Classic Opel Forum NZ

hi, ive just bought a 1986 opel manta gte,its a barn find and isn't in good condition but on a basic inspection shows very little sign of rust in the usual places. I'm a Glaswegian living in the south island of new Zealand and having owned 6 mantas I'm aware of the usual pit falls with these cars. I'm going to strip the car and rebuild it if I can,any advice if anyone in new Zealand knows the history of the car or any manta fan who can give me any good advice or links to parts would be great,derek smith with his manta is an example of restoring a manta to the perfect standard and I wish I could replicate that but I just don't have the money but hope I can just get another manta on the road and enjoy the driving experience,like I said any help from the forum would be great.

Good to see you got online ok.

The Manta looks in reasonable condition from the photos, but as you say, there are lots of areas for rust under the skin. Certainly looks a lot better than the one in Chch that was rotten around the body. Where did you find yours?

Post up your queries, and I'm sure members will help out where they can .....

It came from leeston, near chch,hopefully I can save it

Just looking again at the rego, and this seems to be the Manta that sold at auction about 6-9 months ago (?) and formerly belonged to another member. Sold by his wife when he passed away.

hi, the previous owner didn't give me many details, he said it had been in storage for 14 years, he hadn't had it long and the windscreen cracked and the thrust bearing went so he decided to sell it, thanks for the info .

I must be mistaken as I can't find the auction photo thread, but have just remembered CarJam and it shows these are the first plates. The other one had personalised plates OBM, which must therefore be a different car.

Neville think its a different car, maybe the one from Akaroa for sale a few years back, obm had a sun roof which this doesnt by the look of i,t bit hard too tell? think OBM went on too have a per plate, 4 split? but sold with out it.

hi, this manta has a sun roof, I bought it from a English guy and new very little about its history, he was a farmer and went to buy a bull and came home with a manta?

thanks, just the angle makes it hard too see if sun roof or not,looks like the one from Akaroa was on trademe a few years back? cheers.

I remember that manta, it had no decals and they wanted 5000$.

doesn't look to bad stick a thrust bearing in her and see if she gets a warrant don't suppose smith and smith will have a windscreen for it.
have contacts in ireland for spares but the post is a killer

Might pay too check the likes of the holden Camira windscreen the j series ?

OK mate, will do, I've found one in Auckland for a thousand dollars, I'd like to try for something cheaper first but you know when you buy vintage cars parts are expensive and rare, it's all part of it . thanks for the advice

Similar to my old one which I think Neville might have thought could have been this one. I did the quad headlight mod to mine with help from Derek.

Yeah, sorry. Got confused with all the Mantas suddenly appearing!