Jump to content

Project Capri. Back on the road! New earths.


danthecapriman

Recommended Posts

On 6/13/2017 at 5:57 PM, Tamworthbay said:

It's worth building some security as you go, mine has layers upon layers and some stuff welded in somit cant easily be found or removed. You can never have too much on a Capri.

Aye, worth fitting lots of mechanical protection for door hinges and having locks braced to the garage frame and concrete floor.

Window bars using galv electrical conduit look the part from outside the windows.

Can be an interesting project on it's own rigging up internal PIR sensor-triggers, lo-voltage microswitches, etc. for warning either linked to outside sounders or to buzzers within the house. A modern basic CCTV set up with 2 or 3 cams covering each other is not that expensive.

I used to install this type of thing in pubs and shops, remote farm-workshops, etc, a few years ago and technology has moved on a lot since then. You can get basic set-ups which send alerts and live images to your phone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

High level racking in that garage, and lots of plastic bins, containers etc to sort out all those small parts.

High level cross braces to store surplus panels out of the way- till they are needed.

Big obvious hasp and padlock. Wooden shutters over Windows. Internet alarm & motion related cctv linked to your phone.

A radio, , a kettle, a few tiniest, soft carpet on the floor, good lighting. Then get on with it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today is done! Thank god.

 

I picked up the hire trailer this morning then went to pick up the Capri, no dramas at all, and it went pretty easily as far as shifting a wheel-less car goes anyway.

It was dragged the few miles to the new place, again, no issues.

The new place is not like the old place!

It's a much much smaller outfit and seems to be a couple of guys in a small unit doing the job themselves. The guy doing it seems a nice guy and his other projects look superb! So far so good.

 

The car is now sat on a dolly ready for an initial inspection and I'll be dropping off the panels and other body related crap tomorrow. Payment was discussed and seems reasonable and not over the top.

I've asked for him to give it all a look over then let me know an estimated price. Once that's done work should restart.

Overall I'm glad it's now done but it's actually worked out pretty fucking sweet and restored a bit of mojo!

I'm dead pleased with this guy and his set up and if I'm brutally honest I should have gone with a smaller set up like this to begin with. Still, you live and learn I guess.

So hopefully soon there'll be some serious progress being made.

 

The rest of the day was entertaining!

I decided to take the hire trailer back straight afterwards, but keen to avoid a busy town centre I went the back way, cross country.

We were on a country lane and a suicidal deer decided to chance his luck crossing the road right in front of us! It was fucking close to getting a Volvo shaped suppository! The front bumper wasn't far of mowing his ass down, poor thing.

Heavy braking without abs and towing a trailer certainly showed how good the Volvo's brakes are anyway. I think it shredded a few mm off the front tyres though!

No damage done, the cars fine and the deer lived to fight another day too.

 

Then on the way home without the trailer on the A27 something else ended up in the road in front of me! This time it was a bin bag full of household rubbish! Must have fallen out of someone's trailer on the dump run or maybe a bin truck?

Anyway, I was doing 70mph and being overtaken so I had nowhere to escape this time and went straight through it! The bag literally exploded sending paper and other shit flying all over the road. I've checked the car and there's no trace of it and no damage so not to worry.

 

An eventful day but I'm glad it's done and things seem to be looking up at last.

The Volvo was spot on all day and towed well too. Not bad for a free car that's been off the road for a few years. I think that ones certainly a keeper!

 

No pics yet at the request of our sponsor but updates should start coming in quicker soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good stuff, I look forward to seeing the completed shell.  As said by others previously keep up the communication with them and visit when possible.  Sounds like a better outfit so hopefully it all goes smoothly.  Rare motor being a base.  Am I right in saying they had no centre console at all?  Just a gearstick coming out of the carpet?

 

Metalwork often brings up surprises (at least for me) so be prepared for the odd potential problem or delay.  This week I'm having to replace rather more than the customer had anticipated!

 

post-20612-0-30234000-1497478083_thumb.jpg

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Rich.

I will be going down there more as work starts. The way he works it usually is to do say £3k worth of work then ask for payment for it, then do another £3k etc etc. He's happy to have me come down now and again and see what's been done too.

 

Yes, the base had no centre console, just as you say, the gearstick poking out the carpet! I do have a short console but I'm not sure if I'll put it back in or not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick question.

 

I'm going to get my wheels blasted and powder coated at some stage soon, ready for when the car needs to have them back on it again.

 

Anyone know what the

A; standard tyre size is for the 5.5x13 'dartboard' steel wheel is?

B; if there's a better size available that won't make my speedo read wrong?

 

I need them to look right and fill the arches as they should on a standard car so I don't want anything with too skinny sidewalls.

A basic search just shows people are using a variety of sizes! 165/70/13, 175/70/13 and 185/70/13 or a number of variations on the sidewall sizes too, like 185/60/13. Clear as mud! Any opinions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm, 185/70/13 appears to be an optional upgrade on all models. I thought it was only the big engined high spec cars that got them. Obviously not!

 

Ok, I'm sold on the size and a 185/70 shouldn't be too heavy on the non power steering car I've got either so I think they would be the best choice. It doesn't look like this should effect the speedo reading either?

Best have a look at prices I suppose...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would a 185 be a bit wide for a 5.5 wheel? Been a long time since I've thought about wheels and tyres that small!

I think a 185 on a 5.5 rim is about the widest you can go. Any bigger and you need to either get the 6 or 7j rims or band the original 5.5 to make it wider. I don't think my style of wheel was available in anything other than 5 or 5.5.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this:

 

https://www.wheel-size.com/size/mercury/capri/1971/

 

I think its US-focussed but having mucked about with it I think I've got something resembling your car and what the options are for tyres on your existing rims?

That's pretty much confirmation. The 185/70/13 is listed for both 1.6 and 2.0 and it specifically says that size tyre on the 5.5 rim too. Excellent!

I think the 185/70 will be the way to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's pretty much confirmation. The 185/70/13 is listed for both 1.6 and 2.0 and it specifically says that size tyre on the 5.5 rim too. Excellent!

I think the 185/70 will be the way to go.

100% correct, they do sit inside the arches a bit but would be as originally fitted on both 5 and 5.5 rims.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, while I'm not busy here's an update from yesterday afternoon.

 

The bodywork guy should be set now so that's that unpleasant situation behind me. The panels etc are now with him too so that's free'd up a bit of space.

I've shifted the parts around in the garage (I'm still well happy I can finally say 'in my garage'!) and made a nice space at the back, so I've dragged the engine out of the corner and made a start on it. I'll be doing this now before I do the floor in the garage so it won't make a mess on the finished flooring.

 

The engine in question is Fords masterpiece, yes the trusty dependable Pinto! Say what you like about these engines but I love them and they can do no wrong imho. Crude - maybe but solid and strong and a piece of piss to do anything on.

This one is an early version, a 1.6 with a puny little Weber single carb and the early Motorcraft distributor.

In the years I've had this car this engines been faultless, it always starts easily and drives well, it's surprisingly good for a 1.6 and seems to pull well.

I did loads to it when I first bought the car including having the head converted to unleaded, new valves, springs etc and cam shaft at the same time. I've also serviced it religiously and all the other bits and bobs have been done as required. The only thing wrong really is that it looks pretty ropey! It's absolutely filthy and covered in surface rust and grime. Normally that wouldn't concern me but I can't and won't put that mess back into a mint bodyshell so it's getting a good scrub up, all the ancillary components will be either changed or cleaned and checked, followed by a coat of paint.

It's not going to need a rebuild and I'm totally confident it's a good engine so it'll be a minimal refresh type of job.

 

Here's the engine in question.

 

35496535821_8acb880c5a_o.jpgIMG_0464 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

35626905365_0f5dba267e_o.jpgIMG_0465 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

35626902455_8ae728d307_o.jpgIMG_0466 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

First job was to strip off the fan, alternator and drive belt. Then the cambelt metal cover.

I think the fan belt is passed its best!

34785722634_8dcbe3db30_o.jpgIMG_0467 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Which leaves this,

34785718344_20be632ffb_o.jpgIMG_0468 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

Minging!

 

One of the first jobs I'll do here is to change the cam belt. It's overdue on time now so this is a good opportunity to do it. As well as the belt I've opted to get a new tensioner and tensioner bolt too.

 

So first job is to 'time' the engine up. Turn it over by hand with a spanner on the crank pulley bolt until the timing marks line up. At the cam end it's a pointer on the pulley matching up with a stamped dot mark on the head behind.

34785714564_bc10698817_o.jpgIMG_0469 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

At the bottom it's the groove on the crank pulley lining up with part of the engine casting.

35240151240_df4eb7efeb_o.jpgIMG_0470 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Also, this leaves the rotor arm pointing to no1 lead.

35496516651_ab0d333be7_o.jpgIMG_0471 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Then I used a battery powered impact gun to undo the crank bolt and take the bottom pulley off. It was actually seized on on this engine so I roasted the pulley with a blow torch to expand it off the end of the crank and key.

35496513671_46592e8f8b_o.jpgIMG_0472 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

On these engines the crank pulley key way should point straight upwards in line with the cam pulley timing mark.

 

Once it's all timed up correctly I undid the tensioner and slid the cam belt off the pulleys. The old belt was in fairly decent condition but it's worth changing regardless.

35240141860_e3923cedfa_o.jpgIMG_0474 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

I've also started cleaning off all the dirt and grime here. None of it seems to be wet oil mess, it's just dirty road grime that's built up over the years. Most of it just scrapes straight off.

 

35626874765_30164d7c1d_o.jpgIMG_0475 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

 

More cleaning of the front of the engine. And removal of the waterpump and thermostat housing.

35626869655_b8f53a3af0_o.jpgIMG_0476 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

35626864125_164edaaf7b_o.jpgIMG_0477 by Dan Clark, on Flickr

 

Much cleaner already and the inside of the waterways in the block look pretty good too.

Then I ran out of time and was busy doing other things today so I'll carry on on Saturday.

I'm not painting the front of the block or head as I don't want paint all over the place where the waterpump and belt tensioner go, it'll just make future replacement more hard work and this area is covered by the front cover anyway.

The sides, sump and back of the engine will be painted in black engine enamel and the rocker cover and front cover will be getting blasted (gently) then painted in Ford blue enamel.

Also going for blasting will be the alternator brackets, engine mounts, pulleys, and the rear leaf spring clamps before they get the enamel paint treatment too.

So far only one bolt snapped, one of the alternator bolts which is easily replaced. Everything else has come apart perfectly easily. Even the old gaskets all scraped off in one piece.

 

I'm still waiting for my engine gasket set kit but it should be here in a few days or so. I'll be changing all the gaskets except the head as I'm not removing it, but most of the others are getting new while the engines out. More updates on the weekend.

 

Also forgot to add, I've just put the cooling fan in the dishwasher... no idea if it will do much good but worth a try!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...