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When Jes Havlik, co-owner of HotRods by Havliks and Steelhorse Design, needed a new shop trailer, he found a killer deal that came with an added bonus – a 1974 Opel Manta. Not wanting the complimentary car to go to waste, Havlik built his freebie find into an 8-second hot rod masterpiece to terrorize the drag-and-drive scene.

Growing up, Havlik’s father Russ Havlik first inspired his love of racing, but he also forged a lifelong friendship with Jared Bowman. “When my dad stopped racing, Jared’s dad didn’t and I spent almost every weekend at their house, or in their camper going racing,” Havlik reminisced. “As time went on, my dad got back into it. My brother, uncle, and cousin all raced and we have many great memories together.”

Over the years, Havlik owned a wide variety of cars and motorcycles including his first, a 1972 Chevy Nova, which he and his father restored. He eventually sold it to his dad and bought a 1962 Chevy II. “I drove that car at my wedding,” shared Havlik, who is fortunate to have a partner in life, his wife Amie, who also enjoys racing and is his biggest fan. “Her support is irreplaceable.”

Although the Chevy II was soon sold, Havlik replaced it with a chromoly chassis 1934 Chevy Roadster. He eventually got into no-bag drag bikes and had a lot of fun, but his focus shifted to starting his Iowa-based business with his cousin and partner, Brian Havlik.

Through his time spent at the track, Havlik learned the importance of working hard and never giving up – and those lessons stuck with him. “I’m up early every day because I can’t wait to start on my dreams or make someone else’s come to life,” noted the man, now 43, whose shop specializes in drag-and-drive cars that go fast with style and comfort. “I got into racing because the world stops when I’m strapped in the seat. I can block everything out and forget about the stress of life for those few seconds.”

Producing incredible hot rod works of art every day, Havlik needed a new trailer to transport customer projects. “I found the perfect listing on RacingJunk and, lo and behold, it came with a car,” said the man of the surprise deal he snagged in Kentucky in March of 2021. “I’ve always loved short wheelbase, small cars, and decided to go with a budget-build for drag-and-drive type events.”

I nicknamed it ‘Ohel’ and it fits the car perfectly. On track, it’s pedal to the metal and the car is on rails.

Havlik has also always enjoyed being different, and the 1970s-era Opel Manta fit that description perfectly, as the primarily European-market car was only sold in the United States for four years. Already in race car form when he acquired it, Havlik knew it was the perfect canvas to be updated into his unique vision.

Built in-house at HotRods by Havliks and Steelhorse Design over the course of just five months, the project started as a bare chassis that came off the jig only three months before Havlik had to be in Florida for the inaugural Sick Week starting on February 6, 2022.

“It was a bit of a thrash, but with the help of some great people, we made it happen,” stated Havlik, whose transformed Opel was fitted with the best of the best in American-made muscle car performance parts.

Under the hood, Havlik replaced the minuscule 1.9-liter Manta engine and instead installed a 582-inch big-block Chevy engine based upon a steel Dart block that looks absolutely massive shoehorned inside the modest engine bay.

A huge upgrade from the original 105-horsepower bullet, the diminutive Opel’s massive new 15:1 compression ratio powerplant was built by Brian Havlik, with machine work courtesy of D&R Engines; it included significant bottom-end enhancements such as a Bryant crankshaft, MAHLE pistons, Scat connecting rods, and a solid Bullet camshaft while the CNC-ported aluminum Dart Pro 2 380cc cylinder heads were fitted with Jesel Pro aluminum rocker arms.

Combusting fuel fed through a Holley system and ignited by NGK spark plugs with an MSD PowerGrid ignition system, the naturally-aspirated engine expels its spent exhaust gasses via custom 2.5-inch stainless steel headers that exit the fenders through 4-inch Quick Time Performance electric cutouts. “When the cutouts are closed, the exhaust is redirected through 3-inch stainless steel Borla mufflers under the car,” noted Havlik. “Everyone thinks it’s a turbo car because of the header design.”

Next, the big-block Chevy was paired with a Powerglide transmission built by Russ Havlik, 501 Perfect Converter torque converter with 5,000 RPM stall speed, and a CSR aluminum flexplate. A B&M Shifter and Gear Vendors overdrive help keep the Opel streetable with good manners.

Knowing that the tiny car was destined for simultaneous street and strip use, Havlik carefully planned out the rear end and suspension to maximize its potential in both places. “We’re using a Bombtrack Fabrication chromoly housing that’s been narrowed and braced in-house at HotRods by Havliks with an aluminum center with 4.11 gears and 40-spline axles that have been gun-drilled and star-flanged from Moser Engineering,” Havlik detailed of the setup, which also included a Moser spool.

Up front, custom upper and lower control arms were fabricated by the Havliks team and coupled with Strange Engineering struts and springs. In the rear, Afco’s Big Gun shocks were bolted into place along with custom four-link brackets from Joe Schott at Schott Racecraft. However, all four corners received brakes from Strange Engineering.

For cruising, Havlik selected a set of American Racing Torq Thrust wheels wrapped in Hoosier radial rubber. For the drag strip, though, he preferred Weld Alumastar wheels and Mickey Thompson slick tires.

With the bulk of the build wrapped up, Havlik addressed the Opel’s antiquated appearance. Except for enlarged wheel wells, the body stayed stock and was only minimally enhanced with an 8-inch cowl from Glasstek that Havlik grafted into the metal, ART aluminum spoiler that he formed to match the profile of the quarter panels, and a stock Open Manta front air dam.

“The car has been a rainbow of colors in its lifetime,” Havlik laughed of the layers of paint he discovered while prepping the body for its current orange and black aesthetic. “All of the paint I used was leftover from previous cars and I had just enough to make it work. It’s not the best I’ve done, but I had only four days to make our deadline so I think it turned out pretty good!”

Inside, the 1970s cabin was also updated in a utilitarian manner with only necessary items such as custom cup holders made by Drake Boyer – a necessity for all street cars, according to Havlik – as well as a RacePak dash, Autometer gauges, Strange steering wheel, and Stroud safety equipment.

Finally, Havlik tuned the engine, which was equipped with twin Holley 1,520 cfm Dominator carburetors from Competition Carburetion, but didn’t have a chance to perfect it on the dyno in the short amount of time he had for the build. So, with only a guesstimation of horsepower and torque figures, he loaded up his 1974 Manta and headed on down to the Sunshine State – less than one year after purchasing it.

Registered in Sick Week’s Unlimited Iron category, Havlik was happy to find that his revived Manta pulled his little trailer of tools and race tires down the road “like a Cadillac and hummed right along.”

Havlik definitely turned a lot of heads when he got on the throttle, though, as the cooperative commuter transformed into an aggressive animal. “I nicknamed it ‘Ohel’ and it fits the car perfectly,” joked the builder, who even had a custom “Ohel” emblem made and mounted in the front grill. “On track, it’s pedal to the metal and the car is on rails.”

Impressively, the HotRods by Havliks-built machine easily completed the Sick Week tour of tracks and the grueling journey with a quickest 1/4-mile elapsed time of 8.550-seconds and a fastest trap speed of 159.57 mph. With one day of racing rained out, Havlik’s four-day overall average of 8.677-seconds and 157.01 mph was not only good enough to earn him a fourth-place finish in the competitive Unlimited Iron class, but strong enough to place him 37th out of all the cars in attendance.

“Built in just a few months with no testing, minus one small hiccup, I drove this car all week with no issues,” he added, rightfully proud of his accomplishments. “For a short wheelbase, oddball car with lots of motor and obnoxious looks while still being functional and classy, I think I’ve achieved it all with this car and can’t wait to turn it up.”

In the future, Havlik plans to add a few hundred horsepower to his unconventional 8-second 1974 Opel Manta by way of a nitrous oxide system from Nitrous Outlet so that he can keep up with the frontrunners in the Unlimited class. “This hobby allows me to be creative and always keeps me learning,” added Havlik, who has turned his craft into a career and created a life he can enjoy from the street to the strip and beyond.

Car: 1974 Opel Manta Chassis: HotRods by Havliks Engine: Dart 582″ big-block Chevy Heads: Dart CNC-ported Pro 2 380 Crank: Bryant Connecting Roids: Scat Pistons: MAHLE Camshaft: Bullet Power Adder: none, naturally aspirated Transmission: Powerglide by HotRods by Havliks Torque Converter: Perfect Converter Fuel Management: twin Holley 1,520 cfm Dominator carburetors Rearend: Bombtrack Fabrication chromoly housing, narrowed and braced by HotRods by Havliks Suspension: Strange Engineering front struts and springs, Afco Big Gun rear shocks, Schott Racecraft four-link brackets Brakes: Strange Engineering Wheels: Weld Alumastars for racing, American Racing Torq Thrusts for street Tires: Mickey Thompson slicks for racing, Hoosier radials for street Quickest E..T: 8.550-seconds Fastest MPH: 159.57 mph Best 60′: 1.23-seconds

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