Capri - Perana Capri

Really interesting feature in the latest  Unique Cars (Australian Issue 368) about the Basil Green Capri Peranas. There are also stories about a Cortina Perana and a Granada Perana.
The engine bays look a bit different to my 1600 Kent motor. I suppose it doesn't hurt to dream!!

Sorry, but the photo did not scan very well.

Capri - Goodna RSL Car Show

I have been away for a few days, hence no blogs.
On Sunday, I had a free morning so I decided to visit the Goodna RSL Car Show (near Ipswich). This has become an annual event and attracts quite a few monetary prizes ranging from $250 to $1000. The show is held as part of the Jacaranda Festival (the Jacarandas are in full bloom in the background of some of the photos) and there are a host of other attractions on the ground. This show attracts an eclectic mix of cars ranging from full blown show machines to original classics. The prize money is spread across all these categories.
I drove my green Capri and parked between a lovely slightly modified deep blue E type Jaguar and a red Fiat Bambino. There was another V6 Capri, a swag of convertible Capris, a very original Escort Rally Pack and an original Escort rally car - to mention just a few of the Fords.
Here is few photos from the day.



(Click to enlarge)

Capri Peppermints

Strange heading!
Soon after I arrived at the All British Day, a very kind member of the All British Ford Car Club presented me with a very small tin with the picture of a Capri on the lid.

It is actually a tin of peppermints that he bought while on a recent trip to the UK & being a Cortina owner decided that they should be in the hands of a Capri owner & I happened to be the lucky one!
It seems that this company makes similar small tins of peppermints with many classic cars on the lid. It says manufactured by Find3D in the UK but made in China. (How unusual!)
This is the firm in Birmingham that produces these items but I couldn't find any more Capri peppermints.
http://www.find3d.co.uk/

So, thanks very much to Dennis. I really appreciate his little gift & I must sample the peppermints one day!

Capri - RACQ All British Day, Brisbane 2014

Yesterday (20 Sept) was the annual RACQ All British Day. This is always a good day & held in the very pleasant surroundings of the St Josephs College Sports Ground at Tennyson. As usual there was a big turn out of beautiful British cars representing all the famous brands. As the event is organised by the MG Car Club there were many MGs representing all the different models. There were heaps of Minis, Morris Minors and all types of small Fords. I have never seen so many Morgans or Lotus cars in the same place. The Rollers & the Jags line up down on the second oval and have their own picnics. There were only two Capris there on the day (which is a bit of a shame) but the Yellow Fire V6 & the Jewel Green 1600 looked good side by side.
There are always interesting people to talk to at these events. I spoke to guys from GB, Finland & New Zealand who had some affinity with Capris. In fact, the guy from NZ just wanted to open & close the door as it reminded him of his mum's car. We also sat with a couple who had just completed a major restoration of a Lotus Cortina - what a beautiful car!
Here are some pics from the day.


Note the lone Reliant Scimitar which had a Capri V6 engine, the beautiful Lotus JP Special and the green Lotus with a Coventry Climax engine. So many beautiful cars!
Click on the photos to enlarge.

Capri - Muffler Rubber Hanging Mount

I haven't done much on the Capris over the last few weeks but the All British Day is coming up on Sunday so I thought I better get the cars in order. When I was refitting the exhaust on my green Capri a few weeks ago, I broke one for the rubber hangers that keep the muffler in place. I had bought a replacement but today it was time to fit it.
They are not that easy to put on - well, I never find them easy as they are very tight & require a bit of muscle to slip them back on. I took the back wheel off so I could get a good go at it but still it wasn't easy.
Here is where it fits & the broken one.

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After a lot of huffing & puffing with the help of a big clamp, a can of WD40 & a screwdriver, I was able to pull the exhaust system over enough to finally get the new rubber hanger over both ends. Here is what it looks like & hopefully, that should keep every thing in place for a while.

Capri - Going Again! Good!

After a week or so of not being a Capri fan, I decided to make another effort to get the green Capri going as I needed to continue my garage clean up process.
Before replacing the starter motor I did several things.

1. I got  the vacuum cleaner and rigged up a small hose that I could shove in around the bottom of the bell housing and the back of the flywheel. I don't think this was very successful but I was hoping that any bits of metal might get sucked out.
2. I turned the flywheel around until I located the broken ring gear tooth in the centre of the starter motor space. Then I made a thick chalk mark on the bottom of the front pulley wheel so that I could try and keep this tooth away from the starter motor drive.
3. Then the starter motor was refitted.

While the spark plugs were out, I gave the starter motor a whirl and away she went sounding as it should. Also, no problems with the broken tooth!
The plugs were cleaned & then replaced.
Now, would it start? A few tries & no response. What was the problem? I again checked all the wiring with everything seeming OK.
There was fuel in the filter but as a last resort I undid the top of the air cleaner & poured in a cap of mower fuel. Try again & guess what? A burst of life! Not a long one but at least something happened. OK, another big cap of mower fuel & away she went sounding it like it should. I am not sure why there was not sufficient fuel there but I then took it for a short run and it went as it always had.
I love driving this car. It is no muscle car but with the willing engine and the manual gearbox it is fun to drive. So, I love my Capris again - well, today, that is!!

Capri - Broken Ring Gear

Today is a better day and there is no need for the axe.
After not touching the car over the weekend, I had another look this morning and consulted all the resident experts. I again tried to turn the motor over via the crankshaft pulley without the plugs in. Very difficult to get it to turn very far at all although it does move. My resident expert suggested that the problem was possibly in the ring gear area:- either the ring gear was broken & coming off or the broken tooth may have caused some damage & the flywheel was catching. Good advice!
So I jacked the car up reasonably high so that I could get a good look at the ring gear through the starter motor hole. When I tried to turn the motor, it actually did & went the complete cycle. What the f---? My advisor suggested that the piece of broken ring gear may have lodged in a position where it was catching & by jacking the car up it has dislodged. Sounds good to me & the best part is that the motor turns over without any problems. I spent some time trying to get a magnet behind the flywheel without a lot of success so the best solution is to wheel it into the sick bay until I work out my next move.

Here are some pics of the broken tooth (the pics are a bit sideways).



I have another house maintenance project on at the moment so I swapped the cars about so that my white XL is available and for the meantime I will just rest the green Capri. There is no real alternative other than replacing the ring gear and I will have to be sufficiently motivated to do that.