I have been in contact with Andy from the Opel Project Blog who spotted this post about the NOS Opel Manta A series reversing light base plate kit. He is interested in it for his own car, but wanted to see the matching NOS lens, so for Andy here it is:

Image of an Opel Manta A series reversing light lens
Opel Manta A series - NOS reversing light lens

The box has stood on the shelf for many decades and has the worn patina that only time and the process of entropy can bring. The plastic lens is still good, if a little dusty on the inside.

This is the very last of the New Old Stock for these items, but I do have a few salvaged Opel Manta A series lights still left in stock.

Andy has been in touch as he's needs a master brake cylinder and/or brake servo to fit his 1980 Vauxhall Sportshatch 2L. I knew that there was one salvaged brake cylinder in the loft and a matching brake servo too, but as new master cylinders are currently listed on eBay for under £50, I advised going this route unless very cash strapped.
Servos seem to last forever, usually only having the shell rust through causes them to fail, which in Andy's case, was exactly what happened to his after the car had been sat for several years before he bought it.

Opel / Vauxhall Servo Unit - oily but well preserved

I dug out the servo, it was pretty oily but that seems to have preserved it well. I also compared the Haynes manuals for the Mk 1 Cavalier vs. Opel Manta A series and both cars are stated to use a 7" servo with the same amount of boost. Somewhere at the back of my mind I have a feeling that the later Mantas might have used a slightly larger unit.


I believe Opel fitted a larger servo to the later Manta B models

Another long shot Andy is after is a front chrome bumper, for the moment he's had to fit a plastic Opel Manta GTE one and has had real trouble finding the correct chrome item. Can anyone help?


UPDATES:

10/12/2012 - NOW SOLD AND COLLECTED - NO FURTHER STOCK

 
Yair Geller has mailed in, he needs the "metal horn ring with the plastic emblem in the middle" for his 1959 Opel Rekord p1. Can anyone assist? Please contact me

 Opel Rekord p1 metal horn ring - probably looks like this

Keith from Vauxhall Green Parts was in touch, he wanted to know if you still had the 90086012 oil seal. There was just the 1 left and at some point in the past I had noted on the pack that this was "oil seal drive pinion for Commodore B" it also had the original GM catalogue number 4 06 753.



Oil seal drive pinion - Opel Commodore B


I think Daniel Lugg was one of the first people I knew with an Opel Manta A series Rallye, this was a very early version of the Opel Manta with pseudo sporting pretensions. With a 1.9 litre engine, low ratio differential, all black interior with sports gauges, it had all the essential early 70's sporty trimmings. It didn't keep quiet about this either, twin slash cut tail pipes, a silk black bonnet/scuttle/slam panel/wings tops paint job with matching "go faster" stripes, showed to the world this was no shopping car.

Many years have passed and it seems Daniel still likes go faster cars, although his new ride is a bit more subtle. From the outside it just looks like a very clean and original A series, but small details only apparent to those in the know, reveal a hidden secret. Discretely hidden under the metallic blue paintwork is a Rover V8 engine and Opel Commodore B series running gear, all painstakingly squeezed into the original shell.

One thing it would seem is missing, a wheel jack, which as it turns out is something I still have a few of.



For Sale - Opel Manta A series wheel jack


I always find it very satisfying when someone sends me a "wish list" of parts for their classic Opel project and I can tell at a glance that I have what they need. Hopefully they are going to save themselves an awful  lot of chasing around and save some money in the process.

This was my pick list for William from Burnley:

Rocker cover gasket
Water pump (used)
Radiator (used)
Top Hose
Bottom Hose (used)
Hand Brake Cable (used)
Rear Wheel Cylinders ( 2 of)
Complete Reverse Light (2 of)
Centre Console (used)
Front Windscreen (used)

Because William wanted a windscreen, I had to search hard to find a box big enough to accommodate it with enough free room and also find somewhere in the house big enough to do the packing. My kitchen floor provided the ideal space and yes, you guessed correctly, I do live alone. The only size of box that can satisfactorily hold a windscreen is the sort used for sending push bikes, fortunately they are usually quite tough too.

Oversized bike box - big and tough enough

The Opel rocker cover gaskets are made from cork and quite fragile as a result, they certainly don't take well to being folded in half. When I normally send them, I sandwich together two pieces of stiff cardboard to prevent any possibility of the gasket getting distorted. For this pack I was lucky to have a perfectly sized box to slip the rocker gasket into and slot it in around everything else.
I very much wanted William to get his front windscreen and not a pile of glass chippings, I applied some masking tape to hold it together in case of the worst happening, then ran pipe insulation around the edges to protect from knocks and drops.



Manta windscreen - all ready for dispatch

A second box filled with packing pieces was perfect for the smaller items such as; the water pump, rear wheel cylinders and reversing lights, I did however individually wrap them in bubble wrap to make certain that parts wouldn't get damaged knocking against each other. The top and bottom radiator hoses are very robust and could go straight in the box as they were.


Packing in the smaller pieces


The radiator was bubble wrapped and fitted in between the other items so that it wouldn't move around.


Salvaged Opel Manta radiator

The hand brake cable is another robust item, after all it spends all its working life on the underside of the car being sprayed with water and hit by stones; it is a wonder that they work for as long as they do. I did wrap it up though, as it was quite oily and I didn't want the oil spreading onto other parts.


Hand brake cable

The centre console is made from a remarkably tough plastic, although on William's car it has split, which is very unusual.


Manta centre console - tough

The centre console had been drilled out for a switch to be fitted, fog lights perhaps, I managed to find a blind grommet to fit the hole so it wouldn't look too ugly. William may get something more elegant made where he works.


Manta console - switch mod

The final weight of the packed box was 15kg, the dimensions were 148cm x 80cm x 28cm. When the weight goes over 10kg or the dimensions over 1 metre the cost usually rises exponentially. I managed to track down a price for delivery of £35 by using CityLink. They were somewhat tardy to collect and never showed up on the appointed date, they did respond quickly to my email and the couriers arrived the following morning to collect, which was on a Friday. The box arrived in Burnley on Monday, which is good going for a basic service.

I also have a couple of these extra heavy duty clutch plates to go, sorry there are no matching cover plates or bearing kits to go with them. On the other hand the friction plate is the part that gets most of the wear and tear and these are old enough to be a proper lining material and not any of this new fangled eco friendly stuff too.

The box is hand marked; Opel Ascona, Commodore, Manta, Rekord & Vauxhall Bedford light commercial, as the picture shows it is Part No. GCP 546.

Unipart Clutch Plate - GCP 546

The box itself is from the Unipart brand who produce original equipment components and are "a first tier supplier for the automotive industry, with all the necessary quality accreditation to support a customer base which includes British, European and Japanese vehicle manufacturers".

Vauxhall Opel - 9" clutch plate

The clutch units measure a shade over 9 inches in diameter, research has revealed that the 9 inch unit is used behind the 2.2L engine on the Opel Rekord 2.2L EFIs. It is possible that this unit is also compatible with the 2.4L engine used in the early 5 door Vauxhall Frontera AWD S.U.V.

So this part could be both useful as an original equipment replacement on the Opel Rekord E series cars equipped with the 2.2 litre C.I.H. engine and also desirable to the many modifiers who have installed high output engines in the Opel Ascona, Kadett, Manta and Rekord.

Big clutch plate - yes we're looking at a whole 9 inches!

I double checked the mounting spline for compatibility with the humble 4 speed GM gearbox fitted to the Opel Manta A series and many other classic Opels. However, it should be noted that this size of clutch plate is too wide for the flywheel on a standard 2 litre C.I.H. engine.

Being new and unopened old stock, they are in mint condition, the asking price is £35 which includes tracked delivery costs within the UK. I can send to some European locations too, but please ask for a quote first., two have already gone and this is the last one left.

Obsolete GM spares are not exactly plentiful in the UK, stocks are limited and I will not be replacing them, so don't hang about if this is what you need.

Send a message or leave a comment if you have any enquiries.


UPDATES:

27/11/12 - 2 have sold and just the 1 left in stock - Hurry up if you want one!
21/01/14 - All stock now sold

Following yesterday's post, this is a Valeo uprated clutch liberated from a failed 2 litre Opel Manta A series project and now surplus to requirements. I can supply both the friction plate and its matching cover, but no release bearing.

For sale Valeo clutch - for Manta, Ascona and others

The diameter of the disk is 8.5 inches and uses a 6 spring design, it is compatible with the 2.0 litre Opel Manta GT/E engine.

For Sale - Opel Manta heavy duty clutch - 8.5" diameter

If you haven't heard of Valeo, they are an independent global industrial group fully focused on the design, production and sale of components, integrated systems and modules for cars and trucks in both the OEM and aftermarket segments. They supply major manufacturers such as Ford, the website sates;
Valeo’s mission is to deliver the highest quality products to our aftermarket customers around the globe.  Valeo creates added value through innovation, total quality, cost effective solutions and services in the Domains of Driving Assistance, Powertrain Efficiency and Comfort Enhancement.
Valeo’s global sales totaled over $12 billion US dollars in 2008.  Operating 122 sites in 27 countries, Valeo employs over 45,000 people.
Obsolete GM spares are not exactly plentiful in the UK, stocks are limited and I will not be replacing them, so don't hang about if this is what you need.

Send a message or leave a comment if you have any enquiries.

UPDATES:

25/11/2012 - Item Now Sold

I have one Quinton Hazell part number QH 745S left to clear, there is no matching cover or release bearing, but then the friction disk is the part that gets the most wear anyway.
In the unlikely event that you have never heard of them, Quinton Hazell, have over half a century of experience in the Automotive Aftermarket, are today offer over 35,000 part numbers across 8 different product ranges; Steering and Suspension, Brakes, Transmission, Rotating Electrics, Cooling, Commercial Ignition, Wix Filters and Security.

For sale - Quinton Hazell clutch part number QH 745S

The rear of the box suggests compatibility with a broad range of suitable vehicles:
  • Opel Kadett B (1.5, 1.7, 1.9 litre) - 1967-73
  • Opel Kadett C 1.6s, 1.9
  • Opel Olympia A (1.5, 1.7, 1.9 litre) - 1967-70
  • Opel GT 1900 - 1968-73
  • Opel 1900 (USA only) - 1971-75
  • Opel Ascona 16, Manta A - 1971-75
  • Opel Ascona B, Manta B, 1.6, 1.9, 2.0 litre and diesel - 1975-
  • Opel Rekord B, C (1.5, 1.7, 1.9 litre) - 1965-72
  • Opel Rekord A (1.5, 1.7 litre) - 1963-65
  • Opel Rekord, Caravan - 1953-63
  • Opel Rekord 6A, 6B - 1953-63
  • Opel Rekord D, II 1.7, 1.9, 2.0 litre - 1972 -
  • Opel Rekord E, 1.7N, 1.9N, 2.0N/S - 1978 -
  • Opel Kapitan, Admiral A (2.6, 2.8 litre) - 1950-67
  • Vauxhall Cavalier, Coupe, 1.6, 1.9, 2.0 litre - 1975-

For sale - Quinton Hazell clutch part number QH 745S

The unit measures 8 inches in diameter and is the type with 4 springs. I have double checked and the spline pattern is compatible with the 4 speed gearbox fitted to the Opel Manta A series and many other classic Opels from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

For sale - Quinton Hazell clutch, 8" diameter, fits GM 4 speed box

Being new and unopened old stock, it is in mint condition, the asking price is £30 which includes tracked delivery costs within the UK. I can send to some European locations too, but please ask for a quote first. Obsolete GM spares are not exactly plentiful in the UK, stocks are limited and I will not be replacing them, so don't hang about if this is what you need.
Send a message or leave a comment if you have any enquiries.


UPDATES:

01/12/12 - Now sold.

Whilst I was on a roll with these items for the Opel Rekord D series, I was able to find out more about these new old stock Opel spares, which turned out to be suitable for the Opel Commodore B series.
The first item bears catalogue number 7 18 627 (GM 3442455) and was listed as - 2nd speed for the transmission with the cast iron case, used on the 2.5 litre engine, in the France, England and Norway.

Image of Opel Commodore B gearbox part
For sale - Opel Commodore B series gearbox component - £30

Image of Opel Commodore B gearbox part
For sale - Opel Commodore B series gearbox component - £30

The next item bears catalogue number 7 18 289 (GM 3442456) and was listed as - 3rd speed for the transmission with the cast iron case, used on the 2.5 litre and 2.8 litre engine, in France, England and Norway.

Image of Opel Commodore B gearbox part
For sale - Opel Commodore B series gearbox component - £30

Image of Opel Commodore B gearbox part
For sale - Opel Commodore B series gearbox component - £30

Whether you were building a car for competition or concours show car use, these items will provide the reliability that only new old stock Opel factory parts will bring to your Commodore B series project.

I would like to offer these two items as a bundle for just £30 for the pair, the price includes delivery within the UK. I can send to some European locations too, but please ask for a quote first as this could be quite a high sum.

Obsolete GM spares are not exactly plentiful in the UK, this is the very last of my stock and I will not be replacing them, so don't hang about if this is what you need for your classic Opel.

Send a message or leave a comment if you have any enquiries.



Updates:

None so far

I have had these parts at the back of the "really must find out what these are" pile for far too long. So a wet weekend in June provided the ideal opportunity to do some research in my copy of the Factory Opel Rekord D series parts manual. And to my great surprise it came up trumps.

The first item bears catalogue number 7 18 159 (GM 2897709) and was listed as - guide unit 1 + 2

For sale - Opel Rekord D series gearbox component - £30

For sale - Opel Rekord D series gearbox component - £30

The next item carried the catalogue number 7 18 058 (GM 2897707) and was listed as - sliding gear 1 + 2

For sale - Opel Rekord D series gearbox component - £30

For sale - Opel Rekord D series gearbox component - £30

Whether you were building a car for competition or concours show car use, these items will provide the reliability that only new old stock Opel factory parts will bring to your Rekord D series project.

I would like to offer these two items as a bundle for just £30 for the pair, the price includes delivery within the UK. I can send to some European locations too, but please ask for a quote first as this could be quite a high sum.

Obsolete GM spares are not exactly plentiful in the UK, this is the very last of my stock and I will not be replacing them, so don't hang about if this is what you need for your classic Opel.

Send a message or leave a comment if you have any enquiries.



Updates:

None so far

I have just been looking at the latest newsletter from Opel GT Source, a long established company based in California, USA, who specialise in parts for the Opel GT, Opel Kadett B series and Opel Manta A series.
I was pleased to see that they are selling some very nice reproduction parts, such as the following:
  • Original “Early Style” Shifter Knobs for original 4-speed Opel shifters, & a 5-speed design is also available, these are priced at $25/each.
  • Opel GT Armrests offered in black as a reproduction item for original Opel GT interiors, these are priced at $50/each
  • Opel GT Poly Suspension Bushings in a black finish as a reproduction item for front control arms and rear trailing arms. These are priced very modestly at $35/front suspension set of 8 (order as #3026-B or #3027-B) and $75/rear suspension set (order as #3025-B).

Opel GT


Joe Shockman, mailed me because he had found this page  here on the Classic Opel Spares Blog. He had heard that the Opel Manta mirror will fit the Opel GT and wanted to "give one a shot".
His current mirror was propped between the dash and windshield, which, as he put it "is suboptimal".
Shipping from the UK to California with some careful packing to take advantage of "Small Packet" airmail was surprisingly economical at around £7.
I have had no reports yet from Joe, so I have to assume that, as my mother used to say, "No news is good news".

Opel Manta A series interior mirror - just 3 left in stock

Just in today was an email from here in the UK seeking chrome side mouldings and wheel trims for an Opel Kadett A series. The Kadett A was produced from 1962 to 1965 and as far as I am aware wasn't sold in the UK.
I recommend German eBay, it still yields parts now and then. Tip - "oldtimer" is the equivalent of "classic" and "ersatzteile" for "spare parts".

The car in question has quite an interesting history, so if you can help out, please drop me a line.

Opel Kadett A series - first of a generation of small Opels

Following on from yesterday's posting about trim for the Opel Kadett B series Rallye model; this is a rather neat "Face Off" between the modern Opel Corsa and the Kadett classic.
Which one would you prefer?


As mentioned in my last post, I am sorting through Opel Kadett B series trim for Torbjørn from Finland. I have two items he is interested in for his early Kadett Rallye. Unfortunately I no longer have an Opel Parts Catalogue for the Opel Kadett B series, but I do have one for the Opel Olympia and Opel GT. I believe the Olympia was just the Kadett B with a fancy front grill and a bit of extra trim here and there to satisfy the American market (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).


Opel Factory Parts Catalogue - Olympia and GT

Note that below, the model designation for the Opel Kadett B series coupe (or F for fastback) body is SZ.


Opel Factory Parts Catalogue - SZ = Coupe


Part number 1 72 867 is listed as "moulding, rear wheel opening right", if you follow the column to the top it corresponds with the SZ body. Hurrah we have trim to match the Opel Kadett B coupe variant.

Opel Factory Parts Catalogue - Olympia


Looking at the next image, part number 11 01 612 is listed as "moulding, front fender aperture - left", this appears to suit all body styles of Opel Kadett B series, whether coupe, 2 door, 4 door or estate, top result.

Opel Factory Parts Catalogue - Kadett B

 
Well the Olympics and Paralympics are long gone and in the mean time I have managed to squeeze a few more "proper jobs" in on the side to boot. Thankfully the forthcoming weeks look to be a little quieter and I will have the opportunity to do some long overdue catching up.
Many thanks to those who have had to wait for parts, your patience and perseverance, are much appreciated.
I've lots to get ready this week, such as; the piston set for the cam in engine for Pauli from Finland. I need to check whether the part numbers of wheel arch mouldings are correct for the Kadett B coupe for Torbjorn, also from Finland. Meanwhile Joe from the USA wants an Opel Manta A series interior mirror for his Opel GT and William here in the UK has left me a list of bits as long as my arm.
So no more messing about, time to get back to work!


I had a very unusual mail through from Andrew who owns a 1978 Panther Lima. If you have never heard of a Panther before, I don't blame you, they were a rare car with under a thousand made. The styling may not to be everyones' taste, which could be best described as a vaguely 1930's sports car design, reminiscent of a Morgan, but less angular and more bulbous. It followed typical 70's kit car methods, by placing a lightweight glass-fibre shell sat atop a steel chassis. The running gear and electrics were sourced from Vauxhall and were based on the large capacity engined Firenza and Magnum models.
I was surprised to see some quite impressive performance figures quoted for the Panther Lima, especially in an era where a 0-60 time under 10 seconds was the benchmark that set apart true sports cars from mere family saloons.

Panther Lima - respectable performance from modest Vauxhall parts
Andrew badly needs a new indicator switch for his car and is apparently not having a much luck with either the Viva Club or the Droop Snoot Group who would be my first choice for Viva/Magnum/Firenza parts from this era.
However, it looks as if eBay may be solution to his problem where a suitable item is currently on auction.

Much to my shame I have to confess that I haven't been near the Opel Manta Owners Club forum in months, I was the original Administrator from 2001-2008 so in a quiet moment decided to what has been going on.
I spotted that Robert was in dire need of a good accelerator pedal for his Opel Manta A series, when his old one split, he removed it, but was now becoming tired of prematurely wearing out his trainers.

In case you don't know, the Opel Manta A series has a plastic hinged accelerator "gas" pedal which is screwed into a plastic block on the floor panel and the metal rod that draws on the accelerator cable descends from the bulkhead to meet it. This design is not only used on other classic Opels such as, the Commodore, but I was surprised to discover that both the Porsche 911 and the BMW 2002 from the same period used a similar principle. I can only conclude that it was a Teutonic design thing.
This floor mounted "organ pedal" design does seem to be prone to splitting in half, I wouldn't have thought that the return spring would be strong enough to do that sort of damage, but it happens a lot.

Accelerator or gas pedals are exactly the sort of sundry parts I have in profusion floating around in a selection of cardboard boxes. So I contacted Robert, struck a deal and got it in the post to him as soon as possible.
I hope it will prove to be better value than replacing your trainers every couple of months.

I had a mail from Robin, he was looking for a set of rear overriders for his Opel Manta A series. As he pointed out, he wanted the rubber type and not the chrome versions. To the best of my knowledge overriders were a standard fitment on the UK market Opel Manta, along with a few other "DeLuxe" specifications, unlike in Europe where some very plain versions of the car were sold.

Opel Manta A series rubber overrider - chunky
In case you don't already know, the earliest versions of the Opel Manta A series could be equipped with optional solid metal chrome plated overiders with a thin rubber strip on the leading edge. If your vehicle was built from 1970-72 and has a chassis number beginning with 592x this would have been the type of overrider fitted. There will be more to follow about this type of overrider later in the blog (watch this space).
Around the start of 1973 the overrider design changed to a solid block of rubber, the reason for the change of materials is a moot point. Perhaps it was to save money, suit changing fashions or perhaps provide better cushioning for low speed impacts. If your vehicle was built from 1973 onwards and has chassis numbers beginning with 595x, 598x or 599x this will be the original style of overrider for your car.

Opel Manta A series rubber overrider - part no. 3459475

Because of their use and location, overriders tend to suffer from rapid deterioration. The metal design rusts out and the rubber design becomes perished from the action of the sun and the steel  mounts corrode. The problem is usually worst for the rear overiders where they are subject to a lot of road spray and condensation from the exhaust. Needless to say, careless parking, whether you own or other road users aggravates this process of deterioration.

I have managed to find Robin one new old stock rubber overrider and another reasonable salvaged example, I wish I had a warehouse full!



Opel Manta A series rubber overrider - prone to degredation

Following on from yesterday's post about Kenlowe Fans, it occurred to me that if you haven't encountered one of these units before some instructions for fitting it might be in order. It has been said that a picture is worth a 1000 words, so I'll save myself from writing 5000 words then and show you the following 5 images.

Kenlowe Fan Fitting Instructions - 1 of 5

Kenlowe Fan Fitting Instructions - 2 of 5

Kenlowe Fan Fitting Instructions - 3 of 5

Kenlowe Fan Fitting Instructions - 4 of 5

Kenlowe Fan Fitting Instructions - 5 of 5

Would anyone out there like an electric fan for their Opel or Vauxhall? This one was fitted to an Opel Manta B series GT/e and I'm sure that, as claimed, it saved the owner fuel and improved performance. Electric fans do this by taking away all the unnecessary drag that a standard mechanical fan places on the engine. Who needs the fan running in freezing temperatures or on the open road? Furthermore, on those occasions when fast motorway traffic suddenly grinds to a halt, this type of unit will kick in and stop your engine from cooking its gaskets.

Kenlowe Electric Fan - less than half price

I didn't realise that the Kenlowe company pioneered thermo-electric engine cooling over 40 years ago and the principles have proved so successful that over 85% of the world's cars produced annually adopt this concept. Today Kenlowe produce the widest range of thermo-electric fans, engine pre-heating, oil cooling, and heating / ventilation / extraction systems ensuring that Kenlowe remain at the forefront of air movement and temperature control. Kenlowe supply original equipment car manufacturers with fans and all the Formula 1 teams with pre-heating systems.

Kenlowe Electric Fan - turns freely and runs quietly

I have tested the fan; it turns freely and runs quietly. These fans can cost from £60 upwards when new, I am offering the kit with the thermostatic control unit for just £35 plus p & p.

Kenlowe Electric Fan - thermostatic control unit

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