Manta Mirage #5
Setting up a Corvette Rear Suspension in a Manta Mirage
- SPECIFICATIONS -
I picked this never-assembled Manta up in Virginia, as it was a good, sound car.
The body panels were in great shape and all accounted for -
but the frame had rust on every square inch of it.
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The car had been stored in a garage for over twenty years
and the owner had finally decided that he wasn't ever going to finish it -
so it was time to move on...
- PHOTO GALLERY -
- FACTS AND HISTORY -
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Looking closer at the frame, it appeared to be nothing more than surface rust, which could be sand-blasted off very quickly - so I bought the car.
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After unloading, the first order of business was to cut off all of the Corvair mounting brackets, which was pretty straightforward.
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Next, I determined the Wheel Mounting Surface to Wheel Mounting Surface Width and tacked in the two upper frame rails - parallel and level with the Manta's side rails and the ground.
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Then the rear section of the frame was tacked in to bring it all together.
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As you can see, the Manta's frame is actually a lot simpler, with our kit, than it was with the Corvair suspension.
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Once all the frame modifications were completed - in just about a day - it was time to take care of the frame's rust.
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The sandblasting took a couple hours, but soon it was as clean as new - so I painted it right away.
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The guy that bought it from me set up the front suspension with Mustang 2 components and loves the way it handles.
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