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

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