73 manta restoration saga

blitz74 · 11-09-2006

Hi, just found the site. I'm an 18-year old and I have a '74 Manta Luxus with a 1.9L and 4 speed. My parents bought it used around '75 and the original color was silver. Since then it was restored once and painted white. Then my parents neglected it for years and long story short it needs to be restored again, but this time it's going to be mine. My uncle and I are beginning the work, the engine is mostly dismantled, and we have a 2.0 from a later Opel along with a 5-speed that we will put in. We also have a parts car that we got from the local junkyard. I don't really know anything about these cars, but I'm looking forward to learning more about classic Opels and getting advice.

Here are some pics of the car as it sits now.

http://aycu37.webshots.com/image/807...7532041_rs.jpg

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5...01smallwn7.jpg

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/775...03smallur7.jpg

blitz74 · 11-09-2006

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/889...09smallzu7.jpg

The parts car had a bunch of extra rims in the trunk, so we've sandblasted a set of them and hopefully will get them chrome plated.

http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/714...9752408_rs.jpg

And here is my concept for how it should look when finished:

http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/757...5448895_rs.jpg

Well, just wanted to introduce myself and I'm looking forward to talking to some other classic Opel owners!

manta73wi · 11-09-2006

Welcome to the wonderful world of Manta owners!! They are wonderful cars - great styling, decent ride, comfortable, and very reliable. It looks like you have a great start with desireable AC, small bumpers, Luxus interior, and clean body. Should be even better with the 2.0/5 speed combo! The wheels you found in the parts car with the "extra" spoke in the slot are from the '75 Opels are just a bit wider than the earlier wheels on the car now. Since you've listed the car as a '74, and is has the small bumpers one normally associates with the '73's, would you be able to post the date of manufacture as found on the driver's door (facing the door jamb)? It seems there are a few '74's with small bumpers that I would think are early '74's. Congrats!
-Jeff W.

bronto2006 · 11-10-2006

Where are you actually? Helena or Santa Barbara? I am in Santa Barbara, and just found this site as well. See my post here:

http://www.opelgt.com/forums/introdu...i-do-mine.html

I know a decent amount about Opels. My grandfather and uncle were Opel dealers, I drove my parent's '73 Manta when I first got my license, friend had a '71 Manta Rally, and as the thread above says, I still own a '70 GT I'm trying to figure out what to do with.

namba209 · 11-10-2006

If your wheels are aluminum alloy and you want them chrome plated, I can highly recommend Anaheim Plating in, naturally, Anaheim, CA. They did the slotted mag style alloy wheels on my 72 GT, appropriatly named Willit? The cost per wheel was $75 plus shipping. There are pics of the wheels in my Willit? Update thread.

blitz74 · 11-10-2006

Originally Posted by manta73wi

Welcome to the wonderful world of Manta owners!! They are wonderful cars - great styling, decent ride, comfortable, and very reliable. It looks like you have a great start with desireable AC, small bumpers, Luxus interior, and clean body. Should be even better with the 2.0/5 speed combo! The wheels you found in the parts car with the "extra" spoke in the slot are from the '75 Opels are just a bit wider than the earlier wheels on the car now. Since you've listed the car as a '74, and is has the small bumpers one normally associates with the '73's, would you be able to post the date of manufacture as found on the driver's door (facing the door jamb)? It seems there are a few '74's with small bumpers that I would think are early '74's. Congrats!
-Jeff W.

I don't actually know for sure what year it is, I haven't looked at the door tag. The original wheels on it now are the single-slot type. I guess we screwed up...

Originally Posted by bronto2006

Where are you actually? Helena or Santa Barbara? I am in Santa Barbara, and just found this site as well. See my post here:

http://www.opelgt.com/forums/introdu...i-do-mine.html

I know a decent amount about Opels. My grandfather and uncle were Opel dealers, I drove my parent's '73 Manta when I first got my license, friend had a '71 Manta Rally, and as the thread above says, I still own a '70 GT I'm trying to figure out what to do with.

Wow, another opeler in Santa Barbara? That's pretty surprising... especially to get a reply on the first day. Anyway right now I'm in Helena, at college, but I call SB home and go back for holidays. The Manta is here in Helena. You should hang on to the GT and restore it as time and $ permits, then we can both show up at the local car shows.

Originally Posted by namba209

If your wheels are aluminum alloy and you want them chrome plated, I can highly recommend Anaheim Plating in, naturally, Anaheim, CA. They did the slotted mag style alloy wheels on my 72 GT, appropriatly named Willit? The cost per wheel was $75 plus shipping. There are pics of the wheels in my Willit? Update thread.

hm, I don't know whether they are alloy, it seems to me that they are steel since they're kinda heavy, but I don't know for sure. Thanks for the recommendation though.

...and thanks for the welcome everyone

bronto2006 · 11-10-2006

Originally Posted by blitz74

Wow, another opeler in Santa Barbara? That's pretty surprising... especially to get a reply on the first day. Anyway right now I'm in Helena, at college, but I call SB home and go back for holidays. The Manta is here in Helena. You should hang on to the GT and restore it as time and $ permits, then we can both show up at the local car shows.

University of Montana, Carroll, or ?

There are others here, no idea if they are on this board. There used to be a custom convertible GT running around, but I haven't seen it in a few years. There are others. I discovered that the head mechanic at the local independent Porsche shop got his start with Opel in Germany; he got a little gleam in his eye when I told him about my GT. I almost talked him into taking it off my hands.

blitz74 · 11-10-2006

I go to Carroll College, I'm liking it so far, its a great place. It's a change from being in sunny SoCal and my friends think I'm nuts for going to Montana, but I think it was a good choice - I'm seeing another part of the country and experiencing a different culture almost, and there's actually WEATHER!

Anyways I didn't expect there to be any Opels in SB, they're pretty darn uncommon. Once the car is done and I get it back down there, I will definetly be driving it a lot and taking it to the Wheels and Waves show (and whatever else there is, probably). I'm getting pretty excited about the project.

Which Porsche shop? The Engine Company? They seem to specialize in Porsches and other German cars, but I've taken my '68 Mercury Cougar there a few times.

bronto2006 · 11-10-2006

Originally Posted by blitz74

I go to Carroll College, I'm liking it so far, its a great place. It's a change from being in sunny SoCal and my friends think I'm nuts for going to Montana, but I think it was a good choice - I'm seeing another part of the country and experiencing a different culture almost, and there's actually WEATHER!

Good NAIA football and basketball program. I'm a Westmont alum, and have been watching the Carroll basketball program develop.

Originally Posted by blitz74

Which Porsche shop? The Engine Company? They seem to specialize in Porsches and other German cars, but I've taken my '68 Mercury Cougar there a few times.

Schnieder Autohaus on De La Vina, they have the best reputation for Porsche work.

hallgeir · 11-10-2006

Originally Posted by blitz74

hm, I don't know whether they are alloy, it seems to me that they are steel since they're kinda heavy, but I don't know for sure.

I think they are steel.
Welcome btw. Nice Manta you have there. Take good care of it.

blitz74 · 11-10-2006

Ok, I just had a look at the door tag, and it turns out that it was made in March 1973. Guess it's not a 74 after all! Too bad I registered my name with '74' in it. oh well.

so, just a progress update - the head is being rebuilt and should be ready within the next week, and we're hoping to swap the engine and trans somtime after thanksgiving, which means i'll get to drive it soon! after that comes bodywork...

well i guess eventually i should just start a thread about the project and update as progress is made

bronto - yep our football team has been the best in its league for a few years now, we had i think around a 25-game winning streak until recently.

hallgeir - thanks! i will definetly be taking good care of this car. i plan on hanging on to it for a while.

opelwasp · 11-10-2006

Are you having hardened valve seats put in? If not you should really consider it. Also while you have the head out and getting it worked on, think about putting 2.0L valves in it. The shop can just use new seats for the 2.0 valves when they put them in. The bigger valves performe better, and why not do it now while its out.

blitz74 · 11-14-2006

Originally Posted by opelwasp

Are you having hardened valve seats put in? If not you should really consider it. Also while you have the head out and getting it worked on, think about putting 2.0L valves in it. The shop can just use new seats for the 2.0 valves when they put them in. The bigger valves performe better, and why not do it now while its out.

I know that we're putting in hardened valve seats but I'm not sure whether we're putting in bigger valves or not. That's a good idea though, I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestions.

blitz74 · 11-28-2006

Progress update: I've just gotten word that the engine builder is finished with the head. It's from the original 1.9, and he put in hardened valve seats and new valves, although I'm not sure what size the valves are.

The next step is to take in the 2.0 block (from a mid-80's opel) to be cleaned up, balanced, etc.

Winter is setting in here in Montana, we have a couple inches of snow, and the temperature is around -1 degrees F. Fortunately, it looks like my uncle will be making space in the lower part of his shop for the Manta. He has a hoist mounted in the rafters in the ceiling, so the pulling of the old engine is not too far away.

Another update should be expected this weekend, hopefully with pictures.

baz · 11-28-2006

Andrew i have merged the 2 threads in manta for you so we keep it all together

blitz74 · 11-28-2006

thanks baz, that's probably a good idea.

blitz74 · 12-11-2006

Hi everyone, just wanted to say that I haven't gotten a chance to get any work done on the Manta, and there won't be any updates on that for about a month , since I'm going home for the holidays.

Meanwhile, I might as well ask a couple questions..

Interior
-Since the car is going to be red and black, I thought it would be good to redo the interior (currently grey with cloth seats) in black, with vinyl seats. So, what's a good way to dye the grey panels black? And what would it cost to have the cloth on the door panels and seats redone with black vinyl? Also, is this a bad idea for any reason (hot seats? risk of cracking? etc?) The good thing about this kind of material is that if you spill something on it you can just wipe it off... whereas with cloth it would just soak in.
-I've also been tossing around the idea of using brushed aluminum or steel strips in place of the fake wood on the door panels. Would this be doable? Also for the dash, in place of the fake wood, I was thinking circular brushed steel (not sure if that's the right term) would look pretty cool (like in 2nd-generation Firebirds, see this picture: http://i21.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/7e/32/e059_3.JPG ) Where can I get that material and what's a good way to go about going this?

Wheels
-From looking around, I've found that Wurth is probably the way to go as far as silver paint. As far a black goes, what would you recommend? (Eastwood has a satin black wheel paint) Also should I use a cleaner first (the wheels are stripped to bare metal), and should I use a primer, and if so what kind? And I guess the Wurth clear coat is a good idea to protect the paint.

Sorry if these questions are dumb, but I'm new to restoring cars. Thanks!

David McCollam · 12-11-2006

You can get vinyl dye for the vinyl pieces of the door panel; however, I have no experience with the material on the carpeted portion of the door. I have some black interior panels for the regular model Manta. They aren't stellar but usable.

As for the wheels there is a type of paint sold by Griot's Garage on the web specifically for the silver and black wheels. The silver is a great match for the original Opel silver on the Sport Wheels. They have a clear coat that is non-yellowing as well. I would check those out.

Dave

jordan · 12-11-2006

The design on the guage panel is called "Jeweling" and if it has been done (past tense verb) "Jeweled" which is what it will commonly be referred to as....jeweled metal and it can be bought in sheet stock or done yourself with a kit. I think Eastwood Company Home Page sells the kit.

timemachine · 12-11-2006

Dave,
I looked at Griot's garage for the paint you mention but didn't see any. Any more info on that wheel paint?
TX,
Jim

11-09-2006	#1 (permalink)
blitz74 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Helena, MT Posts: 103 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	73 manta restoration saga Hi, just found the site. I'm an 18-year old and I have a '74 Manta Luxus with a 1.9L and 4 speed. My parents bought it used around '75 and the original color was silver. Since then it was restored once and painted white. Then my parents neglected it for years and long story short it needs to be restored again, but this time it's going to be mine. My uncle and I are beginning the work, the engine is mostly dismantled, and we have a 2.0 from a later Opel along with a 5-speed that we will put in. We also have a parts car that we got from the local junkyard. I don't really know anything about these cars, but I'm looking forward to learning more about classic Opels and getting advice. Here are some pics of the car as it sits now. http://aycu37.webshots.com/image/807...7532041_rs.jpg http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5...01smallwn7.jpg http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/775...03smallur7.jpg

11-28-2006	#14 (permalink)
blitz74 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Helena, MT Posts: 103 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	73 Manta Restoration Saga Progress update: I've just gotten word that the engine builder is finished with the head. It's from the original 1.9, and he put in hardened valve seats and new valves, although I'm not sure what size the valves are. The next step is to take in the 2.0 block (from a mid-80's opel) to be cleaned up, balanced, etc. Winter is setting in here in Montana, we have a couple inches of snow, and the temperature is around -1 degrees F. Fortunately, it looks like my uncle will be making space in the lower part of his shop for the Manta. He has a hoist mounted in the rafters in the ceiling, so the pulling of the old engine is not too far away. Another update should be expected this weekend, hopefully with pictures. Last edited by blitz74; 11-28-2006 at 07:03 PM..

12-11-2006	#17 (permalink)
blitz74 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Helena, MT Posts: 103 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	no updates for a while Hi everyone, just wanted to say that I haven't gotten a chance to get any work done on the Manta, and there won't be any updates on that for about a month , since I'm going home for the holidays. Meanwhile, I might as well ask a couple questions.. Interior -Since the car is going to be red and black, I thought it would be good to redo the interior (currently grey with cloth seats) in black, with vinyl seats. So, what's a good way to dye the grey panels black? And what would it cost to have the cloth on the door panels and seats redone with black vinyl? Also, is this a bad idea for any reason (hot seats? risk of cracking? etc?) The good thing about this kind of material is that if you spill something on it you can just wipe it off... whereas with cloth it would just soak in. -I've also been tossing around the idea of using brushed aluminum or steel strips in place of the fake wood on the door panels. Would this be doable? Also for the dash, in place of the fake wood, I was thinking circular brushed steel (not sure if that's the right term) would look pretty cool (like in 2nd-generation Firebirds, see this picture: http://i21.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/7e/32/e059_3.JPG ) Where can I get that material and what's a good way to go about going this? Wheels -From looking around, I've found that Wurth is probably the way to go as far as silver paint. As far a black goes, what would you recommend? (Eastwood has a satin black wheel paint) Also should I use a cleaner first (the wheels are stripped to bare metal), and should I use a primer, and if so what kind? And I guess the Wurth clear coat is a good idea to protect the paint. Sorry if these questions are dumb, but I'm new to restoring cars. Thanks! Last edited by blitz74; 12-11-2006 at 05:10 PM..

12-11-2006	#18 (permalink)
David McCollam Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 559 Classified Rating: 100% (1)	Interior You can get vinyl dye for the vinyl pieces of the door panel; however, I have no experience with the material on the carpeted portion of the door. I have some black interior panels for the regular model Manta. They aren't stellar but usable. As for the wheels there is a type of paint sold by Griot's Garage on the web specifically for the silver and black wheels. The silver is a great match for the original Opel silver on the Sport Wheels. They have a clear coat that is non-yellowing as well. I would check those out. Dave

11-09-2006	#2 (permalink)
blitz74 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Helena, MT Posts: 103 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/889...09smallzu7.jpg The parts car had a bunch of extra rims in the trunk, so we've sandblasted a set of them and hopefully will get them chrome plated. http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/714...9752408_rs.jpg And here is my concept for how it should look when finished: http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/757...5448895_rs.jpg Well, just wanted to introduce myself and I'm looking forward to talking to some other classic Opel owners!

11-09-2006	#3 (permalink)
manta73wi Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Mequon (Near Milwaukee) Wisconsin Posts: 531 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	Welcome to the wonderful world of Manta owners!! They are wonderful cars - great styling, decent ride, comfortable, and very reliable. It looks like you have a great start with desireable AC, small bumpers, Luxus interior, and clean body. Should be even better with the 2.0/5 speed combo! The wheels you found in the parts car with the "extra" spoke in the slot are from the '75 Opels are just a bit wider than the earlier wheels on the car now. Since you've listed the car as a '74, and is has the small bumpers one normally associates with the '73's, would you be able to post the date of manufacture as found on the driver's door (facing the door jamb)? It seems there are a few '74's with small bumpers that I would think are early '74's. Congrats! -Jeff W.

11-10-2006	#4 (permalink)
bronto2006 Opeler Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: California Posts: 7 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	Where are you actually? Helena or Santa Barbara? I am in Santa Barbara, and just found this site as well. See my post here: http://www.opelgt.com/forums/introdu...i-do-mine.html I know a decent amount about Opels. My grandfather and uncle were Opel dealers, I drove my parent's '73 Manta when I first got my license, friend had a '71 Manta Rally, and as the thread above says, I still own a '70 GT I'm trying to figure out what to do with.

11-10-2006	#5 (permalink)
namba209 6,000 Post Club Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Imperial Beach, CA South of San Diego Posts: 6,033 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	If your wheels are aluminum alloy and you want them chrome plated, I can highly recommend Anaheim Plating in, naturally, Anaheim, CA. They did the slotted mag style alloy wheels on my 72 GT, appropriatly named Willit? The cost per wheel was $75 plus shipping. There are pics of the wheels in my Willit? Update thread.

11-10-2006	#8 (permalink)
blitz74 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Helena, MT Posts: 103 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	I go to Carroll College, I'm liking it so far, its a great place. It's a change from being in sunny SoCal and my friends think I'm nuts for going to Montana, but I think it was a good choice - I'm seeing another part of the country and experiencing a different culture almost, and there's actually WEATHER! Anyways I didn't expect there to be any Opels in SB, they're pretty darn uncommon. Once the car is done and I get it back down there, I will definetly be driving it a lot and taking it to the Wheels and Waves show (and whatever else there is, probably). I'm getting pretty excited about the project. Which Porsche shop? The Engine Company? They seem to specialize in Porsches and other German cars, but I've taken my '68 Mercury Cougar there a few times.

11-10-2006	#11 (permalink)
blitz74 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Helena, MT Posts: 103 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	Ok, I just had a look at the door tag, and it turns out that it was made in March 1973. Guess it's not a 74 after all! Too bad I registered my name with '74' in it. oh well. so, just a progress update - the head is being rebuilt and should be ready within the next week, and we're hoping to swap the engine and trans somtime after thanksgiving, which means i'll get to drive it soon! after that comes bodywork... well i guess eventually i should just start a thread about the project and update as progress is made bronto - yep our football team has been the best in its league for a few years now, we had i think around a 25-game winning streak until recently. hallgeir - thanks! i will definetly be taking good care of this car. i plan on hanging on to it for a while.

11-10-2006	#12 (permalink)
opelwasp Non Civilian Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Between Chico and Sac, CA Posts: 1,371 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	Are you having hardened valve seats put in? If not you should really consider it. Also while you have the head out and getting it worked on, think about putting 2.0L valves in it. The shop can just use new seats for the 2.0 valves when they put them in. The bigger valves performe better, and why not do it now while its out.

11-28-2006	#15 (permalink)
baz opel free after 25 years Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: sunderland england Posts: 4,711 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	Andrew i have merged the 2 threads in manta for you so we keep it all together

11-28-2006	#16 (permalink)
blitz74 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA / Helena, MT Posts: 103 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	thanks baz, that's probably a good idea.

12-11-2006	#19 (permalink)
jordan Moderator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: corning ny 14830 Posts: 2,123 Classified Rating: 100% (1)	The design on the guage panel is called "Jeweling" and if it has been done (past tense verb) "Jeweled" which is what it will commonly be referred to as....jeweled metal and it can be bought in sheet stock or done yourself with a kit. I think Eastwood Company Home Page sells the kit.

12-11-2006	#20 (permalink)
timemachine Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Swarthmore, PA Posts: 638 Classified Rating: 0% (0)	Dave, I looked at Griot's garage for the paint you mention but didn't see any. Any more info on that wheel paint? TX, Jim