Dan's Crapi project.

[Danthecapriman]

Another update!?! Wtf!

Cured an irritating issue with the starter motor.
Last year it kept playing up by not releasing from the ring gear quickly enough so you got a horrible grinding noise briefly until it did on start up. Sometimes it wouldn’t engage at all either.
I did try to clean it up and spray it down with WD40 then exercise it, which did improve things a bit. This year it started off ok, but was quickly back to buggering about again so, since they aren’t that expensive, I’ve bought a reconditioned complete unit for it instead.
Just as well because the last time I removed the old starter from the engine to see why it was still so stiff I managed to snap off the brass terminal for the cable!

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IMG_2123.jpeg (984.86 KiB) Viewed 377 times

Piece of piss to fit and took all of 5 mins really! Only thing I had to do was cut down the excessively long bolt that holds the end cap together as it was so long it hit the engine block stopping the starter fitting properly.

While the old one was out I did check the ring gear but the teeth all look perfect so no harm done.
You can see on the pic of the old starter the gear was jamming up halfway up the shaft. The new one was incredibly quick to move both ways and very smooth. Starting the car now is lovely and quiet and it spins over much quicker too. Without grinding the teeth off the ring gear which is always a bonus!

[Danthecapriman]

Also got the tailgate badges fitted today.
This actually took me ages! Measuring and marking up positions and spacing for the letters, getting them lined up etc etc. I’m absolutely shit with numbers and maths though so that doesn’t help!

I’ve shaved off all the pins on the badges and stuck them on instead. I decided it was better that way as the pins would’ve required holes to be drilled and eventually that often leads to corrosion starting. Plus, drilling all those holes in the right places, perfectly in line was not a job I had any interest in doing!

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The trim tape was a pig to use, hard to cut neatly around all the curves and gaps in the letters, but it seems to have worked well.
The II logo is a reproduction vinyl decal I got from the US a few years ago and went on really well. The L badge is the earlier style badge, correct for this year car, and was actually a new old stock part from Germany. Unfortunately though the sticky backing already on it had long since gone hard and lost its sticky-ness so I had to scrape it all off and replace it.

Looks good though imho! It’s been a very long time since this car had a full complement of badges!

Just got the two wing shields to do tomorrow.

[1616six]

I’ve always fancied a Capri but never scratched the itch. One day!

[Danthecapriman]

I’ve always fancied a Capri but never scratched the itch. One day!

They are great cars! Sadly though I think the Capri boat (most Old Ford’s actually!) has sailed for many now. Prices for them have gone absolutely crazy and that’s ruined it for most people now. Priced out of the market.
You can still find them occasionally at reasonable prices but it’s a case of waiting until one comes up and pouncing on it straight away.

Just my opinion, but they aren’t worth the figures being asked most of the time. They’re great cars and iconic and all that but let’s not get carried away! It’s just a Ford at the end of the day.

[Hooli]

I agree. As much as I'd like one, those are exactly the reasons I never will. It's a shame because as cheap cars they were brilliant

[Danthecapriman]

I agree. As much as I'd like one, those are exactly the reasons I never will. It's a shame because as cheap cars they were brilliant

That’s what they were intended to be new. Affordable transportation that also had a bit of style to it. Something for the average person to be able to buy and run. Nowadays they’ve gone well beyond the premium cars price tags!

I’m just glad I bought them when they were cheap. £100 for this with tax & test in 2001. I payed £500 for a road legal Mk2 Granada in 2008… it’s the last few years things have just gone mad.

[Hooli]

Exactly, my £250 mk2 Escort in the mid 90s comes to mind too.

[59Impala]

The badges look great, they really make a difference. Some years ago I replaced most of the ones on my Impala along with the 'Impala' letters on the rear wings, they still look good. It did help that I could just order reproductions as you can with a lot of US classics. Nice job on the starter, easy just like doing one on an Anglia as I recall. Ford made a lot of jobs like that very simple to do back then.

[paulplom]

I paid £300 for my mk2 escort 1.6 ghia with a full mot. It had just been resprayed in a metallic grey colour too.
That was about 1992.

[Danthecapriman]

The badges look great, they really make a difference. Some years ago I replaced most of the ones on my Impala along with the 'Impala' letters on the rear wings, they still look good. It did help that I could just order reproductions as you can with a lot of US classics. Nice job on the starter, easy just like doing one on an Anglia as I recall. Ford made a lot of jobs like that very simple to do back then.

The FORD letters and Capri badge on this are original to this car, they’ve got a few patches where the black lining has worn off the edges but otherwise they’re pretty good for near half century old. I’ll touch in the black paint by brush at some point just to tidy them up.

That is one big bonus with old Ford’s, ease of maintenance! Loads of space to work in and very little is beyond basic knowledge and tools. I changed this one without needing to jack the car up or anything. Try changing the starter on my dads modern Mondeo! Complete opposite!