Opel Manta (1970 to 1988)

Why people buy one

• Simple rear-wheel-drive layout with a live rear axle, coil springs all round and tough cam-in-head engines that many classic mechanics understand.
• Engines and gearboxes are well regarded and should cover about 100,000 miles between major work if they have been serviced.
• The fuel-injected 2.0 GT/E (the name continued in the UK after Germany renamed it GSi in 1983) offers 110bhp and Recaro front seats, and all Mantas had a five-speed gearbox from 1982.
• The Manta B shares much of its mechanicals with the Ascona and the Mk1 Vauxhall Cavalier, which helps with servicing parts.
• A long-established UK owners' club, formed in 1983, with a separate register for the Manta A.
• The CC hatchback adds practicality, while the coupe is usually the more sought after.

What to weigh up

• Rust is widespread and often hidden behind plastic body kits, sunroof surrounds and double-skinned chassis rails.
• Manta A repair panels are almost non-existent, and survivors are far scarcer in the UK than in Europe or the USA, so a solid car is essential.
• Matching seat cloth, switchgear, chrome trim and small interior parts are hard to find.
• Many cars have been modified, often with a Vauxhall "Red Top" 16-valve engine, Irmscher-style body parts or quad headlamps; check what you are buying against what is described.
• The i200, i240, 400 and run-out Exclusive models are low-volume specials, so ask for documentation before accepting a car as genuine.
• The Vauxhall Cavalier coupe and Sportshatch of 1975 to 1981 are Manta B bodies with Vauxhall badges, and the Opel GT (1968 to 1973) is a different car; neither is covered here.

Where they rust

• Front chassis rails, which are double-skinned and need the front suspension removed for a proper repair.
• Battery tray, the inner wing and chassis rail below it, and the area behind the headlamps and under the washer bottle.
• Sills, jacking points and A-posts.
• Front and rear wheelarches, wing edges and the rear quarter panels, which rot from the inside.
• Door bottoms and the tailgate bottom on hatchbacks.
• Windscreen and rear screen surrounds, and the sunroof surround where blocked drains let water sit.
• Floorpan and footwells, including the bulkhead join; damp front carpets often mean leaking door seals.
• Boot floor and the fuel tank area.
• Front and rear valances.
• Suspension mounting points front and rear.

Mechanical weak spots

• Cam-in-head engines use a timing chain that can rattle at idle when worn; the 1.8 overhead-cam engine has a cambelt that should be changed every 30,000 miles or five years.
• Look for oil leaks, blue smoke and signs of head gasket failure; a silted radiator causes overheating.
• Fuel-injected cars can suffer cold-start problems and stalling, and many cars sold as automatics have since been converted to manual.
• Five-speed Getrag gearboxes arrived for the 1982 B2; worn third-gear synchromesh and a sloppy four-speed linkage are common.
• Rear axles can whine and worn propshaft joints cause vibration.
• Expect broken coil springs, worn front ball joints, tired dampers and wear in the steering rack or track rods.
• Front brakes can seize on lightly used cars, and the handbrake ratchet can fail.
• A failed voltage stabiliser gives false fuel and temperature readings, and the rectangular headlamp reflectors lose their coating, which is an MOT failure.

At a Mathewsons viewing

• Check the VIN plate and chassis number against the V5C, and on a claimed GT/E, GTE, i200 or Exclusive look for the correct engine, interior and body details and ask for supporting paperwork.
• Open the bonnet and inspect the battery tray, inner wings, chassis rails and bulkhead for rot, filler or fresh welding.
• Lift the carpets and boot or load floor covering and press the footwells, sills and boot floor; look around the sunroof and screen rubbers for leaks.
• With a torch underneath, check the chassis rails, jacking points, suspension mountings and the fuel tank area; press behind plastic spoilers and arch extensions for bubbling.
• If staff start the car, listen for timing chain rattle and watch for blue smoke or steam; do not assume it will be started.

Parts, specialists and clubs

Seen on Bangers & Cash

• 1988 Opel Manta (Bangers & Cash series 6, episode 4, First shown September 2022)
• 1984 Manta GTE (Bangers & Cash series 9, episode 13, First shown May 2024)
• Opel Manta GT (Bangers & Cash series 14, episode 2, First shown July 2026 on U&Yesterday)
• Opel Manta (Restoring Classics series 7, episode 3, First shown October 2025 on U&Yesterday)

Sources

• Opel Manta B buyer's guide (Classics World), 7 January 2026
• Buyer's guide: Opel Manta (Hagerty UK), 24 April 2025
• Opel Manta A buying guide, history and model review (Octane), 21 May 2025
• Six steps to buying an Opel Manta B (Drives Today), accessed 13 October 2026
• Manta, Manta: Die Geschichte des B (1975-1988) (Motor1 / automobile.at), accessed 13 October 2026
• Opel Manta Owners Club going strong at 40 (NEC Classic Motor Show), 21 March 2023
• Opel Manta (Wikipedia), accessed 13 October 2026
• Vauxhall Cavalier (Wikipedia), accessed 13 October 2026