Classic Ford – September 2019

mk2 capri

September 2019 27

“The end result looked amazing though, it was
well worth the wait,” Dave beams, “although I
did initially question whether I’d chosen the
right colour. It looked very orange...”
It clearly was the right decision, of course —
just look at it, it’s sensational — and Dave had
plenty of time to let it mellow as he painstakingly
reassembled what had basically become a huge
Airfix kit. All of the chrome went on, and the
vinyl roof, and this served to counterpoint the
fierce orange superbly. “It took about three
months to put it all back together,” he
continues. “It has a standard Ghia interior, with
a CD player hidden in the glovebox so I could
keep the dash standard. And with it all back
together, it was ready for the road!”

Mission creep
The sheer unfettered joy of having the car of his
dreams fighting fit and ready to rumble
plastered a huge grin across Dave’s face on every
outing — and, inevitably, that age-old concept
of mission creep started to probe at his
perfection gland. The bodywork was stunning,

the interior all-original, so he started having

ideas about improving the oily bits. Not radically

modifying or reworking, simply making it the

best that it could be. So earlier this year, Dave

hoiked the V6 out. “It was a bit leaky and

untidy,” he reasons, “so it was stripped it, and

any parts that were needed were replaced, and

electronic ignition was fitted. The engine

rebuild was finished in March, then I started

adding the chrome and orange bits — it’s a

stock Essex 3-litre, and it was originally an auto

although someone along the line has swapped

the ’box to a four-speed manual.” Arguably a

sensible decision, as with the manual ’box the

3-litre is more than a match for the later 2.8i

Cologne-engined Capris, as well as having that

trademark Essex habit of rocking amusingly

from side to side at idle.

It’s a similar story throughout the chassis,

with the aim being to augment and enhance

rather than markedly alter. Dave’s retained the

standard rear suspension and brakes, while

swapping the front setup for 2.8i struts and

Princess four-pots, as so many enthusiasts have

Tinted headlamps contrast well with the orange paint.

The Mk2’s Ghia was all present and correct, so Dave’s

left well alone. Well, apart from the furry dice...

a

BUILD THREAD

With Mk2 Capris few and far between, Dave couldn’t

be too fussy when looking for a project...

New wing rails had

to be made from

scratch, along with

a whole host of other

repair sections.

As-bought back in 2014, the Ghia was unrestored but

in need of some serious attention to the bodywork.

Dave and Austen then had the painfully expensive task

of tracking down a pair of replacement wings.

With the front wings removed, it was clear the

A-posts and inner wings were in for some work.

Finally, the Capri’s bodyshell was ready for paint, and

nothing less that Ford’s finest Signal orange would do.