(first posted 11/23/2013) Given that this was originally sold as a Manta 1900, you can safely assume something other than its original 81 hp 1897cc four lurks under its hood, despite the lack of any external cues. We’ll shed some light on that later, but let’s just say that this Manta is even more of a German Camaro than usual. But even without an engine transplant, the Manta’s story is plenty interesting. It was the darling of the US buff books, who praised it for being one of the best handling cars of its time as well as an all-round class act, one that could give the BMW 2002 a run for its money at two-thirds the price. But in its home country the Manta became the butt of endless jokes and ridicule, known as Germany’s ultimate mullet-mobile. The German Camaro indeed, on multiple levels.
The Manta earned that title several times over. Just like Chevrolet was caught off guard by the madly successful 1965 Mustang and rushed out the 1967 Camaro to compete, the same drama unfolded again in Europe a few years later. Ford’s 1969 Capri (CC here) was at least as revolutionary in Europe–if not more so–than the Mustang was in the US. The concept of a popular-priced sporty coupe with a huge range of engine options was unheard of then. The Capri was available with a palette of engines ranging from an economy 1.3 L four to a lusty 3.0 L V6. And not only was the Capri a huge hit in Europe, democratizing performance, it was also a big hit in the US where it became the number two selling import car for a few years.
It took GM two and a half years to get the Camaro out the door to chase the runaway Mustang. With the Manta, they cut that head start by the Capri down to twenty months, arriving in the fall of 1970 as a 1971 model. But that was done at a price. The Manta was an attractive coupe with a very stylish Camaro-esqe nose, a semi-fastback roof, and all-round slick GM styling, thanks to Chuck Jordan who was Opel’s Styling Chief at the time. But there was one very big difference from the Capri. Whereas Ford invested in a whole new body structure (like the US Mustang), with a very decided long hood-short tail stance, Opel cheaped out with the Manta.
The Manta was just a re-skinned Opel 1900/Ascona A, which also appeared in 1971 (CC here). Everything except the exterior sheet metal was essentially the same, which gave the Manta a decidedly taller and less overtly sporty stance than the Capri. That solution was a lot quicker than designing a unique body.
The other difference was that Opel didn’t offer any six cylinder engine options in the Manta. V6 power is what had made the Capri an affordable Euro-muscle car, although the percentage of V6 Capris sold in Europe was undoubtedly fairly low. Still, it’s quite obvious that Opel was not trying to take on the Capri whole-heartedly. The Manta was a quick, cheap and expedient solution to at least keep the Capri from gobbling up the whole market that it created in Europe. In Europe, the Manta was available with the Kadett’s little 1.2 L OHV 60hp four, and 1.6 and 1.9 L versions of the CIH (Cam In Head) engines, in both “Normal” and “Super” states of tune. The Europe-market top engine 1.9 S was rated at 105 hp.
The Manta soon developed an extreme case of split personalities. In Europe, the Manta became stereotyped as a “mullet-mobile” (not unlike later Camaros), given that it was particularly popular with the blue collar demographic (like the Capri). This image really came into its own with the gen2 Manta (not imported in the US). The educated-professional classes looked down their noses on the Manta from their lofty BMWs, Audis and Golfs GTIs.
The Manta B, which was built from 1975 all the way through 1988, became an object of social ridicule and a huge German cultural phenomena, with popular jokes, and even two movies, one of them featuring this six-wheeled Manta B.
The Manta was the equivalent of the American redneck-hillbilly mobile. Here’s a couple of examples of Manta jokes:
How does a Manta owner take a family portrait? By driving his whole family at 200 kmh through photo-radar.
What is the largest part on a Manta? The breasts on the driver’s companion.
What’s left over after a Manta catches on fire? A gold chain and a sobbing hairdresser.
Why do Mantas have eight auxiliary headlights? So its driver can wear sunglasses at night.
Ok; you get the drift.
Some even took to dressing up their Mantas in General Lee drag, with the Confederate flag on top. Maybe it should have been called the German Charger.
Meanwhile, in the US the Manta enjoyed the exact opposite image. It was instantly embraced by the smart and sophisticated sporty-car set as the best handling car in its price class, and as an effective but lower-priced alternative to the BMW 2002. Car and Driver and the other buff books gave it their highest stamp of approval. The Manta, along with the 1900 sedan, were the hot pick for Showroom Stock, and enjoyed success on the SCCA circuit. It was the genuine Euro alternative to the Vega GT, and even better handling to boot. And its engine didn’t sound like it was going to explode at anything above 3000 rpm, or throw various other hissy fits.
To add to its sophisticated credentials and make its hick American relatives look even more backwards, all 1975 Opels came standard with fuel injection. This was a full decade before GM grudgingly started adopting FI in its American cars. The injected Opel engine was lauded for the usual benefits: quick starting, smooth-running, and with immediate throttle response across the whole rev band. The 1900 was not exactly a powerhouse, but its characteristics made it a very enjoyable partner, and a very willing one. If its 81 net hp sounds absurdly low today, consider that in 1975 the 56% more expensive BMW 2002 sported all of 98 hp. And weighed more.
seats donated by a Mustang
In 1972 I was hitchhiking back from California to Iowa City, when I got picked up by a red Manta on a street corner in downtown Cheyenne (I-80 still didn’t bypass Cheyenne back then, and all traffic had to go through downtown). The driver was going cross-country, which meant one ride all the way home. And he was tired. After a brief conversation about his Manta, which quickly showed that I knew more about its origins and specifications than he did, he asked if I would drive while he took a “little nap”. We swapped seats after a fill-up, and rolled back on the interstate.
That nap lasted for most of the way across Nebraska, and while I reveled at the chance to drive just about anything during this car-less period, driving a new Manta was a treat. As his snoring got louder, my speed drifted ever higher, and soon we were clicking off the miles in 45 seconds per. I felt like I was making love to his girlfriend while he was sleeping. The Opel CIH engine was still pretty smooth for a four at that speed, even with the lack of an overdrive gear. And the Manta felt secure and well planted in the spring-time winds, the fat little steering wheel pleasurable to hold and to use.
While the Manta wasn’t exactly in its ideal element blasting across eastern Wyoming and Nebraska on I-80, unlike my run the other direction a year later in the 1969 Fury, it handled it with aplomb. And its owner was surprised how far we’d gotten by the time he finally woke up at a necessary gas stop. He did give me a bit of a glance when he made a rough mental calculation of how fast I’d been driving, but left it at that. And he took me right to my house in Iowa City. No wonder I have happy associations with the Manta.
Enough with the glow of nostalgia. Ever since starting this CC treasure hunt almost five years ago, I’ve wanted to find and write one up.
Well, I did, actually, and quite early on. And I wrote up a CC on it, one of my first, over at the other site. But it was rather unsatisfying, because the one I found quite near my house was sitting in a car port, and I had to sneak into it to shoot it (after knocking on the door to no avail). I was tempted to keep trying to get in touch with the owners, presumably an older couple, to try an buy it, but it’s an automatic, and that really takes the edge off the Manta lust. For that matter, the 81 hp original engine would feel a bit challenged in today’s world, even with the four speed stick.
I knew there was another Manta in town, as I’d caught sight of a dark green one once or twice on the streets, but it was moving along pretty briskly, and I couldn’t even peel off a quick shot. But its owner, Karl Walter, stumbled into my Opel 1900/Ascona CC in which I mentioned the elusive dark green Manta, and a few weeks back he wrote to me and offered up his wife’s daily driver to my camera.
Karl’s wife Frankie drives this Manta every day to West Eugene from their home in Cottage Grove. Depending on the route, her daily round trip is roughly 55 to 65 miles; a pretty long commute by our standards. Karl has owned some 20 or 30 Opels for over the past forty years, so he had a pretty good idea of how he wanted this Manta to be. Enough suspense; let’s open the hood (backwards), and take a look.
A 3.1 L Chevy V6, but not from an actual Camaro. It’s out of a FWD Chevy Lumina, and I wondered why, since that would seem to be a bit more difficult to turn ninety degrees. The answer is because it has the lighter aluminum heads as well as being a dime a dozen at the junk yard. That little V6 takes up less room than the original engine, and I bet it weighs no more, if not less, as the Opel CIH had a pretty chunky iron block and head.
Here’s Karl’s comments about this swap:
Yes, the engine swap was quite a challenge. It was a fwd engine, but the intake flips around, and 2.8 V6 Camaro timing cover and water pump fits. It’s worth it to use the fwd car engine to get the MPFI and the aluminum heads. Plus those engines where all over the place for cheap and in nice shape because they where in plain GM sedans whose transmissions didn’t last. The left exhaust has to go forward and around the front of the engine. The transmission is also a V6 Camaro 5 speed, and the cable-to-hydraulic clutch took a few tries to get working correctly too. But we’ve got over 100k miles on the swap, and it’s a lot of fun and gets 35 mpg as well, assuming you drive somewhat normally. It’s registered as a 1974, but it had EFI, so I think that is a mistake since only the ’75’s had the EFI from the factory. Frankie is very attached to it, so we’ll keep it going for ever if we can.
Understandable. This is one very slick swap, and one that really got me salivating. It isn’t exactly a Camaro engine, but about as close as it gets.
Karl also sent me this shot of three of his Opels, including a red GT and the Manta in the back. The Kadett B wagon was converted to fuel injection; no details were given except that it would get 45 mpg on its little 1100cc mill. Sadly, it was totaled.
This Manta, with its 160 hp V6 (double the original engine) and slick-shifting five speed has me in lust. I love it when older cars get updated with modern engines, and yet keep their original charms. It reminds me of the Eco-Boost Edsel.
Miss the delicate and graceful shapes of the sixties and seventies? Not wild about the porky slope-nose ant-eaters of today? There’s no reason why one can’t have the CC of one’s dreams, and drive it 65 miles per day. Thanks, Walter and Frankie, for sharing your splendid Manta with us all. I wonder how hard it would be to convert that yellow Manta sitting in that car port to a stick shift…….
the German Camaro with the American Camaro in the background
Great overview. I remember when people would disparage the Fiat Dino Coupe by calling it a Manta. Looking at the red example above, particularly with its chrome edging around the grille, makes me wonder which was the better design.
Like you, I love when people do this kind of stuff! This seems like such a neat little sleeper… I knew the 60 degree V6 was small, but I had no idea it was that small. Back in the summer, I ran across a guy who made a “rat-rod” out of a mid 30’s Ford (actually an amalgam of mid-30’s Fords) and used a 60 degree Chevy V6 in it. It had the strangest sound with open exhausts, but was pretty damned quick.
Did anyone else notice the cross drilled front disc brakes? I bet this thing is a screamer…
I know it’s early for you, but: “This Manta, with its 160 hp V6 (double the original engine) and lick-shifting five speed has in lust.” gave me the best laugh of the day so far. Thanks
Nice,but never as popular as the Capri,Rapier and Celica in Britain.My brother had the later Manta a 78 which also had a Cavalier clone.
IIRC, Pat Bedard won the CARandDRIVER Showroom Stock Challenge II at Lime Rock in October 1973 in a Opel 1900 Sedan.
The Manta is simply a gorgeous car. They weren’t plentiful during my 1970s kidhood, but every time one passed by my head swiveled to watch.
I’ve always loved the looks of these cars. Beautiful lines, but more in the American styling idiom. I really like the wheels; they’re essentially a four-spoke variation on the Buick wheels from the same era. But of course, I’m just an American who grew up in a hick town, so what do I know? I had no idea that the Manta was looked down upon in its homeland! That is just hilarious, but I’m laughing at the people who laugh at Mantas when I say this. Snobbery of course never makes a great deal of sense. Besides having American-inspired styling, what are the Manta’s other sins? Is it easy for anyone to repair, like a Camaro? I guess I’m wondering how German snobs differ from American snobs.
It’s purely an image thing. Perhaps Germans (and Europeans) are/were even more image (class) conscious than Americans, especially back then.
Remember that in countries like Germany (and other European countries), schooling “tracks” start early. If you’re University-bound, you head down a different school track than if you’re going to be a technical professional, and so on. There are/were at least three very different educational tracks in Austria.
They really define the social “classes” even more than money. And cars like the Manta were just not driven by those who came from higher educational-social backgrounds.
The VW Golf is an interesting case, as it was always considered an “image(class) free car”, meaning no one would pigeon hole you for driving one, no matter what status you had otherwise. It’s one of the main reasons the Golf became so dominant, at the expense of the Opel Kadett/Astra.
The Kadett/Astra historically ran a close second to the Golf in sales, but in recent decades, it’s become a distant also-run.
The TV Tropes page on German humor says the shortest Manta joke of all is
“A Manta is parked in front of a university.” (“Steht ‘nen Manta vor ‘ner Uni”)
It sure is an image thing !
(Opel Manta owned by Rikkert from Maaskantje)
Sehr interresant!
The Capri eventually developed a less-than-classy image in the U.K. as well. I don’t think it was seen as a hick-mobile so much as the sort of car associated with gold chains and exposed chest hair — or, later, your embarrassing middle-aged dad who’s still desperately trying to be cool in his tatty brown Capri 1600L.
Still the same as a Camaro, or should I say a new Camaro?
Great article. Back in 1974 there a multi-page full colour ad in the Canadian Edition of Time Magazine promoting the Manta. I remember being so impressed by the ad copy and the Manta photos. Such a clean and elegant small car. Even though I wasn’t old enough to drive, I felt this car belonged at or near the top of the list of cars that intrigued me. It reminded me of the Vega, but seemed so much more sophisticated, and was promoted as such. The ad layout was beautiful and I still remember how nice the black cloth interior was. The ad was so mature in presenting this car.
I was still very young and knew virtually nothing about Opel and it’s connection to GM. But I could see that it was a competitor for the Pinto and Vega. And thought, that could be a problem for this car. Given that those models were still wildly popular. I still remember how impressed I was by that Manta ad… but unfortunately I ultimately didn’t see many Mantas on the road. And saw very little Manta promotion after then. I didn’t know the politics going on at the time, but couldn’t figure out why this car wasn’t better promoted or more popular. As the marketing and photos were very appealing, given the small car choices available in North America at the time. I did know it was imported, and that was likely a big reason why it wasn’t making better in roads. I pretty much forgot about them after 1977 or so. They were so rare to see. But I still remember how impressed I was by that magazine spread back in ’74.
I don’t believe Opels were ever sold in Canada. GM Canada stuck with Vauxhall (and the badge-engineered Envoy) mostly due to preferential Commonwealth tariffs that were in place at the time, until dropping imported models entirely in 1973 when the Pontiac Astre was introduced to replace the Vauxhall Firenza (HC Viva).
That would explain why I never saw them on the road here at the time, in spite of them seeming like great cars for our market.
I remember the class action lawsuit against GM Canada over the Firenza.
We certainly didn’t get the best car. With the early Astres being not much better than the Vegas.
This was one of the pages from the multi-page Opel ad.
It might have been the American issue of Time, but we did have our own Canadian edition at that time…
As I recall, this was the cover of the multi-page Manta magazine ad…
I remember way back circa 1973, my older brother, whom BTW had moved to Toronto from the prairies, relayed me the following tale. He was friends with some extremely irate owners of an Auto-Disintegrate Vauxhall Firenza who were issued a “certificate” by GM that they could apply to a new car. Apparently they picked a Pontiac Astre. Somehow I doubt they were GM customers for much longer after that.
GM Canada’s deadliest sin, perhaps. I recall reading that when the Oldsmobile Firenza was introduced in 1982, GM Canada lobbied unsuccessfully to have a different name for the Canadian market, so great was the stink, even ten years later.
Besides rusting on the dealer lot, I recall the Canadian Firenzas
were known for self-immolation. I remember seeing photos of a Firenza owners protest on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, with protest signs, and reporters present.
Cool engine swap, getting better performance & mpg is always a plus.
The Manta really does make that Prius look like an appliance. haha
A very practical appliance, no less.
IMO the Manta exterior exudes character that the Toyota lacks in it’s appearance.
I do remember the Mantas being available in much brighter, cheerful colours than this example. Including a beautiful bright blue similar to the Chrysler “Blue Streak” available in the early 1970s.
It looks like this Manta was a bright yellow at one time. You are right cheerful colors and unique character are mostly missing from today’s cars. I did see a bright orange Dodge (Fiatsler) Dart yesterday and some kind of a new small Korean Chevy in bright light blue the other day. I’m getting old. I can’t recognize every new car anymore.
First, I miss Opel – until GM stopped offering them here, I remember them as stylish, sporty, economical cars that stood a little apart from many other small cars of the day. I recall both the Manta and the GT as being fairly popular for awhile. I find the Manta’s lines quite attractive, and always have.
Second, I love these stories from owners who have had their cars a long time and are heavily invested in them (either financially, emotionally, or both.)
Finally, I’ll bet that this is an absolute hoot to drive. I am quite envious of Frankie. 🙂
An amazing car. That is a fantastic swap. Those 60 degree V6s are amazingly compact and light.
Another Manta joke: How can you recognize a Manta driver ? By the dead bugs on the elbow.
This is why I love CC: not only the unique cars, but the global sociological perspective. Like Paul, I recalled the last few years’ Opels here in the US as poor man’s 2002’s, or rich man’s Vega GT’s (I owned the latter) and was quite unaware of the European image. I think something similar was true 10-20 years later with the Miata; here it was a lean, sporty heir to the MGB, in Europe (or at least the UK motoring press) it was derided as a hairdresser’s car. Which here would probably be a Civic coupe or perhaps a Jetta.
In Defense of the Manta, the website Ate Up with Motor posted a sideline about the Manta in the Euro Ford Capri article who mentionned then it released more faster then the Camaro. http://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/ford-capri-history/3/
The Manta could had been a better Monza if it was sold as a Chevrolet….
The gap between the arrival of the Mustang and Camaro was 28 months. The gap between the Capri and Manta was exactly 20 months. But unlike the Camaro, which was a totally new car, the Manta was just a restyled Ascona A, which was already in development.
Paul, any info from the owner (or any estimate) as to how fast and quick the featured car is? Based on the lighter engine I’m sure it handles at least as well.
I would think it’s a rocket!
Sorry, no.
That yellow Ascona sure brought back some memories. It was my first trip to Europe, for a conference and a vacation, in 1975.
We rented an Ascona in Amsterdam, and drove through Germany to Kiel, then onto the car ferry to Denmark.
We spent what seemed like hours driving around Amsterdam, looking for the youth hostel, but we invariably ended up on the wrong side of the canal. The next morning, it took forever to get the Ascona to fire up. High humidity in Holland is a constant problem, and parking by the canal did not help.
Later that day I actually learned to drive a stick shift in that Ascona. On the German Autobahns, no less!
Here’s a pic of the Ascona, in front of the Kiel (Germany) youth hostel. Speaking of colourful cars… caramel Ascona, bright yellow BMW 1602/2002, and a bright green roof that I can’t identify.
Here’s the Ascona in front of another youth hostel, this one in Denmark.
Like a lot of European rentals back then , that Ascona sure was a stripper. In 1969, we rented a VW Beetle, and it turned out to be a 1200 “Sparkafer”, totally stripped down, and lacking all of the improvements we saw on US Beetles.
That Ascona was luxurious compared to the Citroen AX I rented about 10 years later, again in Amsterdam. The AX was like a giant, 4-wheeled tupperware container. On the other hand it weighted about as much, and was actually fun to drive, with a compliant ride French cars were known for.
For reasons I will never understand, Goobers hate the GM 60′ V-6, which in my experience was one of the best engines to ever come out of Detroit. Lots of torque, smooth and could take American “maintenance” without too many complaints. But then again, Goobers aren’t much for reason and once you get something in their heads…
This a really interesting swap. Having done a few of this kind of thing over the years (for paying customers, thankfully) my question would always be, “How much?” Anyone doing an engine shop had better a) be a mechanic and have their own fully equipped shop, or b) have a Visa card with a REALLY BIG limit.
I’ve always wondered why the RWD fuel injected 3800 Buick V6 wasn’t more popular for swaps for older GM vehicles. I know for a fuel economy performance standpoint there are many old G-body GM sedans and coupes that could do with the more modern (1996-2002) version of the 3800 that was installed as the base engine in Camaros and Firebirds.
But yes the 60 degree V6 was quite respectable and I have heard of lots of guys who do the 3.4V6 swap into old S10s and S10 Blazers that were built before the 4.3V6 was the standard engine.
It really boils down to cost, Dan. GM produced millions of G bodies and they weren’t exactly enthusiast cars, so there aren’t a lot of them around relatively. If one really wanted more power, a Small Block Chevy would would be fast, easy and cheap. Swapping out a 3800 is a lot harder than most would wager, especially the electronics. Like I stated before, if you have a shop and the tools for such a job, have at ‘er. Paying someone else to do it, well, I hope you have a nice fat line of credit.
That being said, I have wondered why GM refused to offer the 4.3l fuel injected V6 in the Cutlass Supreme or Buick Regal G bodies. The 4.3l RWD Fuel Injected engine came out in 1985 for the Caprice, Impala, Monte Carlo and El Camino/GMC Caballero and in 1986 for the Pontiac Grand Prix G-body etc
Why no 4.3l F.I love for the Cutty or Regal?
Well the Olds and Buick were the more premium brands so they may not have wanted a “truck” engine in them. It could also just have been due to capacity ie they wouldn’t have been able to supply enough 4.3s since they were also pretty popular in the various truck applications.
I think those 2 were selling well enough though GM did very little improvements to them. I think an sfi 3.8L & a tbi 307 would have helped sales. Then again it didn’t do much to help f body sales. It’s last glory year as a big money maker was 1984, in 1985 you could get efi on nearly all the engines.
A little off the Opel track, but I was looking pickups at the Chevrolet Build & Price website today (the IT folks that developed the site must be the same ones that did the ACA web site, based on its reliability and performance, BTW) and I noticed that a 4.3V6 is still the standard engine on 1/2 ton pickups. Is this the same old 60 degree pushrod V6? Dodge (excuse me, Ram) and Ford have slightly newer V6’s ….
In reply to dman: The 4.3 in the 2014 Chevy trucks is an all new V6, not based on the previous engine from years ago.
No complaints about the 2.8 L in my ’89 Beretta. The THM-125 it was mated to, however…
GM probably figured it out by 1989 MY. My 1988 (early build)Beretta GT, the 2.8 FI was a piece of crud. Not so much the mechanical, but the computer controlled electronics never were right. Only had that car 3 years. When I traded it in, they said one of the pistons had a hole burned through it…
The original 2.8 versions were pretty crappy. Intake gaskets failed very regularly, head gaskets weren’t that uncommon either. If they were pushed hard regularly they would burn valves or toss rods, particularly if the oil wasn’t changed regularly.
By the time it grew into the 3.1 it was a pretty good engine, but I still wouldn’t put it on the list as one of the best engines to come out of Detroit.
The difference between 3.1 and 2.8 was so pronounced that at one point GM actually offered chips for the engine computer tuned to allow you to drop in a 3.1 where the 2.8 had been using the 2.8’s injection and emissions controls.
That’s a fascinating little fact. I agree with Canuck about the 3.1, but I do know the 2.8 was no-so-reliable. Didn’t know it burned valves and tossed rods, though.
I’m a pretty big fan of the 60 degree V6, I’ve had four of them over the years. Oddly my favorite one was a car I didn’t own. My 2001 Aztek had an issue with the BCM “body computer” while under warranty, the dealer gave me a (then) brand-new optioned to the teeth Ram Air Grand Am GT to drive for a week while we waited for the new BCM to arrive.
I know 175 HP in a FWD platform based off of the X-cars sounds like a recipe for disaster, but man, that thing was a blast to fling around! We went for joyrides anytime it was possible. I gave my then-11 year old daughter some early lessons in hooning (which she still remembers!) and spent a lot of time exploring the power and torque band that car had.
I was sorry to give it back, but at the time, the Aztek was a far more logical choice for a family hauler. I still think about picking one up for giggles, but I think if I’m going to spend my kid’s inheritance on a car, it will probably be an F-body of some stripe.
I owned a green Manta in the late seventies and early eighties. It was a wonderful car for the back road commute to work that I had at that time. It was also fairly reliable compared to the British and Italian cars that I had in the past. I drove it for several years then sold it to a friend that needed a beater to drive to work.
Having done quite a few engine swaps over the years, it appears this one is very well executed with good workmanship. As Canucklehead mentions above these types of jobs are not for the person on a budget or in a hurry. All too often they end up as half completed hulks under a tarp until the lady of the house finally says “get rid of it!”. Kudos to the guy who put this one together.
These cars weren’t sold in Canada as far as I know, so I’m not familiar with them but from what I see here GM should have just sold these in North America and never mind the Vega.
The Manta is a handsome car; I saw it very rarely either in North America or in Europe. It looks quite similar to me to the slightly newer Mazda RX-2 coupe.
I have a 1/43 scale die cast model of the Manta. The manufacturer is “Pilen” from Spain. The model has opening doors and is finished in a bright metallic blue. I bought it at Polks Hobbies in New York sometime in 1979.
Louis D: “bright green roof that I can’t identify” – I am pretty sure that green car is a Renault 16.
I’m glad that the V6 swap is working well for this owner. Myself, I don’t have much use for these cars, largely because the new one I bought was a piece of crap, a German Vega.
The 1969-72 Mazda Luce coupe looks very similar to the Manta
The computer screwed up and didn’t post this picture with my comment.
That Luce is a gem. A Japanese car that beats most of its contemporaries in style. Better than the Dino and better than the Manta. Even the saloons and wagons look great.
The Luce R130 coupe (which was by Bertone) predated the Manta by quite a bit; the prototype was first shown at the Tokyo show in the fall of 1967.
How is this pronounced? Is it Man-ta or Mon-ta?
Just like the fish it has been named after. (See the logo between the front wheel and the door, on the red one for example)
Ive seen a couple of Mantas mostly the later model. Over here GMH dropped a V8 into the Opel 1900 body and called it Torana even the 6 went ok and the 1900 4 nobody wanted it.
“I wonder how hard it would be to convert that yellow Manta sitting in that car port to a stick shift…….”
As it happens, my twenty year old self did exactly that back in 1980. Since my twenty year old self wasn’t that great a mechanic, it couldn’t have been that tough.
I had a donor wagon with a four speed driveline, and pulled all the parts out of it. Back then, the big issue was changing the transmission mounts. The mounts are different on the four speed, and the body mounting pads are welded onto the transmission tunnel. I cut the four speed pads out, and used blind rivets to mount them into the Manta (today, I’d weld them).
Today, your big issue would be parts. In addition to new transmission mounting pads, you would need a transmission and bell housing, clutch linkage, and a new underdash pedal assembly. I don’t recall if the driveshaft swapped, but if not, you need one of those too.
Nice swap. If that works, I wonder if you could get a 4.5 or 4.9 Caddy V8 in there.
Opel Mantas at a summer car show in Kenosha. There is an active Opel club in the Milwaukee area.
OMG. A car just like this one is sitting at a house a half mile from my high school. Brbr, trying to convince my dad to buy it for me.
I saw plenty of Mantas when I was growing up, by the 90’s they were mostly gone. Beautiful car. I’m not a fan of the Capri.
I’ve seen the 2.8 swapped to Chevettes, and they run nicely. On Chevettes they also swap the Cologne 2.8 V6, Family 0 I4 (from Chevy Corsa) and 4.3 V6 (for drag racing). Down here I’ve seen LN6 (3.8SC) swapped Geminis.
I find this swap remarkable because the owner kept the EFI, the cleanliness of the installation and it looks to be done on a budget. Additional points for not being scared by the technology as it is said in the OP that he converted a 1100 to EFI.
I’m going to be picky here. IIRC that 3.1 has 140HP, not 160 as stated. They got 160 when they became 3100 SFI or something. The intake manifold is different.
As a kid, I loved Opel Mantas! Love the styling! Haven’t seen one in eons.
I always liked these cars, purposeful, tasteful, but Buick dealers always sold them from some dealer annex….across town…as if they were an after thought….and yes I did own[briefly] a 1976 Capri V6…. broke my heart…My first deadly sin!
Business in the front , party in the back.
“Business in the back, party in the front.”
Called a “Mancona” I believe?
Manta nose on Ascona body.
My absolute favorite car.
What I thought back in the day is the same as I feel today: what a good looking car! Stylish, in a sophisticated way. And yes, handsome. Would have loved to have purchased one back then, but I recall the Opels were sold at Buick dealers and they seemed a bit pricier than imports like VWs. And, I’ve purchased pre-owned cars, never a new one yet. Back to this car, I love the idea of a Chevy 3.1L V6 with a 5-speed transplanted into a great-looking Manta. Saw relatively few Mantas back in the day, and almost none over the years. I just like the looks of the Manta from every angle; the Ascona not so much. If I ever had the money (and storage space) for a large car collection, I’d very much like to have a nice example of one of these. Yes, it seriously strikes a chord in me as much as it did back in the day. OK, I’ll come out and say it: some cars to me are like a very desirable female such that it’s hard not to just stare, even when it might seem rude or impolite. The Manta is one of those cars that does it for me, even so many years later.
A couple other small cars that I kinda liked back in this era was the original Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt coupe and the original Ford Fiesta.
So as horrible as the Manta’s image was–which you’ve described beautifully–how was the Capri’s? Not in the UK, but in W Germany? If it was different, do you know why? If anything the Ford was more trashy looking, to my eyes. Chuck Jordan usually did well, and the Opel looks better finished (again, to my eyes).
I owned an Opel Manta that I bought in NYC. The Buick salesman at the dealership kept steering me towards a Buick Special with the V6 but I insisted, and I finally told him that I had come to buy the Opel. Finally after much wheeling and dealing with him, I was able to place the order and 3 months later I got my wine color Manta. It was a great looking and a very confortable car, with velour interior and with very good handling manners. It steered like a true German car and took to the twisties with gusto. I had until 1988 when a co-worker liked it and I sold it. Great experience because I never had any trouble with it and I did my own maintenance. But the GM corporation treated it like it was the ugly cousin of the family. No wonder they went broke in 2009.
I had two Mantas in the ’70s. A new red 1975 with fuel injection, 4 speed. Loved the solid feel of the car. I’d put it up against BMW 2002 of that time. Remember chasing a Ford Pantera through a park in the area, keeping right up with it on the curves. Also had a ’74 Manta Rallye, yellow and black hood, 4 speed. Bought that used. Always liked those cars.
I autocrossed a daily driver 72 Manta in the late 70s. Added a Weber 40 DCOE sidedraft carb, intake, and (recomended) sports header- complete kit was $275.00.
My ’75 Opel Ascona was originally an FI’d 1.9L. ’75 A-body Manta’s (& 1900/Ascona’s) was the last year produced, imported & only year with FI.
I received my ’75 from Ca.(in 2000) with a 2.0L, 5-speed Getrag & no intake or exhaust manifolds.
I bought a NEW Weber 32/36 for $325 & naturally aspired used OEM pre-’75 intake/exhaust manifolds from a local Opel GT fanatic, for another $25. It is lowered, Recaros, quick ratio steering box, heavy sway bars, etc., etc.
It’s better than my previous stock ’72,’73 & ’74 Manta’s & Ascona’s(1900) I had in my 20’s.
It belongs on a track, however, it serve’s as a reminder of my youth when I drove many of these, when they were Solex(?) carb’d & stock.
Still driving it today! I love it!
I missed this one first time around, but can someone explain to me the difference between Cam-In-Head and Overhead Cam? Thanks!
The cam isn’t above the valves, pushing down – it’s beside the valves, pushing upwards on rockers that push down. Reduces the height of the motor.
Neat bit of engineering. Thanks for explaining that. But assuming it’s belt-driven, I’m not sure I see any advantage over a gear-driven OHV cam-in-block design.
Pushrod cam-in-block motors usually use chain-drive to the cam, unless it’s a race engine. From memory the Opel motor used chain-drive as well.
Dispensing with pushrods saved reciprocating weight.
Most OHC motors used rockers between the cam and the valve – some still do – so the Opel was just as good as most of them, but more compact.
The other benefit was that the ports didn’t have to deal with the pushrods.
I was about to ask the same question, Evan. Many thanks, Uncle!
I never liked GM products, but if I was forced to take one, I think I would either take Opel Manta or Opel GT (which were possibly same car on different chassis. GM is GM after all).
As often happens, a CC about a car from my young adulthood makes me think, and realize that my perspective has changed. The 20 year old me thought the 1900 Ancona Sedan was a perfectly proportioned and detailed sport sedan, a sleeper without the BMW image or price. And I thought the Manta was OK, but nothing special, a slightly awkward sport coupe. 45 years later the sedan seems ordinary (though still nice) and the Manta looks mighty fine. Especially with a V6.
My view went in the exact opposite direction. I can see why some find the styling of this car attractive; it has all the right affects for what it was tying to do. I liked it well enough back in the day, but it hasn’t held up well. It is rather grossly overbodied, likely the result of putting a curvy shape atop an existing platform while having to hit all the required hard points. And Opels tended to be overbodied to start with. So the curves that were added to the side profile hang out too far past the track. The down curving nose and up curving tail look amateurish and dippy. There’s way too much empty sheet metal in the hind 3/4 area…yeah, it’s literally mullety. The Ascona is quite well balanced, at least by comparison.
A great article, I once owned a ’75 Opel Sportwagon, but talk about a split personality; almost from the start I had numerous problems with the fuel injection on it. When everything was working properly it was great-that was about half of the time-the other half it was sputtering, wheezing and gasping. I lost count of the number of times I had to have fuel injectors either cleaned or replaced. Which was sad as otherwise it was a great car, far superior to the Vega that preceded it.
Owned a yellow ’75 Sportwagon from about 1979 -1984. FI was near flawless, started right away on coldest Wisconsin winter days. Local mechanic did remove some small part of emissions gear. Sister in California then drove it for couple years. Eventually didn’t pass smog visual inspection, so she sold it to Mexican gardener … might still be running in Mexico.
Opel had the Commodore coupe in the 60s bigger than the Capri and six cylinder powered with some slicing and stretching it became the Aussie Holden Monaro when the UK model moved to an Opel inspired platform and the same V8 Chev running gear Opel used.
My first car (in 1978) was a ’73 Manta Luxus, which didn’t last long. I’d missed detecting collision damage that had hurt the front suspension. When I found a ’74 Sportwagon with only 24,000 miles I ditched the Manta for it. Kept the ’74 until the clock read about 160,000 miles, and picked up a ’75 Sportwagon. The ’75 had a bum gearbox, but I swapped in the box from the ’74. A while later I upgraded to my wife’s Volvo wagon (she got a new ’89 Taurus wagon), and I was done with my Opel run. Great cars, and yes, they out handled almost anything at the time. Great article, thanks!
Am more surprised the General Motors 60-degree V6 X engine did not appear in 1970 instead of 1980 (assuming its origins were not already in the 1960s like the GM Family 1 unit was as an Opel design), Vauxhall could have certainly benefited from such an engine as its challenger to the UK Ford Essex V6 (later German Ford Cologne V6) as could other markets apart from Opel due to its CiH 6-cylinder.
The 60 degree V6 was a clean-sheet design and shares nothing with the GM Family 1/Opel engines. The V6 does share much of its basic architecture and a number of internal parts with the GM122 engine, the pushrod four used in the Cavalier and other GM vehicles. It too is not related to the OHC Opel engines. Two totally different things.
Was not suggesting any relation between the 60-degree V6 and the GM Family 1 / Opel engine, rather was interested to know whether the V6 had similarly long origins stemming back to the 1960s as was reputedly the case with the Family 1 unit (originating as an Opel design than a Brazilian built precursor displacing 850-1600cc).
It is akin to how some claim the 3-cylinder Family 0 engine existed as far back as the mid/late-70s before finally appearing in production form from the mid-90s (with others believing it was actually referring to the Suzuki G engine).
Something like the Chinese spec 2.5-3.0-litre+ versions of the 60-degree would have been very useful for the likes of the Manta, GT and other GM models had it appeared in the late-60s to early-70s.
The GM 60 degree V6 was a totally new engine designed specifically for the 1980 FWD X cars. Shortly afterwards, a RWD version was made for the 1982 Chevy S-10 pickup/Blazer. The same with the related 122 engine: it was made in both FWD and RWD versions. But both were all-new.
Some of those stories like the Ford’s three cylinder’s origins sound very suspect.
Unfortunate the GM 60-degree V6 appeared that late specifically for the FWD X Cars.
I lived with a yellow 74 for a couple of years and it was a great little car. Smog regs really de nutted the 1.9 though. They definitely were a timing chain motor with hydraulic lifters after ’70. The 69 wagon that preceded it had a solid lifter motor and was much more lively than the latter. Opels of that generation had a special feel and personality that I really like. Still daily driving a 1.1 sedan today.
As a kid, I had the pleasure of riding along once in a friend’s older brother’s Manta 1900 manual. Just no comparison to a Vega; what a shame we couldn’t just import the design. Quite the counterpoint to the kid’s other brother’s ’70 or so Chevelle with a 350 & THM which I also had the pleasure of taking a ride in.
I don’t usually look at the byline on the stories right away, I look at the subject. So about halfway through this one, I said to myself, ‘Gee, this is well written.’ Then we get to the part where the author is being a little naughty and comparing it to something even more naughty. Keep on keepin’ on, Paul!
I had a 1974 Opel Manta Rallye (which I think involved sport wheels, a black hood, and wild orange paint). Loved the little sucker until it started costing me more to keep running than it would to buy a new car. Nothing major, just a bunch of niggling minor problems that kept it in the shop far more than I liked. It had about 75k miles on it when I traded it for a 1978 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback. That I drove 178k miles (and four water pumps ’til I got a good one); gave it to my mechanic, who ended up fixing a few rust holes and selling it to an ex-boss. The Toyota was nice but sure didn’t handle nor ride like the Opel.
If it were me, I’d want to do that swap on a 1900/Ascona sedan. Now that would be a sleeper!
My brother-in-law (who’s owned more cars than anyone I know) had a ’74 Burgandy Manta for a short time in the 70’s..sure it was bought used, like all but one of his cars. He was dating my sister (they’ve been married 40 years) and his next car was a ’78 Camero in fact, he gave the Manta to my sister (who didn’t have it long).
I think the Manta was an automatic, though I know the Camero was standard (he owned it for longer than most of the cars he had, and I got to drive it the day before he got married when his friends got him drunk (he’s a teetotaller). Not sure but I think I also drove him in it to pick out a suit on his wedding day. I think the Camero got traded for a Mercury Capri (with TRX wheels). My niece (his daughter) actually bought a new 2008 Saturn Astra…which of course has Opel design (like father like daughter?) though she doesn’t have it anymore.
Interesting comments on the Manta wheels being “Buick” like…of course most know that Opels were sold at Buick dealers in the US back then (but I’m sure the wheels are a coincidence).
I’ve gotten a couple more recent rental Opels on trips to Europe …though this was awhile ago, I think one of the Astras was still carburated. Also a Vectra (which I thought was a pretty nice car). Too bad GM didn’t sell them in place of the Vega or Chevette, I think they would have been an improvement.
The first new car that I owned was a 1975 Opel Manta purchased when I was 24 while working at my first job in Phila. It was copper colored with the manual tranny. I believe I paid $3500 for it which was more than either a Pinto or Vega. However, there was no comparison in ride quality or drivability between the Manta and domestic competitors.
I had that car for seven years and about 63k miles before trading it in on an 82 Pontiac 6000 so my wife could have an air conditioning for her car pool.
We took a cross country trip to CA in the Manta in the summer of 1979. The Bosch EFI was flawless over the large changes in altitude. Neither hot or cold affected how the motor ran which was a big difference from the smog strangled cars of that time. At that time, I swore that I would never buy a carbureted car again which I almost managed to do.
One of the advantages of the light body on the cars of this size was the lack of power steering and brakes which simplified maintenance and improved reliability as well as providing more feedback to the driver.
Off all the cars I owned, I missed this one the most.
I’m sure I’d seen them on the road before, but I vividly remember being enchanted by the skinny, ribbed velour seats with recliner knobs on a Manta Luxus in a Buick showroom when I was 14 and dying to drive. Much nicer than the weird vinyl on VWs.