Opel Manta

plastic glass

Hope this is the right place to post this but here goes anyway.

First I am going to start with the fact that I know very little about what is underneath the hood of a car but I know what I like and I have recently discovered this gem of a car
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C154853/

What I am asking is would I be crazy to buy this. Please bear in mind that as I have already mentioned I know flip all about engines and the mechanics of a car but I would really take car of this if I decided to buy. Another thing you would have to remember is that I would probably be using this everyday. Not long distances 3-4 miles in city traffic. At weekends would probably just be doing general driving around. Nothing major. 120 mile round trip every 4 weeks, maybe double that every 8-12 weeks. This would really be my one and only car i.e not a second/hobby car.

The cars these days do nothing for me (despite being in my 20s) and I really want something with a bit of zip. Plus I absoultely love the shape and look of this car. That said I am by no means loaded and would probably have to take out a smallish loan to buy this.

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated

Anan1

I'm going to move this to Classic Cars, I think you'll get better advice there.

plastic glass

plastic glass wrote: »

The cars these days do nothing for me (despite being in my 20s) and I really want something with a bit of zip. Plus I absoultely love the shape and look of this car. That said I am by no means loaded and would probably have to take out a smallish loan to buy this.

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Cars these days do nothing for me either to be honest

Not much zip in a 1.8 Manta though, if you like the look fair enough but don't be expecting much performance from her. She looks a great example though. Personally I would have to get a set of alloys on her.

As a daily driver it should be fine, annual service and happy out I would think, you'd need a good alarm and / or steering lock though.

plastic glass

RoverJames wrote: »

Cars these days do nothing for me either to be honest

Not much zip in a 1.8 Manta though, if you like the look fair enough but don't be expecting much performance from her. She looks a great example though. Personally I would have to get a set of alloys on her.

As a daily driver it should be fine, annual service and happy out I would think, you'd need a good alarm and / or steering lock though.

Thanks RoverJames. Good thinking re the alarm. You think it would be expensive to fit an alarm on this? Did a quick google but not much info from Ireland anyway.

I realise you wouldn't get much zip from the manta but I expect it to be a bit of fun to drive at least. Drove my sister's 2005 golf over the weekend and was never so bored in all my life. Apologies to golf owners

lepoatnam

If it's info on Opel Manta's yer after just get yerself over to www.totalopel.com and you'll get all the info and help you need over there. Plenty of Manta's around and the 1.8 versions are quite rare now.
I have a 1988 2.0L GT/E Exclusive and you will not regret ever buying one, whether it's a 1.8 or a 2.0.

BeardyGit

Looks neat enough, but I'd have a few concerns and call out a few things to consider:

1. You'll need to import it - Get a quote from revenue before committing.
2. It'll need an NCT annually - Not necessarily a bad thing, but factor in the cost
3. Get insurance quotes now - You might be surprised at how much it'll cost, especially if you don't have a no claims discount. You won't get classic insurance either if it's your only car, so shop around now.
4. The service book should be stamped. If the original owner took care of it the way the advert states (repairing scratches as they happened etc) he should have been the diligent sort of owner who would have had the book stamped.... It's possible he wasn't, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the story.
5. If the car wasn't really used in the last 6 years, it's unlikely not to need some work. Consider things like timing kit, waterpump, fuel and coolant hoses, along with rubber bushes and other perishable components. The tyres might look perfect too, but check the manufacture date and consider replacing them if they're 8 years plus old, as they've likely gone hard.
6. €6750's a lot of money for your first 'classic'. Think and think again about exactly what you want it for and see if there's anything more affordable and ready to go.
7. City driving in a 1.8 petrol car on carbs won't exactly be economical, but then again it's hardly going to break the bank. Make sure it's in tune though - Your not going to drive it long enough to get it up to temperature each day, so do your best to make sure it's set up properly - It'll give the car a better shot at lasting a long time.
8. Be very suspicious of anywhere that has a fresh looking coat of paint or underseal/waxoil. It can hide a multitude of past sins (despite the story) and early stages of terminal or very expensive bodywork.
9. No past MOT certs again doesn't really stack up if everything else looks perfect. Again, a diligent and careful owner who kept the handbook and service book - How likely would they be to lose important documentation for the car? Ebay and a number of other online specialists supply new/unused service and owner manuals for all sorts of cars, so the fact they're with the car now doesn't mean they're the originals. It's easy enough to create a fragmented history to help bolster selling prices. Buyer beware.
10. Please, please, please have a competent mechanic inspect the car in advance of shelling out on a loan. There's no substitute for experience when it comes to assessing the true condition of a car, whether newer or older. Spend a couple of hundred euro getting it looked over, and if you can, get someone who knows and has worked on Mantas over the years. They'll know exactly what to go looking for.
11. The drivers seat shows what looks like a lot of wear. The bolsters are collapsing or deformed, and the headrest velour appears to be considerably worn. Once again, that doesn't to my mind stack up for a 29,000 mile car.
12. Consider the fact it probably doesn't have power steering and is unlikely to be very mannerly in city traffic - I'm not saying that's a dealbreaker, but it's worth considering. There are a lot of other classics out there that would be just as enjoyable to own and drive, but might also make for an easier classic to run.
13. Motor tax will be in the region of €550-600 per annum, which you'll need to pay on it until 2016. A vintage taxed alternative would only cost €48 or so per annum by comparison.

Taking all of the above into consideration, it's still a clean looker, and if you're hell bent on a Manta you could certainly do worse. Just take your time and make sure you get an independent pair of eyes to look it over for you before you take the plunge.

manta mad

howya !

firstly welcome along & what good taste you have sir

this manta is in very good order & it comes with the 1.8 motor which has parts that a very sought after .

namely gearbox,sump,pickup pipe ,engine mounts .
sought after because you need these for a 16 valve transplant !
and these parts can fetch a few euro !!!!!!!!!!!

very few 1.8s left untouched at the moment ,most of them are guntered for the parts

anyway this one would be a very good buy
( as anyone that has a manta will tell you ) no welding or any finising of anykind to do on it .
vrt will cost you 745 euros
tax will cost you over 500 euro .

personaly i wouldent pay that kind of money for that . but it is clean & needs nothing ,so it depends on yourself really .

heres one to check out & its in good order & well kept .
i know it from a previous owner ..
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/1352527

plus its in as equal condition .

anything else you need to know pm me, or log on to www.totalopel.com
and we will only be to glad to help :cool:

all the best in yer search

plastic glass

Thanks very much for replies manta mad and RoverCraft. Plenty to think about!

Did a quick VRT calculation on the revenue website and came out about 500 euro but may have entered some info wrong. I didn't realise that the I would need a NCT once a year but might not be a bad thing either but of course Iassume any parts I may need will be pricey.

RoverCraft with regards to your suspicions about the service book, mileage, MOTs etc I had some suspicions myself but the fact that it is from a dealership I thought there might be more of a chance everything is above board. I am probably being naive I know as guess dealerships can be dodgy too. Would definitely be getting somebody with a lot of knowledge to look at the car though. I did also notice that the front seat did seem a bit loose alright which is worrying, but maybe the original owner was found of a few pies!!!!!

Thanks for the link manta mad, another poster already alerted me to this and will take a look this evening or tomorrow after work when I get a chance.

I am aware that it is a bit pricey when compared to other models but it does seem in really good nick and i feel i would not be able to do any work on something that wasnt in as good condition/needed work due to my lack of knowledge. Also it is advertised as offers invited so I would be hoping to get a something off this.

Your other link for similar car doesnt seem to work or the car is gone?

johnos1984

Hey Plastic Glass.

I am also in my twenties and have gone the classic route.....well kind off!

I keep a daily driver (Corolla) for the rough stuff and a classic for the weekends.

My advice is to weigh up exactly what you want the car for and how you will use and treat it.

I keep the Corolla for everyday driving, its high miles and although well maintained and in great condition I can't wait to see the back of it.

As for the classic, its low miles and great condition so i try to keep it that way. Remember old cars rust, even the best so my advice is make sure you can store it inside.

The next thing you need to consider is parts. Most cars have a club scene and good back up but you may have trouble getting some parts and they can work out expensive. The part can be cheap but the shipping can be a pain. As you can't do the work yourself you'll have to pay someone. Also I always service the classics every 3k miles just to keep them in tipp top shape.

Remember a classic is an old car and won't be as reliable as a newer car. Parts wear out, rubbers perish and rust...I'm not saying they will break down but you will have to be kinder and gentler then you would with a modern car.

Having said that will I have another classic once I've sold this??? YES I can't wait to see what I get next.

Along with the Corolla I don't find them a huge amount more expensive as my miles are low and I've been lucky not too have much go wrong, the Rover has been perfect. The main expense is the purchase price and repairs if needed

BTW classic cars are an individual choice so don't let anyone tell you what you want isn't cool........I've had a Rover SD1 and an Austin Maxi both which aren't held in high regard

superfly35

For the VRT, I think you better ask for a proper quote I think the web calculation might not be accurate.

I have to say as well that it is a lot of money. I would say that on the top of the main dealer invoice you need to had NCT, shipping (or try up and down), and VRT you are roughly talking about an extra €1000.

Maybe you should have a look in the irish market, you might find something if you have a bit of time.

Regarding the model, I don't know much about the opel manta but like johnos1984 say well if you will the model you will the model.

After it is a matter of finding the best example that you can afford.

Regarding classic car service price, I would say it is cheaper that the new one as long as you find parts easily enough.

plastic glass

cheers johnos1984. you really think I would have to keep it indoors at night? Would not have thought I would have to do this. That would not really be an option for me.

Regarding the your suggestion of having 2 cars I dont really think this is an option. I only really want to have the one car as most of my driving is done when going to work, or from A to B. I dont really drive for pleasure. I know that you may think that is odd that I want to get a an older car I can enjoy but not drive it for pleasure but thats the way it is. Cheers for the suggestion though

superfly35

I have made a couple of search for you.

http://www.gumtree.ie/cgi-bin/list_postings.pl?posting_cat=572&search_terms=manta&min_price=&max_price=

http://cars.donedeal.ie/find/vintagecars/for-sale/Ireland/manta?source=all

I think there is a couple of them which are very nice, and less expensive than the one you found.

I don't think it is odd to drive a "old" car, I do the same. For the garage thing to keep the car at nite, well if you don't have it you don't have it.

This should not pull you off to buy want you like.

I would say by an irish one, it will be easier just take your time to find the right one for you.