5 WAYS TO MAKE IT BETTER

1 FIT A POKIER ENGINE

The easiest engine swap is to the later 2.2- or 2.4-litre CIH units, as found in Carltons and Fronteras. The 2.4 can be troublesome, suffering with oval bores, so many use the 2.2 with the Carlton’s inlet manifold. Astra ‘red-top’ 16-valve fuel-injected engines are also popular and deliver a healthy slug of eminently tuneable power, but they’re a more involved conversion.

2 IMPROVE FUELLING

An instant performance upgrade on pre-injection cars is to fi t a Weber 32/36 carburettor kit, which will cost around £300 from Webcon. A twin Weber manifold to fi t twin 45DCOEs is also available for around £1100, boosting power – and thirst.

3 FIT BIGGER WHEELS

The Manta uses the very common 4x100 pitch circle diameter and was never offered with anything bigger than a 14-inch wheel. However, there are a wide range of wheels in the aftermarket world, as well as many used original equipment wheels. As many Mantas, and particularly early Vauxhall-badged cars, came with steel wheels, wheel swaps can upgrade the handling as much as the looks.

4 SUSPENSION UPDATE

Polybush kits from SuperPro and others sharpen up the steering and general responsiveness, though often at the cost of increased vibration and a slightly harsher ride quality. A complete kit is just under £370, but specific bushes can be bought individually, so it makes sense to replace worn rubber bushes as and when required. Stiffer springs and dampers, some with adjustable ride height, are also available, but again be careful you don’t ruin the ride in the quest for better handling.

5 FIT COMFIER SEATS

The later GTEs featured stylish and comfortable Recaro seats, which used a four-bolt flat-base mount. Crucially, this mount allows Recaros from any other car to be fi tted to the car easily. It may take a while to fi nd a pair for sale, but they aren’t normally expensive – around £50 – and instantly lift the interior.