Bodywork

Well, it’s been a year now since the Opel properly went back on the road. So how is it doing? It still puts a smile on my face every time i take her out for a drive. Apart from the previous alternator issue she has been running well. The bodywork? Well considering its never an easy job painting a car in a small garage i have to say the paint is still looking spot on! the bits that i knew i had spot on are still looking great and the places that i knew could be an issue like the…

We, today the weather was beautiful down here in Bournemouth, about 15 degrees! So I decided to roll the Opel out of the garage and just give it a wash!! now I have not been able to say that for quite a long time!! I still have the trim to fit and an oil change, but there was nothing as satisfying as just giving it a wash and dry and not needing to really do anything else to it!!

Some nice new badges from Dr Manta. All installed. Rear wheel arch trim and a few last bits to go now.

Just the final polish to do after fitting the bumper and that’s the front finished, then onto the read quarters and the roof! And now all fitted!! Number plates next.

Yesterday i flatted and polished the top of the driver’s door so I could fit the door handle and wing mirror. and today I flatted the top of the passenger’s door ready for fitting the handle and mirror after fitting the new window guide runners. Then it’s time to work my way around the car polishing the rest of it and then I can finally fit the bumpers and last bits of time. If the weather stays nice I will hopefully be ready to be back on the road properly towards the end of Feb, just in time for some…

Im not sure how well these will come out but i thought i would post some pics of my paint polishing test. This is the process i will be using to polish the old Opel Project when it gets a bit warmer! Give it a clean and use 2000 grit to remove any dirt nibs etc.. The go over it with the Trizact 3000 discs then the Trizact 6000 dics then its onto a bit of refining with the Cartec Final Cut 9000 Then a final finish with Cartec Ultra Finish 12000 and a hand wax finish. Below are some…

Today i finally fitted all the windows trim and have both rear quarter windows all installed and adjusted up properly. Now I just have the door top trim and gutter trim to polish and fit which I’m going to do as I get time over the next couple of weeks. The next thing to do is when I have a nice day I need to mop and polish the doors so I can fit the door handles & door mirrors so I can fit all the internal door trim. I have some nice new locks fitted to the handles that…

My chrome trim was in pretty good condition but with the years of wear, it was never that shiny of some of it a little surface scratch which you can never really get out. And now I have all that nice new chrome on the handles and pillars I needed to do something about the trim around the gutter and at the bottom of the rear quarter window and door top. Drastic action was needed! After a quick test on a spare piece, I have decided to flat all the trim back to remove the chrome plating and give it…

Chrome pillar now fitted to the glass with a nice new rubber strip from ATZ in Germany fitted. https://atz-online.com/p/opel-manta-a-tuerscheibendichtung-an-b-saeule-links-neu/ https://atz-online.com/p/opel-manta-a-tuerscheibendichtung-an-b-saeule-rechts-neu/ These are now all ready to go in once I have fitted the rear quarter chrome trim.  

Today i collected the parts from the chroming company and they are looking pretty good. Now time to get them fitted before Christmas!