coalnotdole Posted August 23, 2018 Author Share Posted August 23, 2018 I wish you the best of luck! The restorer in me says its fucked and has already gone to get the body roller. But seriously the best solution is to plate it up and enjoy it for a few years as others have said. Bulkhead, floor, headlamps, and external holes will give it a reasonable life extension. Some cavity wax will slow the rest of the rot down if you want to go that far. This is my problem - I won't be happy with it long term unless i strip it right down shove it on a rotisserie and replace every bit of rusty metal with new to factory finish. No overplating no mangled chassis outriggers all new standard bushes etc etc. But given the cost of decent parts and the amount of other projects I'm involved in its not really a realistic option at the moment. If I can get do some recommissioning, brakes etc and get a ticket on it I'll bomb round for three or four months then shove it in the workshop and do a decent job of the sills, "A" posts and arches. Respray as required (possibly just the lower half and the front end) Then either use it a bit more and get rid of the SS1, Or sell the capri on as a decent running car which would make a good basis for a full restoration. TripleRich, danthecapriman, Tamworthbay and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coalnotdole Posted September 1, 2018 Author Share Posted September 1, 2018 Well with several hundred more pounds thrown at it and a lot of hours of swearing this now has an MOT! All new rear brakes, brake hoses, master cylinder. New bulkhead reinforcing panel and various gators replaced as well as fitting the correct carb and manifold. I'll whack some photos up next week. Just need to tax and insure it now... Dave adw1977, dozeydustman, Amishtat and 36 others 39 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Well done ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Huzzah good stuff:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Well done. Just get it out on the road as much as you can now and see how you get on with it. See if the use throws up any more issues.I wouldn’t even worry too much about using it through winter either if it’s likely to be getting some resto work in the longer term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 2, 2018 Share Posted September 2, 2018 Hurrah, sideways to victory! danthecapriman, oldcars and drivewaymyway 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coalnotdole Posted September 11, 2018 Author Share Posted September 11, 2018 Something is happening... Its 1am, The Capri is full of fuel and ready for a road trip.... Joe vulgalour, Essex V6, junkyarddog and 19 others 22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Now that's a scene that could be from the late 80s. oldcars, drivewaymyway, Vince70 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordperv Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 It should take that journey in its stride, good to see a capri being used Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyk Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 My dad had a "white" 2.0 laser in the mid to late 90's,it was rottern.big holes in wings filled with expanding foam,rust painted over with white hammerite. couldn't go more than about 2 days without breaking down,(usally on a roundabout in rush hour). Often gave me a headache as it stunk of yellow magic tree mixed with very strong petrol and a hint of burning oil, brakes worked when they felt like it. it was seriously shit.....I absolutely loved it and have wanted one ever since! Nice to see that one getting used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junkyarddog Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Quite a good old cruiser is a Capri! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coalnotdole Posted September 11, 2018 Author Share Posted September 11, 2018 600 miles in an untested 80's Ford... WCPGW?It took a few days between the MOT pass and Dave actually having enough the spare cash to tax the Capri...Monday saw Dave take the car on its the first decent test drive... His initial comments were as Follows:We had an invite to an end of summer / social party in Derbyshire and after some agonising over which of our cars to use we elected to take the Capri! (other alternatives were A scimitar SS1 or A Reliant rebel or a Suzuki carry van.Dave did a bit more prep work on the car managing to get the speedo working, changing the engine gearbox and diff oils. Setting the valve clearances (horrible job on a pinto) and tweaking the timing.The tyres were also swapped onto the 4 spoke alloys as the profile of the tyres better suited the narrower wheels.Trip Ready?A ferry was booked....On the drive to mine the fuel gauge started to drop alarmingly, going from a full tank to just under half way in 40 miles! a look under the car revealed no obvious leaks and a trip to the petrol station showed it had only used about 7L. So we added dodgy fuel gauge to the list of quirks and set off north.I'm not winning any awards with this picture but at least it sets the scene.To the best of my memory this was my first time in a Capri, as a passenger its a comfortable enough place to sit. Ford seats from around this time seem to be generally quite good. The amount of trim rattles, cabin noise and vibration were slightly less impressive. Age, neglect and original cheapness are all factors here.Even before we reached the M25 I had resorted to attempting to get the original cassette radio working to drown out some of the noise! Sadly my efforts with a cassette cleaning tape met with failure. In the end all I managed was to make Camels's Stationary traveller sound like it was being played through a broken speaker inside a fish tank..!Just south of Oxford Dave was feeling tired and I took over as driver, I was surprised how similar it was to drive to the mk3 Cortinas I had driven in the past. There is something oddly barge like about the steering in the corners and it has a quite a bit of body roll. Its got style in bucket loads but its no performance machine.By 5am I'd reached our stop off point in Pleasly, just north of Mansfield where I was able to get some sleep.The following morning and I took my first daylight look at the car. Heres some detail shots...We then went for a look round Pleasly Colliery a small preserved pit who were holding an open day.This was quality, probably had an 80's restoration and was covered in NUM stickers!Always amazed by the graphics signs and other stuff you find in smaller museums.The pit scrapyard with derelict steam winder...We then headed off to the party on the way we passed this overlander and I actually managed a rare spottage photo.The Capri seemed to be running well, a stop for some petrol and a quick mpg crunch and we'd managed around 30mpg so far.That afternoon we arrived at the party location beer was drunk, bbq cooked and music happened.The next morning I got the decent camera out and took a few more pictures. Spoiler alert: in the next post we drive to Stoke... junkyarddog, johngarty, michael t and 25 others 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Great reading Joe, and chod speed for the remainder of your trip. But DNP! Apart from the rusty bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exiled_Tat_Gatherer Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Fantastic effort - the only way to really check a motor out....... go somewhere a long way off and see what happens/breaks en route. My preferred method of taking anything on.I wouldn't touch anything on that for now except for safety/daily use...... looks tough as Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieInExile Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 "It drives ok."*List of ways in which it drives badly* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordperv Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Wish I'd known you were coming to stoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Shabbytastic & sheddy, it's great. JeeExEll 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Brilliant!I must say, I really love that battered rusty front wing with the gaffer tape repair! The rattles you’ll most probably find are down to age and past owners pissing around. Mine used to make a racket inside and all it was were all the little screws and trim fixings were either loose, broken or missing. Replace them and tighten the screws and it makes a big difference. Check your undercarpet sound deadening too, it might be missing?The handling is much as you’ve found. They aren’t and never were performance cars. You might make it better with new springs and shocks as yours are all probably getting old and tired by now. I notice in a few pics yours looks a bit lower at the back than mine does.When mine had its original leaf springs it sat like yours but now it’s got new ones fitted you can see how low it had actually sunk! Top effort though, they are great cars and will eat a trip like that no problem. I went to Yorkshire in mine once and it was fine, actually a nice thing to sit in on a longish trip. Skizzer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Cars of that age were built for people to fit in & be comfy. Nowdays they are designed for ergonomics so everyone is uncomfy. danthecapriman and mat_the_cat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeeExEll Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 It's getting to know the character of the car and the personality of your particular one.Good driving position in the Capri. Looks better on the original 4-spoke alloys. There's a whole world of geekery in the RS 4-spokes.But, for now, if they're round and keep air in the tyres then all is well. danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieInExile Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 What size are those? 15" wheels? They always look so small compared with the size of the body, to my eye. Approaching Bristol Blenheim levels of under-wheeled-ness. Ford stuff of this era all has that issue though - Escort MK2 especially.Did they ever do them with bigger wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordperv Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 What size are those? 15" wheels? They always look so small compared with the size of the body, to my eye. Approaching Bristol Blenheim levels of under-wheeled-ness. Ford stuff of this era all has that issue though - Escort MK2 especially.Did they ever do them with bigger wheels?The laser 4 spokes are 13" the biggest wheels the mk3 came from the factory with was the 15" which came on the brooklands 280 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Anything over 15" looks too big on a Capri anyway. scdan4, danthecapriman and fordperv 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Anything over 15" looks too big on a Capri anyway.Agreed. Imho a nice original 13’’ looks perfect on Fords of this era. Dartboards and 4 spokes are my favourites. But then I would say that! mat_the_cat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieInExile Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Aha! 15" ones but in the four spoke design would be perfect for me. So weird to think sports coupés used to have such small wheels - does anything on sale today have such small wheels? A Viva or Splash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Aha! 15" ones but in the four spoke design would be perfect for me.So weird to think sports coupés used to have such small wheels - does anything on sale today have such small wheels? A Viva or Splash?Doubt it tbh. Everything nowadays seems to be 17’’ minimum with rubber band tyres.On older stuff I think the wheel looking so small is a bit of an illusion in a way, the wheel rim is small at 13’’ but with the tyre it becomes much bigger because old cars tend to have proper sized sidewalls. Interestingly (or not!?), a while back I was working on the Mercury suspension. My dad came over and looked at the wheel lying on the floor nearby and said ‘such a big car and it’s got piddly little 15’’ rims!’.I rolled the wheel over to his 60 reg Mondeo which has 18’’ monsters on it. They look massive. However, my Mercury’s wheel with its tyre on when offered up to the Mondy was too big to even fit in the Mondy’s wheelarch!It’s all in the tyres. Lacquer Peel and RobT 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieInExile Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Even a Viva or Splash has 14" wheels as a minimum - up to 16". Bloody hell! A lot to be said for comfort, like - I would far rather have 15"s with a proper sidewall than 17"s with ultra low profile tyres. danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthecapriman Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Even a Viva or Splash has 14" wheels as a minimum - up to 16". Bloody hell! A lot to be said for comfort, like - I would far rather have 15"s with a proper sidewall than 17"s with ultra low profile tyres.Even something as big as my mk2 Transit long wheelbase has only got little 14’’ rimz. Big balloon tyres though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dozeydustman Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Even something as big as my mk2 Transit long wheelbase has only got little 14’’ rimz. Big balloon tyres though! 185 R 14 tyres I bet danthecapriman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordperv Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Aha! 15" ones but in the four spoke design would be perfect for me. JBW make a 15" version of the 4 spokes, this lovely laser with them on is a chaps over on the laser page. 15" is the biggest wheel I would go on a capri GeordieInExile, dome, danthecapriman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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