I first purchased my Capri in 1985, it was sitting by the roadside with a for sale sign on it. Contact was made with the owner, £500 exchanged, I had my first Capri. A previous owner had replaced the 1.6 engine with a 2.0 pinto lump, I drove it around like this doing the odd bit of servicing and cleaning.
In 1995 I decided that an engine upgrade was needed, the sound of a V6 would be nice. A suitable Essex lump was found, overhauled and fitted by myself, along with 3 litre running gear. Suspension, brakes, rear axle, plus a safety devices 6 point roll cage were also fitted. A re-spray in two pack paint, radiant red / diamond white was completed as well. More exhibiting at shows resulted in more trophies. What next ?.
Over the winter of 04/05 a top end engine upgrade took place. A Burtons fast road camshaft, steel timing gear, stage 2 heads(unleaded), Kent heavy duty valve springs, Swaymar inlet manifold (which took me a year to find) Holley 390 carb, K&N air filter fitted inside the street scoop, Facet red top electric fuel pump with a Filter King regulator, Kenlowe fan, Luminition electronic ignition, plus some other odd bits completed the top end upgrade. The best BHP figure so far has been 160, but I have made a couple of changes to the carb jets / discharge nozzle and fuel pressure, so maybe a bigger BHP reading could be achieved. The exhaust system now consists of twin 3 inch bore cherry bombs running straight under the car.
A few pictures here show the interior complete with a Ford Racing tacho, and Cobra Daytona seats. The engine has various chrome and polished alloy parts, plus a diamond shaped strut brace.
Having owned my Capri for 24 years now, travelled as far as Berlin and been round The Nurburgring in Germany, I couldn't see myself ever selling it. As any car enthusiast knows, you can always find something to tinker about with on an old Ford. Many more years of Capri ownership lay ahead.
Engine : 3.0 V6 Essex, Fast Road Camshaft, Stage 2 Heads, Steel Timing Gear, Swaymar Inlet Manifold, Holley 390 Carb, Mr Gasket Street Scoop, K&N Air Filter, Luminition Electronic Ignition, Magnecor Ignition Leads, Kenlowe Fan.
Transmission : 4 Speed Gearbox, 2 Piece Propshaft, 3.0 Axle 3.09.1 Ratio.
Suspension : Front -2inch Uprated Springs, AVO Dampers. Rear Single
Leaf Springs Polybushed, AVO Shocks.
Wheels/Tyres : Weller 8 Spoke, Front 5x13, Rear 8x13, 170x60x13, 235x60x13.
Interior : 6 Point Roll Cage, Cobra Daytona Front Seats, Rear Seat Removed, Harnesses, Ford Racing Tacho, White Dials.
Miscellaneous : Front Spoiler, Rear Ducktail Spoiler, Rear Window Slats, Front & Rear Bumpers Removed, Bonnet Pins, MK1 Escort Front Indicators.
In 1989 I joined The Capri Club International and went to their various shows, I found myself being drawn to the modified Capri's that were on display. To cut a long story short I "customised" my Capri 70's style. Side exhaust pipes, jacked up rear suspension, four front cibie spot lights, and a Mr Gasket street scoop sticking up out of the bonnet. I found that I was also exhibiting my Capri at shows now, with the added bonus of winning a trophy or two. What did the future hold in store ?.
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