Project Project Capri. Back on the road! Running like a scouse watch!

[Liggle]

That is stunning! Is that Pug or Porsche Miami Blue you are painting it?

[danthecapriman]

That is stunning! Is that Pug or Porsche Miami Blue you are painting it?

Pug or Porsche!?! Wash your mouth out sir!

 

It's a Ford colour. Taken straight from the 1974 Ford colour chart. This car could have been built in Miami blue if the buyer wanted. This particular car was Stardust silver from new, but the Miami blue is my favourite so that's what I'm going with.

[Liggle]

Pug or Porsche!?! Wash your mouth out sir!

 

It's a Ford colour. Taken straight from the 1974 Ford colour chart. This car could have been built in Miami blue if the buyer wanted. This particular car was Stardust silver from new, but the Miami blue is my favourite so that's what I'm going with.

Never knew that! It is a good 14 years before I was even thought about though   

 

My immediate thought was Porsche Miami Blue which is probably a bit garish for the Capri:

 

[danthecapriman]

Yeah it's not that blue!! That Porsche actually looks similar to that blue modern Volvo's come in, is it Ice blue or something on Volvo's? A neighbor has a big XC ovloV in that blue and it looks good on them.

 

This cars actually 10 years older than I am....

 

 

Looking like Tuesday for dropping off the steering/suspension etc for the reassembly. Good thing I've got a big van!

 

Tyres im about to price up a set of 5 185/70/13T's as discussed earlier in the thread. Hopefully they'll be well priced! No ditch finder specials here though.

[TripleRich]

Looks excellent!  Thats going to be a very nice car to rebuild over the coming months.  I hope you enjoy it and make sure you take your time. 

 

The list of panels you bought is pretty much the standard requirement for any unrestored Capri.  They all need this much work with the only exception being rear quarters and rear chassis legs, some cars do survive there better then others.  Over the last few years every Capri I've put on the ramp for assessment has been buggered.  You can't expect them last this long especially when rotten examples were commonplace in the 80s and 90s.

 

What you've done is fix it right and fix it once.  With new paint and a drum of cavity wax I wouldn't hesitate to take it out for a spin when the weather is nice. 

 

Look forward to seeing the rebuild!  

[Matt]

Yeah it's not that blue!! That Porsche actually looks similar to that blue modern Volvo's come in, is it Ice blue or something on Volvo's? A neighbor has a big XC ovloV in that blue and it looks good on them.

 

Volvo calls it Rebel Blue. I think that it might have come from Fords "Grabber Blue" as I don't think Volvo introduced it until they were owned by Ford.

 

 

Aston Martin have the oddly named Flugplatz Blue which I suspect might be from their Ford days too?

 

 

Would look good on a 70's car I reckon (and indeed many moderns).

[danthecapriman]

Looks excellent!  Thats going to be a very nice car to rebuild over the coming months.  I hope you enjoy it and make sure you take your time. 

 

The list of panels you bought is pretty much the standard requirement for any unrestored Capri.  They all need this much work with the only exception being rear quarters and rear chassis legs, some cars do survive there better then others.  Over the last few years every Capri I've put on the ramp for assessment has been buggered.  You can't expect them last this long especially when rotten examples were commonplace in the 80s and 90s.

 

What you've done is fix it right and fix it once.  With new paint and a drum of cavity wax I wouldn't hesitate to take it out for a spin when the weather is nice. 

 

Look forward to seeing the rebuild!

 

Thanks Rich, that's put my mind at ease somewhat! I probably shouldn't be adding things up really!!

I don't think Ford ever thought these things would still be running around 40 or 50 years down the line, so it's hardly surprising really that any unrestored survivors are in need of such help.

I'd like to have gotten you a few better pics showing panel gaps etc closer up but it's quite hard to get clear photos with it in that black/grey colour. Rest assured though I've been over it and they're excellent! Probably far better than Ford did back in the day.

 

Anyway, here's a pic of a mk2 in Miami blue, just to show what I'm aiming for.

 

Ford Capri by Jeff, on Flickr

 

Think that, but minus black roof and waist height rub strips/trims. But with black interior and sports steel wheels.

I'm getting seriously excited now!!

[danthecapriman]

Volvo calls it Rebel Blue. I think that it might have come from Fords "Grabber Blue" as I don't think Volvo introduced it until they were owned by Ford.

 

 

Aston Martin have the oddly named Flugplatz Blue which I suspect might be from their Ford days too?

 

 

Would look good on a 70's car I reckon (and indeed many moderns).

The closest period shade Ford did to that was probably Olympic blue. Another nice colour.

 

mk3 estate by Cortinachris, on Flickr

[D Spares & Tyres]

I've owned 5 Capris and restored two. Both Mk3s. Finished the last one around 8 years ago. The mk3s seemed to resist rot a lot better than other Fords of that era I thought. Mine both needed welding but only very small amounts.

 

On one of the first drives out in the freshly painted Strato Silver one I hit a pheasant...

[eddyramrod]

Funny that... the two Granadas I've owned were Olympic and Miami.

 

Spooky!

[eddyramrod]

My first driving-school car was a Bermuda Blue Escort, in 1977...  1.1 Popular Plus with a BVR.

 

 

 

I hated it.

[DeeJay]

I do like a vinyl roof.

 

 

[eddyramrod]

My friend had one as her first car think it came from her Nan? 

It wasn't WCK 726R was it?

[Felly Magic]

BVRS do look good on mk2 Capris, you do realise Dan that we will be dribbling when we see the body in it's fresh coats of Miami blue

[danthecapriman]

BVRS do look good on mk2 Capris, you do realise Dan that we will be dribbling when we see the body in it's fresh coats of Miami blue

As long as you don't dribble on the car!

[mat_the_cat]

Tyres im about to price up a set of 5 185/70/13T's as discussed earlier in the thread. Hopefully they'll be well priced! No ditch finder specials here though.

I don't know if it was a typo, but BF Goodrich were actually the cheapest for mine in that size. £19 each, with free delivery! Ok, so that was 2014 but I'm wondering whether companies just want rid of a now uncommon size.

[MorrisItalSLX]

My friend had one as her first car think it came from her Nan? We were driving along one day and the McPherson strut made an appearance like jack from the box right through the bonnet LOL!

 

Those were the days!

 

That happened to me whilst paddock bashing in a fucked Holden Gemini (Vauxhall Chevette).

The lesson of the day, don't do jumps in rusty heaps you get from the tip!

[AndySnapper]

I do like a vinyl roof.

 

 

So does the sun as most of them melted

 

Don't start me on about the infamous Ford Silver Fox Metallic paint either!

 

Oops! No one did

 

Andy

 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[Sir Snipes]

Looks great, can’t wait to see it painted.

[danthecapriman]

Set of 5 tyres ordered, fitted next week. I went for Firestone 185/70/13T's. There's not so much choice these days in that size! Firestone are a good mid range name though and since I'd not heard of many of the other brands went for them. I'm sure they'll be fine, it's not exactly a high performance super car we're dealing with!

[fordperv]

They will be ok, I had some new firestones on the back of my manta 1800 When I bought it the thing wouldn't break the back end loose at all, so swapped them to the front and then it did

 

I'm surprised you didn't go for the Pirelli cinturato cn36 (they are blooming pricey though)

[danthecapriman]

They will be ok, I had some new firestones on the back of my manta 1800 When I bought it the thing wouldn't break the back end loose at all, so swapped them to the front and then it did

I'm surprised you didn't go for the Pirelli cinturato cn36 (they are blooming pricey though)

Nowhere local had any Pirelli's! Just about all I could find were cheapo tyres in that size. I don't suppose much uses them anymore though?

The Firestone's should do the trick, they've been around forever and I've never had problems with them anyway.

[andy18s]

I'm surprised you didn't go for the Pirelli cinturato cn36 (they are blooming pricey though)

Have you seen the huge row that's kicked off over these?

They're getting remade but some of the RS owners are arguing that as they are fresh from the mould they aren't original.....

[fordperv]

I've heard a few things but I don't listen to their waffle crap, they say stuff like that but have new oil in their engines and new air in their tyres etc

 

A bloke I know has a 5000 mile from new mk3 capri ls which he drives now and again it has its original factory tires and he refuses to change them as they are original, full of cracks and the consistency of lego but they are original

[danthecapriman]

I've heard a few things but I don't listen to their waffle crap, they say stuff like that but have new oil in their engines and new air in their tyres etc

A bloke I know has a 5000 mile from new mk3 capri ls which he drives now and again it has its original factory tires and he refuses to change them as they are original, full of cracks and the consistency of lego but they are original

I've never understood that shite either. My Transit had its original Michelin front tyres when I bought it, dated 1984! They were fucking lethal tbh!

There was very little grip as the rubber had gone rock hard and shiny. They were an accident waiting to happen. Personally, I don't care if they're original I want them safe and usable over anything else. As said already, it's irrelevant really as a wear and tear item as the oil, etc etc etc isn't original either.

I threw away my Transits Michelins and got some new Hankook commercial tyres fitted which transformed its drive and give confidence when driving it. Obviously there's nothing to say you can't keep the originals on some original rims and just bolt them back on for a show or similar but for road use they've no place imho.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My old Man ran his Capris on Goodyear Grand Prix S back in the day. 

[eddyramrod]

Grand Prix S was a popular tyre on Capris back then, but Firestone is good too.  I had a set of lovely new Firestones on my Chrysler leBaron, as there were no other makes available in the right size.  They'll be perfectly acceptable, don't worry!

[DeeJay]

Go for a set of remoulds. They could be original 1974 tyres under the new rubber.

[danthecapriman]

Tyres fitted this morning.

 

IMG_0951 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

IMG_0950 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Just in time, as I'm dropping most of the axles and suspension bits down to be fitted back onto the shell tomorrow, these can now go with it all.

Should make getting it rolling a bit easier!

 

The black bits around the wheels air holes can go on once the cars back home.

The balance weights are all fitted from the back, just to look that bit better!

[eddyramrod]

They look right tidy Dan!  I'm not even sure I'd bother painting in the black bits tbh.