My Manta "Barn Find"

[EastcoastOpel]

Hey everyone, just picked up a 73(?) manta door tag dated 8-72, its a barn find...but too bad it was left outside of the barn! the undercarriage is completely shot, i can pull the drivers seat out by hand and when you open the drivers door the whole front door pillar comes with it, the car was redone in the early 90's but the shop never addressed the underside rust issues, its an automatic with cloth interior, its dirty and eveytrhing you expect, but there are some good parts still on it, I had to pay the hefty sum of $50 for her and i'll be parting it out.
Can some of you Manta guys/girls give me a ballpark price on some of the parts? complete auto tranny, glass, rear end, int parts, bumpers, or any other thing that are HTF or sellable, also I saw a post that someone said the underhood courtesy light was a HTF item is it true and whats it worth? thanks for your time and help.
Thanks, Rob

[Phoenix]

73s had the small bumpers with the rubber strip on them.

If you mean that the "b-pillar" came with the door, then, it's removable anyway and missing something that holds it in.

[74Opel1900]

For $50 you got a good deal. I'm sure you'll make some money off the parts. From what I understand some of the parts are interchangeable with the Ascona.

[tomking]

Are the black door handle escutcheons good? I need one or two.

[BQS4]

Well, what you have there, "was" a kinda rare 73 Manta Luxus model. Why rare? It has, or rather had, the silver/gray corduroy interior. Most silver painted Luxus models had the maroon interior. But, as you have stated, it's a parts car. The auto trans is not really worth a lot, but, the flexplate (flywheel) and driveshaft are. Glass, if not scratched, or fogging, the door handles, the underhood, glovebox and trunk lights are worth a few. The list goes on. Some oof these parts will appeal to the Ascona crowd too.

[EastcoastOpel]

BQS4, sorry to hear it was a little rare, but I dont think its worth saving, from the trunk all the way to the engine firewall is rusted through, battery area, a-pillar,frame rails, bracing etc too and the roof and passenger side qtr. had a tree fall on them caving it in.

tomking, it doesnt have escutcheons (pocket type) for the door handles, it just has these little tanish round plastic pieces that slide over the handle and cover the hinge

74opel1900 I just couldnt let it go to the crusher, so if I make a buck or two thats fine, but more important hopefully I can help out anyone looking for a part at a good price

[Gordy]

I think I paid $15 for a NOS underhood light and about the same for a NOS glove box light. If you pull out the underhood light make sure you take the little rubber "bumper" that hits the light button to turn it off. (It's attached to the hood). If the windshield is good you can shoot me a pm with a price you would want for it.
Looks like a nice find and you should have fun parting it out.

[EastcoastOpel]

some more pic....

[stosh562]

i would be interested in the gauge cluster or at least the fuel gauge. mine's acting up and i would like to have an extra. the woodgrain bezel around them would be nice too. let me know what you would want for them.

[Gordy]

Did Opel use solid German Oak from the Black Forest of Germany for the door trim in the Luxus Manta? I heard the early models also featured Coo-coo clocks

[BQS4]

Hold on to that hood and the cover for the heater core as those single washer jet hoods as well as the washerjet itself are hard to come by.

[AZManta]

If the rubber impact strips on the bumpers are in goog shape they should be worth something, as they are one year only parts and easily damaged. Side door glass is hard to come by as it was a dealer item only.

[OpelJim]

$50.00 was a really good deal

I am sure there is a need for door window glass if not now someday for sure

front windshields are also hard to find new and if I do find them $275.00 is
a price that rings a bell plus crating and trucking fees

If you strip this Manta make sure you bag and tag all the parts as when someone contacts you in need of something you can easily find it

Have a fine 2009 and fun taking off the parts

BTW the door panel wood looks good !! arm rest ?? kinda hard to tell

[tomking]

It was a good buy for $50 if you have the space to keep it.
"tomking, it doesnt have escutcheons (pocket type) for the door handles, it just has these little tanish round plastic pieces that slide over the handle and cover the hinge"
That is what I am talking about, but I need them in black. thanks and good Opeling.

[Gordy]

Tom, if you get the tan ones any interior guy can dye them black for you. I will be going up to a boneyard in Wisconsin as soon as it warms up and they have a couple of Mantas. I will check and see if those parts are on their cars.

[tomking]

That would be great Gordy if you find them. Thanks.

[Aardvaark]

Originally Posted by Gordy Did Opel use solid German Oak from the Black Forest of Germany for the door trim in the Luxus Manta? I heard the early models also featured Coo-coo clocks

Both true.
My first Opel was an early maroon '73 Luxus and the owners manual had a whole chapter on care and refinishing of the wood trim.
Also the coo-coo clock had to be rewound ever eight days.

There was also an optional trim package available called the "Manta Luxus Broughm Limited Special Edition" that included round opera windows on the 'C' pillars and opera lights on the 'B' pillars and extra padding for the vinyl landau roof. Sort of a small Electra 225.

[greenbarron]

EastcoastOpel

How much for the windshield? And how much in shipping for the windshield ( crate it and fill the crate with expansion foam?) since I'm all the way in CA.

-Quentin

[74Opel1900]

I thought the coo-coo clock was a joke. Are you for real?

[EastcoastOpel]

there was a stray cat living in the car at one time , so i'm afraid the bird in the coo-coo clock is long gone!!!

[jlthunder]

Originally Posted by 74Opel1900 I thought the coo-coo clock was a joke. Are you for real?

No, it is an electro mechanical clock. If it worked, the clock would wind down and hit an electrical contact to "rewind" the clock every few minutes.

It is a Luxus from the cloth interior and the special arm rests and wood on the interior of the door. I had a '74 Luxus and the wood was a laminate over the base material. I had the silver with maroon interior.

[opeletti75]

thos coo koo clocks were sweat

[Rionart]

Originally Posted by opeletti75 thos coo koo clocks were sweat

For the UK spec cars, they wiped off the perspiration, removed the Cuckoo and installed 'Big Ben' chimes....ah, those were the days....

[Aardvaark]

Originally Posted by Rionart For the UK spec cars, they wiped off the perspiration, removed the Cuckoo and installed 'Big Ben' chimes....ah, those were the days....

Baz should look for one of those!

I wonder what a sweating coocoo smells like?

[layindoor]

I would be interested in the bumpers, lights and emblems (if they are any good) Let me know if you want to sell them...

Thanks,
Dave