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How Would You Build It? Or Them? These Two Opel Mantas Could Be Wicked!


How Would You Build It? Or Them? These Two Opel Mantas Could Be Wicked!

Drag Week is coming up fast, and there is one car that I have always loved seeing: Mike Angerer’s 1974 Opel Manta. My heart might be set on the 1980s Mantas due to their Group B Rally connection, but the early Mantas have a neat look on their own…if the Opel GT is analogous to the Corvette, consider the Manta analogous to the Chevelle, the more upright two-door coupe. In stock form, a four-cylinder powered these little coupes around, but Angerer’s Manta packs LS power and can scoot along quite nicely. Which brings me to this find: two U.S. spec Mantas, a 1971 Manta 1900 Rallye from Oregon and a 1975 example that lived it’s life out in Nevada. Both cars are a bit rough and both seem to be more-or-less stock, which is fine if you are a fan of original Opels. We tend to like them a bit more sprightly than the 1.9L four cylinder would ever hope to be, however, and that’s where we ask you for ideas.

Given that neither car is too far gone for what we’d do, there is the option of a two-prong build approach…say, one drag car and one corner carver. We’d turn the 1975 into the drag car, keeping it on a small radial, keeping it street legal. The 1971 becomes the corner carver. Engine wise, we know that Angerer’s 5.3L powered machine required surgery by the ton to fit, so we’d stick with a V6…it’d still be a riot to drive. A Grand National-style 3.8L for the drag car would be ideal and offer up turbo fun, and for the corner carver, maybe a naturally-aspirated 4.3L and five-speed. Or is there a lighter V6 in GM’s lineup that could crank out at least 250 horsepower to push around the 2,100-ish pound Manta? Or do you have a better source for an engine than General Motors? And what about suspensions?

Build the best cars you can…or just make one killer ride! Let’s hear your ideas!

eBay Link: 1971 Opel Manta 1900 Rallye and 1975 Opel Manta


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9 thoughts on “How Would You Build It? Or Them? These Two Opel Mantas Could Be Wicked!

  1. danny

    for a v6, take the one from the cadillac catera, wich is essentialy an opel engine, rated stock at 200hp…

  2. Chevy Hatin' Mad Geordie

    In the UK there is the Vauxhall “Red Top” XE 16 valve DOHC motor which has been put into Opel GTs and would be right at home in the Manta. Then it just needs ridding of the hideous bumpers, the fitting of some GAZ coilovers, all round disc brakes and some cool 16 inch alloys. Choose the best of the two and sell the other one topart finance the build,

  3. jerry z

    Love these cars! My parents had an Opel Kadett wagon back in the early 70’s and always liked the styling of these cars. I would use the drivetrain out of a Solstice or Sky.

  4. Igor Shakapopoulis

    Find a 95-02 Camaro/firebird with the Series II 3800 and manual transmission. Pull the drivetrain and install in the Opel. 205 HP, decent torque in a very compact package.

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