Capri - Instrument Pod Recovering 1

The original instrument pod covering on my white Capri XL had several areas which were in bad shape with the vinyl split or the foam disintegrating. Several years ago I had an upholsterer recover the top section but he did a very unsatisfactory job resulting in the glued ends starting to lift, as shown in the photos.

For some time I have been considering replacing or recovering the pod. I have tried several motor trimmers & they don't want to know about it, suggesting the Dashboard Doctor in Victoria. I believe that could be very expensive & with a considerable time delay so I did some searching & came up with two options.
One option is the reproduction fibreglass pods made by the Capri Club in the UK. I have heard that they are a good fit & pretty close match to the original vinyl. The cost of these is approx. $235 plus GST plus postage (not sure, but perhaps 20-30 pounds). So all up, the cost would be approx. $300. Here is the link to their site:
http://capriclub.co.uk/index.php?route=product/search&search=pod
The second option was to buy a custom made vinyl pod cover from JF Customs in the UK. They supply this, with your choice of stitching colouring, for $110 including postage plus GST of $11. Being a cheapskate, I settled for this option. The vinyl match is not perfect but the difference does not worry me. Delivery from the UK took about 10 days. This firm has a wide range of vehicle products & has a very good review history.
Here is a link to their site:
http://www.ebaystores.com.au/J-F-CUSTOMS
This is what it looks like as it is unfolded & stretched:

So, to do this job, the pod needs to be removed. Here is how I did it:
First, undo the radio control knobs & the nuts holding the radio in place. Next, slide off the heater control knobs. Then the small bottom cardboard panel trim to the left of the steering column (2 screws). Undo the 2 bolts holding the steering column & let it hang down. The pod is held in place with 3 screws (2 on the bottom + one on the RHS). Pull out the pod slowly as far as possible. From the top, unclip the speedo cable (try not to move the car while this is off as it will be difficult to slot it back in). Once the speedo cable is off, the pod will come out even further, as far as the wiring will allow. This will then allow you to unscrew the 4 screws ( 2 top & bottom) that hold the instrument panel to the pod & facia. This requires a small Phillips head screwdriver inserted at the top & in the small space between the dash pad. Not easy, but it can be done. Once this is done, the pod comes away & the instruments will just sit there.



Now you have the pod out there is one more tricky bit.
I was now working on my bench. Turn the pod over & there are about 10 very small plastic studs with spring clips attaching the facia to the metal frame of the pod. About 4 of mine were already broken so I was very careful in trying to prise off the clips. Despite this, I broke another one. I figured I could glue this back if need be. Turning it back to the front side, prise the facia out of the pod & now we are ready to do the job. That all takes time & I am very conscious about breaking bits as the plastic & trims can be very fragile.

The next stage involved removing the vinyl patch & thankfully, that came off without too much trouble, leaving the original cover intact. There was a fair bit of glue on it but with careful cleaning using a razor blade scraper all of this was removed. The original damage was also cleaned up & smoothed off using some very fine sand paper. After the pod was really clean & smooth, the main part of the task can begin. See Part 2 for the next bit of fun!

Capri - All Ford Day 2018 (South East Qld)

Sunday 15th July was the 2018 All Ford Day for Ford fans from the south-east of Queensland. Willowbank Raceway, west of Ipswich, was the site & a very cool morning was predicted, about 2 degrees. The drive there was the only time I have driven a Capri when I didn't need air conditioning. So it was chilly but the day turned out to be beautiful when the sun got up. It was the largest number of Fords that I have ever seen & each year just seems to get bigger. I would think that just about every model of Ford could be found on the day. There were many static displays, a swap meet section, trade displays, a dynamometer competition and the ever popular drag races from 11 am to 1 pm. Plenty of things for everyone.
Our club had an assortment of 14 Capris on display and there were a few others scattered around the grounds. Here are some of the photos of the Capris.


Here are some of the other Fords.

Capri - Capri Parts + GST

This week I bought a Capri dash pod covering from the UK. I will tell you more about it when it arrives & I have fitted it. I have bought a number of parts & bits from the UK over the years because they are cheaper, there is a huge range of products & the postal services are prompt & reasonably priced.
From the beginning of July, things have changed. When I came to the checkout, there is now another line which adds GST (Goods & Services Tax) of 10%. Thanks to our Australian Government who now wants a little share of all overseas online transactions, our parts are all going to be a bit dearer.
It possibly won't stop people from buying from overseas as prices are better but just don't forget to add on the 10%.

Capri - Leaking Auto Transmission

OK, it is quite a long time since I have written anything on this blog. I have been away travelling, had a few aches & pains & because both of my cars aren't running too badly, I have done very little to them. However, I am tired of wiping transmission fluid off the garage floor. This under the white XL and it seems to be getting worse. If you do any research on Borg Warner 35 transmissions, one thing that becomes very obvious is that they like to leak! They leak for unknown reasons but it seems that if the cars aren't run frequently, the fluid runs from the torque converter back into the body of the transmission and, if the seals & gaskets aren't great, the fluid ends up on the floor.
So, time to attempt to reduce the flow. First thing is to replace the transmission sump gasket as it seems to be leaking in various places. I ordered the gasket & filter (Ryco Part No RTK 24) from Autobarn ($20) & it was here in a day.
First thing is to drain the fluid & nearly 5 litres came out. I am not sure whether this is a bit much as it takes 6 litres with the torque converter. Next was to jack the car up as high as possible & place the jack stands under the front cross member.


From past experience, I know that the 15 bolts holding on the sump require a very thin socket (1/2 inch) and I don't have a decent one. Using my special socket, I loosened them & then used my power drill to undo them completely. It can get very messy at this stage so make sure you have a big wide container underneath. Leave one nut partly in so you can let the pan come off slowly.
That done, it is now time to clean up the pan. An old Ford mechanic told me to ensure the lip on the pan was clean & flat. He said to put in on a clean board and tap around with a hammer. This is not as easy as it seems as the metal is fairly heavy but there were a few areas where I think I levelled it a little. I then gave the bottom of the pan a spray with black engine spray.
Next thing to do was to replace the pan. I inserted the bolts on one side to hold it in place & then trying to get it to fit correctly was difficult as it was catching on the kick down cable on the other side. I then had a lot of fun undoing it, trying to keep the gasket on & fitting it from the kick down cable side first. So, my advice is to ensure that when refitting the pan, you ensure that you start on the kick down cable side & ensure that it sits in properly before fitting any bolts.



After hand screwing in about 12 of the bolts, I could not get one to fit correctly. I am very aware that it is very easy to strip threads on old vehicles so not matter how I tried I could not get this one in correctly. I knew one of the bolts must have been in this slot so I patiently (although quietly cursing) undid each nut in turn to see if it would fit & after about the sixth try, one went straight in. Thank goodness & no striped threads. Also, when tightening these bolts do not over tighten as the gasket becomes damaged Check the torque ratings. During the day, I bought a long reach narrow 1/2 inch socket & that made things a lot easier.

 

 

Then to add the transmission fluid - make sure it is ATF. I used Castrol ATF. I pour the 4 litres in very slowly as the fluid was backing up the filler pipe & running over. This took a bit of time but I think most went in where it should. It possibly needs another 1/2 litre but I will check that after I drive it. That was enough for one day. It doesn't seem to be leaking but I will know after driving for a while.