New to the KJClassics workshop is this 1981 Ford Capri 1600L. This particular car has been subject to restoration over the last few years after having been in the same ownership from 1984 to 2020. Now showing just 3 owners from new the Capri is ready for its next long term owner. The Capri is now eligible for tax and MOT exemption although as with all cars sold by KJClassics I have taken the precaution of taking it in for an MOT where it passed with no advisories.
The car comes with a selection of original booklets as well as a large number of MOT certificates dating back to the mid 90s.
The paperwork file with this one is a healthy size with invoices for everything from clutch kits in 2001 to more recently in 2019 when the car was fitted with new big end bearings and piston rings during an engine rebuild.
As with all cars at KJClassics a compression test was the first job. Not that it was needed on this one as it was very clear that there wasn’t going to be much if anything wrong with this car. As expected I found perfectly acceptable compression scores on all cylinders.
Next is a service. Filters, plugs, ht leads, cambelt, tensioner and new water pump is fitted at this stage.
Hear we can see the front of the engine with the old cam belt and water pump removed ready for the new ones to be fitted. Note that the water is also drained at this point and will be refilled with new antifreeze.
New belt, tensioner and water pump fitted.
During the service it was necessary to remove the radiator. This reveals the incredible condition of the front crossmember, inner wings and front valence. A common theme throughout the car.
With the radiator removed we can get a closer look at overall condition before refitting.
No holes, no rust, not even a bent fin. Just Perfect
Finally a quick look at the parts removed during the service.
On to the braking system inspection. Not much to worry about hear, the near side calliper was replaced in 2012 and the front discs and pads were new in 2020 and since then the car has hardly moved. The rears are also in good shape and although they aren’t brand new there is plenty of life left in them which was confirmed by the MOT results. A top tip on rear brake cylinders is to pull back the rubber dust seal as you can see above. If there is fluid present behind this seal the cylinders need to be replaced. The cylinders on this car are clean and dry. The hand brake also holds the car well having benefited from a new cable in 2020.
Inner wheel arches look good. There is under seal which I no some people are not a big fan of but it serves its purpose in stopping rust from getting into nooks and crannies. I did at this point take the time to poke around just to be sure it wasn’t hiding anything.
Tyres were all new in late 2020 and are manufactured date stamped 2020.
Underside is solid. Again it is under sealed but there is non of the dreaded rot present.
The Inner wing top flange where the out wing bolts on are a common area for rust to take hold on these capri’s, trust me I should no, iv owned a few. Everything hear is in great shape.
The boot lid is another area of rust this car seems to have escaped. This does tend to worse on models that have a spoiler but even so this is in extremely good condition.
The boot floor can be another issue. The rear chassis rail runs just behind the fuel filler pipe on the underside and water can creep between the spot welds causing this area to disintegrate over time. This one looks really nice and doesn’t actually look like this area has been resprayed which would suggest this is all original under hear.
This picture shows the cavity between the front grill and the radiator. Most people won’t have seen this part of the car but usually it’s a mess. Paint tends to be so thin that it flakes off and leaves the slam panel open to the elements. This one has some of that flaking on the crossmember flange but over all is really good.
Inner wings from top all the way down to the chassis are like new.
The engine and engine bay speak for them selves hear. Both are extremely clean. The 1600 pinto engine in this Capri is very smooth, quiet and runs extremely well. This is to be expected as the pinto engine was always a very strong reliable engine with endless applications having been used in numerous production cars, kit cars, and racing cars. When an engine becomes that popular it’s usually because it’s a good engine.
Sills and inner bottom door skins are spotless. Normally I find my self having to rebuild this part of the car as they are the first part to disappear.
What can I say about the interior other than that it is as close to perfect as iv ever seen. No wear on the seats no cigarette burns no discolouration nothing it’s just spot on. Head lining is really nice. The clock is working and keeping time. The Sharp radio cassette player works perfectly and it’s just a nice comfortable place to be and drive.
The bodywork is in incredible condition having been treated to 2 new front wings, a new tobacco vinyl roof and refinished in the correct shade of Ford Prairie yellow.
Ford Capri 1600l
Odometer reads 15463 miles although mot history shows 115463
MOT 15/09/23
Now sold!
