There are a few interesting Capris for sale on Gumtree at the moment and they reflect a wide range of cars available & their prices.
This is an interesting unfinished project for $23,500 with much of the body work done but without engine & gearbox.
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cairns/cars-vans-utes/ford-capri-unfinished-project/1164975247
Another project V6 for $15,000 - no engine or gearbox & stripped. Most body parts seem to be there but a pretty optimistic price. Good luck!
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/highland-park/cars-vans-utes/1971-gt-capri-ford/1169246675
This a really nice looking 1600 GT auto for a top price of $44,900. It has been advertised for several months & hasn't left the show room. It is advertised as a GT but several features (dash & engine) would suggest it is a 1600 Deluxe. Is it really worth that much?
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/carss-park/cars-vans-utes/1970-ford-capri-deluxe-vermillion-red-3-speed-automatic-sedan/1163141189
Here is another V6 project - a genuine numbers matching car, stripped back in primer with a dismantled engine for $8,500 negotiable. The body doesn't look too bad but the compliance plate is missing. It might be a good project but it would need a thorough inspection, Not sure if all the parts are there so you would need to do your sums!
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/dayboro/cars-vans-utes/genuine-3000-gt-ford-capri/1168447260
If you have a spare $99,990, then this is the Capri for you. It looks a really tough unit & has all the good gear for a drag/street car. It also has been advertised for quite a while
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/burwood/cars-vans-utes/1970-ford-capri-gt-purple-orange-automatic-coupe/1164180748
Wednesday 20 December 2017
Capri - Club Christmas Party
We had our annual Capri Club Christmas break up a few Sundays ago & although it was not a huge gathering we had 9 Capris turnout. There were four four cylinder models, four V6s & one SA convertible. Anthony's Yellow Fire V6 was awarded the best car & my Jewel Green 1600 Deluxe was judged best 4 cylinder. As the occasion was very close to where I live, I managed to convince my wife to drive my white XL so it was the first club event that I have been able to attend with both my Capris. This may never happened again so I was really pleased to get some photos with them both together.
Happy Christmas to you all & here are a few pictures.
(Click on photos to enlarge)
Happy Christmas to you all & here are a few pictures.
(Click on photos to enlarge)
Wednesday 22 November 2017
Capri - Engine oil overfill
It's a long time between blogs. As both my cars have been running well, I haven't done much to them lately. However, due to my overcautious concern about the oil pressure in my white XL, I decided to add some engine oil. I have a great deal of trouble trying to read the dipstick as it is not clear to me exactly where the oil level is, even though I have made marks on the dipstick. I put in about 1/3 to 1/2 a litre. All good, well for a little while!!
As I drove up the street, I noticed huge clouds of blue smoke in the rear view mirror. As I drove up & down a small hill near my house, it was really bad. OK, I knew what was going on as it had happened once before in my green car after I had overfilled the engine oil. I tried to keep driving in the hope that the excess may be burnt out but things only seemed to get worse & home I went. I have had one opinion that the oil seals can be damaged when this happened but I don't know how correct that is. So the easiest way to correct the problem was an oil change. A new filter was due anyway.
I found my original spare Motorcraft long life oil filter (AFLE-227) that I had bought on Ebay a while back so on it went. Now to the oil - I use Valvoline Classic 20W-50. To ensure that I did not overfill it again, I checked the official Ford Workshop Manual which states the correct amount, including the oil filter is 7 Imperial (UK) pints. That converts to 3.977 litres so 4 litres sounds pretty good to me. After checking that the filter was tight & the sump plug tight, a short idle of the engine indicated no leaks.
Out on the road, no smoke, which is a relief! On returning home, another inspection indicated a very slight leak at the bottom of the front oil seal cover. Hopefully, a quick tightening of the two lower cover bolts will sort that out but I will check after the next run.
So, the lesson for me again is, don't overfill the engine oil & for the 1600 Kent engine stick to the 4 litres.
As I drove up the street, I noticed huge clouds of blue smoke in the rear view mirror. As I drove up & down a small hill near my house, it was really bad. OK, I knew what was going on as it had happened once before in my green car after I had overfilled the engine oil. I tried to keep driving in the hope that the excess may be burnt out but things only seemed to get worse & home I went. I have had one opinion that the oil seals can be damaged when this happened but I don't know how correct that is. So the easiest way to correct the problem was an oil change. A new filter was due anyway.
I found my original spare Motorcraft long life oil filter (AFLE-227) that I had bought on Ebay a while back so on it went. Now to the oil - I use Valvoline Classic 20W-50. To ensure that I did not overfill it again, I checked the official Ford Workshop Manual which states the correct amount, including the oil filter is 7 Imperial (UK) pints. That converts to 3.977 litres so 4 litres sounds pretty good to me. After checking that the filter was tight & the sump plug tight, a short idle of the engine indicated no leaks.
Out on the road, no smoke, which is a relief! On returning home, another inspection indicated a very slight leak at the bottom of the front oil seal cover. Hopefully, a quick tightening of the two lower cover bolts will sort that out but I will check after the next run.
So, the lesson for me again is, don't overfill the engine oil & for the 1600 Kent engine stick to the 4 litres.
Sunday 1 October 2017
Capri - Extractors & Exhaust System
This all started at the recent All Ford Day. Another club member was looking over the engine bay of my green 1600 Deluxe & remarked that it would go a lot better with a set of extractors. I agreed & said I had considered fitting them but couldn't find any at the right price. He just happened to have a very new set of Hurricane extractors that had been hanging in his garage for some time & wanted to sell them. After a very reasonable agreed price, I collected them. They were in as new condition, even with the Hurricane sticker still on them.
After having them for some weeks, I decided it was time to fit them. But before that, I wanted to spray them silver to match the other engine parts. I finally decided on HDT Flame Proof, flat silver paint. I gave them a good cleaning, a light sanding & then cleaned them several times with grease & wax remover. Then after 3 or 4 coats, they looked really good. Here are some before & after photos.
I also knew that if I fitted the extractors, I would need to renew most of the exhaust system as the rear resonator was rusted through & the muffler had a small hole. Apart from replacing a small section of pipe near the manifold flange, I have not replaced any of the exhaust system since getting the car in 2008. So the plan was to remove the exhaust manifold & system myself, take the old sections to a muffler shop to have a replacement system made & then to refit it all myself.
The manifold & front section all came off very easily. However to remove the muffler & the rear section was a little more difficult. After finally getting the four rubber rings off, I still could not manoeuvre the rear resonator over the back axle to remove the system. After a lot of huffing & puffing, the metal bladed saw came out & I cut the resonator off. Then it all came away with ease. The photos show how rusty the back section was.
The next job was to find an exhaust shop that would make up the new sections for me. After phoning several, the story was the same. They claim the only way to do it properly is to fit the new system on the car, so as all the lengths & clearances can be exact. I eventually changed my original plan to fit it all myself & resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted to get this done, I would have to put the manifold & exhaust pipe back on the car so as I could drive it to a garage to get it done. I also had to purchase a new exhaust extractor gasket (Part No: JA503 - ProTroque or Permaseal).
After several calls, I settled on Grant's Exhaust Shop at Woolloongabba as the guys (Peter & Bill) were quite helpful & actually knew all about Capris as they do a bit of work on classic cars.
Bill has been fitting exhausts for 36 years so he knew what he was talking about. We settled on a new 1&3/4 inch system, one muffler with a sporty but not too loud note. I was happy with the final result. The car is not too noisy with a slight burble, no vibrations or noises & goes well. Also the big pipes in the engine bay look a bit meaner. Here ends my extractor/exhaust story!
I also knew that if I fitted the extractors, I would need to renew most of the exhaust system as the rear resonator was rusted through & the muffler had a small hole. Apart from replacing a small section of pipe near the manifold flange, I have not replaced any of the exhaust system since getting the car in 2008. So the plan was to remove the exhaust manifold & system myself, take the old sections to a muffler shop to have a replacement system made & then to refit it all myself.
The manifold & front section all came off very easily. However to remove the muffler & the rear section was a little more difficult. After finally getting the four rubber rings off, I still could not manoeuvre the rear resonator over the back axle to remove the system. After a lot of huffing & puffing, the metal bladed saw came out & I cut the resonator off. Then it all came away with ease. The photos show how rusty the back section was.
The next job was to find an exhaust shop that would make up the new sections for me. After phoning several, the story was the same. They claim the only way to do it properly is to fit the new system on the car, so as all the lengths & clearances can be exact. I eventually changed my original plan to fit it all myself & resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted to get this done, I would have to put the manifold & exhaust pipe back on the car so as I could drive it to a garage to get it done. I also had to purchase a new exhaust extractor gasket (Part No: JA503 - ProTroque or Permaseal).
After several calls, I settled on Grant's Exhaust Shop at Woolloongabba as the guys (Peter & Bill) were quite helpful & actually knew all about Capris as they do a bit of work on classic cars.
Bill has been fitting exhausts for 36 years so he knew what he was talking about. We settled on a new 1&3/4 inch system, one muffler with a sporty but not too loud note. I was happy with the final result. The car is not too noisy with a slight burble, no vibrations or noises & goes well. Also the big pipes in the engine bay look a bit meaner. Here ends my extractor/exhaust story!
Wednesday 20 September 2017
Capri - All British Day, Brisbane 2017
Sunday
(17 Sept) was the annual All British Day. This is always a good day & held
in the very pleasant surroundings of the St Joseph’s College Sports Ground at
Tennyson. As usual there was a big turnout of beautiful British cars representing
all the famous brands. The event is organised by the MG Car Club with
proceeds being donated to the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.
There were 4 different Capris present: a white 1600 Deluxe, my white 1600 XL, a peppermint green V6 & a rare Daytona yellow RS3100. We parked beside the British Small Ford Club which had a really good display of Cortinas & Escorts.
Just down the row was the largest display of Loti or Lotuses I have ever seen. There were some beautiful cars & the photos show this. The Rollers & the Jags line up down on the second oval and have their own picnics. Here we saw a 1922 Rolls Royce that had 3 exterior levers. The gear shift & the hand brake were obvious but what was the third lever for? The owner explained it was to dip the massive headlights! A first for me!
You name the British makes & they were all there: Land Rover, Bentley, Jaguar, Vauxhall, Morgan, Austin, Morris, Mini, Jowett, Rover, Zephyr, MG, Alvis, Scimitar, Sunbeam, Singer, Hillman, Humber, Triumph, Jensen, Aston Martin & even a McLaren.
Here are some photos. (click to enlarge)
There were 4 different Capris present: a white 1600 Deluxe, my white 1600 XL, a peppermint green V6 & a rare Daytona yellow RS3100. We parked beside the British Small Ford Club which had a really good display of Cortinas & Escorts.
Just down the row was the largest display of Loti or Lotuses I have ever seen. There were some beautiful cars & the photos show this. The Rollers & the Jags line up down on the second oval and have their own picnics. Here we saw a 1922 Rolls Royce that had 3 exterior levers. The gear shift & the hand brake were obvious but what was the third lever for? The owner explained it was to dip the massive headlights! A first for me!
You name the British makes & they were all there: Land Rover, Bentley, Jaguar, Vauxhall, Morgan, Austin, Morris, Mini, Jowett, Rover, Zephyr, MG, Alvis, Scimitar, Sunbeam, Singer, Hillman, Humber, Triumph, Jensen, Aston Martin & even a McLaren.
Here are some photos. (click to enlarge)
Monday 28 August 2017
Capri - Air Conditioning
I have been away for a couple of weeks so not much has happened on the car front but on Sunday I went to the Yatala Drive-In Swap Meet. I had heard that last year this was a very big event so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like & if there were any Capri or small Ford parts.
You may be wondering what this has to do with air-conditioning & I will get to that soon.
Although I did see two Capri items, a rocker cover & a set of V6 extractors (I have the phone number of the guy who wants to sell them), it was rather disappointing. There were not as many sellers as I expected & many started packing up by about 9.45 am. There were a few hot rods & cars on display, including a nice Escort RS 2000. Here are a few photos.
Now to the air-conditioning.
I have frequently thought about how great it would be to have air-conditioning in my Capris. However, this has just remained a thought bubble due to the cost & the power drag that would occur on the 1600 engine. That has all changed after seeing this new Rencool DC Air Conditioning Compressor. A young guy from Maddair (maddair.com.au) had a unit on display and also had a unit installed in an old EK Holden. The really interesting thing was that he had installed it in the boot - see the picture. He told me that the wiring did not need to be upgraded as the unit ran directly off the battery. The electrics may need a bit more exploration but he had the wiring & hoses running to & from the boot. The cost of the compressor is around $1700 but you would need to add the other bits. These could possibly be sourced from car wreckers. He also displayed a number of options for under the dash outlets. A really great alternative if you were really serious about air conditioning your Capri. I don't think I will bother but I wish that I had seen these a few years ago.
Here is the photo of the unit in the boot & a brochure on the unit. (Click to enlarge)
You may be wondering what this has to do with air-conditioning & I will get to that soon.
Although I did see two Capri items, a rocker cover & a set of V6 extractors (I have the phone number of the guy who wants to sell them), it was rather disappointing. There were not as many sellers as I expected & many started packing up by about 9.45 am. There were a few hot rods & cars on display, including a nice Escort RS 2000. Here are a few photos.
Now to the air-conditioning.
I have frequently thought about how great it would be to have air-conditioning in my Capris. However, this has just remained a thought bubble due to the cost & the power drag that would occur on the 1600 engine. That has all changed after seeing this new Rencool DC Air Conditioning Compressor. A young guy from Maddair (maddair.com.au) had a unit on display and also had a unit installed in an old EK Holden. The really interesting thing was that he had installed it in the boot - see the picture. He told me that the wiring did not need to be upgraded as the unit ran directly off the battery. The electrics may need a bit more exploration but he had the wiring & hoses running to & from the boot. The cost of the compressor is around $1700 but you would need to add the other bits. These could possibly be sourced from car wreckers. He also displayed a number of options for under the dash outlets. A really great alternative if you were really serious about air conditioning your Capri. I don't think I will bother but I wish that I had seen these a few years ago.
Here is the photo of the unit in the boot & a brochure on the unit. (Click to enlarge)
Monday 17 July 2017
Capri - All Ford Day 2017
Our Capri Club planned to make this year's All Ford Day a major event on our calendar. I had not been able to attend last year but have managed to attend many of these displays over the years. However, despite all the great organisation that had been done by club members, the whole event was nearly scuttled by the weather. On Saturday evening there was widespread heavy rain with showers predicted early on Sunday & then clearing. Sunday morning dawned & it looked so miserable that I went back to bed. After several phone calls assuring that the rain had cleared, I headed off to Willowbank, outside of Ipswich for the big day. And, what a big day it was!
After a good 40 min drive with no rain, I was surprised by the number of cars already there & the long queue waiting to get through the entrance gate. My senses were really aroused as I inched slowly towards the gate beside two Falcons with huge lumpy V8s spewing vast petrol fumes out their exhausts. What a way to start the day!
After driving slowly through the many vehicles, my next surprise was to see how many Capris had turned up. In all we had 14, all different with 1600s, 2 litres, V6s, RS3100s, Mk 2s, V8s & an NC racing version. In addition, we had 2 lovely Escorts, a Cortina, a Mustang & 2 Falcons join our club for the day. Here are some photos from the day. (double click to enlarge)
There were a huge number of Fords at this day. My entrant number was 647 & there were more to come. All models & all eras were represented. Here are few examples.
One of the big attractions of the day is the ability of entrants to drag race their cars on the Willowbank dragway. The variety of cars & noise was unbelievable. Here are some pics.
A good day for all.
After a good 40 min drive with no rain, I was surprised by the number of cars already there & the long queue waiting to get through the entrance gate. My senses were really aroused as I inched slowly towards the gate beside two Falcons with huge lumpy V8s spewing vast petrol fumes out their exhausts. What a way to start the day!
After driving slowly through the many vehicles, my next surprise was to see how many Capris had turned up. In all we had 14, all different with 1600s, 2 litres, V6s, RS3100s, Mk 2s, V8s & an NC racing version. In addition, we had 2 lovely Escorts, a Cortina, a Mustang & 2 Falcons join our club for the day. Here are some photos from the day. (double click to enlarge)
There were a huge number of Fords at this day. My entrant number was 647 & there were more to come. All models & all eras were represented. Here are few examples.
One of the big attractions of the day is the ability of entrants to drag race their cars on the Willowbank dragway. The variety of cars & noise was unbelievable. Here are some pics.
A good day for all.
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