearbox accepts any modern multi-valve Vauxhall engine - from the C20LET of the Calibra Turbo, to the MV6 engine from the Omega, and I presume, the 2.8 Turbo v6 from the Vectra VXR.
And the engine bay is big enough for all of them.
They were brilliant cars for an 18 yr old in 1994. However...
- The double wishbone front suspension is ludicrously heavy
- The 2.0 CiH 8v lump on the GTEs constitutes around 1/4 of the car's total weight
- The sunroof models rot. Badly. As the sunroof drain pipe go no further than the sills
- The brakes are shocking by any standards, let alone mid eighties
The 1800 OHV engine was the basis for the very first of the Family 2 engines. Which means the 1800 gearbox accepts any modern multi-valve Vauxhall engine - from the C20LET of the Calibra Turbo, to the MV6 engine from the Omega, and I presume, the 2.8 Turbo v6 from the Vectra VXR.
And the engine bay is big enough for all of them.
I had the Vauxhall version too.
In fact I had two of em.
They were called the Calvalier Sportshatch.
They didn't do the saloon version under the vauxhall badge.
I wrote the first one off after 17 days. RWD, wet, me 17yr old muppet,
I had the second one for 2 months before I stuffed it into Duckinfield bridge.
The scrapes are still there 25 years later
I fixed that one though and kept it for 5 years. Loved the thing.
Then I got a Manta as a company car.
I think I may have liked that shape a lot.
In fact I had two of em.
They were called the Calvalier Sportshatch.
They didn't do the saloon version under the vauxhall badge.
I wrote the first one off after 17 days. RWD, wet, me 17yr old muppet,
I had the second one for 2 months before I stuffed it into Duckinfield bridge.
The scrapes are still there 25 years later
I fixed that one though and kept it for 5 years. Loved the thing.
Then I got a Manta as a company car.
I think I may have liked that shape a lot.
Weyhey.. best SOTW ever!
i am a bit bias, but i love them. and they are getting very rare these days, the club recently made some enquiries and i think there was considerably less than 1000 currently taxed cars in the UK. yes they do rust but what cars of this era don't, there a lot of very clean original and restored car out there!
The great thing Manta's is how easy it is to improve them, the last models using the 1.8 vauxhall engine means that the 2.0 16v XE (red top) just bolts straight in giving a standard 150bhp, which with a 1020kg weight makes it quite exciting. mine is currently being converted to twin Weber 45's which should make it more like 180bhp which will be very exciting indeed.
mine in it's natural stance!
i am a bit bias, but i love them. and they are getting very rare these days, the club recently made some enquiries and i think there was considerably less than 1000 currently taxed cars in the UK. yes they do rust but what cars of this era don't, there a lot of very clean original and restored car out there!
The great thing Manta's is how easy it is to improve them, the last models using the 1.8 vauxhall engine means that the 2.0 16v XE (red top) just bolts straight in giving a standard 150bhp, which with a 1020kg weight makes it quite exciting. mine is currently being converted to twin Weber 45's which should make it more like 180bhp which will be very exciting indeed.
mine in it's natural stance!
Edited by MantaMike on Friday 21st November 14:08
cazzer said:
I had the Vauxhall version too.
In fact I had two of em.
They were called the Calvalier Sportshatch.
They didn't do the saloon version under the vauxhall badge.
Oh yes they did - the Cavalier Coupe. Built in Belgium on the same line as the Opel version.In fact I had two of em.
They were called the Calvalier Sportshatch.
They didn't do the saloon version under the vauxhall badge.
Apparently they didn't finish the paint off properly on the roof when applying the vinyl roofs (earlier versions) so they rotted out quite badly!
As said, very heavy suspension parts, but quite hard to damage. Great old things, one of my favourites.
I got rid of mine for £200 odd about 8 years ago...I replaced it with a Fiesta 1.6s 
It's one of those that I really should have kept, quite rare in that colour
Such a cock for getting rid of it, I still can't believe it to this day, I'll never forgive myself
Was a magnet for thieves & attracting unwanted attention, was broken into 3 times in 2 months
It's one of those that I really should have kept, quite rare in that colour
Such a cock for getting rid of it, I still can't believe it to this day, I'll never forgive myself
Was a magnet for thieves & attracting unwanted attention, was broken into 3 times in 2 months
Edited by ol' dirty on Friday 21st November 14:24
morgrp said:
I think Vauxhall should have kept the Opel name for it's coupes and sporty models over here. I think it might have worked as the only Opels to sell in big numbers here in blighty were all coupes They could have made a bit of an "MG" style brand e.g. it should have been the Opel Calibra and the Opel VX220 and the Opel Monaro etc
I concur. Although Opel means crap in mainland europe, I think it would have been perceived as the slightly racier cousin to Vauxhall. The VX220 was called the Opel Speedster - A much better name.vrooom said:
What a great SOTW. I am kinda tempted to buy one. How reilable are they?
quite reliable. BUT If you blow the engine up, know that any vauxhall FWD engine might fit.
Total Vauxhall Magazine regularly features XE, and LET versions. V8 rover is a comment swap too. In fact I think there's a V8 manta club.
Manta Owners club is the biggest club at Billing VBOA show.
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