Manta Barn Find..... (well sort of....)

[brizer]

Well all you Manta lovers out there.... got a phone call couple weeks ago about an old Manta rally car that had sat for a while, well 15 years actually that was heading for the crusher. As u do i went for a nosey and came across the car below... engine had been took, along with the cage and the paddle box, though mosty other things were still present, though not in absolute concourse condition.

So on a trailer she went and took home, ready for stripping this evening. What i do know present and very very usable are the revolutions, 9's on the back and 8's on the front. A quick rack steering also is present; aftermarket heavier springs along with bilstein shocks still in quite good shape considering the circumstances of our winters.

The 400 body kit is complete bar the bonnet and is extremely usable to say the least, alot better than what u'd expect, even has the proper 400 rear bumper. There is also massive brake bells and alloy hubs on the front which withstood the test of time quite well also. A cih 4 branch manifold is also there in the engine bay along with an alloy oil cooler which will do with a clean and a flush, the pipes are slightly perished..... Think some of the front quad lamps are still good, though would need to check them out.

The most important part of her is the rear axle, which has been converted to a disc brake setup, but most importantly housed a zf lsd, though a tooth is broken from the cwp but have a couple spare so will use one of them.. Yes the discs are rusty along with the rear calipers, though axle is surprisingly not rotten so a sand blast and paint and she'll be as good as ever.

Other wee bits are there, map light, cut off switch, foot rest etc etc which should clean up ok, though the shell is fooked bar the roof skin which may be a reuseable item.

Once i've took all the bits i want off her, she be sent to the scrap yard.

So, there ye go, i'll be keeping all the main bits to build another Ascona road car i have sitting, though that won't be for a while. I'll be selling the glass id any one wants it, the cih 4 branch and any other wee bits that i don't need, pm me and i will let you know what the bits are like....

Imagine she cud have ended up in the crusher before being stripped of all the wee goodies, must say its the best £50 i've spent in a long time.....:thumbup::thumbup:





Pic of us pulling her out of storage

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d106/brizer/MANTAROTTEN002.jpg


Pic of my daughter with a sarcastic grin showing off the new addition to the family

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d106/brizer/MANTAROTTEN005.jpg


cheers

[Devlin69]

whats the plans for her?gonna strip and scrap or give her a new lease of life?

[brizer]

Yea strip her, even if i took her to Lourdes and left her there for a month she still is too far gone to bring back to life....

[Dod]

Brian, you are an absolute Jammy ******* and I have no problems telling you that either. Send some my way please??

[brizer]

Brian, you are an absolute Jammy ******* and I have no problems telling you that either. Send some my way please??


Why thank you sir, na just lucky with this one sir..... actually got a another barn find so to speak about 6 weeks ago but it's non Opel/Vx, it's a classic Toyota but nevertheless was as cheap as chips, though unfortunately is yet another breaker ..... bottom line is keeps your eyes & ears open and these things will appear......

[Dod]

Jim found some wide arch Novas a year or more back, but no more on that. Jim, any crack with those?


Anyway Brian, well done again dude.

[brizer]

Jim found some wide arch Novas a year or more back, but no more on that. Jim, any crack with those?


Anyway Brian, well done again dude.



It's crazy Dod -- cars like these are sitting right under our noses, especially cars that cud be saved and put back on the road....

Remember speaking to a guy who said he had the best job in the world ( sort of )... anyhow, he repairs/services house boilers so gets the chance mainly in older houses of getting into the garages where most boiler are situated and therefore cud spot if there were any old cars or interesting vehicles sitting parked up.. Told me he bought several cars this way, which i guess is believable as the house owners husband may have passed away etc etc etc and there car may never have seen the light of day since... don't know i guess he could have been telling the truth.

[lowry-berlinetta]

is there any story in particular behind that rally car as to WHY it was parked up???

[manta356]

That looks like the manta that was lying behind john donnely's old shed.I asked about it years ago,but he wasnt sure if the guy who owned it would sell it.I think he was from armagh somewhere.
Is that the one

[brizer]

is there any story in particular behind that rally car as to WHY it was parked up???

Very inquisitive question .....

As said the engine blew and then the owner who i shall not name bought a Mk 2 Escort, had a massive accident, hurt himself and his co driver and never rallied again. Am getting the log book not that it will ever be used.....

Hope THAT satisfies your curious mind sir....

[brizer]

That looks like the manta that was lying behind john donnely's old shed.I asked about it years ago,but he wasnt sure if the guy who owned it would sell it.I think he was from armagh somewhere.
Is that the one



Bingo....

[lowry-berlinetta]

Very inquisitive question .....

As said the engine blew and then the owner who i shall not name bought a Mk 2 Escort, had a massive accident, hurt himself and his co driver and never rallied again. Am getting the log book not that it will ever be used.....

Hope THAT satisfies your curious mind sir....

didnt mean to be so curious sorry.....
just cant beleive something like that lay stting for so long.....

[brizer]

didnt mean to be so curious sorry.....
just cant beleive something like that lay stting for so long.....



Only messing with you sir, yea sad but true unfortunately

[Dod]

Its true, this sort of thing happens all the time. I know of several old and very Rare Mercs, Various Mantas and Asconas and more with the same story. I'v eyet to find a few Novas like that but I'm sure the day will come. As said, they're right under our noses.

[Manta Mad]

wow !!!! nice find indeed :001_tt1:

pity it was to far gone , but at least ya got a good few useable parts !

as for the corsa,s/novas dod ,their still their & a mk2 scirocco , plus an old merc .
cant find the owner , but i must get back to looking again .

[Mallyd]

£50 . . . .JAMMY GIT!!! I'll give you your money back and take the wheels of you :001_tt2::001_tt2::001_tt2::lol

Well done on that one!!

[Marty D]

You lucky ,Dont know what to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!
any floors left in her?
Didnt get a chat we you at lurgan Park today one minute you were there the gone
Marty D

[76coupe]

cool find:thumbup:

[s11nmg]

great fine brian (true saying money goes to money)

[mamakevf]

Just to say, be carefull about the wheels, I know that alloy wheels left out in the open like that, can become brittle with age, this happened to me, left a set of wheels with Nu-Luk in carrickgergus to be refurbed, they always put the wheels in the straightener, but mine started to break off chunks which rendered them useless:(

[brizer]

Just to say, be carefull about the wheels, I know that alloy wheels left out in the open like that, can become brittle with age, this happened to me, left a set of wheels with Nu-Luk in carrickgergus to be refurbed, they always put the wheels in the straightener, but mine started to break off chunks which rendered them useless:(

Yea i agree, have thought about that possibility which i hope won't happen but certainly is possible. I'm getting them blasted this weekend which hopefully should tell the tale, though in fairness they do look to still be in good shape but who knows.... be a shame to have to bin them.....

[brizer]

You lucky ,Dont know what to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!
any floors left in her?
Didnt get a chat we you at lurgan Park today one minute you were there the gone
Marty D


Well Marty, yea went down for a walk around.... you had a guy talking to ye so didn't want to interupt plus i had a bursting head ache from over indulgence of beer the night before so making conversation in my state was almost impossible -- car looked well as always Marty..:thumbup::thumbup:

[brizer]

Car stripped now, ready for the crusher...


p.s - is the door glass worth taking out of her, or should i send it to China too ?

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d106/brizer/QWERTY1.jpg

.

[Manta Mad]

door glass & the blanking plates on the doors !!!

anybody that wants to put on englmanns , will need them if their good :)

[undercovers]

gonna do that to an ascona one of these days and make you cry!! :001_tt2:
:001_tt2:


god damn it jim, for lettin the cat out of the bag, I was after those blanking plates too!!! :lol

RIP

[brizer]

gonna do that to an ascona one of these days and make you cry!! :001_tt2:
:001_tt2:


God damn it jim, for lettin the cat out of the bag, i was after those blanking plates too!!! :lol

rip


matt there was not a chance in hell of saving her, i jacked the back of her up on the trailer to get the axle out and she folded in half, and i ain't kidding...

Think there is only one blanking plate on her, though may have a match on a lhd ascona car i have.... If u need a set sure let me know....

[undercovers]

didnt think asconas had plates at all, (with the frame!!)

yeh, seen it in the flesh. not good!

I had one the same well actually 3. cut what I could and folded the rest!!
guess yours folded itself up!!

Still good find for yourself! just make sure you cut off anything without a hole, it may come in useful!!

[adzthestig]

by the looks of that manta. it would have needed more water for the plants than welding lol. dont think there would have been anything to weld to lol. nice find