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N19's fleet - Capri rebuild moving forward at pace


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Posted

Mondeo tow socket wired in and tested.

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(rat's nest included a couple of temporary links whilst I checked things worked how they should - everything now neatly-ish crimped together and heatshrunk where appropriate).

Working on some of the Capri's interior plastics. This is the rear wiper motor cover, in good condition compared to a lot of them.

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Various snapped trim clips when it came out have been replaced from my box of random trim clips bought off Amazon a few years ago. The perfect equivalent is bright pink although obviously well out of sight!

All these plastics are getting a good scrub and the dirt coming out of them is unbelievable given how clean they look, which I suppose is a fact of life when brown plastic is everywhere!

Topcoat should be happening this weekend. Inching forwards.

  • Like 4
Posted

Good to see the Mondeo out and about yesterday in Stapleton Road! 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

A couple of days of odd jobs done, although not much progress.

I did ponder whether to update the thread or whether it'd be too dull, but this is AS and the dullness is part of the charm. Maybe.

 

This wheel arch liner on the Mondeo I couldn't get back on after doing the wishbone, new fixings on from the inside and bolted back into place.

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Broken lens fixings repaired on the Capri, then lenses scrubbed to get rid of general accumulated crap incl a couple of spots of overspray from when I touched up some rust many years ago.

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Cleaned up all the contacts, fitted new bulbs, and tested everything works fine. Another thing which should hopefully 'just work'.

Then obtained a hired transit (sadly not a smileyface - this was a mk7) and filled it with all the Capri parts...

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...to relocate them to a unit at the local garage, where the car will be returning for the 'serious' end of the reassembly.

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I'd really hoped that the car would be back from the bodyshop by now, it's quite frustrating sitting on your hands and twiddling with odds and sods. I've got a few days off work so had planned to use that to get a headstart made on the reassembly. Frustrating intensely. The garage owner is pushing them, that I do know! The ability to reassemble it in a unit with a two poster is definitely much better than trying to do it all in the lockup.

List of reassembly tasks expanded to 221 items. List of time spent on the restoration updated - 218 hours of my time (let alone the big bits of work I sublet out - the welding and spraying). Amount spent well yes let's not look at that shall we.

I've also been cleaning up some of the door cards. You can see the 'clean' section where the arm rest is, and the mucky bit around the window winder.

I've given it a spray over with some reasonably mild cleaning products (a dab of Jif and a bit of Elbow Grease - nothing with solvents) and some sponges. Judging by the colour of the water flowing off at the bottom this has got a certain amount of the way.

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  • N19 changed the title to N19's fleet - very slow Capri progress
Posted

Taking advantage of the empty lockup, here's one job I thoroughly recommend any other lockup/garage dwellers do - whitewash the walls.

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Sounds like a silly thing but I did it in my old lockup and it really does make it a much brighter place to work, reflecting light better etc.

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  • 1 month later...
Posted

In the previous update two months ago, I was doing some lockup tidying. This is where we got to, with the flooring and wall done :-

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Not very much has happened spannering wise just recently. But that all changed today.

Enter stage left, the Capri. Delivered back to the garage from the bodyshop this afternoon.

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(bonnet and doors currently off)

For the sake of some enthusiasm building, although there wasn't time to start on any major bits of work, I did a couple of easier to knock off jobs. The tailgate struts are on, the rear light clusters on and wired in, the interior grab handles are in, rear wiper mechanism refitted, and there's a couple of gallons of super unleaded in the tank. 

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Tomorrow's jobs - bonnet set to one side, engine dropped back in, doors put back on, then start recommissioning the engine. 

This is where the fun bit starts...

  • N19 changed the title to N19's fleet - the Capri returns, now simply* to put it back together
Posted

🥳 wahoo!

I hope you can remember where everything goes back on!😄

Looks lovely though.

Posted
16 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

🥳 wahoo!

I hope you can remember where everything goes back on!😄

Looks lovely though.

I get a feeling there may be 'trial and error' fits! Hopefully the list and numbered boxes will help, but there's also plenty of capri content on the forums and facebook groups.

Rough plan of attack being - engine & under bonnet - electricals - exterior trim & glass - interior. Other than bits which may be found along the way, divert me, or otherwise impede progress...

  • Like 3
Posted

Knowing the size and location of your lock-up, these pictures suggest you've re-invented the Tardis! Or have you knocked through into the next door garage?

Posted
9 minutes ago, Andrew353w said:

Knowing the size and location of your lock-up, these pictures suggest you've re-invented the Tardis! Or have you knocked through into the next door garage?

I'm very fortunate in that it's in a unit with a ramp and plenty of space, at a local garage, whilst I do the "serious" end of the reassembly! 

Posted

It wasn't long till the engine was back in...

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seated on new mounts and rubbers, gearbox supported, propshaft reconnected, manifolds back on. 

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Ooft does it feel nice putting fresh new parts on!

A few scratched heads when stuff was in illogical boxes, mainly as a result of stuff being taken apart in an unusual manner. Quite a lot of new fixings used. Need to work out what bolts to go into the bellhousing as there's at least one missing from the set. 

Radiator in last thing today, planning on spending a lot of time tomorrow too. In theory, I should be able to start it up tomorrow, subject to - finishing the cooling system, fitting the starter motor, connecting the fuel pump to the carb, gapping points, wiring up the starter and fitting the battery. Doubtless the timing will need a thorough check over and I'm also sure that there will be something that doesn't do what it's supposed to...

Enthusiastic and exciting times!

  • N19 changed the title to N19's fleet - Capri engine back in
Posted

Can't wait to see it finished. Bloody love Ford Capris!

Posted
43 minutes ago, N19 said:

If you were a radiator bottom hose, where would you hide...

In the last place you’d look!😄

Engine in its bay looks fab👍      
Just so you know, the cooling fans come up absolutely beautifully if you bung them in the dishwasher. Well worth the bollocking you’ll get after.

  • Haha 3
Posted
8 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

In the last place you’d look!😄

Engine in its bay looks fab👍      
Just so you know, the cooling fans come up absolutely beautifully if you bung them in the dishwasher. Well worth the bollocking you’ll get after.

I have neither a dishwasher, nor anybody to tell me off for using it!

  • Haha 3
Posted
4 minutes ago, N19 said:

I have neither a dishwasher, nor anybody to tell me off for using it!

Shame!

Just as well though because lots of other parts off my Crapi went in the dishwasher here! Brings them up a treat.

Posted

I've spent about 14 hours today working on this, and am exhausted!

As I mentioned above, the car is occupying a ramp at my local garage at the moment. This has a number of advantages including space, ramp facilities, easy availability of a second pair of hands and/or brains as required. Although I wasn't sure whether it'd help much, on reflection, this would have been very much more difficult if I'd have been doing it on my own in the lockup.

First job, we reinstated the ns door. It's not perfectly lined up, but it's near enough for current purposes.

A considerable amount of time was spent reinstating wiring, vac hoses etc in the engine bay, followed by checking and double checking that things were hooked up correctly.

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As above, a delay because I couldn't find the bottom rad hose. Where the flip was it?! Searched all the boxes, and my lockup, to no avail. Then remembered that I kept the radiators on top of my wardrobe for a while, and lo and behold there it was.

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Filled the rad up with just water, for now, as I'm going to drop the water after a while before I put antifreeze mix in - doubtless be lots of crud in the block. The engine got some cheap 15W40 that I'd picked up on sale, again, designed to be almost disposable as I'll keep it in there just for test runs before changing it for some proper stuff.

Dizzy cap turned out to have a bit of corrosion on a couple of terminals, so swopped for the known good spare.

Reinstated the clocks, to hopefully see some signs of life. Turned the ignition switch on and.... nothing.

A good clean up of the fusebox and a set of new fuses later, we had ignition.

Final checks made on the wiring. Is everything connected to the right place, check against the haynes book, the ford book, and the photos taken. Turn the engine over by hand. OK let's go for it. Turn the key.... pops and bangs but nothing. Fudge.

A considerable amount of time was then spent umming and arring about the ignition timing, firing sequence, points gap etc. Before it was realised that there was no fuel getting to the carb! 

Fuel line disconnected, dry as a nun's whatsit. Prime suspect number one... newly fitted fuel pump.

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I took this off and fetched the one that was on the car before, which was perfectly functional just I thought I might as well change it over whilst I had the engine out. A quick google related several tales of fuel pump woe with QH parts not being the right spec and so on. Anyway, the old one was found, and connected, and primed (by mashing it against a hard surface to pump a bit of fuel through).

Right let's see try again,

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...and there we were!

With a rather loud (thanks to no exhaust other than the manifold) start, we were in business.

The manifold itself was brand new. I underestimated the amount of off-gassing the paint would need.

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Stepped outside to let it do its thing and get a bit of fresh air. It seemed to settle down happily enough, a couple of joints to tighten up and so on on the exhaust, and there's quite a bit of tidying up to do in the engine bay. The bellhousing needs new bolts, a set of which I've ordered (they're an obscure size it seems).

A couple of busy days so I won't be able to do much until sporadic days over Christmas. Next round of jobs includes:- tidying up and fitting bits and pieces better in the engine bay, exhaust fitting properly, fitting new brake lines and getting the brake system working again, dash frame in, bumper and lights on. My aim is to have the car in a legal and running condition, save for the interior and windscreens, by the new year. 

  • N19 changed the title to N19's fleet - the pinto runs again!
Posted

Good luck! Your making incredibly quick progress so far though.

Have you noticed fitting things back on being so nerve racking!? All that lovely fresh paint chips and scratches so easily so you’ve got to be so careful. I was shitting myself when I did mine😄       
The front bumper refit was a heart in mouth moment with all those metal edges and brackets getting perilously close to the paintwork.

  • Like 1
  • Agree 2
Posted
21 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

In the last place you’d look!😄

Engine in its bay looks fab👍      
Just so you know, the cooling fans come up absolutely beautifully if you bung them in the dishwasher. Well worth the bollocking you’ll get after.

Well, its not worth carrying on looking after you've found it 😁

  • Haha 3
Posted

I expect it'll get a bit slower as time goes on. Just now, there's loads of things to look at and work on so if I'm making no progress on one item, or waiting for parts, there's lots of other things to jump on immediately. Once all of those easy things go, it's more challenging. 

As to screwing into paintwork... definitely, and especially when clearing out little holes with threads etc  

  • Like 1
Posted

Had a few hours today, so I managed to make a bit of progress.

Checked the dwell angle and it's almost bang on - 52 degrees it should be - it's around 53 with everything done by sight, doubtless a few things to nip up and so forth. Not too shabby.

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I spent quite a while getting the heater blower unit back on to the car. The official book says that the carpet should be in when you do this, but you can squeeze the carpet past it - as I did this on the removal! There was some unnescesarry USB style "is it this way up/ no other way up/ oh no was I right the first time" moments with the gaskets but we got there.

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Everything connected up, including the coolant hoses (drained the water I put in the other day which came out a bit murky, so a couple of flushes won't hurt it!). With this I ran the engine up to temp, lovely hot air coming out of all the orifices where it should be. Perfect.

Bit of a fixing issue as some of the bigger items are held in by these short but fat self tappers, which I don't have any kicking around and quite a few of the original ones were thrown away as being chewed to bits coming apart. Head scratching will occur to get the right ones ordered up. (I've also got a set of bellhousing bolts on order as they're an odd size/thread I think - there's a couple of temp fixings in there which are ok for testing but will need changing!).

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Re-fitting of the NS door latches, cleaning up and lubricating so that door now opens and shuts as it should. Feels like a new car!

Final job for the day was getting the dash top in place. Just held in with a couple of screws for now, but this will then have all the other items hanging off it. Need to take stock and work out next priorities.

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  • Like 9
  • N19 changed the title to N19's fleet - a load of hot air!
Posted

 

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This looks very much like a radiator securing screw to me, the same fixing is used to secure the fan shroud to the radiator.

The four heater box securing screws are similar but have a coarser thread and often a brass/gold-coloured loose washer attached. I don't have a pic of one to hand but i can see if I have any in my Capri screws boxes when I get home if you like. EDIT - pic here shows two of them in situ.

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Steviemillar said:

 

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This looks very much like a radiator securing screw to me, the same fixing is used to secure the fan shroud to the radiator.

The four heater box securing screws are similar but have a coarser thread and often a brass/gold-coloured loose washer attached. I don't have a pic of one to hand but i can see if I have any in my Capri screws boxes when I get home if you like. EDIT - pic here shows two of them in situ.

 

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Those screws look similar to the ones used on mk2 Granada’s etc to hold the front wings on. 
Pretty sure I’ve got a few spare ones somewhere too.

 

Posted
On 23/12/2024 at 07:52, Steviemillar said:

 

image.png.25cb3fbf2e583e078bcccfc7d477fa93.png

This looks very much like a radiator securing screw to me, the same fixing is used to secure the fan shroud to the radiator.

The four heater box securing screws are similar but have a coarser thread and often a brass/gold-coloured loose washer attached. I don't have a pic of one to hand but i can see if I have any in my Capri screws boxes when I get home if you like. EDIT - pic here shows two of them in situ.

 

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On 23/12/2024 at 09:31, danthecapriman said:

Those screws look similar to the ones used on mk2 Granada’s etc to hold the front wings on. 
Pretty sure I’ve got a few spare ones somewhere too.

 

Thanks both. If you do have anything, more than happy to cover postage + a drink (or donation to the forum coffers).

I think I likely found them knackered or simply decided to chuck them to replace with fresh, not realising that they were specialist!

  • Like 1
Posted

I’ll have a look in the next few days. 
They might be in my tool box, if not they’ll be packed away somewhere from where I’ve recently moved house so might take a bit to find… I don’t know how much of a rush your in?

Posted

I've not been doing any active work on the car the last couple of days, but have had a chance to sort some things out at home and get interior parts organised. 

Christmas Day itself started with a drive around Central, which I would never usually do, but for it being absolutely dead quiet. Driving through the City, Fleet Street, Tower Bridge, Strand, Trafalgar Square, and all the other big London places whilst the world is asleep is... surreal.

Back home, and the carpet that's been folded up and above a bookcase in my living room for about 2 years has been unfurled and left in the empty lockup to settle a bit.

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On to the Mondeo, there's a couple of bits which need to be sorted out. The starter has had a couple of moments where it's failed to do anything (complete silence when turned). A few years ago, @sierraman kindly gave me a box or two of Mk2 Mondeo bits and pieces and there's a spare starter in there. The plan is to take it up to Unit Exchange for a refurb, and fit the unit when it's been refurbed. That'll hopefully avoid any (much) time off the road. There's still a few bits that I need to do on the Mondeo, but at the moment I'm using it quite a bit for shuttling around the Capri parts!

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Capri to-do list being updated and showing many more things ticked off, which is good!

Posted
14 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ll have a look in the next few days. 
They might be in my tool box, if not they’ll be packed away somewhere from where I’ve recently moved house so might take a bit to find… I don’t know how much of a rush your in?

No great rush, but if they aren't immediately to hand, don't worry. I may take the one that I have up to Orbitals in January, as I'm pretty sure that if I bring the sample they'll be able to find something off the shelf for me.

  • Like 1
Posted
10 hours ago, N19 said:

I've not been doing any active work on the car the last couple of days, but have had a chance to sort some things out at home and get interior parts organised. 

Christmas Day itself started with a drive around Central, which I would never usually do, but for it being absolutely dead quiet. Driving through the City, Fleet Street, Tower Bridge, Strand, Trafalgar Square, and all the other big London places whilst the world is asleep is... surreal.

Back home, and the carpet that's been folded up and above a bookcase in my living room for about 2 years has been unfurled and left in the empty lockup to settle a bit.

image.png.ba7b5b5da0f8c7109545abb62f998b41.png

On to the Mondeo, there's a couple of bits which need to be sorted out. The starter has had a couple of moments where it's failed to do anything (complete silence when turned). A few years ago, @sierraman kindly gave me a box or two of Mk2 Mondeo bits and pieces and there's a spare starter in there. The plan is to take it up to Unit Exchange for a refurb, and fit the unit when it's been refurbed. That'll hopefully avoid any (much) time off the road. There's still a few bits that I need to do on the Mondeo, but at the moment I'm using it quite a bit for shuttling around the Capri parts!

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Capri to-do list being updated and showing many more things ticked off, which is good!

I think I took that out of a 1998 1.8 Saloon I bought to break IIRC. 

Posted

I think by the time I've finished with this, I'll know every single inch of it...

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I've either lost, or for some reason disposed of, the washer hose between the reservoir and the jets assembly. Sadly no factors open at this time of night anymore, so that's a morning job. 

Next jobs - refit braking system and figure out what on earth is going on with the clutch cable routing.

  • Like 5
Posted

Don’t think I could resist spraying that cam cover in the matching blue paint. It’s a little too close that it looks wrong being just off.  But thats just me…..carry on, looking great so far, 

Posted

Front bumper, headlights, and grille back on. It's starting to look like a capri again!

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Today so far has involved running brake lines, fitting bumpers, wiring up lights, testing screen wash jets without a windscreen (fun!) and running around checking earths.

  • Like 5

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