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Posted

Disasterbus’s 1984 2.8i Capri..............

 

Just thought I'd better introduce myself as I'm a newbie here.

 

I’ve had Capri’s before; these two were a couple of them. The Mk2 was my 2nd car when I was 18 (a long, long time ago). The other one was bought as a non runner quite a few years later for next to nothing from a mate at work – it only had a flat battery, easy fix!

 

YPE164Y.jpg

 

CET206VCapri.jpg

 

Over the years I had a Mk1 XR2, 4 Mk2 XR2's and an XR3, plus a couple of Sierra Sapphires.

 

3 or 4 months ago I started thinking about getting another Capri and decided it really had to be a 2.8i. I really wanted a 280 Brooklands, but sadly funds wouldn’t stretch to the kind of prices I was seeing advertised.

 

I’d seen this 2.8 with a ‘for sale’ sign in the window close to where I live and went to look at it in March.

 

capriMay2011004.jpg

 

The guy had owned it for many years (at least 16 I think), but it had been parked up and unused for about 6 years. It ran and drove ok but was obviously a bit neglected from lack of use. At the time the owner wouldn’t budge on price so I kept looking.

 

Fast forward a couple of months and I’m still looking for a Capri and still driving past the one up the road several times a week so I decide to give the guy another call. I offered what I thought it was worth, which was a long way off his asking price, but he agreed and the deal was done!

Drove it half a mile home and had a proper look over it. 1st and most urgent job was removal of the black and pink seat covers......

 

ebayMay2011003.jpg

 

.............to reveal Recaro’s in ok condition beneath. The bolsters show some wear but nothing that can’t be fixed.

 

capriMay2011002.jpg

 

It seemed the easiest way to evaluate what the old Capri needed after 6 years of sitting doing nothing was to bung it in for an MOT and see what if failed on.

 

The 2 mile trip to the MOT station was the longest drive under her own steam for 6 years.

 

Despite running rough due to old fuel and being massively overdue for a service, the old girl passed the emissions ok. Only work needed was a pair of track control arms and front brake pads.

 

ebayMay2011002.jpg

 

Obviously nothing with old Fords ever goes totally to plan - the head gasket went on the way home from the MOT station :roll:

 

Now looking for a replacement engine as a quick fix to finally get the old girl on the road :banghead:

 

 

 

Stand by for the next thrilling installment of the Disasterbus project Capri.

  • Admin
Posted

Welcome to OSF :thumbsup:

 

I'd have thought that changing a head gasket would be a smaller job than changing an engine, any reason you're going straight for the engine swap from the off?

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