Badger Baiting…..I digress; it’s a strange name to give a car. It doesn’t really sum up anything when you say the word apart from a mythical beast. Mythical its not, because it exists, and beast- well mmm. Its one that the marketing department were given a `D` on, when they sat the `typically aggressive names to give sports cars` exam. Spitfire- pass, Puma- pass, Mustang- excellent. Centaur- could try harder….

But a Centaur is what rolled out of the gates of Magraw engineering’s workshop in Mumford, Plymouth, one day back in the 1977, and was unveiled at the `77 motorfair. It was designed by a consultancy company called Crayford (they also managed to hack the roofs from many models of the period- probably the best known chop was the Ford Corsair). The end result was basically a Vauxhall Cavalier Mk1, with two centre spines and outriggers for strengthening as well as front and rear bracing for rigidity. The car was sold on behalf of Crayford by Vauxhall dealers, and at the time the car cost £8K, nearly twice the price of the standard Cavalier, so only a limited production run of 118 made it to the road. 

It was one of the first ever British cars to be given a full type approval by GM, and of the quantity produced, only 20-25% of these became Mantas. Based on the SR (or in the case of the Cavalier, the GLS), the conversion was only ever carried out on new coupes. Early versions were fitted with the 1900cc engine, but the 2L version was introduced in 1978 to run alongside the tin roof model. Auto transmissions and  Campagnolia magnesium alloy wheels were given as an option when new, but these mods took the price of an already expensive car into the realms of the exclusive, so few were made with these additions. Each vehicle carries its own commission number in the glove box and mine is number 73.

She’s a 1980, 2L Auto fitted with the alloy wheels. In addition, she’s been fitted with a recon engine and the 38dgas carb and filter for extra suck and fewer mpg.  I’ve got a set of Avo lowering springs and gas shockers at home propping up the coffee table, waiting to be fitted when I get the time, but at the moment she’s laid up for the winter in a garage (when you think that a hood assembly for these cars is nearly £1200, you start to hate jack frost just that little bit more).

I had known about the car for some time, as one of my friends at work used to taunt me with pictures of her almost weekly. When, after 11 years, the time came to sell her, I just happened to be in the neighbourhood with a hand full of cash (small world isn’t it!) and exchanged the wad for some keys. If the truth be known, my fiancé (Ladybug), had to stump up some of the cash by selling her beloved Kwak Z650, so I suppose a third of the car is actually hers, although she freely admits that the only part of the car she likes is the headlights!

The car has been garaged most of its life, and so is in very good condition. I believe that she’s had a small front end prang about 15 years ago, but replacement bonnet and wings soon put her straight again, and you’d only notice the difference if you looked at the paint job with a magnifying glass. There is a small patch just above the petrol flap that needs looking at, but the cars metallic red/brown anyway, so it doesn’t show that much! The front seats have been changed for the later GTE spec recaros in the quest for more comfort (and the fact that they fell apart!), although the rear seats and door trims are still all original spec pale yellow velour.

She really is something to look at, and every other time I get gas, someone asks me what it is (someone actually wanted to buy it in the petrol station!), although driving her is a bit like trying to milk a bull (alright then, maybe not quite like that- but you get the idea….). On right- handers, she sticks to the road like a scalextric car, but on the left- handers, you’d be waiving at the boot as it passed you every time. I stuck some new booties on her in November, so I thought whilst I’m there ill get the tracking checked, as the old set had worn strangely. “Tracking`s fine” says the bloke, “but one of the front springs has sheared and the shockers are knackered”, hence the suspension kit I mentioned earlier.

Now the standard carb`d two litre Manta never was a particularly fast car, and when the auto box is added, it just makes matters worse (0-60 takes about 14.5 secs), so after hearing one too many complaints about the beast’s overtaking prowess from the missus, I started talking to a few people about extracting a mite more power from the GM`s 4 pot. I already had access to a pair of De`llorto 45dhla`s, and was just in the mood to order a stage 2 cylinder head, when one day whilst out on a drive, a Vittesse pulled up beside me at some traffic lights, wearing a sports exhaust system. I haven’t seen that car since, but that noise haunted me for weeks. I wonder…..

A few phone calls later and I find that not only will the Rover unit will fit into the Mantas engine bay, but there’s a club as well. Bargain, Ill have some of that. After trawling the papers and internet looking for a suitable engine (didn’t realise that they were quite so hard to come by now), I have picked up a lump donated from a 110 Defender. It’s the 8.13 low compression version, but I intend to do a full rebuild on it anyway, so when the time comes, Ill install a set of 9.75 pistons. As the car is going to built for street use (with the occasional RWYB), I don’t want to go too mad at the moment, although a Viper Hurricane bump- stick is to be added to the rebuild list, as well as a high flow/high pressure oil pump. The whole lot is to be mated to a GM180 auto `box, which I’ve been told fits a treat.

Later, when the complete unit is in and has had a little time to settle down, I intend to replace the twin SU set up for a single downdraught 500cfm Weber, with a change of heads and maybe a squirt of NO², just to give it a bit of an edge……(if I can achieve a 15secET on the quarter mile, Ill be happy).

At the moment though I’ve got to be content with driving the Bluebird (mmm, nice) `cause were in the process of moving to pastures new. I’m hoping the rebuild will start early March, and be completed by April, with the car rolling under its own steam again around June/July time if all goes to plan. Oh, and I intend to change the name to `throbbing sexy love- bitch`. Got a certain ring to it don’t you think?

Dan

If anyone out there knows of a GM180 auto `box for sale, please can you give me a call on 01256 389791, or e-mail me at dan_roberts73@hotmail.com 

Ladybug is going to start a V8 widows club if anyone is interested?