Project Web -- Body Shell

I have had an oil temperature gauge, located to the left of the dash display in one of the air heater vents, since I built the car in 1995. In 1998, I replaced the original tachometer with an Elliott electronic unit, because the original tachometer was unstable, and swung wildly during acceleration. In 2000, I replaced the oil pressure and water temperature gauges for more accurate units when the 2.4L engine was installed, which I located in centre of the dash. When I changed from carburettors to fuel injection, I installed a fuel pressure gauge, and a new fuel tank level sender and gauge for the new competition tank, both gauges again fitted in the centre of the dash.

So by June 2000, only the speedometer and voltage gauge were still in use, from the original Instrument Facia. When we fitted the sequential 5 speed gearbox, which doesn't have a speedometer drive, the original dash became a waste of space, with extra gauges placed everywhere.

So, I have installed a Stack ST8130P Road/Rally Car Dash Display System. This display system is road legal, and I believe a similar system is installed in the Lotus Elise. This unit replaces all the original Manta GTE gauges and the additional gauges I have fitted over the years. The Stack ST8130P displays RPM*, speed (using wheel sensor), oil pressure*, oil temperature*, water temperature*, fuel pressure*, fuel tank level*, voltage*, trip meter, odometer and lap times (for last and best laps). Items with star (*) have high and/or low alarm settings. The Stack display can also be connected into a Stack data logging system for on track monitoring of many other useful parameters.

Installing Stack Display Unit: The template drawing shows the layout for the new instrument dash for the Manta. The red and yellow LEDs, at the top of the template, will be located in the instrument dash surround. Various LEDs replace lights from the old dash, and the two switches are used in setting up the Stack unit. There are two more switches located on the steering wheel, which accept alarms and switch between the various display screens.

I removed all the gauges and circuit board from the original dash display. Using the template drawing, I cut and drilled a sheet of aluminium. I then cut most of the original gauge facia away, and stuck the new aluminium facia to it. I then painted the new facia using matt black cellulose paint.

I fitted all the LEDs and the Stack unit to the new facia, and wired it all up. A small amount of cutting and filing had the facia fitted into the dash surround. Then I had to do some re-wiring inside the passenger compartment and engine bay, for the new oil and fuel pressure, and oil and water temperature transducers.

Conclusions: The new dash display has been fitted to the car. Set-up and testing is in progress.

i240 Body Kit & 8" x 15" Wheels

The i240 Road body kit is made by Trevor Lewis of RallyTech Composite Engineering. Trevor has supplied a lightweight version of his normal kit in black fibreglass, without bonnet and boot lid. The kit will allow me to fit 8" wide wheels under the arches, and at the same time, increase the cars track by 2".

At the front, the steel wings, plastic bumper, and if fitted front valance, are replaced by two new wings and a front air dam. The front indicators are from a Ford Capri. I have had to modify the front air dam to fit my extra large radiator air intake.

At the rear I have only fitted the rear arches and side skirts. I have modified the rear arches to be bolt-on instead of glue-on. The rear arch is now bolted on using 13 bolts, which may be excessive, but it certainly will not flap about at speed. Each arch can be removed in less than 5 minutes, for maintenance or replacement. To allow fitting of the 8" wide wheels, the original arches have been cut back about 2" and welded up again, so that on full bump the tyres do not touch. None of this work is visible with the fibreglass arches fitted.