An Opel Manta previously displayed at the Lakeland Motor Museum in Cumbria makes return visit after thorough restoration
An 1980s Opel Manta that starred for many years as an exhibit at the Lakeland Motor Museum has made a return visit after undergoing a painstaking restoration.
The 1987 example was on show at the Cumbria attraction from 2010 until 2020, when it was sold to Paul Hammonds, an enthusiast from Staffordshire who’d spent five years looking for the car of his dreams. The sale came about by pure chance – Paul saw the car in the background on the TV show Salvage Hunters, which was being filmed at the museum.
“I used to have a hatchback Opel Manta when I was 21 and always wanted the coupe version,” says Paul who is from Leek in Staffordshire. “I couldn’t afford one back then, but it was always my dream car.
“All those years later I saw the Lakeland Motor Museum’s exhibit on the television and got in touch with them right away! They kept my name on record for two years until the family who owned it decided to sell. I was delighted!”
Paul has since completed an extensive 18-month restoration that saw the Manta stripped back to a bare shell and sandblasted before being welded, repainted and lovingly put back together. The car still has its original 2.0-litre fuel-injected engine installed, which had only done 33,000 miles.
All the nuts and bolts throughout have been zinc or chrome plated, and the attention to detail even extends to the original stickers in the windows being scanned and reproduced.
Chris Lowe, Curator at the Lakeland Motor Museum, said: “Paul has done an amazing job! The attention to detail is incredible and I can honestly say it is one of the finest restorations I have ever seen.”
The Lakeland Motor Museum has a unique collection of 30,000 exhibits including 140 classic cars and motorbikes, all carefully assembled over 50 years. Nestled in the scenic Leven Valley it is open seven days a week.
