newby looking for some exhaust help

[dantesboyz]

i'm new to the forums, and i know somebody out there has an answer to my question.
anyway i'm currently in the process of restoring a GT thats been locked up in a garage for the past 25 years. so since it has sat so long plenty of things need attention, fuel everything, for example. however upon rebuilding the solex carb, removing and bead blasting the intake manifold, and pulling the 2 manifolds apart (which was a challenge), i have discovered a crack in the exhaust manifold. now i have heard that i have some options on replacement, but i definitely don't want to put the same manifold back on. the factory design where the 2 manifolds bolt together and the exhaust gases are free to heat up the intake, simply disgusts me. correct me if i'm wrong but after some research i understand that the american version exhaust manifold from the FI engines will bolt right up to my factory head and pipe, but does it share the same design as what i have now. i'm looking for something a little better but i'm just not sure that i'm ready to drop a couple hundred dollars on a nice header. does anybody have any suggestions?
if the FI exhaust manifold bolts to the head but not the intake i might be game for that.
thank you in advance for all your help guys.
Tim

[tomking]

The so called Sprint manifolds will bolt up directly and do not have the heat riser. They seem to go for 200 plus on ebay. Headers do show up on ebay regularly and arent quite so expensive. They involve more changes to the exhaust system then as the downpipe must be different from stock. Plus some headers have real fitment problems. Also some dont like how low the exhaust pipe is with headers due to the collector connection taking up vertical space compared to stock.
I have been making "home made" sprint manifolds which means cutting off the heat riser with a saw and welding on a cast iron cover plate. Yes welding cast iron is tricky and frought with issues. Many welding shops just wont attempt it. I have many exhaust manifolds and have little to lose by doing it myself. So far so good. There is a thread on this site with pics, not by me, where I got the idea. Some one may come up with the link, but try searching for sprint manifold, home made sprint manifold, modified sprint manifold, etc to find it. Good luck.

[Gary Sullivan]

It's my experience that the 75 cast manifolds are pretty good all around for a lot of Opels. And they seem to avoid some of the problems lots of guys have had with the aftermarket ones.
The 75 manifolds are solid, heavy, good for scavanging. The only problem I find with them is when I am taking them off I sometimes (frequently break off one of the studs) so then I have to fool around tapping/drilling to replace them. Anymore I just resort to heat when I a pulling one off. I think there are also quite a few of them around.

[dantesboyz]

would you happen to have any pics of these manifolds, i have yet to see one.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Try this:

http://www.opelgt.com/forums/attachm...es-c818_12.jpg

[kwilford]

And this:
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/6d-exha...-manifold.html
And do a search for "sprint + manifold" in the Exhaust Forum
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/search.php?searchid=261164
and you will be richly rewarded, and have the pleasure of reading LOTS of threads on Sprint manifolds.

[dantesboyz]

thanks guys for the info. but i'm still a little confused are the "sprint manifold" and the 75 FI manifold 2 different things that are "identical". and my other thing i need verified is that one for a 2.0 and a 1.9 will fit but not any larger. and i need to find one with an "opel" stamp, not a GM stamp. sorry i have so many questions, but this it the first car i ever owned thats older than me, and i just want to make sure i get it right

[RallyBob]

thanks guys for the info. but i'm still a little confused are the "sprint manifold" and the 75 FI manifold 2 different things that are "identical". and my other thing i need verified is that one for a 2.0 and a 1.9 will fit but not any larger. and i need to find one with an "opel" stamp, not a GM stamp. sorry i have so many questions, but this it the first car i ever owned thats older than me, and i just want to make sure i get it right

On US-model Opels, the only cars that were equipped with these manifolds were the 1975 models (Manta, Ascona, Sportwagon). They all had EFI too BTW. The name 'Sprint' manifold came about because the original application for this particular style exhaust manifold was on the Opel Rekord 'Sprint' (1967-1972), but that car was never imported into the US. The manifolds are essentially the same.

Later European models with EFI (2.0 and 2.2 litre) had a variation or two of the Sprint manifold which does not coincide with the headpipes used on the 1.9 litre-equipped Opels.

[2 Fast 4 U]

Later European models with EFI (2.0 and 2.2 liter) had a variation or two of the Sprint manifold which does not coincide with the head pipes used on the 1.9 liter-equipped Opels.

The 1.6/1.9/2.0 intake manifold can be modified to fit the 2.2[/2.4] EFI head, by drilling two holes in the manifold, take a look here:
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/6c-fuel...fold-head.html ,

and the exhaust manifold is a direct bolt up/on

[RallyBob]

The 1.6/1.9/2.0 intake manifold can be modified to fit the 2.2[/2.4] EFI head, by drilling two holes in the manifold, take a look here:
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/6c-fuel...fold-head.html ,

and the exhaust manifold is a direct bolt up/on

Except we're talking about exhaust manifolds, not inlets!

[dantesboyz]

any one know a good place to pick one of these up at

[opelwasp]

Opel Gt Source has 2.0, 2.2, and 2.4 exhaust manifolds. All of which will fit your 1.9

[dantesboyz]

talked to dennis @ ogts, he said that they are currently out of stock. i'm going to past this in the wanted section later but any other advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks to all so far for the in-depth knowledge.

[2 Fast 4 U]

Except we're talking about exhaust manifolds, not inlets!

I did correct my self in the end

........and the exhaust manifold is a direct bolt up/on.....

[Gary Sullivan]

If you don't readily find one of those headers new, I have one or two lurking in my parts collections and I suspect a lot of Opeler's do. The downside of using those takeoffs is more often than not they have a stuck bolt or two from when they came off which will need to be drilled out, retapped, or otherwise extracted. Removing those is often a bit of an ordeal even with some tools. I have done some of my own. Sometimes successful and other times less so, and once in a while I have taken something with a stuck bolt to a local welding shop. It is less of a headache for you to find a used one which has already been cleaned up. This make sense?

G.S.

[dantesboyz]

thanks gary for your help