Belkits Opel Manta 400 .

[Alan R]

11 hours ago, keefr22 said:

I loved mine as it wasn't particularly fast but was just fantastic fun on twisty roads

That's my memory of my MkII XR2. I remember many times barrelling across the Salisbury plain at what I now would consider insane speeds.

It was a proper Go-kart. Loved it. I wish I had never sold it TBH...

 

My 61 plate Focus diesel was faster to 60 and returned around 50MPG. Handled well for an estate as well.

 

Happy days. 

[Vesa Jussila]

19 hours ago, bzn20 said:

How about the RS1700T Group B ?

Too little too late, honestly it might have been good  car against Ascona 400 or Manta 400 and other similar ones. But there were already already next generation.

[Exit5man]

On 2/14/2021 at 6:16 PM, Windy37 said:

I will be using rattle cans , Tamiya TS34 camel yellow I think will be a good match for the yellow ,as it's more of a golden yellow  . Then Tamiya red and I think for the blue I'm going to try some Tamiya Briliant Blue,  leftover from the Metro.  Might be too bright a  blue though , we'll see . 

  VHS rallies on you tube is a good source of old rally fun . All the old Top Gear rally reports are on there.  

  Gary . 

Looking forward to seeing your progress with this kit . I've got it in my stash ready to do with the Andrews decals and Zero paints set . The yellow is definitely the wrong shade , it's too bright . I've got photos of the car from 1980's rallies and it's nowhere near the right colour .  The Zero paint for this kit is more like the Andrews replica Manta used on the 2019 RAC . I remember when i did the Andrews Heat for Hire  Escort a few years ago i got a spray from Halfords, more of a mustard shade but i can't remember the name of the colour .

[keefr22]

22 minutes ago, Exit5man said:

I've got photos of the car from 1980's rallies and it's nowhere near the right colour .

 

Good, means my memories of the car from back then weren't wrong then

 

Keith

[Anteater]

22 hours ago, bzn20 said:

No it didn't have the harder suspension or the P600 tyres

 

 Yeah Orion 1.6 i  Ghia was a sought after car

 

XR3 and XR3i was a bit of a joke .Looked good but wasn't fast , Ford's idea to promise something then have it on cheaper insurance because it wasn't the"it" that the brochures said...Didn't work as they got stolen anyway .

Next up the Mk 1 RS Turbo 1600i white only  .that was a car. RS Turbo that came later was a shadow of the Mk1 version

 

Pretty much the point this article makes... https://viaretro.com/2021/02/the-escort-xr3-comes-of-age/

 

40 years old!!!

 

Anyway, back to the Manta...

[bzn20]

2 hours ago, Vesa Jussila said:

Too little too late

Late ? They banned Groupe B ,too dangerous RS200, Metro6R4 , Audi Quattro Sport S1 . They were nuts 

[Vesa Jussila]

25 minutes ago, bzn20 said:

Late ? They banned Groupe B ,too dangerous RS200, Metro6R4 , Audi Quattro Sport S1 . They were nuts 

I know. But RS1700 was just warm up from Gr.4 not something to compare to Lancia S4 or Peugeot 205 T16. I have myself driven Gr.B Manta 400 in anger and I am not capable to take S1 or S4 in any race.

Manta 400 was also iteration from Ascona 400 that was Gr.4 car. Something that we mortals were able to handle. Cars you listed were F1 in forest.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Vesa Jussila

[Anteater]

42 minutes ago, Vesa Jussila said:

I have myself driven Gr.B Manta 400 in anger

 

Lucky man, born at the right time. A mate of mine used a (non-400) Manta with a (Ford) Atlas rear end on tarmac to very good effect back in the day. Mantas ruled the British Open Championship for a while, even if Vauxhall's DTV approach was arguably inferior to full centralised factory backing. I think Irmscher ran the Opels on the world stage if I recall correctly.

 

Two defining Manta memories for me are Ari's "Dear God" moment on the Manx, and in-car of him wrestling one round Colerne on an RAC. 

[Vesa Jussila]

1 minute ago, Anteater said:

"Dear God"

I think that statement was from Terry Harryman. Ari's co-driver.

[Anteater]

It certainly was, "Dear God" being pronounced in full Ulster. Vatanen's save is one thing. but keeping it going to the end of stage with a front left puncture at that sort of speed is equally as impressive.

 

Last time I tried to drive on a flat the tyre pinged off within yards and the wheel rapidly turned into a hexagon. We pulled over mid-stage to change it, upon which the jack collapsed and got jammed under the door which I had left open, leaving me to bash the jack free with a rock. This is one of the reasons I am not a works driver.

[Vesa Jussila]

9 minutes ago, Anteater said:

I am not a works driver.

I am happy I was able to drive against some of those who were destined to come works drivers. And those are in different level...

[keefr22]

8 hours ago, Anteater said:

This is one of the reasons I am not a works driver.

 

I can relate to that! Oh, and the fact I always had more ambition than talent!

 

7 hours ago, Vesa Jussila said:

I am happy I was able to drive against some of those who were destined to come works drivers. And those are in different level...

 

Only one I can recall 'competing' against was Gwyndaf Evans in a couple of road rallies in the late 70's. Competing is a bit of a misnomer though when he was usually in the top 10 and - if I finished - I was in the bottom 10...!! Of course Gwyndaf's boy Elfyn is showing even more promise these days......

 

Keith

[Vesa Jussila]

2 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Elfyn is showing even more promise these days......

Sons are clearly showing talent. One of members in local club was Harri Rovanperä, father of Kalle.

[Windy37]

Well I’m feeling quite guilty that this build topic is onto its second page and I have not posted any actual building action yet ! Thanks to all who contributed to last week’s discussions about hot hatches , rally cars and rallyings famous sons ! 
  Anyway on with the Manta 400 build . I’ve used a small electric heater to warm the shed so I can get some spraying done . I’ve sprayed chassis , wheels and roof white and basically anything that makes up the interior satin black . The instructions show the interior as gloss aluminium , but my research shows this car to be all black inside . 
 Research also came up with the fact this particular Manta , registration number ADZ31 , was the lightest Manta 400 built so I have tried to shed weight on my car by drilling holes in suspension parts , as I have found , again ,  through research . 
The front subframe cross member had recesses , that I drilled out .  

 

Holes drilled all the way across now . 

Holes I drilled out on rear trailing arms , again as per real car .  Exhaust is painted X10 gunmetal , then Matt coated . 

 

There is a bit of engine detail underneath , the fan and bottom of the radiator . I’ve detail painted what I thought would be a drive belt on the engine bottom detail . All this will be hidden behind the radiator though ..... The square that is the engine compartment I have painted Matt black , thinking that with the bonnet shut looking up from underneath it would be dark , not a white plate !  These older rally cars highlight how cars in general have moved on , the exhaust not running down the transmission tunnel , just hanging above the underside , looking very vulnerable . Masking tape was needed to pull the exhaust into place while the glue set . 

Finally for now a shot of the body shell masked up ready for roof spraying . Been pondering on the best way to spray the colours and I’m thinking I’m going to start at the bottom and work up , the blue and red then not needing as much masking up as the yellow would . Any other ideas would be welcome . 

 

Thanks for looking , 

 Gary . 

[keefr22]

Good start Gary!

 

Thing with the exhaust is as the Manta is rear wheel drive there's no room in the transmission tunnel - it's full of propshaft!

 

I think I'll be going with your sequence of painting when I get round to mine - makes sense to me.

 

Keith

 

 

[Anteater]

On 20/02/2021 at 08:41, keefr22 said:

Only one I can recall 'competing' against was Gwyndaf Evans in a couple of road rallies in the late 70's.

 

Keith

 

We've all been on the same entry list as a few "names" as it's the nature of the sport, but my most fondly remembered moment was a couple of years ago on a historic when Ron Beecroft rolled up after a very long absence. Keith, you'll know who he is, even if not everyone else will. We finished ahead of him that day but on a Motoring News event in the 1980's I wouldn't have seen which way he went! A top dude though, no airs and graces about him at all, lovely guy. And he still has his fog goggles.

 

Anyway, this is @Windy37's thread, and the Manta is looking great 😀

[keefr22]

1 hour ago, Anteater said:

Keith, you'll know who he is,

 

Indeed

 

K

[Vesa Jussila]

20 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Thing with the exhaust is as the Manta is rear wheel drive there's no room in the transmission tunnel - it's full of propshaft!

Actually in in 400 tunnel was wider in co-drivers side and exhaust was there. It was better protected in this way. I know only rally version, civil might be different.

And I can tell that tunnel in co-drivers side was hot in special stages.

 

In this link is photo: https://chromjuwelen.com/network/237-engineswapdepot-com/210638-opel-manta-400-with-a-rb25det-inline-six

Edited February 22, 2021 by Vesa Jussila

[Windy37]

The weather this weekend has been good , so I have started to spray paint the body of the Manta , starting at the bottom and working up . There is a lot of masking to be done and , bearing in mine I have already sprayed the roof white , I’m making sure I don’t get any bleeds , so I’m maybe over doing it with the tape . 
   The colour at the bottom  is blue and I have some Tamiya Brilliant Blue leftover from the Metro which I don’t think is a bad match . Between each colour , and included in the decal pack , are silver and white stripes , so any rough edges between the colours will at least be tided up . 
Masked up ready for paint .

 

Blue revealed .

 

Next Tamiya TS 49 bright red 

 

Here’s a shot of the actual car for those that might not know the colour scheme I’m trying to achieve .

 

I’m waiting for some Tamiya Camel yellow to be delivered so hopefully next weekend , if the weather allows , I might be able to finish the body painting . 
Thanks for looking 

  Gary . 

[Hamden]

 

Body looking great so far, should look stunning when finished!

 

  Stay safe        Roger

[Alan R]

That's the kind of masking that has me running scared ...

 

[keefr22]

Coming on nicely Gary!

 

I don't know how many times I saw the actual car, or looked at pics of it, and never noticed the stripe between the red and blue was silver - I thought they were both white....!!

 

I think that pic shows the yellow shade really well.

 

Keith

 

 

[Vesa Jussila]

There is article of Manta 400 in German magazine Oldtimer Markt. @Windy37 if you want scan of it just let me know.

[Toftdale]

18 hours ago, Windy37 said:

 so I’m maybe over doing it with the tape . 
 

I my experience you can never overdo the masking.   In fact several of my painting disasters have been because I've not masked enough!  Great job well worth the effort. 

[Spiny]

I really don't envy you that paint job - the masking looks a job and a half, although having decals for the white lines should make it easier for you as you say. Good job so far.