gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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Long time reader first time poster here Thought i'd share my little Opel Manta project which I have imported to Perth Australia. Dad had a 1978 Opel Ascona SR Berlina when I was growing up as a kid in the UK, and it left a huge impression on me. Unfortunately the Ascona nor Manta were ever sold in Australia, yet its an itch I always wanted to scratch, so in a spur of the moment eBay bid I bought myself a Manta from Glasgow for 1500 quid (June 2013) " I just bought me self an Opel Manta"
$2000AUS for shipping and $2500AUS for the thieving government and she landed in Perth (October 2013) Initial impressions were it was rougher than i expected
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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The very next day work began on the strip down Engine out, crane was absolute curse word, and this is as high as it would lift, so with no one home I had to get in the engine bay and lift the auto box over the front panel whilst pushing the car and crane backwards.... fun times...sore back! Now, my first snag was the undercoating on this thing, its sprayed up all under the car, its thick and rubberised, an absolute curse word to remove I was infact ready to give up after sanding disks, and wire cup brushes were useless, some one then suggested a heat gun a scraper.............Then I stumbled on this youtube videoAnd headed off to Bunnings to buy one, $39.95, let me say WHAT A GODSEND it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 30 minutes to strip an inner guard bare (still needs some finishing with wire wheel) This is about 10 seconds work, it comes off like a number 0 clipper shaving your head Bought a heat gun to Worst job of the build so far....by far! I then bought a smashed SC400 Lexus for the engine, transmission, ecu and whatever else I can use Out in the sun for a bit of a clean down Pretty much all rubberised curse word has been removed from underneath, most of interior and sound deadening removed from inside
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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After stripping the underneath back to bare metal I covered in a coat of underbody sealer / deadener I found a spare car key strapped to the rear suspension that looked like it had been there since 1978, cleaned up ok and works! Dropped the diff, and transformed it from this To this "Out with the old in with the nucleus" Painted, SuperPro poly bushed, Spax adjustable suspension. Doing things a little about as rust work normally completed first, but am 'waitin for a mate' to come and do for me, because i'm curse word at welding and rather than learn id rather get some one thats a pro to complete. Front end out now, and about to rinse and repeat. Surprisingly considering the corroded state of the cars undercarriage I have had no dramas with seized bolts whatsoever, until I got to stripping the drivers side only front crossmember........lots of swearing ensued soon followed by the grinder. New Top and Bottom ball joints and tie rod ends coming, old ones seemed fine (except the one I grinded by accident!) but there cheap and I hate putting old curse word back in. Unsure what to do with the inside?.....sound deadening removed, but what to paint it?
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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Nice, very nice...!!! I like where this is going ALOT...!!!
Keep us updated regularly please as I can sense this being quite an epic build.
Are you going to keep the 'look' standard coupled with the updated, beefed up running gear? I do hope so...
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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It's annoying how few options there are over here, isn't it? Bit curious about the $2500 for customs, though? I was under the impression that you paid GST on sale price for any imported car plus 10% for moderns, retarded amounts for 'luxury' (which changes price threshold yearly), and nothing but the GST for a classic. So why did you have to fork out so much? :\ Otherwise, nice choice for something that'll be pretty unique over here!
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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Then it was off to my rust guy (December 2013) On the hoist, can see inside wheel well repair, and top / bottom of A pillar Side on, showing repair to Swan neck as well. Same deal Drivers side As above Just starting on rear arches, a bit of work required on inner sills But has already made all patch panels Rear of same arch, again patch panel already formed, perfect fit. Front passenger floor Battery tray, which all connects to repair inside wheel well, and top of passenger footwell in car Rust around rear window Car really is very solid for age and location it lived all those years! Starting to form a rear arch, it has been rolled to accomadate wider rims and tyres Working on the inner sills Cut out the rear seat belt mounts as well here Two patch panels held together here. that one rust area contains 6 flat surfaces he has to form, amazing really! Back of that same arch
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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Last Edit: Feb 7, 2014 4:59:04 GMT by gtrea
1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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Nice, very nice...!!! I like where this is going ALOT...!!! Keep us updated regularly please as I can sense this being quite an epic build. Are you going to keep the 'look' standard coupled with the updated, beefed up running gear? I do hope so... That is the plan Totally standard inside and out, I have had to upgrade the suspension to Spax so it will sit lower, the Rostyles have had to go for now to accommodate the bigger brakes, but down the track I am planning on adapting local Holden Kingswood / Torana GTS rims which are 15" and very similar in style....but 5 x 120
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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With those wheels on your Manta it will look spot-on...!!!
This is just perfection.
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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It's annoying how few options there are over here, isn't it? Bit curious about the $2500 for customs, though? I was under the impression that you paid GST on sale price for any imported car plus 10% for moderns, retarded amounts for 'luxury' (which changes price threshold yearly), and nothing but the GST for a classic. So why did you have to fork out so much? :\ Otherwise, nice choice for something that'll be pretty unique over here! EDIT: Heres a quick run down from the invoice: Port Charges $370 GST to Customs $434 Entry charges $70 AQIS Fee $229 Cargo fee $15 Time slot fee $20 Cartage wharf to warehouse $246 Unpacking container charges $120 Tilt tray cartage to car wash $120 Washing cost $660 Customs clearance agency fees $225 Subtotal: $2509 GST $177 Total: $2687 And this is what you get for your $700 wash, they subcontract it out to a trucking companys truck wash, theres not even a pit! This was being cleaned when we were down there collecting the Manta, one man with a Karcher cleaner.....and a fork lift!!!!!!!!!
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Last Edit: Feb 4, 2014 11:42:09 GMT by gtrea
1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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gtrea
Part of things
Posts: 70
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With those wheels on your Manta it will look spot-on...!!! This is just perfection. Thanks GrifterKid ps my parents could never afford the Grifter for me....I had to make do with the Striker lol
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1978 Opel Manta SR Berlinetta 1UZ-FE 2013 Opel Insignia OPC 2016 Skoda Octavia Scout +Vans and Trucks and stuff.....
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It's annoying how few options there are over here, isn't it? Bit curious about the $2500 for customs, though? I was under the impression that you paid GST on sale price for any imported car plus 10% for moderns, retarded amounts for 'luxury' (which changes price threshold yearly), and nothing but the GST for a classic. So why did you have to fork out so much? :\ Otherwise, nice choice for something that'll be pretty unique over here! EDIT: Heres a quick run down from the invoice: Port Charges $370 GST to Customs $434 Entry charges $70 AQIS Fee $229 Cargo fee $15 Time slot fee $20 Cartage wharf to warehouse $246 Unpacking container charges $120 Tilt tray cartage to car wash $120 Washing cost $660 Customs clearance agency fees $225 Subtotal: $2509 GST $177 Total: $2687 And this is what you get for your $700 wash, they subcontract it out to a trucking companys truck wash, theres not even a pit! This was being cleaned when we were down there collecting the Manta, one man with a Karcher cleaner.....and a fork lift!!!!!!!!! Dayyaaam. Glad I decided not to import. o.O That is ridiculous! Imagine rolling up to see your new baby being jacked by some flunky on forks! For almost $700!
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Sven
Part of things
Posts: 341
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This is going to be good ... getting popcorn!
My neighbor back in the day in England had a lovely mint yellow S reg Ascona SR Berlina two door. He would make his wife take off her shoes when she was getting into the passenger seat.
-Steve
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Last Edit: Feb 4, 2014 14:05:51 GMT by Sven
1969 Chevrolet 4x4 C10 Pickup 1969 VW extended cab pickup (doka) 1980 Volvo 240DL 1995 Mazda Miata MX-5 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel 2011 MK Indy R (building)
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cort1977
Kinda New
1970 Mk 2 Cortina Estate (in UK) 1973 Pontiac Grand Ville 1993 BMW 325iS (Daily)
Posts: 9
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Hi mate,
Great looking car and will be watching with interest.
I'm especially interested as I used to live in Perth and went through the whole import rigamarole with my Cortina. Bloody AQIS. You were unlucky to have to be power washed, I somehow got away with that one but it is purely down to which way the wind is blowing.
I had a heap of trouble getting my Cortina over the pits. They really went out of their way to find things wrong. The car had gone straight through an MOT before leaving England but they managed to find plenty of minor things to fail it on. I wouldn't mind so much if you didn't see so many bombs on the road in WA. Your car is being done to a high standard though so should be OK.
One other thing, some of the late 70s monaros used common parts with the Mantas I think, side glass, maybe some running gear if you needed parts.
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this is truly awesome. and i love the wheeler dealer shot, STICK YER AAAND OUT !
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adi
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,426
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Awesomeness. And that garage... phwaaooorrr!
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Welcome to Australia, where the government shaft you for everything.
When I imported my GT-R 5 years ago, the compliance (a couple of seat belts..) and government charges cost nearly as much as the car!
At least you were able to import it and not have to comply it, because it's over 30 years old.
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village
Part of things
Always carries a toolbox. Because Volkswagen.......
Posts: 567
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this is so chock full of WIN, it's not true. This is the stance you must have! I will entertain no arguments.......
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"The White Van is strong with this one...."
Chris "Chesney" Allen 1976-2005 RIP
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