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Year: 2024
Text
SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION
148
PAGES
SPECIAL
ISSUE
Spring 2024
S
R
A
E
Y
5
5
OF THE CAPRI
CELEBRATING FORD’S
LEGENDARY COUPE
ALL THE MODELS,
BUYING ADVICE,
RESTORATIONS & MORE
SPRING 2024
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: LOTUS CORTINA MK2 GUIDE
■ MK1 MEXICO ■ GRANADA STASH ■ FIESTA BUILD
PRINTED IN THE UK
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See page 58 or go to
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Contents
100% BUY A CAPRI!
CLASSIC
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for less
26
112
66
08 GRAFTERS: Mk1 Fiesta
Longterm Zetec project is a family affair.
24 CAPRI TIMELINE
26 THE MK1 CAPRI
34 FAMOUS CAPRIS
From the race track and TV screen.
36 THE MK2 CAPRI
44 THE MK3 CAPRI
54 CAPRI BUYING GUIDE
44
Great British Car Journey’s tribute event.
60 HOMEBUILT HERO
72
Turbo’d Mk2 Escort van from Down Under.
66 GRANADA COLLECTION
Impressive and varied haul of big saloons.
72 HERITAGE: Escort Mexico
Unrestored Mk1 — and all the better for it.
134 RESTORED: Tickford Capri
36
08
100
106
100 SPA 24 HOURS CAPRI
3-LITRE
It’s Gordon Spice’s original, winning
car and it’s just back from a
sensitive rebuild at the hands of a
Kiwi enthusiast.
4
Spring 2024
106 FORD’S YEAR IN
MOTORSPORT: 1969
Boreham’s busiest was a trophy-fest.
112 LEGEND BOUCLES
Belgian rally is an Escort-heavy affair.
60
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Spring 2024
Regulars
12
NEWS
Fords come to the British Motor
Museum, MoT changes scrapped,
RIP Speed Trials, plus Rusty Corner,
The Big Picture and more.
16
PRODUCTS
Three pages of the best new gear
for your classic Ford.
p16
78
WHAT’S ON
This summer’s meets and shows.
80
MAILBOX
Your letters, emails, and Twitter and
Facebook comments.
82
YOUR CARS
Readers’ classic Fords and projects.
84
NEXT ISSUE
Coming up in the May edition.
144 PARTING SHOT
Classic image from the Getty archive.
144
23 FORD’S ICONIC CAPRI AT 55
Welcome to our monster celebration of the mighty Capri, with models
guides, buying tips plus this amazing Tickford Turbo resto (page 124).
CFTech
CFBuying & Restoring
96
88
88 HOW TO: Fit a rear
firewall
All you need to know.
94 OUR CARS:
Mk3 Capri
The latest on Graham’s project.
134
96 OUR CARS:
Mk2 Orion
Ade’s new purchase goes low.
98 EXPERT CLINIC
Got a technical problem?
We can help.
Subscribe: 01959 543747, https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/cfd
118 KNOW THIS:
Buying engines
What to look for when picking
up a new powerplant.
130 INSURANCE TIPS
Top 10 tips for getting insured.
134
134 BUYING GUIDE:
Lotus Cortina Mk2
What you need to know when
buying Ford’s 1960s classic.
140 READERS’ ADS
Cars, projects and parts for sale.
Spring 2024
5
THIS ISSUE
Out and about with our band
of Blue Oval-loving writers
and photographers.
NEXT ISSUE ON SALE:
FRIDAY, APRIL 12
ADE BRANNAN
CONTRIBUTOR
The Orion is home but
in typical Ade style,
needs some TLC —
and lowering,
naturally. Check out
its progress over on
page 96.
JASON O’HALLORAN
CONTRIBUTOR
Crossflow turbo
Escort van? Why
not, reckons Jason,
who recounts the
story behind this
Aussie Mk2 starting
on page 60.
SUBSCRI
BE
AND
FREE MEGET A
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CAR CAR
E KIT
WORTH £
99!
SEE
PAGE 58
JAMIE ARKLE
CONTRIBUTOR
Gordon Spice may
sadly no longer be
with us, but his Capris
live on including his
1978 Spa-winning car,
as Jamie reveals on
page 100.
How To Contact Us
Telephone: +44 1959 541444
Email: classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk
Write to: Classic Ford,
Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary,
Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding
ME18 6AL, UK
C
rikey, is it that time already? It only seems like yesterday
that we were celebrating 50 years of the Capri,
yet here we are, five years down the line making a
fuss over Ford’s legendary coupe hitting the big 5-5.
A lot’s happened in five years — with the main change being
the vastly bigger number of body panels that are now available,
and consequently we’ve seen a huge rise in the number of Capris
being restored recently. The quality of the cars being turned out
of single garages and lock-ups has improved immeasurably, too.
So turn to page 23 and immerse yourself in the world
of Capris, and when you’ve had your fill of that,
make sure you head to one of the three main
Ford shows happening this summer — the
Classic Ford Show, Ford Fair and FordFest —
to enjoy the special displays taking place.
Thanks for reading,
d
se
Ba
on
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Words and Photos Jon Cass
Name: Jordan Lowe
Age: 33
Profession: HGV driver
Location: Lancashire, UK
8
NIGHT
SHIFT
Your projects: Setting aside one evening a week for Car
Night, Jordan Lowe and his family have been churning out
Fords at a steady rate — including this Zetec’d Mk1 Fiesta.
Spring 2024
Subscribe: 01959 543747, https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/cfd
your projects: mk1 fiesta
Car: 1982 Fiesta 1100L
Start Condition: Bought as a rust-free project
Condition now: Paintwork complete, engine
and gearbox now installed
Time taken so far: 11 years
Estimated date of completion: Spring 2024
G
rowing up alongside a family
of Fordoholics, it’s hardly
surprising Jordan Lowe became
afflicted with the same addiction. “My
dad and brothers had 1600Es, XR3is,
RS Turbos and there were even a few
Cosworths on our driveway,” he recalls.
“There was always a car that needed
either fixing or required a full restoration
and I became involved at an early age.”
For the Lowe family and their friends,
every Wednesday has for many years
been dedicated to Car Night where
this small group of petrolheads get
together with the aim of sorting out
any offending old Ford issues from
that week. “We often attempt to make
progress with my current Fiesta project,”
Jordan tells us. “My dad, Andy usually
made the tea while the rest of us crack
on with whatever needs to be done.”
Jordan has owned a string of Mk1s in
the past, many of which were modified
in some way, but this latest 1982
example has certainly proved to be
quite demanding. Although he was
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lucky enough to start with a rust-free
shell, a negative experience with a local
bodyshop and numerous other issues
have turned this into a longterm build.
Despite these setbacks along with
the devastating, recent passing of
his dad, Jordan assures us progress
will continue and he hopes to join
his brothers and everyone else from
the Bolton-based Betty Ford Clinic
at a few local shows and meets in the
Fez later this year. We’re sure his dad
will be proudly looking on too.
Spring 2024
9
Interior will be based around XR2 parts though
with retrimmed Recaros (above left). Supersport
alloys (below) reveal the planned exterior look.
LED headlamps feature
integral indicators.
Why a Mk1 Fiesta?
I’ve always liked them and I bought my
first when I was 18. It didn’t last long
before someone crashed into it, writing
it off. Thankfully, we managed to salvage
a few parts from it ready for the next one.
More Mk1 Fiestas came and went — they
either got scrapped or moved on but
they were easily obtainable at the time.
How did you come across this car?
An ad on an auction site caught my
eye, especially as the car happened
to be located just down the road.
As a major fan of Mk1 Fiestas I
couldn’t resist taking a closer look.
What was it like?
Although it was just a rolling shell,
there was no rust to be seen anywhere
which was obviously a huge bonus
for us. The previous owner had
already done the mod to the inner
wing for the five-speed conversion,
they’d done a nice job and not just
made a big notch in the front leg.
10
Spring 2024
The top engine mount was also
already in place, ready for a Zetec
conversion. This was handy as my
brother had an 1800 Zetec engine
which he’d just taken out of his XR3i!
What happened next?
What did you do first?
After purchasing the car, my brother
Johny, my mate Wayne and I quickly set
to work bolting the injected Zetec and
five-speed Escort gearbox into position.
This wasn’t as easy as we first thought
as nothing really fitted and the required
parts list began to escalate. We had to
start sourcing parts — XR2 driveshafts
along with an XR2 gearbox cradle
and a Mk3 XR2i top engine mount.
Once the engine and ’box were
bolted in, it became apparent that
there would be further issues ahead!
The passenger tie bar now fouled the
gearbox, so we had our own fabricated,
which worked great until we tried
full lock. At least the shell was now
rolling for the time being ready to
be sent to the bodyshop for paint.
This is when the project stalled as the car
was moved to another bodyshop without
us knowing and well… it disappeared
for six years until we managed to get
it back after countless false promises.
Once the car was returned to our hands,
we were then able to book it in at another
local bodyshop and their turnaround
was just a few weeks, which was great
after all those years wasted. I opted
for the original colour, Stratos Silver.
What have you done since
getting the car back?
We’ve been fitting the necessary parts
in preparation for it to run. I’ve fitted the
return pipe for the fuel to the tank and
also found a Cossie fuel pump lying
around in the garage, which should do
the job of delivering the good stuff. The
SB Parts (www.sbparts.co.uk) fivespeed kit has rectified the tie bar issue,
now allowing us full lock. I’ve fitted a
Transit Connect starter motor and my
brother has been going through the
Subscribe: 01959 543747, https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/cfd
your projects: mk1 fiesta
“MY BROTHER HAD AN
1800 ZETEC HE’D JUST
TAKEN OUT OF HIS XR3i
THAT WAS IDEAL”
After problems with the previous bodyshop, the
Fiesta is now wearing stunning Stratos Silver.
Jordan opted to retain
the factory EFi set-up.
wiring loom, carrying out repairs. I still
need to investigate the alternator to
decide which set-up to go for and I’m
awaiting the arrival of the alloy radiator.
The suspension is currently standard
dampers and lowering springs which
will do for now, but I will replace these
with Gaz coil-overs and dampers in time.
the satin black detailing around the
windows and I’m currently on the
lookout for a Supersport arch kit and
front spoiler. I’ve fitted LED circular
headlights, mainly just to resolve
the lack of indicators in the bumpers
issue, but I also like the look of them.
And the interior?
Which other parts and upgrades
have you sourced?
To replace the standard brakes, I’ve
opted for XR2 discs and callipers.
I’ve also recently managed to obtain
an injection fuel tank, Zetec engine
loom, five-speed gear linkage, XR2
clocks and an XR2 dash. I’m always
looking out for more parts!
What can you tell us about the
planned look for the exterior?
I’m going for the Supersport style as
I already have the correct four-spoke
alloys which will be getting refurbished
soon along with a set of new tyres.
I’ve marked up the bodywork for
As for the cabin, I already have a pair of
black RS Turbo Recaro front seats and I
plan to have the rear bench retrimmed
to match these. I’m hoping we may be
able to paint the interior plastics and
door cards with a black vinyl paint to
match the remainder of the interior.
The dash is just a standard dash at the
minute although, my brother managed
to source an XR2 dash from a good
friend that needs a small repair and I
have an XR2 centre console to match.
That should finish off the interior nicely.
When do you hope to have the car ready?
Spring of this year — just in time for
show season!
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It’s with great sadness that since our
photoshoot took place, Jordan’s dad,
Andy (above right, with Jordan’s brother,
Johny on the left) passed away suddenly.
“Dad was someone we looked up to and
loved dearly,” says Jordan, “and he will
be missed by many. Our Car Night will
never be the same again, but we know
he’ll be watching over us with a smile.”
Andrew Lowe,
April 4, 1959 – January 14, 2024
Spring 2024
11
UNSEEN FORDS
PUT ON DISPLAY
Cars from Ford of Britain’s Heritage Fleet go on
view to the public for the first time.
ars from the Ford of Britain
Heritage Fleet that have previously
been inaccessible to the public
have now been put on display at the British
Motor Museum. Seven fresh arrivals will
join the existing Blue Ovals on display
at the Gaydon venue, as well as a 1973
Capri Ferguson 4x4 that is being loaned
to museum by a private collector.
Ford of Britain’s Heritage Collection,
which totals around 130 cars, is normally
kept under wraps. However, the museum
has secured the loan of a 1961 Mk2 Zodiac,
a 1979 Mk2 Granada, a 1986 RS200 Group
B rally monster, a 1988 Mk2 Fiesta XR2, a
1992 Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4, a 1993
Escort Cosworth WRC and a 2004 Focus
ST170, which have been arranged to form
a display in the museum’s Welcome Gallery.
The arrival of the cars from Ford’s
Heritage Fleet is a real coup for the
museum, and follows the arrival of eight
varied cars from MG Motor UK collection,
which was announced in December.
Three of the these are to be unveiled
for the very first time as part of the
museum’s Longbridge Legacies evening
on Tuesday March 12. The museum
also put 30 vehicles from Vauxhall’s
Heritage Collection on display in 2021.
C
The loan of Ford’s cars has come about
following the move of the Blue Oval’s
Heritage Fleet from its previous home
in a somewhat ramshackle Dagenham
warehouse to a New Ford Heritage
and Innovation Centre in Daventry.
We understand that considerations
were made to opening up the collection,
but as the Daventry facility is an active
working site, it isn’t set up to receive the
public. Instead, a selection of cars has
been dispatched to Gaydon instead.
The museum team is hopeful that its
great relationship with the Ford of Britain
Heritage Fleet will present opportunities to
expand the number of vehicles on loan, and
to regularly change the vehicles on display.
Len Keen, Operations Manager at
Ford of Britain Heritage Fleet, said:
“We are excited to be working with
the British Motor Museum in Gaydon
following the move of our collection from
Dagenham to Daventry. This provides an
excellent opportunity to showcase some
of the iconic vehicles from our history
and rekindle many great memories from
visitors as they tour the museum.”
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections
and Engagement at the British Motor
Museum, added: “We are delighted to
The Fords have been arranged to form a display in the museum’s Welcome Gallery.
12
Spring 2024
Seven Fords have been chosen for display initially,
including an RS200, plus a Capri Ferguson 4x4 (behind)
that is being loaned by a private collector.
have the opportunity to showcase some of
this incredible collection of Ford vehicles.
It’s another significant collection from
a UK manufacturer that fits perfectly
with the museum’s aim to broaden the
range of marques that are represented
here. With so much choice, it has already
been tough making the first selection of
seven cars to display in the museum!”
Access to view the additional
seven cars from the Ford of Britain
Heritage Fleet is included as part of
the normal museum admission.
For more information about the
additions visit www.britishmotormuseum.
co.uk or call 01926 895300.
Previously, the cars were keep hidden from the public in a warehouse in Dagenham.
THE BIG
PICTURE
SNAPPED UP
The second Scramble of 2024 at Bicester Heritage is already a sell-out. The venue will welcome a capacity crowd of around 8000 on
national Drive it Day weekend, Sunday April 21, continuing an unbroken run of sell-out events for the best part of 10 years.
https://bicesterheritage.co.uk/events
Terminally-rotten old Fords
It’s everyone’s dream to find an old
car in the garden or garage of a house
they’re looking at to buy, isn’t it? Well,
it is to us and also Dave Wood, whose
parents came across this Mk1 Consul
on the property they were viewing and
subsequently bought.
The car came with the sale, but sadly
as you can see despite being pretty much
complete it’s way beyond saving.
Spotted an unloved Ford on your travels?
Email photos and details to classicford.
ed@kelsey.co.uk.
MOT CHANGES SCRAPPED
The Government has scrapped a ‘madcap’
change to MoT rules that would have
made testing compulsory every two
years instead of annually, as well as
abandoning proposals to extend the first
MoT for a new car, van or motorcycle from
three to four years after purchase.
The major shake-up of the MoT regime was
proposed in January 2023, accompanied by
the consultation from the by the Department
for Transport (DfT) and Driver and Vehicle
Standards Agency (DVSA). At the time, the
Government suggested that the new measures
could be rolled out because fewer vehicles
were failing MoT tests thanks to improving
technology, helping drivers to save money.
However, the move was slammed by many in
the automotive sector, who pointed out that the
current frequency of MoT testing plays a crucial
role in keeping vehicles on our roads safe.
“This would have seriously compromised
road safety and ended up costing drivers more
money rather than less as it was supposed to
do, due to dangerous issues going undetected
and getting progressively worse,” said Simon
WIlliams, head of policy at the RAC. “This is
why the idea was so widely unpopular with
the motoring public in our research. It’s great
news the madcap idea of changing the MoT
has finally been consigned to the bin.”
Spring 2024
13
WHERE TO GO IN APRIL
Drive It Day
When: April 21 Where: UK-wide
What’s going on: Set up by the Federation of British Historic
Vehicle Clubs in 2005 to commemorate the 64 cars that
set off from London on April 23, 1900 for the Thousand
Mile Trial, Drive It Day sees as many classics as possible
hitting UK roads. If driving on your own doesn’t appeal then
member clubs devise set routes — check out the website for
details. Find out more: http://fbhvc.co.uk
END OF AN ERA
FOR SPEED TRIALS
Rising costs cause world famous
motorsport spectacle to be cancelled
The historic motoring world has been rocked
by the news that Brighton Speed Trials,
commonly thought to be longest-running
motorsport event in the world, is sadly no
more after almost 120 years of history.
Organisers Brighton and Hove Motor Club
has confirmed that 2023 was the last running
of the world-famous spectacle, with rising
costs at the root of “heartbreaking” decision.
Hosted on Madeira Drive, which
lines Brighton’s seafront, the annual
event has been enjoyed by generations
of motorsport fans since 1905.
“Despite Brighton and Hove Council’s
help, the new road layouts, the closing of the
terraces [in 2016], and the enormous cost
involved in providing required safety measures,
additional security and many other additional
costs, the committee of the Brighton and Hove
Motor Club have had to make the
heartbreaking decision that the
2023 event was the last one,” read
a statement on the BHMC website.
“The club has been running the
event at a loss for a number of
years and cannot continue to do so.
“2024 will see Brighton and Hove Motor
Club involved in many other events, including
our two annual sprints at Goodwood, Concours
and hopefully a hill climb. But the Speed Trials
will not run again for the foreseeable future.
“The family of Brighton and Hove Motor
Club wish to thank all those who have entered
the event over the years, Brighton and Hove
Council, Motorsport UK, the marshalls and
the hundreds of volunteers who have helped
us set up the course and return the road to the
public after the events. It was not easy task and
COMING UP
Inside your May issue
ON SALE
April
12!
Are you a weekend warrior? We certainly think so. As
Spring beckons and cars get dragged out of garages in
preparation for the outdoor show season, in the jampacked May issue, out April ??, we celebrate standard
and modified classic Fords built to rule the A and B-roads on
a weekend. Plus we reveal top tips for getting the most out
of your Ford. All this plus a Mk1 Transit buyer’s guide, new
inspiration feature and pages of cars, parts and projects for sale.
The May issue hits the newsstands and is available
to download from Friday, April 12. Why not
subscribe to make sure you don’t miss out? Check
out our latest subscription offers on page 58.
14
Spring 2024
we thank every single person who has
been involved and given us their support
over the years. Thank you for the fun.”
Chairman Brian Dyer told Brighton
and Hove News of his disappointment
regarding the event’s cancellation. “We
lost the terraces, the viewing gallery and
we lost the bikes just after Covid.
“It’s a very sad state of affairs. The speed
trials have been part of my life for 30 years and
many of the members for longer than that.
But it’s something that’s no longer viable.”
O F F I C I A L D E TA I L I N G S P O N S O R O F
Get an EXCLUSIVE
25
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ALL PRODUCTS
Use code FORD25 www.cargods.com
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
ATLAS-TYPE LSD FOR ENGLISH AXLES
£654 Rally Design
Rally Design reckons this is one of the most-important products they have
designed in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. As part of their
Blackline range of uprated transmission components, this plate-type LSD
has all the design features and strength of an Atlas-spec
LSD but is manufactured slightly smaller than the Atlas
unit to fit into the more-popular English casing — and
correctly set up they reckon it should be good for 300
bhp. With 18-tooth, larger-diameter halfshafts and
high-quality crownwheel and pinion sets also
introduced for the English, there’s now no
reason not to stick with this axle for most
applications. The default break-torque setting
is 60 lb.ft (rally-spec) but plate sets of 37
lb.ft (oval race and road) or 80 lb.ft (race)
are available additional cost options.
Contact: 01227 792792,
www.rallydesign.co.uk
CROSSFLOW ROLLER ROCKERS
£500 Burton Power
Burton Power has launched a new rollerrocker assembly to suit the Kent Crossflow
engine, designed to
eliminate sideways
movement in the
valve stems and thus
prevent wear. An alloy
rocker cover will be
required for clearance.
Contact: 020 8518 9127,
www.burtonpower.com
MK2 CAPRI MODEL
£35.99 Corgi
Fifty years after the launch of the real thing, Corgi has immortalised the Mk2
Capri with this 1:43 scale model of a 3-litre Ghia Automatic in Sebring Red.
It’s expected to be released in autumn, but is available to pre-order now.
Contact: uk.corgi.co.uk
16
Spring 2024
ULTRA SHINE KIT
£25 Autoglym
Autoglym’s Ultra Shine Kit includes a Foaming
Car Wash, Rapid Ceramic Spray and two soft
drying cloths. It is exclusive to Halfords stores.
Contact: 0330 1359779, halfords.com
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classic ford gear
UPRATED GEARBOX OIL
£19.27 Morris Lubricants
WEBER 38DGAS CARB KIT
£485.71 Webcon
Good news: Webcon has reintroduced 38DGAS upgrade kit for the 2-litre Pinto. A direct
swap for the smaller 32/36 DGAV unit, it has been jetted especially for the 2-litre engine
and is a perfect complement for a ported head and fast road cam. The kit, which comes
under part number 1893000100 features the special air bush modification required to suit
the 2-litre Pinto.
Contact: 01932 787100, www.webcon.co.uk
Lodexol 75W-80 is a high-performance
gear oil from Morris Lubricants
for most rear-wheel-drive Ford
manual gearboxes apart from the
Type-9, developed to have good
cold start fluidity, ensuring fast
circulation around the gears, and high
temperature stability, which offers
protection under prolonged use.
Contact: 01782 410391,
www.morrislubricantsonline.co.uk
MISHIMOTO OIL CATCH TANK
£180.60 Co-OrdSport
2WD COSWORTH YB OIL PUMP
£122.50 Burton Power
Burton Power can now provide standard, replacement
oil pumps for the 2wd-spec Cosworth YB engines.
Order yours using part number SC1260.
Contact: 020 8518 9127, www.burtonpower.com
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Looking for something neater than an old oil can to use as a catch tank?
This oil catch can features two ports, one inlet and one outlet, for easy
installation. The 100 per cent billet, 6061 aluminium can features 3/8 inch
NPT threads at the inlet, outlet, and drain area and includes two black nylon
fittings to make installation effortless. For maximum fitment options, the
top mounting set-up allows the can to be mounted from multiple angles.
Contact: 0121 6616263, www.coordsport.com
Spring 2024
17
BOOK OF THE MONTH
FAST FORDS: 50 YEARS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
£60 Evro Publishing
In over 50 years as a motoring journalist and racing driver, Jeremy Walton has
driven hundreds of performance cars, but Fords have always been particularly
close to his heart. He was on the scene when fast Fords arrived in the early
1960s and was there when Ford became serious about motorsport. He has
tested almost every significant performance derivative ever since - from
Cortinas to Capris, Escorts and Sierras, via the epic GT40s to extraordinary
Transit Supervans and into the new Millennium with Mondeo, Focus and Fiesta.
Over 416 pages, Walton presents his experiences in a colourful style, with some
superb accompanying images.
Contact: https://www.evropublishing.com
CARB THROTTLE
POSITION SENSOR KIT
£134.52 Webcon
Most aftermarket ignition ECUs are capable of
running a 3D ignition map when used with a pair of
sidedraught carburettors; all that is usually required
to evoke this functionality is a throttle position
signal. Webcon’s carburettor throttle position kits
are supplied with all parts required to carry out this
conversion and are compatible
with most popular
aftermarket
ignition ECUs.
Kits are available
to suit Weber
DCOE and DCO/
SP, and Dell’Orto
DHLA carburettors.
Contact: 01932 787100,
www.webcon.co.uk
DODO JUICE
GLASS CLEANER
CRANKCASE BREATHER
£24.08 Pipercross
This stainless-steel crankcase (or valve cover)
breather has been designed to fit onto existing engine
crankcase breathers and oil catch tanks to allow oil
vapour to vent to atmosphere rather than back into the
engine inlet, protecting your classic Ford’s engine and
allowing it to run more efficiently. It has a rubber inlet
neck with a simple clamp mechanism for securing and
a built-in stepped neck to fit 13, 16 or 19 mm pipework.
The filter inside is infinitely reusable, and easily cleanable.
Contact: 01933 685849, www.thepipercrossshop.co.uk
18
Spring 2024
£9 (500ml) Dodo Juice
Glass cleaning sprays are normally
detergent or vinegar based but
industrial strength glass cleaners
are jam-packed with alcohol for a
smear-free finish – and that’s exactly
what’s inside the Clearly Menthol
grime-fighting concoction. Easy to
apply, easier to remove, it leaves
a sparkling, residue-free finish
once it’s worked its magic, and it
smells good, too. Available in 100ml
and 500ml ready to go sprays.
Contact: dodo juice.net
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SHOW PREVIEW
COME JOIN
THE PARTY!
SUNDAY, MAY 12: SOUTH OF ENGLAND SHOWGROUND, WEST SUSSEX, UK
ENTER THE GREAT UNVEILING!
The Classic Ford Show may be two months away, but when you’ve
got a deadline to finish a fresh classic Ford build, that’s no time at all.
With that in mind, we’re on the lookout for new projects and rebuilds
that will be finished in time for this year’s show. The best five will
then be revealed one-by-one at a ceremony in front of thousands of
enthusiasts at the show. Prior to the unveiling, the cars will be kept
under wraps so as not to spoil the surprise, and after the show all
will be photographed for exclusive, full features in Classic Ford.
What we’re looking for
Classic Fords with a genuine wow factor. So anything from a heavilymodified competition car, a trick custom job, or even a ground-up
restoration — we’ll consider anything. Standard or modified, built by
yourself in a shed or with the help of your mates, it doesn’t matter, as
long as it will turn heads and can be finished in time for the show.
Crucially though, your car must be
fresh from a rebuild or restoration, and
not have been seen publicly before. So
if you’ve been documenting the rebuild
on social media, a website or in a club
mag, please don’t apply unless you
haven’t revealed too much and you’re
happy to stop publishing the build.
Think you’ve got something
suitable? Then get in touch using
the contact details below!
How do I enter?
Reckon you’re well on the way to
finishing something special?
Email photos and details to us at:
classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk.
20
Spring 2024
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TICKETS
ARE ON
SALE NOW!
GO TO:
CLASSICFOR
SHOW.CO.U D
K
HOW TO
GET THERE
By Road
CLUB DISPLAYS
The show would be nothing without the
classic Ford clubs, which provide the
backbone of the whole old Ford scene.
Every year, thousands of club members
swarm to the show from all corners of the
globe, whatever the weather, to join their
respective classic Ford club stands. There are
Best Club Stand and Best Regional Club Stand
awards given out on the day. Plus club
members can win the Club Hero award, too!
Put some time aside to wander round the
100-or-so club stands and we guarantee you’ll
be impressed... and have sore feet.
To find out how to book a stand for your
classic Ford club, go to
www.classicfordshow.co.uk.
The main entrance to the South of
England Event Centre is on the B2028
Selsfield Road close to the centre of
Ardingly village. For Sat Nav use RH17
6TL. From the M25, exit at junction 7
and follow the M23 towards Brighton.
Leave at junction 10 and take the A264
towards East Grinstead. After
approximately two miles turn right
onto the B2028. After passing through
the villages of Turners Hill and Selsfield
Common you will arrive at the South Of
England Event Centre on your right.
By Rail
The nearest railway station is
Haywards Heath which is on the
main line between London Victoria
and Brighton.
MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT
The main show takes place on the Sunday,
but what could be better than making a
weekend of it? Bring along a tent and pitch
it up in the designated campsite, and start
the festivities a day early! The campsite
will be open from 12 pm on Saturday, and
in the evening the bar and funfair will be
open for talks, films and much more.
How much? Camping £20 per pitch
Where from? Book your camping tickets
in advance at www.classicfordshow.
co.uk, or turn up and pay on the day.
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FIND OUT
MORE
For show tips, inspiration and a full
rundown of what’s on, plus discounted
entry and club tickets go to
www.classicfordshow.co.uk
Spring 2024
21
OF THE
55 YEARS
CAPRI
Celebrating Ford’s iconic coupe
THANKS
To Pete at Capri Club Scotland
www.capriclubscotland.co.uk
INSIDE
A
lthough the Capri was launched
55 years ago, somehow it
doesn’t seem possible. How can
a car which is so old, continue to look
so sleek, attractive and desirable?
Yet it’s true — the original 2+2 coupe
was launched in January 1969, all that
time ago, with Ford advertising it as ‘The
Car You Always Promised Yourself’, and
with deliveries beginning in March of the
same year — perfect timing then for our
tribute to this truly-iconic Blue Oval.
Incredibly, the Capri would remain on
sale for more than 18 years, and would
be built both in the UK and in Germany,
with total sales ending up at more than 1.9
million, and now, 38 years after the last
Capri drove out of the Cologne factory,
we pay tribute over the following pages.
Here’s to the next 55...
24
26
34
36
44
52
54
100
124
144
The major milestones
The Mk1
Famous Capris
The Mk2
The Mk3
Advertising and the Capri
Buying guide
Gordon Spice’s Group 1 3-litre
Tickford Capri restoration
Parting shot: Project Colt
CAPRI TIMELINE
CAPRI THROUGH
THE YEARS
Throughout the Capri’s three generations, many milestones were
reached — here are the major ones, starting at the very beginning...
1967
SEPTEMBER 1961
Ford’s first use of the Capri name
tag was on the Classic-based coupe,
sold in GT form for a time. The
Classic saloon had that characteristic
reverse-slope rear window style.
Mechanically, there were few links
with the Capri which was to follow
Prototype Colt starts development.
Inspired by the Ford-USA Mustang,
the British Capri family took shape in
1967. Except for a slight change to the
side window profile, all Mk1s (with
engines from 1.3-litres to 3.1-litres)
would use the same basic structure,
based on a Cortina/Corsair floorpan.
Seating was a compact 2+2 layout
1960
MARCH 1970
The motorsport fun begins, as works
cars packing 2.9-litre Cologne engines
start winning European Touring Car
Championship races
1970
JANUARY
1969
‘The car you always
promised yourself’
is launched, with
prototypes on display
featuring BDA motors
in the engine bay.
Sadly, this option
never materialised
SEPTEMBER 1972
The Mk1 gets a facelift, with the millionth Capri build
soon after. Oh, and the 2.9 wins in the ETCC again
OCTOBER
1969
The 3000GT
joins the line-up,
packing 3 litres of
Essex-powered
loveliness in
among the
numerous fourpot variants
24
Spring 2024
NOVEMBER
1974
The Mk2 Capri
is launched,
now with a
hatchback rear
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NOVEMBER 1973
The RS3100 is released, with 148
bhp 3.1-litre Essex and ducktail
spoiler. It’s a homologation special
for the 3.4-litre GAA-engined
ETCC, and became an instant
legend, The race cars packed 455
bhp and won four long-distance
ETCC races. Dominance
MARCH 1981
The launch of the mighty 2.8i. It’s the first
UK-market version of the Capri to get the
Cologne engine, and the first to be fitted with
fuel injection. The 3000 and Ghia models are
dropped from the range
OCTOBER 1976
Production at Halewood comes to an end, with all
future Capri production being taken up by Cologne.
398,440 rolled off the lines in Liverpool
DECEMBER 1986
The final Capri rolls off the
production line at Cologne
1980
1990
MARCH 1978
The Mk3 is launched,
which is essentially
a facelifted Mk2
with alternative
headlights and
equipment revision
FEBRUARY 1984
The real daddy Capri, the
Tickford, is launched, with
limited production running
until 1987. Packing a 205 bhp
blown Cologne, bodykit and
more leather than a Lovejoy
convention, it splits opinion
but was an instant icon
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FEBRUARY 1987
The 280, which was built at the end of 1986
using the final shells in Cologne, goes on sale in
the UK. It was instantly collectable, with a little
over 1000 cars thought to have been sold
Spring 2024
25
Words Dan Williamson Main photo Adrian Brannan
CAPRI MK1
26
GIANT
STEPS
The Mk1: buoyed by the success of the Mustang in the
US, Ford of UK and Europe set out to produce their
own take, changing the motoring landscape forever.
Spring 2024
t was 1964. Great Britain was boring.
And although the newfangled pop
music was waking up the kids,
their parents were so poor that they
could only see in black and white.
Everyday cars were equally bland; yes,
the Jaguar E-Type was a sensation and,
yes, the Lotus Cortina was the stuff of
pipe dreams, but our nation was driving
around in humdrum three-box saloons.
Meanwhile, our American cousins
were hitting a peak period of car culture.
Hot rodding was cool, muscle cars were
burning rubber, and a new class of socalled pony car was selling millions. Ford’s
Mustang, introduced in April 1964, was
I
big news as much for its fabulous looks
and affordability in six-cylinder form as
its power as a street-racing Shelby V8.
Of course. the pony car’s attributes of
rear-wheel drive, sporty styling, a long
bonnet, low-priced entry-levels, multiple
options and underpinnings based on massproduced parts shared with mainstream
models weren’t lost on the famously
penny-pinching Ford Motor Company.
Pony cars were designed for form
over function; they were aspirations for
working folk. And in the UK and Europe,
still recovering from two world wars,
normal people could allow themselves
to dream of flashy sports cars.
Ford in Britain had already toyed with a
glamorous coupé based on commonplace
components: the Consul Capri of 1961, a
pillarless four-seater with curved roof and,
in GT guise, a Cosworth-tuned engine. But
most of its DNA was shared with the Consul
Classic 315, which was deemed too expensive
to manufacture. The classy Capri was killed
in summer 1964 and quickly forgotten.
In the meantime, Ford had launched the
Cortina in the UK, which was as incredibly
successful for its low production costs as for
its smart packaging and dynamic abilities. It
made sense, then, when Ford USA demanded
a European version of the Mustang, that
the Cortina was the perfect starting point.
Spring 2024
27
CAPRI MK1
Project Colt — named in obvious reference
to its Stateside influence — was given the
go-ahead in November 1964. Ford’s studios
in Britain, Germany and America were told
to get scribbling, with styling proposals
picked in 1965, and the green light given
for full-scale development in July 1966.
Unlike the Cortina — which was a sole UK
product — the new coupé would be a joint
venture between Great Britain and Germany.
Prototypes were created around existing
Cortinas, using tried-and-tested four-cylinder
engines, from 1.3 to (Corsair) 2-litre V4,
and four-speed manual transmission. The
suspension was lowered and widened,
retaining MacPherson front struts, rear
leaf springs and a live axle. Even the
wheels were regular 4.5x13 inch steels.
Thankfully, following the incoming
Escort, Ford equipped the new coupé
with rack-and-pinion steering to enhance
the ownership experience, especially
given the car’s sporty driving position.
And while the cabin was crafted to give
space for four adults, the low-slung bodywork
was continually tweaked for sleek style and
better back-seat visibility. The
resulting iconic curved
rear windows settled
the final shape in
autumn 1967,
aiming for a launch
the following year.
But there was still one
small detail: the name Colt
had already been bagged
by Mitsubishi, so Ford delved
into the not-so-distant past and came
up with an evocative badge: Capri.
It was perfect for the iconic advertising
tagline on its January 1969 unveiling:
the car you always promised yourself,.
Production had begun in November 1968,
at Halewood in Liverpool and Cologne in
Germany. Specifications were similar, although
engines were an obvious difference: while
British buyers could choose between 1300
or 1600cc Crossflows or a 2-litre V4, the
whole German range was vee-powered: 1.3,
1.5 and 1.7 V4s, plus 2-litre and 2.3 V6s.
It wasn’t until September 1969 that the
UK could get behind the wheel of a V6 Capri
Proven mechanicals in a
stylish package — classic
Blue Oval tactics in the late
1960s and early 1970s.
— the Zodiac-sourced 3-litre Essex, pushing
out 128 bhp. It was accompanied by a bonnet
bulge, stiffer suspension and fatter tyres.
Press reaction to the Capri was initially
reserved — dismissing it as a rebodied
Cortina — but the public’s response
The GXL saw the introduction
of quad headlamps —later
shared by the RS3100 (right).
Built in Germany and sold in North
America under the Mercury brand,
the Capri sold relatively well
Stateside. Special (left) was the
first of the limited-editions.
28
Spring 2024
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By the early 1970s, Ford had switched to the overheadcam Pinto engine for most of the non-V6 range.
was fabulous, and punters were eager to
personalise their Capri from a range of
option packs. Tuners were soon on the scene,
too, upping power and dropping in everlarger engines; Jeff Uren’s V8 conversion
claimed a 0-60 mph sprint of 5.8 seconds.
Even Ford got in on the act. BDApowered Capris were trialed in rallycross,
including four-wheel drive, but the costs
for road-going versions were prohibitive,
especially compared with V6 variants.
Later, the fabled RS2600 would be
created for motorsport and homologated as
a German production car; later still, in 1973,
Britain’s AVO (Advanced Vehicle Operations)
would unleash the RS3100, which with a
148 bhp 3091cc powerplant and ducktail
spoiler, would become a Blue Oval legend.
As for mainstream models, September
1970 saw option packs re-organised into
trim levels, along with power increases
for Crossflow engines plus a luxurious
3000E to top the range; 3-litre machines
received more grunt the following year.
By 1972 the Capri was revealing wrinkles,
so Ford gave it a makeover with 151 fresh
parts: the headlamps were enlarged, the
Escort back lights were replaced with
larger units, there was a new Granadatype dashboard and improved seats.
A Pinto powerplant replaced the
1.6 Crossflow, but the 2-litre V4 GT
remained alongside the 3-litre, which
gained a better gearbox. The suspension
was softened, and trim levels were again
reworked; the luxurious GXL replaced the
3000E, adding four round headlamps.
By then, the Capri had become almost
as successful as its Mustang sibling. It was
built and sold around the world — America,
Australia and South Africa, where Perana
V8 conversions became superstars — with
mainstream Mk1 production ending in 1973,
after roughly 1,209,100 had left the lines.
It was the original, but was it the best? Its
1974 successor seemed to suggest it was…
Custom X, L and R packs allowed buyers to
personalise their Capris to an almost unique degree.
The Capri was soon making its mark on the
race tracks, with the RS2600 in Europe, and
earlier one-make races in the UK (below).
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Spring 2024
29
MK1 CAPRI MODEL GUIDE
From the poverty-spec 1300cc base model through to the sumptuous
3-litre GXL, here’s your guide to the original Capri line-up.
Words Dan Williamson, Graham Leigh XL photos Adrian Brannan
1300/1600/2000/3000
GT (PRE-FACELIFT)
ENGINE CAPACITY:
1297cc, 1599cc, 1996cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1968 to 1972
PRICE WHEN NEW:
£985 (1300GT, 1969)
RARITY RATING: lllll
GT spec was a Mk1 must-have, featuring
a Weber carb, four-branch exhaust
manifold and high-lift cam – producing
64 bhp from the 1300GT or 82 bhp in the
1600GT (72 bhp/86 bhp from September
1970). There was also a troublesome
2000GT from 1969, with a 93 bhp Corsair
V4 powerplant and 107 mph capability.
GTs gained a close-ratio gearbox (in the
1600/2000GT), servo brakes (added to the
1300GT in 1970), radial tyres, six-dial dash,
stainless pedals, two-speed wipers, door
armrests, centre console, clock and fag
lighter. Most came with XL or XLR packs.
The big bruiser 114 mph 3000GT
arrived in September 1969, adding a 128
bhp Essex V6, bonnet bulge, uprated
suspension, body strengthening, a
bigger fuel tank, and 140 mph speedo; its
power was upped to 138 bhp in October
1971, meaning 122 mph top speed.
CUSTOM PLANS:
L, X, XL, R, XLR
1300/1600
(PRE-FACELIFT)
ENGINE CAPACITY:
1297cc, 1599cc, 1996cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1968 to 1972
PRICE WHEN NEW: £15 (L), £32
(X), £44 (XL), £39 (R), £79 (XLR)
RARITY RATING: lllll
ENGINE CAPACITY:
1297cc or 1599cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1968 to 1972
PRICE WHEN NEW:
£890 (1300, 1969)
RARITY RATING: lllll
Buying a Capri was easy as A, B, C –
Ford pushed option packages (called
Custom Plans) by making nine models
readily available from the dealer, and
all others special order. Custom Plans
were offered on the base Capri or GT,
usually in combinations marked out on
front wing badges: L, X, XL, R or XLR.
The L gave bumper overriders, dummy
side vents, foot-operated wash/wipe.
X added twin horns, reversing lights,
contoured rear seat, reclining fronts, and
dipping interior mirror. R (available only
on the GT) meant matt black grille, sills and
rear panel, optional matt black bonnet, map
light, leather steering wheel, and 5x13 inch
Rostyle wheels. Custom Plans were reduced
to L, XL or GT XLR in September 1970.
Ford’s ‘car you always promised yourself’
turned out to be a base-model Capri (known
to Ford as Deluxe) with a 1300 or 1600cc
Crossflow (52 bhp or 64 bhp) under its plain
bonnet, mated to a four-speed manual
gearbox (auto was optional on 1.6s). There
were rectangular headlamps, 4.5x13 inch
steel wheels, two-dial instrumentation
(110 mph speedo for the 1300; 120 mph
for the 1.6), vinyl bucket seats and a
bench in the back. Rostyles, brake servo
and reclining seats were optional.
Metric engines were fitted from
September 1970, now quoted as 57 bhp
(1300cc) and 68 bhp (1600). Base-spec
Capris were built to order – showroom
cars came with L or XL Custom Plans
– and are now extremely rare.
3000E
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1970 to 1972
PRICE WHEN NEW: £1513
RARITY RATING: lllll
Packed full of Ford goodies and the
finest Essex V6 engine configuration,
the Executive Capri was perhaps the
UK’s ultimate pre-facelift Mk1.
Launched in March 1970, the
range-topping 3000E was based on
30
Spring 2024
the GT XLR, minus the matt black
bonnet and map reading lamp.
The typical Mk1 mock-wood trim was
swapped for a black fascia and centre
console, cut-pile carpets, unique seats
(often with optional cloth centres),
distinctive door cards and rear panels with
armrest ashtrays. There was a push-button
radio, heated rear windscreen, opening
rear quarter windows, underbonnet light,
and carpeted boot with lamp. A black vinyl
roof was optional at extra cost, as was a
desirable sliding steel sunroof. Magnificent.
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SPECIAL
L (FACELIFT)
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1599cc,
1996cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1971 to 1972
PRICE WHEN NEW: £1299
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
ENGINE CAPACITY:
1297cc or 1593cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1972 to 1973
PRICE WHEN NEW:
£1118 (1300L, 1972)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Funky and fruity, the Capri Special
appeared in September 1971,
commonly called Vista Orange Special
thanks to its tangy paint scheme.
Based on a 2000GT, 1200 Specials
were built. All had a back vinyl roof plus
fabric upholstery, radio and heated
rear windscreen; a rear spoiler and rear
window slats could be dealer-fitted.
A second edition burst out in June
1972, known as Special or S and based
on the 1600GT, 2000GT or 3000GT XLR in
Ebony Black with Ruby Red interior and
red coachline or Light Emerald Green with
black interior/gold stripe. A black vinyl
roof was standard, as were bonnet bulge,
export-spec side repeaters, opening rear
quarters, cloth seats and 3000E dash.
Softened and sanitised, the Mk1 facelift
arrived in September 1972, with Capri
L starting a rationalised range. The
power-bulge bonnet, bigger back lights,
larger rectangular headlamps, smaller
dummy louvres and black back panel
were standard, as were a Granada-type
dash with glovebox, two-spoke steering
wheel and passenger vanity mirror.
Underneath was a rear ARB in place of
radius rods, and comfier spring rates.
Crossflow-powered 1300Ls (57 bhp)
were joined by Cortina-spec Pinto-engined
1600Ls (72 bhp). Wheels were 5x13 inch
steels with hubcaps and radial tyres on the
1.6, but crossplies and non-servo brakes
still hampered the 1.3. No Custom Plan was
available, but loads of options were offered.
GT (FACELIFT)
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc, 1996cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1972 to 1973
PRICE WHEN NEW: £1371 (1600GT, 1972)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Ford’s Grand Tourer had grown up, ditching the 1300
engine and swapping the 1.6 Crossflow for a Pinto with
twin-choke Weber – making 88 bhp and 106 mph. The V4
2000GT (92 bhp but little advantage over 1.6) and V6 3000GT
remained (now with 140 bhp) but the latter came with a
better gearbox (Consul instead of Zodiac-sourced).
Rectangular headlamps and plain rims echoed the facelifted
XL but the GT gained black grille and sills, black fascia, sixclock dash, centre console, clock and leather-rimmed steering
wheel. A sports ‘R’ custom pack added sculptured (‘dartboard’
design) steel wheels, twin auxiliary lamps below the bumper,
bodyside stripe, map reading light and leather-effect gearknob.
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GXL (FACELIFT)
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1972 to 1973
PRICE WHEN NEW: £1824
(3000GXL, 1972)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Undoubtedly the ultimate mainstream
Mk1, the flagship facelift GXL took over
where the 3000E left off – combining
3000GT basics with stacks of standard kit.
The 140 bhp V6 was mandatory, mated to
manual or autobox. Quad round headlamps
distinguished the front, while sports steel
wheels, bodyside rubbing strips, opening
rear quarter windows and heated rear
screen were stock. Ford also supplied a
push-button radio, cowl-side map pockets,
wood-effect fascia, ashtrays in the rear
armrests, underbonnet and boot lamps, and
a map reading lamp. Many GXLs were fitted
with optional fabric upholstery (cloth centres
within vinyl surrounds) and black vinyl roof,
which became standard from April 1973.
RS3100
ENGINE CAPACITY: 3091cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1973
PRICE WHEN NEW: £2412
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Cosworth-tuned and completely gorgeous, the RS3100 was
a homologation special for European touring car racing: 1000
were required, but Ford bent the rules and produced just 248 at
Halewood, UK. A successor to the German-built RS2600, the
RS3100 was developed around the facelifted 3000GT by Advanced
Vehicle Operations (AVO) in Aveley. Its Essex V6 was bored out to
3091cc, the compression ratio was raised, and grunt increased to
148 bhp; its top speed was 125 mph.
RS2600-type underpinnings included Bilstein dampers, 1 inch
lower springs, ventilated front brakes and 6x13 inch four-spoke
alloy wheels. Its GT-type cabin added black headlining, while the
body gained a ducktail spoiler, black bootlid, front airdam, black
quarter bumpers, quad headlamps and gold decals.
Spring 2024
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MK1 MODEL GUIDE
XL (FACELIFT)
ENGINE CAPACITY:
1593cc
YEARS PRODUCED:
1972 to 1973
PRICE WHEN NEW:
£1238 (1600XL, 1972)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
With the Facelift Mk1s, gone were
Custom Plans, and in came the XL as
a Mk1 Capri in its own right – now in
full facelift format with big rectangular
headlamps, larger rear lamp clusters
and requisite bonnet bulge. Closely
based on the 1.6L – offered only with
1.6 Pinto powerplant – the XL retained
the overriders and fake-wood-grained
dashboard plus illuminated heater
controls and handbrake warning lamp.
Much of the XL pack remained, including
twin-tone horns, dipping rear-view mirror
and reclining front seats, now joined by
contoured rear seat with folding armrest
instead of the Capri L’s back bench.
Plain hubcaps were stock, but sports
steels were a quintessential option.
THIS ONE’S MINE ROGER KELSEY
The Capri is a national treasure and
there’s often nostalgia at play when a
purchase is made. Roger is no exception:
“This isn’t my first Capri. After leaving
school in 1966, I did an engineering
apprenticeship with Ford Motor Company
at their training school in Harold Hill,
Essex. In 1972, now earning an eyewatering £2500 a year, I decided to
splash out and, via Ford Motor Credit,
spent the princely sum of £1050 on
an ex-management Daytona Yellow
Capri 1600GT XLR with 4037 miles on
the clock. In 1976, having married and
started a family, I reluctantly sold it and
bought a more practical family car. In
February 2020, I came across KML590K
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Spring 2024
while browsing classic cars for sale. It
reminded me so much of my first Capri
almost 50 years before that I had to have
it, even though it cost me more than
ten times the price of my first Capri.”
“I’ve had the interior tidied up with a few
seat repairs, some repairs to the instrument
panel and parcel shelf, fitted inertia reel seat
belts and an electric screen wash plus some
tidying up under the bonnet. Other than
that, most of what you see today is the result
of all the hard work of the previous owner.”
It’s proved to be a reliable classic, with
Roger experiencing no real issues. He’s
fitted a new water pump and dynamo and
had the car tuned on a rolling road to make
the most of that diminutive powerplant.
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GERMAN CAPRI
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1293cc, 1305cc, 1498cc,
1593cc, 1699cc, 1998cc, 2293cc or 2550cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1969 to 1974
PRICE WHEN NEW: £N/A
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
RS2600
Saarlouis-built Capris had similar trim to home-market Halewood
Mk1s but smaller brakes, softer suspension and alternative
engines: a 50 bhp 1305cc V4, 1498cc V4 (60 bhp) or 75 bhp 1699cc
(V4). Cologne V6s appeared in May 1969, in 2-litre (85 bhp or 90
bhp) or 2.3-litre (108 bhp) form. Bonnet bulges and matt-black
trim were common. September 1969’s 2300GT boasted 125 bhp,
superseded in 1970 by an equally-powerful 2600GT. September
1972 saw V4s replaced with 1293cc (55 bhp) and 1.6 Pinto (72 bhp
or 88 bhp in GT spec) powerplants, produced alongside 2.3, 2.6
and 3-litre (Essex) V6s. Want more? The Ford-approved Michael
May-tuned 2.3 turbo offered 180 bhp to 250 bhp in a Mk1. Crikey!
Hardcore homologation special, the RS2600 was not only the
most-powerful road-going Mk1 (150 bhp), it was also a motorsport
monster, packing 325 bhp in race trim.
AVO-engineered but German built, the RS2600 had Cologne
2637cc V6 with 10:1 compression ratio, Kugelfischer fuel-injection,
alloy manifolds and modified suspension. No bumpers but
quad headlamps, Scheel seats, alloy wheels, matt black stripes
and bonnet.
Fifty lightweight ‘Plastikbombe’ RS2600s were built, with
fibreglass panels, perspex windows and single-coat paint, but
deleted heaters and carpets. Road cars were revised in 1971,
featuring softer suspension, quarter bumpers, four-spoke alloys,
vented discs and a better gearbox.
Just three (of 3532) RS2600s were converted to RHD; here they’re
massively under-appreciated yet truly magnificent.
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2637cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1970 to 1974
PRICE WHEN NEW: £NA
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
PERANA
MERCURY CAPRI
ENGINE CAPACITY: 4949cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1970 to 1972
PRICE WHEN NEW: R4450 (1970)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1599cc, 1993cc, 2550cc or 2792cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1970 to 1974
PRICE WHEN NEW: $2300 (1970)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Fabled and fearsome, this South African muscle car was created
by Johannesburg-based tuner, dealer, racer and quick-thinking
businessman Basil Green.
Mating imported Capri 3000Es to 5-litre V8 motors from locallymade Ford Fairlanes, Green added a high-lift cam and Holley carb to
kick out 281 bhp and 142 mph. A Mustang gearbox, Ford Falcon axle
and LSD put grunt to the ground.
Lowered suspension, a quick rack, Rostyle rims and black stripes
were part of the package, and spoilers were optional; an all-black
cabin included a Perana-badged steering wheel. Homologated
for motorsport (500-plus were built), Peranas were so fast on track
(scooping lap records on every circuit) that they got banned.
Europe’s baby Mustang was sold alongside the real deal in the
USA, when Ford imported Capris and flogged them through
Lincoln-Mercury dealers. Federalised with quad headlamps,
indicators in the grille and sidelights on the front wings, early
cars featured a 71 bhp 1.6 Crossflow, which was derided by
buyers for poor performance. A 2-litre Pinto (100 bhp) appeared
in 1971, with optional automatic transmission. The Cologne
2.6 V6 was added in 1972, producing just 107 bhp thanks to
emissions laws (the 1.6 was now 64 bhp; the 2-litre only 86 bhp).
Safety legislation brought dodgem bumpers in 1973/4 (front/
rear), air conditioning was optional, and the Cologne 2.8 replaced
the 2.6, complete with an EGR system and a pitiful 105 bhp.
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Spring 2024
33
FAMOUS CAPRIS
STAR TURNS
Whether it was the small screen or race track, Capris were making
headlines throughout the decades. Here are some of the standout cars.
THE PROFESSIONALS 3.0S
A slicker version of The Sweeney,
but with more dubious plotlines, The
Professionals was responsible for many
a youth lusting after a Mk3 Capri in the
late 1970s and early 1980s. Starring
Lewis Collins, Martin Shaw and Gordon
Jackson as members of government
agency, CI5, Ford landed the PR coup
of the decade when they were allowed
to supply all the vehicles for the drama
series. Naturally, Ford Of Britain’s output
featured heavily throughout the show’s
six-year run. Bodie had a silver 3.0S from
the off, but it took a few episodes for
Doyle to swap his white Mk2 RS2000 for
a bronze 3.0S. There was no stopping
them after that with plenty of tail-sides,
flung-open driver’s doors, diving across
bonnets and that lovely V6 rumble.
Where are they now? Various cars and
registration plates were used during
filming, and as a result the survival rate
was pretty good, with at least four known
to have survived.
ONLY FOOLS & HORSES 2-LITRE GHIA
Remember a time when it was possible to
pick up a usable Capri for £400? Only Fools
and Horses fans do — January 27, 1991, to
be precise… for that was the date that that
the episode entitled ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s
My Uncle’ first aired. Contained within is
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Spring 2024
the scene in which main character, Del Boy
(played by David Jason) first acquires the
soon-to-be-legendary Capri Ghia. Mistyeyed fans will fondly remember how Boycie
sells Del Boy a clapped-out banger — soon
to be dubbed The Pratmobile — which had
been traded in and was destined for the
crusher; however, for the princely sum of
£400 our hero is able to snaffle the keys,
turning the Trotter family into a two-car
household again, alongside the iconic
Reliant Regal van. What started as a Mk2
soon morphed into a Mk3 (actually a 2.0S)
but wearing the same numberplates,
tiger-skin-effect interior and all manner of
stick-on tat that you could buy from a motor
factors back in the day.
Where are they now? Both the Mk2 and
Mk3 survive, though the former is rotten
beyond saving. The Mk3 is still in rude
health however, and The Pratmobile sits
within a private collection along with the
show’s original Reliant Regal van.
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THE 4X4 RALLYCROSS CARS
Rallycross? Do you remember when it was
a popular winter’s Saturday-afternoon
TV sport? High performance cars and
mud somehow didn’t go together, but the
sideways antics of the heroic drivers was
enthralling. Ford at Boreham, which missed
nothing in those days, jumped on the
original rallycross wagon with Escort Twin
Cams, but it was traction that was missing.
Competitions Manager, Henry Taylor that
put two and two together at the end of 1968,
even before the Capri was launched. He
knew that Ford had already been working
with Harry Ferguson Research to develop
Capri 4x4 road cars, but that the project had
stalled. Having begged a prototype Capri
from the press fleet, he got his mechanics to
insert a V6 engine and the latest HFR fourwheel-drive transmission.
The first car ran at Croft in February 1969,
in front of ITV cameras, where Roger Clark
used it to win three races. Four weeks later,
not one but two Capri 4x4s appeared, but
they didn’t win that weekend.
A year later Boreham had built three cars,
all fiercer than the originals. Two of them
had 212 bhp, 3-litre engines, but Roger’s
car had 252 bhp from 3.1-litres. Dominant
where the regulations were not stacked
against them, and with enough traction
to win the Sunday Express/ITV rallycross
series in 1970/1971. But that was that. With
Boreham far too busy with BDA-engined
Escorts, the Capri 4x4s were sold off.
Where are they now? One of the later cars
is known to have survived and lives in an
undisclosed location.
THE RS3100 RACE CARS
MINDER 2.0S
Arthur Daley may have preferred Jags,
but his minder, Terry McCann, was very
much a Capri man. In the 1979 TV series
from the off, Terry buys a white 2.0S (with
optional vinyl roof), registered SLE 71R
from Arthur in the opening credits and
never looks back. Terry later graduated to
a gold, then white Mk3, but it is always the
Mk2 that is best remembered.
Where is it now? Rediscovered in the
1990s, it was subsequently restored, then
rebuilt after an underbonnet fire in 2021.
The RS3100 was a great race car, killed
off before its time by the Energy Crisis. In
the end, there were no events for them
to race in, and the major opposition —
BMW — just faded away. Compared with
BMW, they needed more power, so Ford
and Cosworth found a lot more. First of
all, Ford-UK produced enough 3.1-litre
lumps with vast rear spoilers to gain
homologation, then Cosworth produced
the 3.4-litre GA V6, which had twin-cams
per bank and four-valves per cylinder —
and 420 bhp then later 455 bhp.
Ford-Germany did a wonderful job with
the aerodynamics, adding new front and
rear spoilers, massive air vents for the rear
brakes, coil-over rear suspension, tested
assiduously at the Nürburgring to get the
handling right — then looked around for
races to win. Unhappily, European touring
car racing imploded after the Energy Crisis
arrived, so the cars were unemployed.
Even so in two years, 1974 and 1975, the
works cars started 17 races and won
eight of them outright. They were
charismatic, and ultra-rare, monsters,
which would be Ford’s fastest
homologated cars until the Sierra RS500
Cosworth arrived a decade later.
Where are they now? A handful have
survived, and continue to be used, some
competitively.
THE ZAKSPEED RACE CARS
The red, yellow and black race car first
shown to the European media in 1978
was simply monstrous - 10 inches wider
than a road car, several inches lower —
and with a 370 bhp turbocharged BDA
engine. That was just the start, for several
iterations later, and within two years, the
same cars would have 600 bhp. Germany’s
version of Group 5 allowed a car to look
something like a road version, but to be
very different everywhere else — different
chassis, brakes and different aero package
— with totally different engines. Zakspeed,
therefore, decided to start from scratch,
first with a multi-tube spaceframe chassis
to which some Capri body panels were
welded, including state of the art Capri
race car suspension, and then with a
turbocharged BDA engine for the power.
Careful reading of the regulations
(where a ‘factor’ of 1.4 was applied to turbo
engines to give them an equivalent new
capacity of 2-litres) showed that a 1428cc
BDA engine would just do the trick. And
so it did, by producing 370 bhp. This was
just the start, for in 1980 a 1.75-litre BDA
was ruled to be equivalent to 2.5-litres,
and since Zakspeed’s engineers were
now offering 560 to 600 bhp, no-one was
complaining. Even the early Zakspeed car
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could reach up to 170 mph when suitably
geared, and the final 600 bhp machines
could easily beat 200 mph, though this was
rarely necessary...
Where are they now? At least two have
known to have survived, with another two
recreated in recent years using largely
original parts.
Spring 2024
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Words Dan Williamson Main photo Adrian Brannan
CAPRI MK2
36
ROOM
TO GROW
The Mk2: bigger, better-specced and thanks to the
addition of a tailgate, easier to live with, too.
Spring 2024
C
liched, maybe, but rock music’s
second-album syndrome
tends to bite harder than even
the sequel to a blockbuster movie.
Can a new car ever capture the magic
of its iconic first generation?
Perhaps not. Ford had already experienced
an especially difficult follow-up to its
phenomenal Mustang, when the Mustang II
of September 1973 turned out to be more
shopping trolley than muscle-bound brawler.
Yet the Blue Oval still played down
sportiness for the second-generation Capri of
January 1974, in part due to a worldwide fuel
crisis but more to broaden the Capri’s appeal
for families and fleets. Sales of the Mk1 had
been slipping because more manufacturers
had waded into the coupé battle: Opel’s
Manta, Lancia’s Beta, Renault’s 15/17,
Volkswagen’s Scirocco and even Reliant’s
Capri-engined Scimitar GTE would soon all
be fighting for the Mk2’s would-be buyers.
With work on the new Capri —
codenamed Diana — beginning in 1970,
Ford designers tackled the original car’s
perceived weaknesses to increase its British
market share; whereas Germany targeted a
youthful audience, the UK needed allround usability. Crucially, cabin and luggage
space was too small for a car of its size, and
rearward visibility was still a complaint.
The solution was as clear as it was practical:
a hinged tailgate with a large window
and vastly increased access to the boot.
Stylists penned crisp, clean lines, keeping
an obviously familiar shape and rectangular
headlamps but de-cluttering by deleting
the scalloped swages and dummy vents
— although the distinctive bonnet bulge
kept pride of place. Overall dimensions
increased by 2 inches width, an inch height
and a little length. The rear track was wider,
there was much more glass, and significant
strengthening was introduced to replace
rigidly lost by cutting hole for the hatchback.
The resulting increase in weight was
hampered by aerodynamics inferior to
the car’s predecessor. Yet there wasn’t
a power hike to redress the balance.
Like the outgoing Capri, the Mk2 was
offered as a four-cylinder 1.3 Crossflow (57
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CAPRI MK2
bhp), 1.6 Pinto (72 bhp or 88 bhp in GT
guise), or 2-litre – now a Pinto in place of the
V4, pushing out 98 bhp. The Essex V6 also
returned, boasting 138 bhp; German Capris
received a 2.3-litre Cologne V6 instead.
Understandably, performance suffered,
although a close-ratio gearbox and variations
in diff ratios numbed the pain. If you wanted
an even slower Capri, there was the option
of a three-speed automatic on all engines
except the 1300, but now Ford’s C3 in
place of the Mk1’s Borg Warner 35.
Braking was upgraded to cope with the
added kilos, including larger front discs
matched to the same 9 inch rear drums.
The suspension was again softened for
domesticated buyers, and there was a
new option of power-assisted steering.
The cabin seemed fresher thanks to the
bigger windows, yet the facelifted Mk1’s
dashboard and steering wheel remained.
Fold-flat back seats (split-folding on highspec cars) allowed the Capri to double as an
estate or leisure vehicle, and extra soundproofing saw Ford searching for refinement.
Initially, the firm intended to seek an
executive audience, expecting most Mk2s
to be sold in metallic colours. So to top the
range was a new Ghia, marketed in a separate
brochure and almost always built in Germany.
The theme eschewed sportiness, supplying
The Mk2 was noticeably wider than the Mk1,
offering more room for four occupants.
plush seats and vinyl roof, but was offered
only with 2-litre or 3-litre powerplants.
Further down the range were GT,
XL and L, where Ford hoped to steal
buyers from rivals. Ever-conscious of
competing on price, the firm went all
out on promoting the Capri’s economy,
advertising the entry-level 1300 as ‘a Capri
for the price of an ordinary family saloon’.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Ford
realised the taming of the Capri had gone
too far, with the sportiest variant — the
GT — looking almost identical to the XL.
Enter the Capri GTS of 1975, also
known as JPS thanks to gold highlighting
resembling the contemporary cigarettesponsored Lotus Formula One racer. It
didn’t matter whether it was a 1.6, 2-litre
or 3-litre, the GTS had blacked-out trim,
alloy wheels and uprated suspension. It
was the start of the Capri’s resurgence.
October 1975 saw the Mk2 range
Ford simplified the Mk2 range somewhat,
but the GT model still remained — until
the end of 1975.
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Spring 2024
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The GTS came in distinctive black
and gold livery. This is the Player
version for the US market...
Adding a tailgate increased the
Capri’s practicality. Note huge
safety bumpers on this US model.
Engines ranged from 1300 Crossflows up to the
3-litre Essex (below) carried over from the Mk1.
The now much-covered S version came
with this superb striped cloth trim.
“WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE S
WITH ITS STRIPES AND ALLOYS,
SUDDENLY THE CAPRI WAS COOL AGAIN”
realigned with new models, including an entry-level
base, the GL replacing XL, and S ousting the GT.
Suddenly, the Capri was cool again; with the S’s
stripes, funky seats, alloy rims and (from 1976)
front spoiler, it could genuinely lay claim to being
the car you always promised yourself.
Yet there was no doubt that worldwide Capri
sales were diminishing — especially in the
USA — so Ford ceased Halewood
production, and moved all
European Capri assembly to
Cologne in October 1976.
And within 18 months it was
gone, superseded by the Mk3.
Just 404,169 Mk2s were built,
making it by far the rarest of all
Capri generations. And not just due to
overall numbers; rot took its toll, and the
generally unpopular Mk2 spent most of its life
as an ugly duckling, with owners often revamping
bodywork to look like its replacement: the Capri Mk3.
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Practical classic: Ford played down
the Capri’s sporting aspirations with
the release of the Mk2, highlighting
it’s family-friendly aspects instead. A
mistake it later turned out.
Spring 2024
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MK2 CAPRI MODEL GUIDE
The Mk2 may have been bigger, but Ford set out its stall with a smaller
model range. There was still plenty to choose from though.
Words Dan Williamson, Graham Leigh JPS photos Adrian Brannan
1300/L
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1297cc or
1593cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1974 to 1978
PRICE WHEN NEW: £1731 (1300L,
1975)
RARITY RATING: lllll
Second-generation Capris saw the old
coupé changed into a hatchback, and
somewhat squarer styling.
Entry-level L models lacked charm or
lovability, and the basic Crossflow-engined
1.3 wheezed out 57 bhp, taking 18.7 seconds
to hit 60 mph. The Pinto-powered 1.6 gave
72 bhp/97 mph and servo brakes, but
both wore boring 5x13 inch steel wheels,
rectangular headlamps and vinyl seats.
The sub-L base-spec Capri 1300 from
October 1975 had black bumpers and fabric
trim, while the 1.3/1.6L gained chrome,
sports wheels, servo, driver’s mirror, cloth
recliners, split rear bench, boot mat and
wood-effect dash.
February 1976 meant an Economy engine
for 1300/L, 85 mph top speed and 21.6
seconds from 0-60 mph.
GL
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc or
1993cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1975 to 1978
PRICE WHEN NEW: £2625 (1600GL,
1977)
RARITY RATING: lllll
October 1975’s XL replacement, the GL
took over the trim level but added sports
steel wheels, side rubbing strips, chrome
bumpers with rubber inserts, tailgate wiper,
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GT
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1974 to 1975
PRICE WHEN NEW: £1897 (1975)
RARITY RATING: lllll
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc, 1993cc
or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1974 to 1975
PRICE WHEN NEW: £2155 (2000GT,
1975)
RARITY RATING: lllll
Badge and trim levels initially carried over
from the Mk1 into Mk2, when the XL was
offered only with 72 bhp 1.6-litre Pinto,
plodding to 60 mph in 14.2 seconds and
strolling to an eventual 97 mph.
Closely related to the slightly-cheaper
1.6L with two-clock black dash, the XL
added reclining front seats, black carpets on
the seat backs and boot floor, a dipping rearview mirror, centre console and handbrake
warning light. Outside it was recognised
by black-painted sills, shiny exhaust, matt
black back panel and XL badge. Cloth trim,
sports steel wheels and halogen headlamps
were optional.
XL trim was replaced by GL in October
1975; now unfeasibly rare.
Grand Tourer badging was Getting Tired
but Ford revived it for the Capri II, offered as
before with an 88 bhp 1.6 Pinto (104 mph)
or 3-litre Essex (138 bhp/121 mph, adding
bigger brakes and twin exhausts) but now
with a 2-litre Pinto (98 bhp/108 mph) instead
of the Essex V4.
Too tame to look at, with just halogen
headlamps and GT badges to set it apart
from the XL. Inside was black six-dial
dashboard, perforated headlining, vinyl
recliners, contoured rear seat, padded-rim
steering wheel and centre console with clock.
The Sports Custom pack was an essential
option, adding dartboard (sculpted steel)
wheels, coachlines, tailgate wiper, bumper
overriders and map light.
XL
halogen headlamps, driver’s door mirror,
cloth seats, split/folding back seat, fake
wood two-dial dash, and centre console
with clock. The matt black back panel and
black sills remained.
Automatic transmission was optional,
and GLs could be ordered with a 2-litre Pinto
– in typical 98 bhp spec; the top speed was
108 mph, and 0-60 mph took 10.5 seconds
(slower than the twin-choke Cortina). A
push-button radio was added in October
1976, then it was replaced by the Mk3 GL in
February 1978.
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GTS/JPS
ENGINE CAPACITY:
1593cc, 1993cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1975
PRICE WHEN NEW: £2330
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Iconic and so sexy: the fag-packetbranded Capri GTS, aka Midnight Special
aka Capri John Player Special (JPS). A
GT-based 1.6/2-litre/3-litre (usually 1.6)
forerunner to the S, it celebrated Ford’s
links to JPS-sponsored Lotus Formula
One team, following the racers’ black/
gold theme. All Halewood-built, 2003
examples were produced between
March and June 1975 – most were
black but a quarter of those built were
Diamond White.
The brightwork was blacked out or
replaced with gold, there were gold
coachlines, black/gold seats, black
headlining and 5.5x13 inch alloys: 1.6 and
2-litre models had RS four-spokes with
gold highlights, while 3-litres had black
and gold Ghia eight-spokes. All received
uprated suspension. Smoking!
THIS ONE’S MINE KENNY MULLEN
You know that nostalgia thing that keeps
cropping up? Kenny Mullen has never
really stopped buying Capris, having
owned around 30 over the years. He
does miss those halcyon days of them
being cheap and plentiful though. Kenny
fell into Capris and realised what he
was missing. “The Capri wasn’t my first
choice. I was driving a Mk4 Cortina GLS
but unfortunately, it got stolen. A cheap
Capri came up at the right time which
was my first one and the rest is history.”
Kenny bought this 2-litre Pintopowered example back in 1989 for the
princely sum of £250 with tax and MoT.
As time went on, the Mk2 became a
little tatty with the rigours of all-season
daily duties and it was taken off the
road. “I initially took her off the road
with the intention of carrying out a quick
respray. However, life happened and
the Capri sat under a cover for many
years. When I finally got around to
starting the project, time had taken its
toll. I set about restoring her which took
around three years. Good or bad, it’s all
my own work. I’m pretty happy with it,
for now.” Looks good to us, Kenny!
Often referred to as JPS Capris,
they were officially GTS models that
clearly gave a nod to the livery of the
successful Ford-powered John Player
Special-sponsored Team Lotus Formula
1 cars of the day. Kenny’s example looks
handsome with its boot spoiler, front
S spoiler, four branch manifold and
Kenlowe cooling fan. “Both myself and
my daughter are proud members of
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Capri Club Scotland, a great club with
fantastic members who are always
willing to help. At the moment I own
the Capri, but I have gifted it to Abbie
who will keep the legend alive.”
Spring 2024
41
MK2 MODEL GUIDE
GHIA
S
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc, 1993cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1975 to 1978
PRICE WHEN NEW: £3077 (2.0S, 1977)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Saucy and sexy, the Capri S saw its first appearance in October
1975 as an upgraded GT (essentially a productionised GTS),
adding black bumpers with rubber inserts, twin black door
mirrors, funky side stripes and 12-spoke alloy wheels; there
was also uprated suspension, a three-spoke RS-type steering
wheel, Rialto fabric recliners with headrests, a six-dial dash and
centre console.
Optional black paint was offered to no other Mk2 model. The
GT’s engines remained as a 1.6 (88 bhp), 2-litre (98 bhp) or 3-litre
(138 bhp); the V6 added power steering as a delete option.
October 1976 saw the S gain a radio, Cadiz (deckchair)
upholstery, a front airdam and Ghia-type eight-spoke alloys.
So much want…
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1993cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1974 to 1978
PRICE WHEN NEW: £3099 (3-litre Ghia, 1975)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Ghia became the new Executive Capri, gaining a 2-litre Pinto
powerplant alongside the outgoing 3000E’s Essex V6 (here with
delete-option power steering).
Introduced in May 1974, the German-built Ghia added a vinyl
roof, eight-spoke alloy wheels with black highlights, tinted glass,
opening rear quarter windows, sliding/tilting sunroof, rear wiper,
chrome bumpers (with overriders), bump strips, window surrounds
and chrome-framed grille. Inside were Seventiestastic Rialtotrimmed seats with integral headrests, push-button radio, a leather
steering wheel, extra sound insulation and a parcel shelf.
A remote-control driver’s door mirror and silver alloys were fitted
from October 1975, then automatic became standard on the 3-litre
after April 1976.
MERCURY CAPRI
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2301cc or 2792cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1975 to 1977
PRICE WHEN NEW: $4573 (2.8, 1976)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Federalised Mk2s appeared in 1975 after US dealers spent 1974
flogging overstocked Mk1s. Twin headlamps were mated to ugly
bumpers and grille-mounted indicators; the choice of catalytic
converter-equipped engines was a Pinto-type 2.3-litre Lima (88 bhp)
or 2.8 Cologne V6 (boasting 109 bhp, 0-60 mph in 10.6 seconds, and
twin exhausts). Specs were base, S or Ghia, but Decor packs offered
contoured seats, embossed vinyl and opening rear windows.
Mercury’s Le Cat Black S option echoed the UK’s JPS; the Rally
Cat pack gave a rear spoiler and bonnet/roof stripes. The R/S
added Zakspeed-type flared arches and wide wheels but sadly zero
performance enhancements.
The European-built machine was replaced in 1979 by a Mustangbased Mercury Capri.
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Spring 2024
SERIES X
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1977 to 1978
PRICE WHEN NEW: £9625
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
X-rated and muscle-bound, the wide-boy Mk2 – officially called
Series X but often known as X-pack – came in August 1977 as a highperformance option using goodies from the RS parts catalogue, and
adding £2331 to the price of a regular 3.0 S.
Its Essex V6 rose to 175 bhp/194 lb.ft thanks to bigger inlet and
exhaust valves, triple Weber carbs and an electric fuel pump.
There was a limited-slip differential, ventilated front discs, stiffer
suspension, an anti-dive kit, uprated anti-roll bar, and 7.5x13
inch four-spoke alloys beneath Zakspeed fibreglass wheelarch
extensions. The top speed? A real 130 mph. Zero to 60 mph? Just
7.4 seconds. The looks? Sexy as hell.
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Words Dan Williamson Main photo Adrian Brannan
CAPRI MK3
FIGHTING
BACK
The Mk3: Ford saved the best till last for the final
version, with a whole myriad of limited-editions
and performance options to keep the car relevant
against the rise of the 1980s hot-hatch.
44
Spring 2024
or many Ford fans, the Mk3 is
the defi nitive Capri. So long-lived
yet so similar to the original — in
style, layout and even performance — and
still a car that can be driven with pride
among today’s technological marvels.
In fact, the Capri’s simplicity was what
kept it cost-effective; its place in British
culture was what kept it relevant. Today, you
need only mention TV’s The Professionals,
and you’re instantly taken back to Bodie’s
Mk3 Capri 3.0S skidding around side streets.
And Ford was all too aware of halo
models shifting units; so there was no
surprise the third-generation Capri
came in as many different colours and
flavours that the German factory could
produce. Internally codenamed Carla,
F
the Mk3 Capri was essentially just a
facelift of the Mk2, initiated in April
1977 for introduction in March 1978.
Surprisingly little had been redesigned,
although Ford had started taking
aerodynamics into account; whereas the
Mk2’s drag coefficient was 0.428Cd, the
Mk3 managed 0.403 thanks to its new
front airdam and grille. A rear spoiler,
which had been tested on German
Mk2s, slashed the figure down to 0.374
— a happy side-effect of sportier styling
meaning better fuel economy and a
higher top speed. It would be fitted to all
sporting Capris from then onwards.
Ford’s marketing department had chosen
quad headlamps throughout the range, with
an extended bonnet to give a more aggressive
appearance in rear-view mirrors. The rear
lamps were enlarged into a ridged design that
would soon be found on Granadas, Cortinas
and the Mk3 Escort. Black wrap-around
bumpers followed a safety theme, echoed
by the standard fitment of a laminated
windscreen and a bit more padding on the
dashboard. All but the Ghia now received
the RS-type three-spoke steering wheel.
Beneath the skin, the story remained
the same. If you wanted a Capri that
would barely travel above walking pace,
you could order a 57 bhp 1.3 Crossflow;
otherwise, 72 bhp and 88 bhp 1.6 Pintos,
a 98 bhp 2-litre Pinto, or the 138 bhp
3-litre Essex V6 would do the trick.
German-market Capris still differed
from UK-bound examples, mostly carried
Spring 2024
45
CAPRI MK3
over from the Mk2: 1.3,
1.6 and 2-litre four-pots,
plus 2-litre or 2.3 Cologne
V6s and the Essex 3-litre V6s.
Gas-fi lled dampers (on all but the
entry-level Capri) and thicker anti-roll
bars (on high-performance versions)
were added to aid ride and
handling, while the brakes
and transmission remained
largely unchanged.
Trim levels were
initially carried over from
the Mk2, but it wasn’t long
before Ford realised the family
market had outgrown the Capri,
and it made more sense to rebuild
the car’s ageing image. So while the
Capri S became more ostentatious — its fade-out
S decals, rubber rear spoiler and optional Recaro
seats were soon synonymous with the Mk3 —
the low-rent versions gradually disappeared.
Go-faster stripes go a long
way: the first Mk3 special
edition, the GT4 of 1980.
“IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE
FORD REALISED THEY
NEEDED TO REBUILD
THE CAPRI’S IMAGE”
Not sold in the UK, the Capri 2.8 Turbo
raided Ford’s Series X parts bin.
The Ghia was carried over from the
Mk2, but only lasted three years.
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Spring 2024
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The basic 1300 was dropped fi rst,
followed by the 1.6S in 1980 and 1.3L in
1981. Old stocks were used up as special
editions, after the GT4 of February 1980
had shown sales strength in adding stickers.
The GL and Ghia were soon
discontinued, leaving a range looking
considerably sportier: all Capris now wore
rear spoilers and at least a 1.6 Pinto.
By then, hot hatchbacks had taken hold
of the market, and coupés were seen as
old-fashioned. But the Capri wouldn’t go
down without a fight. In 1981, Ford’s newlyassembled Special Vehicle Engineering team
was tasked with bringing desirability back
to the Capri: the resulting 2.8 Injection
had been improved in every area, receiving
ventilated front discs, 7x13 inch pepperpot
alloys and a 160 bhp Cologne V6, meaning
129 mph and 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds. From
1983, it also gained a five-speed gearbox.
By then, the coupé was past its sell-by
date, and only the British market retained
a taste for traditional rear-wheel-drive fare.
In November 1984, Ford pulled the plug on
selling the Capri everywhere except the UK,
and the range was reduced to just two models:
the Laser (effectively replacing the LS and
S, as 1.6 or 2-litre, which added a five-speed
gearbox) and the 2.8 Injection Special, which
followed the Europe-only 2.8 Super Injection
with limited-slip differential, seven-spoke
alloy wheels and half-leather Recaros.
Even so, it wasn’t quite the ultimate
Mk3: the Tickford Turbo, built by
Aston Martin Tickford from 1982 to
1987, featured a 205 bhp turbocharged
engine, boxy bodykit, redesigned rear
suspension and walnut dashboard.
Yet the Capri’s niche sector was spiralling
ever smaller, and it was axed in November
1986 with a celebratory Capri 280 fi nal
edition. Built in December 1986 and
available from March 1987, its Brooklands
Green paintwork was complemented
by 15 inch alloys and Raven leather
upholstery; 1038 were built from a total
of 1,886,647 Capris of all generations.
It was a fitting end for a masterpiece of
planning, marketing, design and driving
pleasure. It was an icon in every sense.
The Mk3’s dash was carried over from
the Mk2, but trims styles and colours
were updated for the 1980s.
Even the lower-spec LS looked like a performance model from
the front thanks to the extended bonnet lip and power bulge.
Under the skin, the Zakspeed Capri was
completely removed from the road car, but
its visual impact and success helped
revitalise the Capi’s image.
The 1980s saw a whole host of special editions
including the Cabaret and Cabaret II.
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Spring 2024
47
MK3 CAPRI MODEL GUIDE
With top-notch performance versions and more special editions than
ever, the Mk3 saw the Capri bow out in a blur with style.
Words Dan Williamson, Graham Leigh 2.8i photos Adrian Brannan
GL
1300/L/CAMEO/
TEMPO
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1297cc or
1593cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1978 to
1982
PRICE WHEN NEW: £3115 (1300,
1978)
RARITY RATING: lllll
Unbranded and unloved, the Mk3 Capri
1300 housed a wheezy 1.3 Crossflow
(57 bhp and 91 mph), quad halogen
headlamps, servo brakes, laminated
windscreen, three-spoke steering
wheel, fixed-back Beta cloth seats and
5x13 inch steel wheels.
The L badge added rubbing strips,
gas rear shocks, split rear seat and
reclining fronts with Concord cloth;
engines were the 1.3 Kent or 1.6 Pinto
(72 bhp/98 mph).
The full-poverty 1300 was dropped in
December 1978; the L gained a radio in
September 1978, 5 inch sports steels in
1979, Sandford trim from 1980,
and centre console and plain steels
from 1981.
Ford binned the 1300L in October,
flogging old stocks as Cameo and
Tempo from July 81. The 1600L was
killed in 1982.
48
Spring 2024
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc or 1993cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1978 to 1982
PRICE WHEN NEW: £3581 (1600GL, 1978)
RARITY RATING: lllll
Good Lord, was the GL still a strong seller?
This nondescript mid-range model offered
a 73 bhp 1600cc Pinto (98 mph maximum)
or 2-litre with 98 bhp (108 mph). Rubbing
strips, sports steels and rear wiper identified
the exterior, while the cockpit gained
Diamond upholstery, radio, centre console
with clock, and rear parcel shelf; a two-dial
dashboard remained.
September 1979 added remote driver’s/
fixed passenger mirrors and carpeted lower
door cards; 1980 brought headrests and
Windsor cloth; January 1981 included tinted
glass and opening rear quarters, then York
trim from September.
The GL was discontinued in 1982 after
being significantly outsold by the LS and
special editions. Worthy but a bit dull.
LS
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1981 to 1984
PRICE WHEN NEW: £5196 (1981)
RARITY RATING: lllll
Was an L too plain? An S too pricey?
January 1981’s Capri LS was the answer. A
tarted-up 1600L (with power-free 1.6 Pinto
in single-choke/73 bhp guise), it wore a
beefier anti-roll bar, 5.5x13 inch sports steel
wheels, tailgate spoiler, black A-pillars and
tape stripes instead of rubbing strips.
Checked S/2.8i-type Carla cloth adorned
L-sourced seats, alongside a sports
gearknob and six-dial dashboard with red
rings. Front headrests and Laser fabric were
included from 1982, then 1983 saw the LS
revamped with eight-hole steel rims, a
sunroof, remote-control driver’s door mirror
and padded steering wheel. Replaced by
the Laser in June 1984, surely the LS badge
stood for Looks Sporty.
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CALYPSO/CABARET
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc or 1993cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1981 to 1983
PRICE WHEN NEW: £5120 (Calypso, 1981)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
GT4
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1980
PRICE WHEN NEW: £4328
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Ambitiously-badged as GT4, the first limited-edition Mk3 was
introduced in February 1980.
As a precursor to the LS, the GT4 tested sporty trim for cheap
Capris. Based on the 1600L – with regular (73 bhp) or twin-choke (91
bhp) Pinto at extra cost – it came in Strato Silver, Diamond White or
Signal Red 80, with three-tone-red side stripes and bonnet decals
plus rear spoiler. Sports steel wheels were standard; alloys
were optional.
Inside were Beta cloth seats in Bitter Chocolate, a sports gearknob
and a six-dial dash with red rings. The specific GT4 option pack
added headrests, remote driver’s door mirror, passenger mirror,
tailgate wiper and rear parcel shelf.
S
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc,
1993cc or 2994cc
Years produced: 1978 to 1984
PRICE WHEN NEW:
£4211 (2.0S, 1978)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
CI5’s choice – the oh-so-sexy Capri S
started with a 1.6GT Pinto (Weber/88
bhp/108 mph), 2-litre (98 bhp/111
mph) or 3-litre V6 (138 bhp/124 mph/
power steering/bigger brakes/stiffer
GHIA
ENGINE CAPACITY:
1993cc or 2994cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1978 to 1982
PRICE WHEN NEW:
£5381 (3.0 Ghia, 1978)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
So-called luxury Capri but lacking
worthwhile gadgets, the Ghia got Mk2
seats with integral headrests and Verona
cloth, a two-spoke steering wheel, six-
Two-tone limited-editions were a Ford favourite in 1981,
staring with the Cortina Carousel and Granada Consort. July’s
Capri Calypso was based on the LS but featuring tinted glass,
headrests, rear wiper and grey/silver, red/silver, blue/silver/
green/silver or green/green paintwork. An option pack added
a sunroof, opening quarters and remote driver’s mirror.
The pricier L-based Cabaret from May 1982 meant a mixedup bag of GL and Ghia bits including sunroof, 5.5x13 inch
sports steels, rear spoiler, rubbing strips, side stripes, Sandford/
Ascot cloth trim, six-dial dash, centre console and cut-pile
carpet. A 2-litre (101 bhp) version was offered alongside the 1.6.
December 1982’s updated Cabaret II added twotone paint, tinted glass and an electric aerial.
suspension). Stripes, black mirrors, a
rear spoiler and overriders adorned
the bodywork; inside were a six-clock
dash, sports gearknob, centre console
and Carla cloth seats with headrests.
Recaros were optional but
Ghia-type 5.5x13 inch alloys came
standard. A remote driver’s mirror
was fitted from 1979, the 1.6S was
dropped in 1980, and 6x13 inch fourspoke alloys were finally added.
Tinted windows and fishnet Recaros
appeared in 1981, trimmed in Laser fabric
dial dash with passenger grab handle,
centre and rear armrests, shag-pile
carpet, radio, sliding/tilting sunroof,
tinted glass, opening rear quarters,
remote driver’s door mirror and the
usual 5.5x13 inch eight-spoke alloys.
Engines were 2-litre Pinto (four-speed
manual) or 3-litre Essex (autobox and
power steering came standard). A cassette
player was added in 1978, while 1979
brought a passenger door mirror, headlamp
washers and three-spoke steering wheel.
Metallic paint, twin coachlines
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after September – but the 3.0S was axed.
A padded steering wheel arrived in 1983,
plus five-speed gearbox, sunroof and
XR3 seats. The S was deleted in 1984.
and Chelsea trim arrived in 1981,
then the 3-litre was discontinued; the
2-litre Ghia followed suit in 1982.
Spring 2024
49
MK3 MODEL GUIDE
2.8 INJECTION/
SPECIAL
ENGINE CAPACITY:
2792cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1981 to 1986
PRICE WHEN NEW: £7995 (1981)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Fast and a little lairy: July 1981’s SVEdeveloped 2.8 Injection kept the Capri
alive. A Cologne 2.8 V6 was mated
to Bosch K-Jetronic fuelling, making
roughly 160 bhp, meaning 129 mph
and 0-60 mph in 7.9 seconds. There
were vented front discs, lowered
suspension, power steering and 7x13
inch Wolfrace Sonic (pepperpot) wheels.
Inside were Recaros with Carla cloth
and adjustable headrests; outside
had a sunroof, tinted glass, opening
quarters, bump strips, coachline and
colour-coded mirrors. Monza upholstery
and a five-speed gearbox arrived in
1983. September 1984 saw the 2.8
Injection Special appear, adding an
LSD, seven-spoke 7x13 inch alloys,
colour-keyed grille, leather steering
wheel and half-leather Recaros. Axed in
November 1986 but always a legend.
THIS ONE’S MINE STEVIE BRENNAN
Eagle-eyed readers may have a sense
of déjà vu looking at this one. Not only
did it feature in our 2.8i buyer’s guide
back in 2011, you can also buy an
Atlas diecast model of this actual car
complete with the registration plate!
“This is my first Capri but my uncle
had a bright orange 2-litre in the 1980s
and 1990s,” says Stevie. “I was given
first refusal when he came to sell it but,
at 19, I was too young to get a decent
insurance quote. I bought this one 17
years ago. I had to fly down from Glasgow
to Southampton but it was worth the
trip. The car was as described and came
with two folders worth of receipts, nearly
all the old MoT certificates and a stack
of tax discs. The journey back home felt
great having realised the dream. It took
50
Spring 2024
me a while to get used to all the waves
and thumbs up but I’ve grown to love
it. People of a certain age often stop for
a chat and sometimes even a photo.
Everyone seems pleased to see a Capri.”
Under Stevie’s ownership, the
pampering has continued with the
Capri having had a full engine flush, a
new radiator, two water pumps, a full
brake system overhaul, a 2 inch exhaust
system, polybushes, all the normal
servicing items and tyres, a Recaro
refurbishment and a respray. It’s no trailer
queen though and gets enjoyed. “She did
the Monte Carlo Historique in 2013, has
taken my niece and daughters to prom
was also my daughter’s wedding car.”
Stevie is a Capri Club Scotland
member and he is hoping to keep
the family tradition alive and can’t
wait to see granddaughter, Orla
at the wheel. She’s only one at the
moment but time flies when you’re
driving the legend that is the Capri.
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2.8 TURBO
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2792cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1981 to 1982
PRICE WHEN NEW: DM33,300
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
While British buyers ordered 175 bhp and wide-arch Series X
goodies for the 3.0S, our lucky German counterparts could grab a
Ford RS Operations Capri 2.8 Turbo.
Based on the European market’s Cologne V6-engined 2.8, it
retained the carburettor but added a Garrett T4 turbo to produce 185
bhp and achieve (a presumably laggy) 137 mph.
Zakspeed flared arches were mated to a deep front spoiler, wild
rear wing and Turbo decals; beneath were 7x13 inch RS four-spoke
alloys, LSD and uprated suspension. Glorious RS1600i-type Scheel
seats were accompanied by a four-spoke RS steering wheel – alas,
always on the left-hand side. It’s reckoned 155 were produced
between July 1981 and September 1982.
280 (BROOKLANDS)
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2792cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1986
PRICE WHEN NEW: £11,999
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Ultimate in every sense, the 1038 last-ever Capris built in
December 1986 were souped-up 2.8 Injection Special-spec and
known as Capri 280 (or Capri Brooklands) thanks to mandatory
Brooklands Green paintwork.
Mechanically stock (although several received semi-official
Turbo Technics conversions for 200-230 bhp), every 280 rolled
on 7x15 inch seven-spoke rims, and wore red/white 280 decals
and coachlines. The Recaro seats and cabin were trimmed
in Raven leather with burgundy piping, alongside matching
leather steering wheel and gearknob, plus a self-seek stereo.
Sales started in March 1987, with the final cars finding
owners in 1989. Each one is a verified classic and diamondencrusted investment.
TICKFORD TURBO
ENGINE CAPACITY: 2792cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1982 to 1987
PRICE WHEN NEW: £14,985
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Way better than it looked, Ford and Aston Martin Tickford’s
joint project ran from 1982 to 1987 (albeit unsupported
by Ford from 1984) to reimagine the Mk3 for fashionconscious yuppies.
Beneath the hard-edged bodykit was a 2.8 Injection
(or Special from 1984), boosted to 205 bhp with IHI RHB6
turbo; that meant 140 mph and 0-60 mph in 6.7-seconds.
An uprated gearbox, ZF LSD (Specials kept the stock
differential), braced back axle and rear discs helped the
Capri’s antiquated handling. The cockpit got a leather and
walnut dashboard alongside standard Recaros – although
Connolly hide was optional.
Custom paintwork was offered, but most of the 80-plus
built were red, white or black.
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LASER
ENGINE CAPACITY: 1593cc or 1993cc
YEARS PRODUCED: 1984 to 1986
PRICE WHEN NEW: £5990 (1.6 Laser, 1984)
RARITY RATING: ●●●●●
Funky stickers and four-spoke 6x13 inch alloys refreshed the
Mk3 Capri as the Laser edition in June 1984, becoming the sole
four-cylinder Capri (replacing the S and LS) from September.
Standard kit included a colour-coded grille and door mirrors,
tinted windows, sliding/titling sunroof, bumper overriders, rear
spoiler and decals above the bump strips. Inside were Truro
cloth seats with adjustable headrests, six-dial dash, cassette
player, leather (padded) steering wheel and gearknob.
Power came from a 1.6 Pinto (73 bhp/99 mph) with four-speed
gearbox or 2-litre (101 bhp/113 mph) with five-speed. Side
repeaters were compulsory from 1986; production stopped in
November but sales stayed strong until supplies dried up.
Spring 2024
51
THE HARD SELL
Thanks to Ford’s — and the aftermarket’s — marketing know-how,
the Capri featured in all the finest automotive print adverts of the
1960s through to the 1980s. Here are some of their best.
THE SHARP-SUITED 1960s
1969
The Capri always had a hairy-chested image, but even so
Ford UK were keen to market it to as wide range of
buyers as possible from the off — hence this ad (right)
was created to promote its family-friendly credentials,
with apparently room for your kids and Nan, too —
plus all their luggage rammed into the boot!
1969
Proof that ’The car you always promised yourself’ was
used (and overused) by Ford’s marketing departments
all over the globe is all too evident in the South African
advert for the 1600GT. Paired-down compared to
the UK-spec cars, with less chrome and wheel trims
instead of Rostyles, nevertheless it was a strong seller.
THE GROOVY 1970s
52
1970
1970
How would sir like it?
By 1970, Ford’s options
list plan for the Capri
was in full swing with
the introduction of the
X, L and R packs which
allowed customers
to create pretty much
their own Capri — and
giving the Halewood
production line
nightmares to boot
— along with home
restorers five decades
later, desperately trying
to return their Mk1
projects back to original!
Meanwhile, over in
France, they were
hellbent on pushing
the Mk1 as a serious
player’s car, if this ad
is anything to go by.
Dreamy imagery?
Check. Black Tiewearing young
blade surrounded
by appreciative
friends? Check.
Accompanying
tagline that
suggested the Capri
comes from classic
heredity? Indeed!
February 2024
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THE EXCESSIVE 1980s
1982
It’s the early 1980s, and with Ford otherwise distracted promoting
the new Mk3 Escort range, this advert for the Mk3 Capri seems
almost muted — with a bizarre Monument Valley backdrop (the Capri
hadn’t been sold in the US since 1976) that bears no relation to the
advertising copy. Still, even the LS (far left) looks racey in this!
1975
With production of the Capri
II (aka Mk2) in full swing,
Ford both here and in the
US needed to throw a bit of
sparkle over the range, and
so this S-based special was
born. Called the Midnight
in the UK, across The Pond
they decided to call it Le Cat
Black instead, ‘The sexiest
Capri II’, complete with, you
guessed it, a black panther
in the print advert. Note how
the US versions kept the
twin headlamps rather than
going over to the European
car’s bigger, single units.
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February 2024
53
BUYER’S GUIDE
Words Christian Tilbury
CAPRI
MK1-MK3
54
A
mbitiously billed as ‘The car you
always promised yourself’, the Capri
certainly had a lot to live up to. For
car buyers whose dreams were filled with
Porsches and Ferraris, it’s debatable whether
the distinctive coupé lived up to the hype, but
there’s no denying that the Capri had its fair
share of admirers on its February 1969 reveal.
Given its blend of sporty looks and
four-seater practicality, it wasn’t long
before the longing looks translated
Spring 2024
into orders, with European production
surpassing 213,000 in the first year.
And the success continued at pace,
the Capri becoming one of Ford’s most
iconic models and selling more than
1.9 million before it literally bowed
out in style with the end-of-the-line,
UK market-only 280 in 1986.
What’s more, nearly 40 years after its
demise and the Capri still has a huge
following. Enthusiasts continue to be
From the original
Mk1 to the final Mk3,
here are the essnetials
to help you find the
best examples.
drawn to its scaled-down muscle car
looks, usability and the sheer variety
that it offers, with its three generations
encompassing everything from a lowly
1.3L version right up to the specialised
RS3100 and 160 bhp 2.8 Injection.
There might well be more exciting
and faster cars, but for many a smitten
classic Ford fanatic, the Capri’s prophecy
has come true – it really is the car that
they have always promised themselves.
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buying: capri mk1-mk3
MK1 1969-1974
Fifty-five years after
breaking cover and the Mk1
Capri is still a style icon
POINTERS
What to look for:
■ Replacing the lights of facelift cars
can be tricky, as they’re unique
to the model and their use on the
RS3100 also drives up prices
■ Overheating can lead to bigger
issues on the V4, increasing the
chances of it blowing a head gasket
or smashing its nylon timing gear
■ Decent second-hand trim is hard
to find, although parts like the
‘hockey sticks’ around the rear
lights and the strip that runs below
the boot have been reproduced
■ Remanufactured wings can cost
as much as nearly £1400 each
■ Rust bubbles on the scuttle are a sign of
major rust in the complex-to-repair A-post
Pros
■ Coke-body coupé style at its very best
■ Simple mechanicals
Cons
■ Decent examples are thin on the ground
■ Strong demand keeps prices high
Values
(1600GT)
Condition A £13,000-£15,000+
Condition B £10,000-£13,000
Condition C £8,000-£10,000
MK2 1974-1978
Hatchback-equipped Mk2
builds on the Mk1 with 2000
new or redeveloped parts
POINTERS
Pros
What to look for:
■ Sporty looks with hatchback practicality
■ More exclusive than the later Mk3
■ Bumpers and front grille are
scarce and costly to replace
■ Interior trim isn’t particularly durable and
is very hard to find, especially that of the
S and the Gold Rialto cloth of the ‘JPS’
■ Front wings and bonnet
can be hard to find
■ Pinto engines can suffer from
premature camshaft wear
■ Structural rust is common in
the sills, floorpan, inner wings,
strut tops and the bulkhead
Cons
■ Drew criticism for being softer
than the original Capri
■ Spares availability not as good
as the last-generation model
Values
(3-litre Ghia)
Condition A £15,000-£20,000+
Condition B £12,000-£15,000
Condition C £9,000-£12,000
Spring 2024
55
MK3 1978-1986
Last-generation version
is the easiest Capri to live
with yet also offers the
most performance
POINTERS
Pros
What to look for:
■ Decent number of survivors
■ Cologne and Essex-powered cars
carry a premium, so check for the
underbonnet factory strengthening
that denotes a correct V6 bodyshell
■ Corrosion in the fusebox causes
most electrical issues, although
heater motors and the rear wash
wipe are prone to failure
■ Interior trim of higher spec versions
can be costly and difficult to replace,
particularly the S’s Carla trim and
the Grey Raven leather of the 280
■ Fuel-injected V6 commonly blows its
inlet manifold gasket, while running
issues often stem from gummedup injectors and metering unit
■ Sagging doors can be a sign of
advanced corrosion in the A-post
to choose from
■ Availability of Type-9 five-speed
gearbox on later cars
Cons
■ A bit common compared
to the Mk1 and Mk2?
■ Values of the V6 versions have rocketed
Values
(2-litre Laser)
Condition A £10,000-£12,000+
Condition B £6,000-£10,000
Condition C £5,000-£6,000
NEED TO KNOW
Clubs & Forums
Capri 280 Group
https://capri280.co.uk
Capri Club
01386 860860
www.capriclub.co.uk
Capri Power
www.capripower.co.uk
Capri II Register
www.capri2register.co.uk
56
Spring 2024
Capri World
www.facebook.com/groups
Capri Club Scotland
07741 056308
www.capriclubscotland.co.uk
Old Skool Ford
www.oldskoolford.co.uk
Specialists
Burton Power
0208 518 9127
www.burtonpower.com
Capri Gear
01507 343148
www.caprigear.co.uk
Ex-Pressed Steel Panels
01535 632721
www.steelpanels.co.uk
Magnum Classic Ford Panels
01706 359666
www.magnumclassic
fordpanels.co.uk
MotoMobil
+49 8106 996 77 60
www.motomobil.com
SM Classic Car Restorations
www.sm-classiccars.com
Steadspeed Restorations
07766 676379
www.facebook.com/Steadspeed
Tickover
01322 839303
www.tickover.co.uk
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HOMEBUILT HERO
SOUTHBOUND
AND DOWN
The South London look is alive and well in 2023, and
this minty-fresh Mk2 Escort van is making sure it’s well
represented halfway around the globe.
Words Jason O’Halloran Photos Andrey Moisseyev
60
Spring 2024
mk2 escort van
hen it comes to classic Fords,
there are many tried and
tested approaches to creating
the perfect beast. It’s almost impossible
to list all the looks and combinations
our community have adopted, evolved
and created over the decades. There is
one very unique look though, that has
been born from our love of low, fast and
simple — the South London look.
The look emerged back in the late
1980s, and has been adopted by many,
and perfected over the decades by the
die-hard, hard-charging, street racers
who simply can’t be swayed by modern
technology. Enthusiastically applied with
passion across all the wonderful shapes of
the classic Ford lineup, it’s timeless appeal
is never more evident than when amongst
the horde of modern street missiles, a set
W
of wide 13 inch steels, rorty driveline and
slammed stance makes us smile so much.
Back in 2011, halfway around the world
in Adelaide, South Australia, apprentice
mechanic, Jake Townsend took delivery of
a rough but running Mk2 Escort panel van
that was destined for the scrapheap. Full of
sand, used as a surf bus, and with limited
floor steel left, the barely running Escort was
dragged home. Despite being at death’s door,
Jake created the floors from scratch in flat
steel, got it running properly and with limited
funds pressed it into daily driving duties.
“It was a mess, but there was potential,”
explains Jake. “It had the 1600, four-speed,
and I needed a daily driver, so I cobbled
it together as quickly as possible.” The
van then provided faithful service until
around early 2014, when Jake realised
family requirements meant a different
daily driver was needed, and the Mk2
soon became his weekend project car.
All the dreams he had conjured, all the
plans, all the parts he had amassed could now
become reality, as the build proper began
when time permitted. Fast forward some
seven years later, and in December 2021,
Jake fired the Mk2 back into to life — only
this time, the white van had been reborn.
Phoenix nights
As Jake transitioned from apprentice
to master, he would spend his days as a
mechanic, but his nights were filled with a
welder in hand. The development of skills
were transferred to the Mk2 in the form of
quality work, and the final result is nothing
short of stunning for a garage-built Escort.
The build did start slightly earlier though,
when Jake got the rims sorted. “I actually
Spring 2024
61
HOMEBUILT HERO
WHO DARES
WINS
Left: door cards are unique.
Extra dials keep tabs on the
boosted Crossflow (above).
A BRAND CALLED SAAS
If you haven’t heard of the aftermarket
brand SAAS, don’t worry, you’re not
alone. Founded in the 1950s in Australia,
the brand has been supplying sports
steering wheels, bucket seats and a
brace of cool products for those seeking
to personalise and improve their pride
and joy down under. Back in the 1980s
and 1990s when Escorts and Cortinas
were daily drivers, the obligatory SAAS
steering wheel and a set of bucket seats
were must-have additions. Sure a
hotdog muffler and white letter tyres
were also cool, but the real street cred
came with a SAAS badge. Nowadays,
SAAS has evolved, and offer modern
products like silicone hose kits, filters,
gauges just to mention a few. Steering
wheels have always been their signature
product, and a quick look online reveals
some sensational old-school oriented
options. If your looking for a unique part
to make the onlookers scratch their
heads at the next coffee and cars, check
out SAAS for something very special for
your Ford.
62
Spring 2024
“I SAW THIS MATERIAL AT A
DRESSMAKER’S AND IMMEDIATELY
THOUGHT, THAT WILL WORK”
got the wheels back in 2012,” explains
Jake. “They are a set of early 13 inch rims
which I cut up, reversed the barrels, and
then put on a set of 175-profile tyres.”
The unique centre hubcaps are from an
early-model XP Falcon, and feature script
‘FORD’ logos, and trust us when we say to
get a complete set of four in that condition
requires a lot of patience and deep pockets.
With the rims sorted, Jake turned his
attention to the bodywork. After being a
surf-bus, and then a daily driver, the panels
needed lots of attention. Rust was soon cut
out and Jake worked in a lower lip extension
to bring the proportions even lower, and
also recessed and offset the rear numberplate
when he removed the rear bumper bars.
Once it was straight, he put the welder
down, picked up the spray gun and promptly
coated the whole body in Ford Snow White.
Inside, the new floors allowed
the rear of the van to come up mint,
but the front still needed a plan.
“I wanted a simple set-up, and it had
to have a set of bucket seats, and a sports
wheel,” smiles Jake “I got the seats I wanted,
because the buckets are so comfortable!” The
seats are rare SAAS fixed-back race buckets
from the 1990s, and they are teamed up with
an equally rare, four-spoke SAAS leather
bound steering wheel, additional gauges,
new carpet, and some eye-popping door
cards that really do rewrite the rulebook.
“Originally I had two Union Jack
flags on the door cards,” explains Jake,
“but I got some water on them and they
bled the colours together, so I saw this
material from a dressmaker and thought
immediately, that will work!” Work
the door cards do, injecting a colourful
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mk2 escort van
Jake saw turbocharghing as a cheap route to power, and with
over 150 bhp from the Crossflow, he’s been proved right.
a
HOMEBUILT HERO
Even Fords in Australia succumb to rust, as
evidenced by Jake’s once-rotten Mk2 van...
The ex-surf van was cheap and cheerful when
Jake bought it for daily-driver duties...
...But lifting the carpets revealed severely-rotten
floors, so the van was parked up for some TLC.
New floors front and rear ensured the van was
going to live to fight another day.
Meanwhile Jake turned his attention to the engine
— fabricating a blow-through turbo set-up.
The van;s rear bed is now significantly more
solid than when Jake first brought it hone...
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With the T25 turbo mounted low down, Jake then
fabricated a downpipe and complete system.
Spring 2024
63
HOMEBUILT HERO
“ONLY HAVING TWO SEATS IS A PROBLEM
— MAYBE I NEED TO USE THIS AS AN
EXCUSE TO BUILD A SECOND ONE”
aspect to the cabin, and catching the eye
the moment the doors are opened.
Forcing it
If the door cards catch the eye, then the
unexpected turbo whoosh between gears
will turns the heads. Normally, traditional
South London look vehicles sport highcompression, naturally-aspirated engines, and
the use of power-adding turbos are shunned.
Jake was not in a position to create a fire
breathing, monster Kent, so he turned his
mechanical brain to creating a very unique
forced induction powerhouse instead.
Up front, the original 1600 has been
replaced with a stronger 711M-based
engine, which is essentially standard in
the bottom end, but does have a unique
blow-through turbo set-up. While the
engine internals are predominantly factory,
the bespoke details on the outside are
what take this Escort to the next level.
The block provides a great starting point
for the engine, with rebuilt factory head on
top that has a small amount of massaging.
A GT manifold teams up with a modified
32/36 Weber and funky custom-made carb
hat that leads to the custom pipework. A
Nissan CA-18 sourced T25 turbo is bolted to
a custom Jake-made heavy duty steam-pipe
exhaust manifold, and snakes to the front
mount intercooler. There is an upgraded
Flamethrower ignition system, heavy duty
radiator and subtle use of colours to keep the
engine look unassuming when the bonnet
64
Spring 2024
is raised. Horsepower is estimated to be
anywhere north of 150 bhp, and this is on
low, reliable and noise-friendly boost.
Behind the trick turbo 1600 is a heavyduty clutch, rebuilt four-speed gearbox,
and a welded diff down the back. Brakes
and suspension are factory Mk2 Escort
items, and have all been fully rebuilt.
Stance is everything with the look Jake was
after, and super low springs and lowering
blocks have achieved what was needed.
“Everything hinged on the correct ride
height,” smiles Jake. “If it wasn’t slammed
super low, it just wasn’t going to work.
The ride comfort is average, but the look
is fantastic, so it’s a good trade off.”
With fresh running gear offering
usable power for days, silky smooth
panels and a tough slammed stance, Jake
finally had the look he was after. Now
officially completed, Jake has found his
happy place punting the Escort to local
events and the world-renowned twisty
back roads high up in Adelaide hills.
His family love it too, but there is a
conundrum that needs to be addressed
— two seats, and four family members.
“Yes, that’s a bit of a problem isn’t
it,” smiles Jake. “I’m not sure what the
solution is, but maybe I need to use this
as an excuse to build a second one.”
Sounds like a perfect solution
to the problem at hand — after
all, two slammed and screaming
Escorts are better than one!
Tech Spec
Body
Australian delivered 1977 Mk2 Escort
panel van, complete strip down and
ground up restoration to original
Australian delivered spec, replaced floors,
Ford UK grille, custom lower lip, Hot Rod
peep mirrors, rear bumperettes removed,
custom licence plate recess.
Paint: Snow White
Engine
Rebuilt 1600 711M Kent, GT intake
manifold, rebuilt and rejetted Weber 32/36
carb, plastic float bowl conversion, custom
carb turbo hat, custom steampipe exhaust
manifold, heat wrapped, T25 turbo,
turbo blanket, custom turbo pipework,
Flamethrower electronic ignition, Malpassi
fuel pressure regulator, HD radiator,
custom overflow bottle
Transmission
Mk2 Escort four-speed, heavy-duty
clutch, rebuilt propshaft, English axle,
welded centre
Suspension
Front: Monroe sport gas inserts, lowered
coil springs.
Rear: Monroe sport gas dampers, rebuilt
leaf springs, lowering blocks
Brakes
Front: Mk2 Escort discs and callipers.
Rear: standard drums
Wheels and tyres
Custom 6x13 reverse rims, XP Falcon
script hub caps, 175/50R13 Nangkang tyres
Interior
Escort Mk2 dash, SAAS four-spoke
steering wheel, AEM air/fuel gauge,
SAAS Boost gauge, SAAS fuel pressure
gauge, Kenwood CD head unit, custom
dress material door cards, new rubber kit,
new carpet
Thanks
My wife Michelle for all her support and
understanding, my kids Jemma and
Harley for enjoying the car so much, and
mates, Ben Maxwell and Steve Moschos
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GRANADALAND
GRANADA COLLECTION
66
With 14 first and second-generation models
in their coveted collection, including rare
limo, hearse and rally variants, it’s clear that
Mark and Callum Marsdon along with Simon
Carter are Granada nuts of the highest order.
Words and Photos Dan Sherwood
Spring 2024
hen it comes to car fanatics, it’s not
unusual to find people who live
and breathe their favoured marque
or model. To many of these enthusiasts,
simply becoming the owner of one example
of their dream machine is an achievement to
be proud of, with even the most hardcore
of the breed topping out at around two or
three cherished examples. So when we heard
about the father and son car collecting duo
of Mark and Callum Marsdon who share a
W
lock-up with Simon Carter, our interest was
immediately piqued. You see, Mark, Callum
and Simon like their Granadas. In fact, they
like Ford’s boxy executive cruiser so much
that they have amassed a collection of 14
of them! And we’re not just talking about
run-of-the-mill models here, as the pair have
managed to acquire some seriously-exclusive
examples to add to their ever-growing
metallic menagerie. To take a peek at their
coveted collection and find out why these
guys have Granadas on the brain, we headed
over to their Hertfordshire headquarters —
an old lock-up that’s an Aladdin’s cave of car
parts and a haven for all things Granada.
Longtime love
“I’ve owned Granadas since I was
17,” says Mark . “My first one was a
black Mk2 2.8 GLS that I bought after
upgrading from a Mk5 Cortina, and
I’ve been a fan of them ever since.”
Spring 2024
67
GRANADA COLLECTION
“WHEN SOMETHING INTERESTING COMES
UP, WE JUST CAN’T SEEM TO SAY NO...”
THE STAGE STAR
CONSUL GT RALLY CAR
Originally built and campaigned by
George and Jane Anderson in numerous
historic rallies in the late 1990s, this
super-rare Consul GT has been
sympathetically refreshed by Mark and
Callum to allow them to revive its
68
Spring 2024
competition career but retain the
original battle scars from its previously
contested rally stages. A monster Essex
V6 fed by triple downdraught carbs
ensures it not only goes like stink, but
sounds the part, too!
Mark attributes his deep affection for the
model to his father, George, who owned
a Consul when he was growing up.
“My dad used the Consul to tow the family
caravan on various holidays and weekends
away and we had a lot of fun times with that
car when I was a kid,” Mark remembers
fondly. “But that wasn’t the only Granada that
had an impact on me, as both my uncles had
Granadas and my cousins, too. It’s no wonder
I ended up following in their footsteps.”
And it was the same story for Mark’s son
Callum, who is just as mad about the model
as his dad!
“My dad would buy me toy cars as a kid
and my favourite was a white Mk1 Granada,”
Callum smiles. “I also had — and still have— a
fixation on limousines and hearses for some
reason, and when I eventually learned you
could get both of these elongated machines as
Granadas, that was it, I was hooked!”
Although not his very first Granada, Callum
achieved his dream of owning a stretched
limo Granada when he bought a white Mk2
Grosvenor-converted model at the age of 19.
“I got that one from Wales for £500 and
used it as my daily driver for around two
years,” he laughs. “We ended up putting
a 2.8-litre engine in it and swapping the
automatic transmission for a four-speed
manual. It’s an unwieldy beast, but I still use it
regularly to this very day!”
But this is just the tip of the Granadashaped iceberg for the pair, as their lock-up
is positively brimming with some of the most
unique and rare Granada models around.
“We’ve become pretty well known within
the Granada community, so we tend to get
offered cars to buy on a fairly regular basis,”
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Mark says. “When something interesting
comes up, I just can’t seem to say no, so it
ends up being added to the collection.”
This includes such rarities as a one-owner,
original condition Roman Bronze Mk1 Ghia
which was used as the basis for a Vanguard
model, to five limo and hearse conversions,
a Consul GT historic rally car, an armoured
Mk2 with bulletproof glass and the black Mk2
Granada, known as The Beast that was used in
the Simon Pegg film, The World’s End.
Working it
While some of the pair’s prized machines
have arrived at the unit in excellent original
condition, others have required extensive
restoration work in order to save them from
the scrap heap.
“We’ve rescued quite a few Granadas from
being scrapped or getting battered on the
banger racing circuit,” Mark laughs. “Cars
such as our Mk2 Granada Sapphire and
Consul estate were both particularly corroded
and needed a lot of metalwork to get them
roadworthy again. But that’s part of what we
love about our hobby, as we can revive and
preserve these cars to be enjoyed for many
years to come.”
While rust is obviously a major enemy of
any classic Ford fan, and many of Mark and
Callum’s cars have suffered with their fair
share of the red rot, luckily, they have fellow
Granada fan, Simon Carter on hand to work
his magic with his welder.
“I work with Mark, but am also well into
my Granadas, with my own pride and joy
being a rare Mk1 two-door coupe that I also
keep at the unit,” Simon beams proudly.
“Between the three of us, we make a good
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THE BIG ONES
LIMOUSINES AND HEARSES
As a fan of all things gigantic, Callum has
added four stretched limousines and a
hearse conversion to the collection.
Three of the limos (two Mk1s and one
Mk2) are converted by renowned UK
coachbuilder Colman Milne, while a
further Mk2 Limo and Mk2 hearse are
both from Irish limo legends, Duffy.
Early Mk1 Transit is used to tow
the rally car to and from events.
Spring 2024
69
GRANADA COLLECTION
Super-rare Consul Estate is
currently under the knife.
With a Granada-mad dad, it’s no wonder
Callum ended up falling for the model, too.
THE BEAST
MK2 GRANADA 2.8
Bought and prepared for use in the
Simon Pegg movie, The World’s End,
which was filmed just down the road
from Mark and Callum, the Mk2 is a cult
70
Spring 2024
film classic. Underneath the purposely
patina’d black bodywork is a new and
upgraded undercarriage to ensure the
car was safe when used for filming.
team and keep the cars on the road. I tend to
do all the welding and fabrication work, while
Mark does the oily bits and Callum does the
body prep and paint.”
The three friends not only grow and
maintain their burgeoning collection, but
are also responsible for helping bolster the
Granada scene as a whole when — along with
David Ward and Mandy Carter, they founded
the popular car club, Ford Granada Nutz a
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THE MODEL EXAMPLE
MK1 GRANADA 3-LITRE GHIA
Resplendent in an unblemished coat of
Roman Bronze this 1977-plate, oneowner example had been off the road for
more than two decades before Mark
acquired it in 2022. With only 43,0000
miles on the clock and in timewarp
condition, it holds the additional
prestige of being the car used to produce
an exact replica in miniature for
Vanguard models.
Limited-edition Mk2 Sapphire
is work in progress.
Mk1 Coupe is Simon’s pride and joy
and is mechanically on the button.
decade ago. “Yes it’s our tenth anniversary
this year,” Callum reveals. “We now travel all
over the UK and Europe showing our cars
at various events and have an excellent social
side that all the members can enjoy. We
also have member benefits including
insurance discounts.”
The passion they display for these cars is
clear to see, but for Callum, Mark and Simon
it’s not all about building immaculate show
ponies, and more about simply keeping these
cars on the road and using them in the way
they were intended.
“While some of the cars in the collection
have been restored back to as good as new,
others we have purposely left a little rougher
around the edges,” Callum says. “This is
mainly so we can use them in all weathers
and not feel like we’re ruining them, because
for us, as much as we love showing them off
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at different events, it’s actually when driving
these cars that we get the most enjoyment.”
We couldn’t agree more. So whether your
own private collection numbers just one, or
like Callum, Mark and Simon, you’re lucky
enough to run out of fingers, the overriding ethos remains the same: restore them,
maintain them, perfect them and polish
them, but above all, drive them.
You know it makes sense.
Spring 2024
71
ESCORT MEXICO
Ford Heritage: All original, never restored, and still in
regular use – this early Mk1 Mexico offers a unique
glimpse at the way things used to be.
Words Daniel Bevis Photos Martin Wall
72
Spring 2024
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S
eptember 1971 was a pretty joyful
snapshot in time. John Lennon
had just released his second solo
album, Imagine, his new signature sound
cementing the reality of a post-Beatles
existence. Over in Denmark, the Free State
of Christiania was founded, an independent
commune within a squatted military base
where mind expansion and free expression
were encouraged and weaponry and
negativity prohibited. Concorde made its
first supersonic transatlantic crossing. And
in Narborough in Leicestershire, a chap
named Phil Wylie strolled into Roger Clark
Cars with a spring in his step and a song
in his heart, for the moment had come to
collect his brand-new Escort Mexico.
The salesman had offered Phil the standard
range of colours, but also tantalisingly
dangled the possibility of Le Mans Green,
a shade not yet officially available in the
showroom. Of course, Phil took up this
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appealing offer, combining his order with
the stripe-delete option to create something
that, for the princely sum of £1150.44,
would be like no other Escort on the high
street. And it’s clear that he was happy
with his choices, as Phil went on to own
and enjoy the car for the next 50 years.
It’s easy to see why someone would fall so
deeply for such a thing. It was really a Rallye
Sport model that just happened not to be
badged as one; you’ll note that this car’s
Spring 2024
73
Car was bought new from the one and
only Roger Clark Cars back in 1971.
wing badges read Mexico, which is what
buyers received if they decided to delete the
side-stripes (stripey cars got 1600GT badges),
and these cars were effectively hand-made
specials rather than common-or-garden
production-line Escorts. With painted shells
delivered to Advanced Vehicle Operations
in Aveley, the uprated performance parts
were bolted on by robust and cherry-cheeked
fellows whose raison d’être was to take the
sporting prowess of Ford Motorsport and
smear it all over the country lanes. And while
the Custom Pack was added to the options
list in October 1971 to add such fripperies
as carpets and cloth seats, AUT 73K isn’t
one of those cars. This is a purist Mexico,
complete with bare-bones rubber floor mats
and vinyl seats. The hallmarks of an early
Mex are all there for the aficionado to tick
off – the slotted steel wheels, the battery in
the boot, the absence of the Mexico boot
badge, this is very much Mexico genesis.
So we can understand why such a bond was
forged between Phil and his Escort. What’s
74
Spring 2024
all the more impressive is that it didn’t go
the way of so many other Mexicos; a model
conceived with clubman racers and rallyists
squarely in the crosshairs, few examples
were treated with such care as this one in
period — these were machines intended to
allow everyman access to the storied realm
of clipping apices and bouncing through
forests. It’s not just rust that killed Mexicos
over the years, it’s the inherent devil-may-care
mischief and hedonistic boundary-pushing
in the upper reaches of the rev range.
Taking care
What is really remarkable about AUT
73K, however, is the originality. And
we’re not just talking about the originality
of the specification — this car, kept in
regular use through all these decades, has
never been welded, never been repainted,
the cylinder head never removed… it’s
testament to the possibilities of preservation
that are made possible by simply looking
after things properly. Having covered
125,000 miles from new, it’s had its oil
changed every 3000 miles — that’s a full
41 oil-and-filter changes and counting.
Its curator today is Sean Forde — only the
car’s second owner in its existence, which is
another remarkable thing. With Phil having
owned the Escort for a full half-century,
it made sense for the second keeper to be
a committed and dyed-in-the-wool Ford
enthusiast, and Sean fulfils that role with
alacrity. He’d previously owned a Sunburst
Red RS1600i, commonly regarded among
experts to be one of the best all-original
examples, and a Mk2 Mexico in Venetian
Red which was sold to make room for a
Mk1 Mexico in Vista Orange; that in turn
made way for a 1300 Sport, and that one
was sold to buy this Le Mans Green survivor
— surely the holy grail of Mk1 Mexicos.
“This really is a dream car to have in the
garage,” Sean enthuses. “I was fortunate
to become the custodian of this car in
2022 from its original owner, and it’s a true
survivor. All of the work carried out by
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heritage: escort mexico
Rubber floor coverings (left) and vinyl
trim — this Mex is as basic as it gets.
Four on the floor: no Type-9
swap for this Mex — the
2000E ’box is still in place.
Phil — a real enthusiast — was meticulously
documented in a pocket notebook. It’s got
the original bill of sale, along with every
single tax disc; the September 1972 expiry
date remains in windscreen, fee of £20.”
The 1600 Crossflow has never been
apart and still runs as good as gold.
Regular use
Naturally, when taking ownership of such
a beloved and rarefied entity, there’s a
decision to be made: in order to preserve
that irreplaceable originality, should you
wrap it up in a heated and dehumidified
sarcophagus and preserve it as an artefact for
future generations, or do you do what the
original owner did and it enjoy it for what it
is? Of course Sean opted for the latter, and it’s
been getting regular exercise in his tenure.
“I’ve been driving it around 3000 miles
each year, including an annual pilgrimage
to the Lakes Tour in Cumbria,” he assures
us. “The car needs or asks for nothing, aside
due care, and it’s a joy to drive, simplicity
defined. Phil has been an AVO member
since its inception in 1981, and as club
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Spring 2024
75
“THIS IS A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THESE
CARS WERE HALF A CENTURY AGO”
historian he attended every National Day
— AUT 73K was a well-known car even
before the worldwide web existed. And
in my ownership, it’s been awarded Best
Original Car at AVO National Day 2023,
as well as the Dave Robinson Memorial
Award 2022. Both very proud moments.”
It’s extremely heart-warming to see this
incredibly original (and quite possibly unique)
Mk1 continuing to be used as intended
and looked after as it deserves, and as you
might imagine Sean’s plans are simply to
preserve it, attend as many local and national
shows as he’s able and allow the public to
examine an original Mexico. Because this
really is a rare opportunity to see just how
these things were half a century ago.
“Few understand the unique qualities
of this car,” Sean muses. “Those that do
fully appreciate its provenance, and you
can often be stood talking for hours as a
result.” Indeed, it’s a machine that spreads
a lot of joy; born of the era of Imagine and
Concorde, transcending the generations
to exist as a snapshot of a long-gone age.
Thanks to: Phil Wylie, Richard Houguez
(membership secretary AVO Owners’ Club,
www.avoclub.com), Kev Curtis for driving
the car back from Leicester for me, and
those who see the car for what it is.
SPICY RECIPE
FORD’S FIRST-GEN MEXICO
Every area of the car remains largely untouched,
and Sean — and we — hope it remains that way.
76
Spring 2024
The Mexico was a stroke of marketing
genius. Hot on the heels of Ford’s mighty
success in the London-to-Mexico
World Cup Rally of 1970 (which saw an
Escort winning outright, followed by
other Escorts in third, fifth, sixth and
eighth positions), the showrooms were
quickly treated to the first complete
model developed by Advanced Vehicle
Operations: the Escort Mexico was
essentially an RS1600, but with the
highly-strung BDA engine swapped for a
regular Cortina GT-spec 1600 Crossflow.
Spec included bigger brakes, stiffer
suspension, 5.5 inch-wide steels and
the 2000E gearbox, all wrapped up in
a Type 49 shell with flared arches and
rakish side stripes. In a production run
from November 1970 to January 1975, an
impressive 10,352 Mexicos found homes.
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MARCH
13
14
15
16
17
MARCH
Practical Classics Classic Car &
Restoration Show
March 22-24
NEC, Birmingham UK
www.necrestorationshow.com
Wheels Day
March 29
Newbury Showground, UK
www.facebook.com/surreystreetrodders
Zephyr & Zodiac Owners’ Club of
Melbourne 50th Anniversary
March 30-April 2
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
https://zzocm.com.au
APRIL
Techno Classica Essen
April 3-7
Messe Essen, Essen, Germany
www.techno-classica.de
18
19
20
21
22
23
Coffee & Chrome
April 7
British Motor Museum, Warwickshire UK
www.footmanjames.co.uk/coffee-chromecollective
Squires Fordmeet
April 7
Squires Bikers’ Cafe, West Yorkshire UK
www.facebook.com/SquiresFordmeet
Goodwood Members’ Meeting
April 13-14
Goodwood Motor Circuit,
West Sussex UK
www.goodwood.com/motorsport
Drive It Day
April 21
Various club and specialist events and road-runs
across the UK
www.fbhvc.co.uk/drive-it-day
Donington Historic Festival
April 29-30
24
25
26
27
28
Donington Park Circuit, UK
www.doningtonhistoric.com
MAY
Retro Rides Weekender
May 111-12
Goodwood Circuit, Chichester, UK
https://retroridesevents.com/weekender
Classic Ford Show
May 12
South Of England Event Centre,
West Sussex UK
www.classicfordshow.co.uk
Classic Ford Tour
May 16-20
Isle Of Man UK
www.sceniccartours.com/classic-ford-tours
Beaulieu Spring Autojumble
May 18-19
National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, UK
www.beaulieu.co.uk
29
Goodwood Members’ Meeting
April 13-14
APRIL
30
31
1
2
3
4
Scottish Ford Live
May 19
Knockhill Racing Circuit, UK
www.knockhill.com
Enfield Pageant
May 25-26
Enfield Playing Fields, Enfield UK
pageant@whitewebbsmuseum.org
5
6
7
8
9
Ford Capri Club Nederland
Internationale Meeting
June 14-16
Beekbergen, The Netherlands
www.fordcapriclubnederland.nl
Le Mans 24 Hours
June 15-16
Le Mans, France
www.lemans.org/en/24-hours-of-le-mans
JUNE
Duchy Ford Show Weekend
June 1
St Merryn, UK
https://www.facebook.com/DuchyFordClub
Ford Nationals
June 23
British Motor Museum, Gaydon, UK
www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
10
11
12
13
14
JULY
RS Combe
July 6
Castle Combe Circuit, UK
www.rscombe.com
Kent’s All-Ford Show
July 7
Aylesford Priory, UK
www.kentsallfordshow
Goodwood Festival of Speed
July 11-14
Goodwood House, Chichester, UK
www.goodwood.co.uk
Cosworth Drivers’ Club Day
June 8
Hever Castle, Kent UK
www.facebook.com
Cortina MK3 Club National Weekend
June 29-30
Smeatons Lakes Campsite,
Nottinghamshire UK
www.cortinamk3club.com
Classic Nostalgia
July 20-21
Shelsey Walsh Hillclimb, UK
www.classicnostalgia.co.uk
Players Classic
June 8-9
Goodwood Motor Circuit, Chichester, UK
http://players-show.com
Wonderland Classic & Sports Car Festival
June 29-30
Ferry Farm Fields, UK
www.capriclub2000.co.uk
XR Owners’Club National Gathering
July 21
Mallory Park Circuit, Leicestershire UK
www.xroc.co.uk
LETTER OF THE MONTH
Our favourite letter, email or social media comment each issue wins one of
Meguiar’s superb Sunlight 3+ Detailer Inspection Lights worth £100! The
perfect tool for inspecting your classic Ford’s paintwork, this simple-to-use
light allows you to identify pre-existing defects, check paint correction work,
verify a paint match, or look for the presence of high spots after applying a
coating. For details of the complete Meguiar’s UK range, give them a call on
0870 2416696 or visit www.meguiars.co.uk.
ENDEAVOUR
Bosch Blues
Your Parting Shot photo
(March 2024 issue) of
Endeavour Motors on
Preston Road, Brighton
sparked my interest —
it was where you went to buy your
Capri, just like mine in the attached
photo, and you can still see the dealer’s
badge in the rear windscreen.
There was quite a bit of history in this
1970s Capri — it was put into a garage in
1980 and brought by me in 2018. The car
came with its V5 and the previous owner’s
name I recognised from the late 1970s,
this previous owner had used the Capri
for rallying and then decided to trade it
in for a Vauxhall Firenza, so the dealer
stored the Capri in a lock-up and never
used it. Luckily for me the Capri was in
a fair condition, just an engine rebuild
and complete back-to-metal respray.
Endeavour may no longer exist
but I found there is a Facebook page,
Endeavour Motor Company Past
and Present where people can share
their memories about the garage.
Robin Dean
UK
Fuel for thought
My son had a problem with fuel starvation on his
Mk2 Escort and none of the usual fixes worked.
Eventually we found out about a fuel filter in the
petrol tank about the size of a cotton reel.
We removed the fuel line from the base of the
tank, jammed a long screwdriver up the hole and,
problem cured. We then put an aftermarket in-line
filter before the carb. Be careful removing the fuel
line as it’s probably been there for 30 years and
wants to stay where it is.
Leon Johns
UK
80
Spring 2024
I was pleased to see the article
on the Bosch K-Jetronic
injection system in a recent
issue. Unfortunately, some of
the information you printed
wasn’t quite correct.
The description of the function
of the thermo-time switch is totally
wrong I’m afraid — it doesn’t
send signals to anything. Its only
function is to provide an earth
for the cold start injector, which
only works when the engine is
cranking. It is in no way connected
to either the auxiliary air device
or the warm-up regulator — these
two items receive their power
feed from the fuel pump relay.
The auxiliary air device and
the warm-up regulator electrical
connections are simply for heating
elements, so the longer the feed
from the fuel pump relay is present,
the warmer they become with no
relation to engine temperature,
other than the fact that they are
bolted to the engine itself.
The cold start injector doesn’t
have a bi-metallic strip inside to
determine how long it should inject.
There is, however, a bi-metallic
strip inside the thermo-time
switch and this determines the
length of time
should inject.
Initsuspense
Hope thisPlease
all helps.
consider an in-depth
James Panton
article on suspension,
set-up and
UK you
upgrades — or even what
can do for £1000, £2000, £3000,
and so on. The suspension side
of things is still a mystery to me
and when you do see pictures in
classic ford letters
Not for TV
In response to Stephen Kimber’s
letter in the March issue about his
Sierra being used for a true crime
thriller, here is our experience of
television production companies.
Last year I was contacted by
a production company to use
my XR2i for some filming.
We agreed to meet them in North
Yorkshire for a full day of filming —
a drive of around 50 miles each way,
plus miles added while filming.
On the day it was a dreary wet
day, the sort of weather the car
doesn’t usually see, but because I’d
promised to be there, we set off.
On arrival, various cameras
were stuck to the car, and I was
asked to drive up the road for a
few minutes then come back,
that was filming B-roll footage,
after that it got exciting, we were
all given walkie talkies and then
for the next few hours were
driving up and down a few roads,
following a Range Rover bristling
with cameras, doing undertakes,
overtakes, all sorts of manoeuvres,
all directed by the show director
via radio. All in all we were filming
six cars for around 5 hours.
Not one second of the footage
was used in the episode — to say
we were disappointed is a massive
understatement, so please be aware
when the TV comes a knocking,
they might just waste your time.
If I get invited again I’ll definitely
ask for more assurances, or my
costs for fuel to be covered.
Ian Shepherd
UK
roadtrips, shows, tattoos...
YOUR PHOTOS Cars,
share your images right here.
Email your hi-res images to classicford.ed@kelsey.co.uk or share them on social media
Stephan Schaade: I recently bought
a Series 2 RS Turbo when I helped a
friend to pick up his Mk2 Fiesta Fly.
It’s not been on the road since 1999.
Ton Nachtegeller: Cool
combo on the way to
Melk in Austria.
Leighton Bagrie: My father’s 1978 Mk2 Escort 1600 Sport
and my 1969 Mk1 Escort project — all the way from
New Zealand. The Escort was my first car.
Keep it Ford
Just thought I’d drop you a
line to show my support for
the originality enthusiasts who
contribute to your magazine.
While I certainly do not condemn
owners that upgrade classic Fords
with newer parts, I do get a bit
grumpy when I read of someone
bastardising a good car with
foreign running gear. After all, this
is a publication all about Fords
for Ford enthusiasts, isn’t it?
Generally though, Classic
Ford continues to be a firm
favourite read of myself and
many like-minded Kiwis.
Jeff Carline
New Zealand
James Sheahan: Irishman in Oz.
Andrew G Koopman: Nice and clean Cortina.
Ove Langkaas: From
Norway, with love.
Chris Zacker: My 1967 left-hand-drive 124E Anglia.
21,000 miles and it’s never had anything done to it.
Spring 2024
81
Show
us yours!
Email hi-res ph
otos and
details of your
pride
or project to cla and joy
ssicford.
ed@kelsey.c
o.
write to us at th uk, or
e address
on page 6.
The sorted Sport replaces
Martyn’s much-missed and
crashed first one (below right).
Martyn Blackburn
From: UK
Car: Mk2 Escort
“This is my recently-completed Mk2 Escort,
which taken me just over a year to complete
— even though the interior still needs a bit of
attention! It’s a South African import 1600
Sport with a 2-litre Pinto and twin 45 Webers,
Type-9 five-speed and a Kent cam.”
“All the work was done in my shed with
the help of a few knowledgeable pals! I
know it’s stickered up as a model Ford
never made but its what it is now! The
paint finish isn’t the best but the intention
is just to hack it about and enjoy it.
“I’ve also included a photo of my old 1600
Sport, written off years ago and always
been one of my biggest regrets not being
able to afford to buy it back and put it back
in the road but being a young 20 year old at
the time finances were always tight!”
William Cook
From: South Africa
Car: Anglia 105E
Quite a family history, this Anglia. It was
bought in 1960 by William’s grandfather,
William Alexander. “It has been in the
family for 64 years,” says William. “I started
modifying the 997cc motor and later
fitted a modified 1640cc Kent motor.”
But even the Kent motor was too slow
for William, so when he visited his son
Basil in Southampton towards the end of
82
Spring 2024
2006, he bought a 2-litre Cosworth motor
from Gary at RS Cosworth Breakers in
Portsmouth. “It arrived at the beginning
of 2007 and that’s when the massive job
started,” he says. “It took nearly two years.”
The spec is impressive. The engine is a
200-block Cosworth with a gas-flowed head,
stainless steel valves and solid lifters, T4
turbo, Cosworth exhaust manifold, 76 mm
exhaust system and Diktator management
system. The whole lot comes in at 320 bhp
and 400 Nm of torque. Nice. This is channelled
through a T5 gearbox, 3.7 Salisbury limited
slip diff and a four-pad copper paddle clutch.
Brakes are by discs all-round — Cosworth
at the front and Mk1 Golf GTI at the rear — and
it rides on 8x15 Minilites. The Anglia’s new
jutting chin comes courtesy of an Escort
XR3 front spoiler, grafted on and blended in
to modified front arches. “It’s very fast and
an absolute pleasure to drive,” says William,
“and it’s an M3 and Subaru’s nightmare!”
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readers’ rides
Meik Woywood
From: Germany
Car: Escort MkI Mexico replica
This beauty is a German Mexico replica that has
been given the full Teutonic works by Meik. The
engine is a Brauneiser-Renntechnik built 2-litre
Cosworth YB with a Köln Motorsport block,
giving out 295 bhp and 388 Nm torque in Eurospeak. It also has a Radtec radiator, 2wd sump,
3 inch custom-made exhaust, 4x4 exhaust
manifold and a custom-made crossmember.
It features a T5 gearbox with Atlas axle, LSD,
two-piece Cosworth propshaft and a custommade quickshift. It’s Rose jointed all round, with
Avo dampers and 320 lb springs at the front,
and a four-link and Watts linkage set-up with
160 lb springs and Gaz dampers at the rear.
An unusual solution to stopping sits
behind the great-looking 15 inch front
Emily and Kerry Elston
wheels — Brembo four-pot callipers from a
Porsche Boxter with Sierra Cosworth 4x4
vented discs and EBC Green Stuff pads.
More traditional 2wd Cosworth callipers and
discs do the stopping work at the back.
Finishing touches include a sixdial dash, VDO gauges, RS2000
seats and a Capri RS steering wheel,
creating a real autobahn-stormer.
Anglia and Cortina are flying the flag
for Sixties Fords in New Zealand.
From: New Zealand
Cars: Anglia 105E, Mk1 Cortina
Kiwi couple Kerry and Emily Elston are responsible for
this pair of beauties. This restoration team seem to be
equally at home modding and carefully restoring.
Emily says: “The Anglia is a 1967 lowered on 14 inch
Superlites with 315 struts, 1300cc block and crank, 1100
Escort rods, modified 105E head on DHLA carbs, MkI
Cortina gearbox, and 3.89 crownwheel and pinion.”
After reading that, you may think these two are born
modders. Not so. “The 1965 Cortina is a standard original
car,” adds Emily. The pair also have another project on
the go — a 1962 Consul Classic 315. This antipodean
twosome are building up quite a collection.
Tim Bailey
From: Australia
Car: Mk2 Escort
On the hunt for a daily-driver, Sydney-based
Tim lucked out when he scored this mint
two-door auto from a little old lady. “I work in
a city and needed something small and cheap
to run, plus it needed to be an auto as traffic
can be bad sometimes,” explains Tim. “My
family are complete Ford nuts — between
us we’ve got 12 cars of various ages.
“I’ve had the Mk2 five years now and
can’t help tinkering with it. There’s a 1600
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in place of the 1300, Bestek electronic
ignition and even air conditioning.
“Next on the list of things to do is repair some
small rust problems in the heater bowl and
passenger door, and the engine will probably
get a head service with unleaded valves.”
Spring 2024
83
NEXT ISSUE
COMING UP IN THE MAY 2024 EDITION OF CLASSIC FORD
Next month
See all this and so much more in your May 2024 issue
of the world’s biggest and best-selling Ford magazine!
Kelsey Publishing Ltd
The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding
Hill, Yalding ME18 6AL, UK
Telephone: 01959 541444
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SAFE TECH
Contents
88
How to: fit a rear firewall
94
Our Projects: Mk3 Capri
96
Our Projects: Mk2 Orion
98
Expert Clinic
Your step-by-step guide.
The latest on Graham’s Capri.
Ade’s Orion gets suited and booted.
Problem with your Ford? We can help
When working on cars and using tools of any
kind — especially power tools — always use
protective gear: goggles, gloves, ear defenders,
masks and a decent set of overalls are essential.
A fire extinguisher is also advisable.
Never work under a car without supporting
it with axle stands and if you’re not completely
confident of your ability to complete any
task safely, leave it to the experts.
The A B C of tuning
A is for... Air/fuel ratio
The amount of fuel being sent into your
Ford engine’s combustion chambers is
measured as an air/fuel ratio (AFR),
which is just like it sounds — a number
representing the ratio of the amount of
air to the amount of fuel being burned in
the engine. The engine mixes fuel with
oxygen in the air and then ignites that
mixture with a spark plug. The optimum
mixture of air and fuel is 14.7 parts of
air to every one part of fuel for an AFR
of 14.7:1. At this ratio and under the
right conditions, all of the fuel and all
of the oxygen can burn leaving nothing
except for the combustion products —
this is called the stochiometric ratio.
However, a stoichiometric mixture
burns very hot and can damage engine
components, as well as limit maximum
power, and most engines are tuned to
run richer, giving a lower AFR number.
On most naturally-aspirated engines,
maximum power is usually reached at
AFRs ranging from 12.5 to 13.3:1.
Spring 2024
87
How to
FABRICATE
A FIREWALL
Give your classic Ford the competition car look and add some
safety and rigidity with a rear firewall. Here’s how.
S
ome features on classic Fords
scream race car like no other. The
sound of a hot engine helps and
some of the bits you can’t see like an FIA
logbook truly confirm it too. But what about
the physical hardware to create both the
right image and all-important safety?
One of those high on the list has to be a
rear firewall, which helps to keep the driver
and the car safe from the evils of burning
fuel. After all it’s common practise to mount
the fuel pumps in the boot and if you haven’t
got a method of isolating fuel, you could end
up frying more than the local chip shop. But
safety’s one thing because there’s another
argument for adding such a structure
too — get it right and it can be argued a
decent rear bulkhead will add stiffness to
the car. And that can only be a good thing.
88
Spring 2023
There’s no definitive way of doing this
but we’ve attempted to firewall a Mk1
Cortina with several factors in mind. First,
it had to be as neat as possible — it’s easy
to make a thin bit of alloy look like it’s
been put there by a size nine boot! Next
we wanted it to appear simple and clean
— almost a feature — yet still be able to
retain a back seat if we wanted to fit one.
Ours will also be body-coloured, so we
intend to paint it and the rest of the inside
at a later date. The process also needed to
be reversible, so it can be easily returned
to standard if required. Most important,
it had to do a proper job of firewalling.
To achieve this, we’ve approached the
problem slightly differently. Normally
you would sculpture the bottom of a
sheet of aluminium to conform to the
complicated pattern of the floor, which
is difficult on such a large expanse,
increasing the likelihood of leaks. So,
we’ve simplified it by building the floor up,
creating a vertical platform and therefore
a straight-edged flange, giving us a better
chance of creating a neat bottom edge.
The platform was made using short
sections of 18-gauge sheet steel, simplifying
the task of forming to the correct shape,
finish-welding, then blending into the floor.
We’ve added some stiffening holes to the
front vertical face of this mini bulkhead,
which looks like it defeats the object —
surely fluid will gush past? Truth is, it’s fully
seam-welded on the horizontal, returninto-floor-section and is therefore sealed.
Our actual bulkhead will be 16-gauge
sheet aluminium, which is much lighter
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how to: fabricate a firewall
than steel, and to give us something
to mount it to we’ve created flanges all
around the outside of the wheel tubs.
Getting the angle of these right was quite
tricky, it involving making several card,
MDF and steel templates. But it was less
frustrating to use expendable material
than muck it up on expensive sheet alloy.
The angle we decided on was the back
seat’s, dictated by the rear support rail
that runs up from the floor, connecting
with the shelf below the rear window.
Others cut this bar out and drop their
bulkheads down but we wanted to
1
Preparation’s the first task. These hooks are
used to hold the back seat in place. We drill out
the spot welds and save them because we can
always screw them back in place if we need
them later.
4
The curved sections will be built up with plates,
but shown are dummies we made which
weren’t quite right! Effectively, we’re extending
the trans- mission tunnel sideways making a
flat surface.
7
Don’t expect this to fit first time — it will require
final trimming to make it perfect but you need to
spend the time to make sure the real thing fits by
simply dropping in place.
retain what’s there and leave it. The only
problem was, the bar wasn’t in the centre
of the car and it wasn’t square either.
Now that wasn’t a problem but, we
intended to secure the bulkhead using
countersunk pop-rivets and then paint the
whole lot body colour. And to make it neat,
the rivets have to be properly marked out
with accurate spacing — otherwise they
really will stick out. So we opted to glue
the centre bar fixing in place using U-Pol
Tiger Seal bonding agent, distributed with
a caulking gun. We used the same stuff to
seal all around the edges, prior to paint (and
2
Since we’ve a gaping great hole to fill, the next
thing we need is a reference point to work to, so
we cut a thin, straight bit of wood to the exact
width across the transmission hump in the floor...
5
Next we need to establish more reference
lines especially around the wheel tubs.
Therefore, we make a template of the area using
small sections of card, taping them together —
this needs to be as accurate as possible and is
easier in small pieces.
8
With a dummy in place, we can also see our
required methods of support plus other
problems before they arise — note too, we’ve
marked the centre line of the board and aperture.
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it can be painted over), and in our usual
way, we haven’t shown this bit yet as the
car’s not currently at the paint stage...
Lastly, it is all very well doing just the
rear bulkhead but you also need to seal
around the sides too — hence we also made
alloy quarter-cards, plus we dealt with
the rear parcel shelf. This also had holes
that we filled by cutting and shaping alloy
panels as covers, which we’ll also paint.
To get this task right takes time
but remember it’s seen so it’s worth
it — plus, more importantly, done
right, it could save your life!
3
...And set it up level and straight — don’t assume
the floor’s perfectly flat! Obviously the car’s body
also needs to be sitting level too! Using this we
are able to scribe an accurate line across the floor.
6
We carefully remove this from the car and
transfer the information to a 3 mm thick section
of MDF board. This is stiff enough to remain flat.
9
The self-tapping screw we’ve used to
temporarily fix it in place isn’t in the middle. That’s
because the upright isn’t, so we’ll need to glue
the real thing in place to avoid wonky rivet lines!
Spring 2023
89
90
10
11
12
We use the back of the board’s edge to give us
an accurate line onto which to make and fit
supporting flanges — obviously, we’ve removed
the board for clarity!
An accurate template means it’s easier to
transfer the correct shape to the 18-gauge steel
sheet from which we’ll make the flange — again
this needs final fitting to make it dead right.
When we’re happy with the fit, we use the
flange to mark out a return flange, which will sit
on the wheel tub — this we do by placing a thin
bit of card underneath and drawing around it.
13
14
15
We extend the curved line across by 20 mm and
cut the shape out of the card...
...Then we check it for shape against our
marked line and with the steel template/flange
section removed.
Once happy, we transfer the shape onto
18-gauge sheet steel and cut it out using a metal
cutting blade in a jigsaw — but make sure you’re
wearing proper eye protection: they spit!
16
17
18
We do the same with the flange to go around the
wheel tub — extend it by 20 mm, conforming to
the shape then cut it out the same way.
To form our flange and return, we curve the flat
section to the vertical front face and tack the
two together.
But before finish-welding, we check the fit on
the wheel arch tub — if it’s only tacked then it’s
simple to rectify if wrong. We’ve only shown the
top section; the bottom’s made in the same way.
19
20
21
Our MDF template shows is that we need a
return flange to allow the bulkhead to mate
vertically at the sides, so we make a filling plate
with a formed flange and plug-weld it in place.
Once we’ve made the entire wheel tub flange,
we’re able to mount it behind the angled vertical
return flange. We drill 4 mm holes in the tub
flange and, after accurate alignment, plug-weld it
to it.
Here we can see the finished flange, which
conforms to the shape of the wheel tub ensuring
no gaps, making it easy to seal and therefore no
leaks — we repeat the exercise on the other side.
Spring 2023
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how to: fabricate a firewall
22
23
24
Next we make the bottom mini-bulkheads. We
start by cutting an angled piece of sheet steel,
replicating what we want to achieve — this
means we can then establish the ends of the
side flange.
Using the marks we made earlier, we use a
profile gauge to accurately trace the shape of the
contoured floor, which allows us to...
...Transfer the shapes into card so we are able to
make accurate templates, which we then
transfer into sheet steel.
25
26
27
We cut these out using a mixture of tin shears
and metal-cutting jigsaw, followed by final fit and
finish to conform to the floor.
Next we draw round where our sections will fit
allowing us to know where to grind the paint off
the floor. We tack-weld the top section in place
first, then make the bottom to fit to it.
The up-standing section of the mini-bulkhead is
made from another template. A joggled edge
forms the mounting flange, extending above the
closing section we’ve just tacked in place.
28
29
30
Here, the lot’s tacked in place allowing us to
check the fit before it’s made permanent.
The back edge, which is the bit you won’t see as
it’s behind the actual bulkhead, is fully seamwelded and forms a sealed edge — we’ll
seam-seal it as well and paint over it later.
We then do the same to the front edge but blend
this into the floor — with the welds ground back
and the merest hint of body filler in the edges, it
looks like it belongs there.
31
32
33
Next we start fitting the actual firewall. From our
card and MDF templates, we create another
super-accurate template from sheet steel.
Here you can see how the bottom edge fits into
the joggled upstanding flange in the minibulkhead in the floor — once in place and sealed,
the firewall should look completely flush.
We repeat the exercise for the other side giving
us two templates from which to make the alloy
bulkhead — this makes it easier to create very
accurate templates that just need alignment.
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Spring 2023
91
92
34
35
36
Next transfer the templates onto the sheet
aluminium and mark it out — if you build in plenty
of reference points to check, you should get it
right first time!
Some sheet aluminium has a facing layer of thin
plastic which is peeled off, others don’t, so to
prevent scratching, we cover the base of our
jigsaw with masking tape and keep cleaning it.
OK, we cheated! This is our trial bulkhead, made
from a too-small piece of 16-gauge sheet (it
wasn’t wide enough at the top) but we use it to
check our dimensions for the actual one!
37
38
39
Next we mark out our pop-rivet fixing holes
which we do establishing a 75 mm spacing,
drilling a 4 mm clearance hole for our rivets.
We accurately align our panels, then drill through
the rivet holes into the flange behind — note, you
will need to get behind and de-burr the hole too.
We’re using countersunk pop rivets, so we
previously countersunk the clearance holes, then
using a hand riveter fix the sheet alloy bulkhead in
place, working from the centre outwards.
40
41
42
Next we fix the centre of the sheet in place using
U-Pol Tiger Seal rather than rivets, as the original
upright’s not in the exact centre of the panel and
would show.
After riveting the whole way round the edges of
the bulkhead sheet, we run a bead of sealant
around the edges and on the back edges too.
The rear parcel shelf needs attention too as
there’s a central speaker hole that needs closing,
plus various fixing holes — we cut and fit alloy
sheet to these too.
43
44
We’ve also made new side cards from sheet alloy, which we’ll
permanently fit at a later date, once we’ve finally run the wiring.
Job jobbed!
Spring 2023
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Floor mounts tweaked
for the Sparco buckets.
Graham’s Mk3 Capri
What’s been
done this
month:
Fabbed a sump
guard, remounted
the bucket seats,
fiddled with the
mixture
Next on the
to-do list:
Swap the fuel pump
out
Thanks to:
Burton Power
020 8518 9127,
www.burtonpower.
com
Demon Tweeks
01978 664555,
www.demontweeks.com
Steve’s Classic Cars
07941 648076
94
Graham’s days of wrecking sumps on the Capri may be over thanks
to a custom set-up— and the help of the ever-patient Steve Pester.
n my last update, the Pinto
had been refitted after having
to be removed and mated to
yet another baffled sump. In the
absence of off-the-shelf options
for Capri sump guards, as usual,
Steve Pester of Steve’s Classic
Cars came to the rescue.
We decided that a bespoke sump
guard was the way forward but if
they’re poorly designed sometimes
they can cause as many problems
as they cure on a fast road car. After
much research and development, trial
and error, and tea and biscuits, I’m
delighted with the end result.
A heat-treated alloy plate manages
to be both fairly light and very strong.
Thank goodness Steve has got a
hearty hydraulic press as it took some
persuasion to shape. The factory,
welded-on towing eye was removed
from the front crossmember. This
I
Spring 2024
allows the sump guard to start just
forward of the ‘member, using
the structure as a mounting point.
Countersunk bolts were used to keep
the profile of the guard as shallow
as possible. A curved piece of tubing
is attached to the leading edge of
the alloy sheet. A custom bracket
is attached to the bottom of the
gearbox housing which secures the
sump guard at the aft position. You’ll
note from the photographs that the
guard is angled down from the front
crossmember to the bellhousingmounted bracket, close enough to
the sump so as not to be a snagging
hazard for the car yet allowing
sufficient room for the plate to flex
on impact without fouling the sump.
The curved bar at the forward-most
point coupled with the angle acts as a
skid to brush over foreign objects as
opposed to making square impact.
Note the gap above the rubber feet
on the rear bracket. These act as a
bump stop and allow a calculated
amount of travel in the event of
impact without damage to the sump.
After a trial fitting, the sump guard
needed a kink upwards behind
the sump to create more ground
clearance. A smaller heat-treated
alloy plate was mounted on the
right-hand side of the crossmember
and drilled to house a removable
shackle for recovery purposes in the
absence of the factory tow hook.
Inside out
Our attention now turned to the
interior where the fitment of the
Sparco buckets was found to be
a little sketchy. With the requisite
driving position eventually found
for my lanky frame, the hard brittle
factory floor finish was chipped
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classic ford’s project cars
Custom guard hopefully means an end
to Graham’s sump-scraping antics.
New bearing kits needed for the shafts,
plus heavy-duty retaining bolts (above).
back in the relevant places to
ensure level and true contact areas,
and the floors were then drilled
accordingly. The seats were refitted
using the appropriate hardware in
the form of bolt-in eyelets, heavyduty washers, threaded underfloor
plates and split pins from the
trusty Demon Tweeks catalogue.
With the car sporting a new
array of upgrades, it repaid us by
springing a leak from the driver’s
side halfshaft bearing/seal unit. A
pair of replacement bearings were
ordered and fitted. The silver lining
to the latest setback was the fitment
of a Steve’s Classic Cars heavy-duty
halfshaft retaining kit which uses
12.9-graded industrial strength
Allen bolts and specially selected
thick hardened washers. Steve has
the universal kits on the shelf for
immediate dispatch to suit English
or Atlas axles, drum or disc brake
conversions on all the popular classic
Ford platforms. These not only look
great but provide a confidenceinspiring boost over the standard
set-up which is especially important
on a car such as this one that has to
deal with the increased torsional
stress associated with a wider wheel
and sticky tyre. This now joins the
neat sump Allen kit which Steve also
offers as an off-the-shelf upgrade.
Right mix
The first road test with the assistance
of the new gauges indicated that
the air-to-fuel ratio was too rich. As
a precautionary measure, Steve
calibrated the in-car AFR gauge
by testing the Capri’s CO2 with his
workshop meter. These results
tallied with the AFR gauge and
Steve changed the carb’s jetting
accordingly. After static AFR tests
at increasing revs, it was time to
test the car under load. The road
test revealed lean AFR readings
under hard acceleration (especially
on pronounced inclines). The
pattern fuel pump was identified as
a possible weak link. Thankfully it
hadn’t failed and the oil was free from
contamination but a good quality
Quinton Hazel item was ordered
from Burton Power to ensure that the
pump was up to the job and a larger
accelerator pump jet was readied for
the next round of testing. I’ll be back
to report on the outcome next time.
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Steve ponders over yet
more work to the Capri.
Spring 2024
95
Ade’s Mk2 Orion
What’s been
done this
month:
With the Orion now home, Ade turns his attention to getting it
running right — and sitting lower, naturally.
Sorted the running
issues, fitted a new
fan switch, lowered
it
W
Next on the
to-do list:
Roll the arches —
or source some
different wheels
Thanks to:
James
Sean at Fordmax
Car Breakers
07710 418401
96
ith my Fordmax
Competitions-won Orion
back home in Scotland
from last month’s collection roadtrip
I was more than happy with it. Yes,
it’s very much a budget project, but
there’s a great car in amongst the
niggles, and there’s nothing that can’t
be easily sorted. The car made the
300-mile trip fine, but a couple of days
local use was showing up some issues
which needed immediate attention.
The dead heater motor thankfully
was just a blown fuse, and since
replaced it’s worked perfectly, so an
easy win there! The car did suffer from
an annoying stutter when pulling
away, so logically it made sense to
get stuck in at the basic service items,
as who knows how long this 36 year
old car had gone without attention.
Recent receipts showed a new set of
plugs and a coil (which also suggests
the issue had been attempted to be
tackled previously), but various other
Spring 2024
areas need to be addressed. The
most obvious being the oil-sodden
air filter. It even had a spider caked
into the element! An inline fuel
filter is always a wise addition to an
old car both to see the condition of
the fuel and also the most obvious
purpose, to filter any debris.
A new set of ignition leads, rotor
arm and distributor cap were also
all fitted and cost peanuts. A new
fan switch was also sourced and
fitted as the original was dead. Quite
a common issue on older cars, so
no big surprise or expense, but a
potential engine killer when stuck
in traffic, so definitely one to sort.
Initially this looked like a
two-minute job, but the huge
spanner required to get the
sensor removed also required the
distributor to be removed (and
then timing to be reset). If I was
doing it again an extra-deep socket
would be a wise investment.
A basic spray of carb cleaner
into the Weber was also done and
then it was time for a test drive.
Even though the car felt
considerably livelier (most likely
due to the new air filter) the stutter
remained. A friend in East Kilbride
had offered to lend a hand one
evening with some of the jobs,
so as soon as possible I headed
over to see James with more
spares and my fingers crossed.
Loose fit
The first thing to see to was the carb,
and on opening it up it was quite
clear what was wrong. One of the jets
had actually worked its way loose
and was allowing far too much fuel
through! (That’ll explain the poor
MPG and sooty start-up!). Everything
else looked clean and in good
condition, so with this refitted a quick
test drive was undertaken and we had
success, the stutter was completely
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classic ford’s project cars
Non-working heater thankfully down to just a
blown fuse. Air filter (right) had seen better days.
Loose jet in the carb was the root of the running
issues. New fan switch (right) was a pig to fit.
gone after just 10 minutes work! So
with this sorted we decided to do
an oil change and delve into fitting
the used lowering kit from Sean at
Fordmax. Springs and dampers
were badly needed, as it was quite
clear just how worn the originals
were when the car was driven. Also
the stance definitely needed sorting.
Bigger wheels and stock ride height
aren’t a combination which should
ever go together in my book!
With a lot of hammering,
spannering, grunting and skint
knuckles (in-between a pizza break
and random chat, of course) the
suspension kit was finally fitted. The
front looked great, but the back was
exactly the same height as when
we’d started! There’s no budget for
coil-overs here, so the old school
solution was adopted involving an
angle grinder. The springs looked
a fair bit beefier than the originals,
so the final height and stiffness was
spot on. Result! The car sits lovely on
the Rota D154s, but now to decide if
they stay and the arches are rolled
or do I opt for an alternative not so
wide wheel? Something needs to be
done, as there’s far too much rubber
and arch contact right now!
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Uprated struts and springs
saw the Orion sitting lower.
An evening with mate, James
saw the Orion sorted.
Spring 2024
97
Sierra Slipper
Window seals
QUERY
OF THE
MONTH
Q I’m having some issues with my
opening rear quarter windows on
my Mk1 Capri. The old glue that used
to hold the glass to its fittings has failed. I’ve tried
various epoxy resins and glues from my local
motor factors and hardware store to repair it, but
they all seem to fail after a while. Ford managed
to hold them in for 40 years, but I’m struggling
to keep them in for a week, and I always have a
constant worry that they will fall out at any time.
Is there any other sort of glue/epoxy I can try?
Robin Beaumont
UK
A “I have two options for you,” reckons Trevor
Steadman from Steadspeed Restorations. “One
is a product called JB Weld. It’s a two-part epoxy
and is fantastic stuff, but as with all things like this,
it’s down to prep work — everything has to be
spotless and clean of any oil or grease —
even get the grease off your hands, and
remember to key the glass and metal surface with
rough sandpaper.”
“Then there’s Dymax 431, which is the daddy
of all things sticky! It’s great for sticking glass to
copper, aluminium and stainless steel. Good luck!”
Q I have a 1983 Sierra XR4i
and would like to change the
original axle for one that’s
fitted with an LSD and disc
brakes. I have a K-reg XR4x4
axle that I’d like to fit. Would
this be a straightforward job? If not,
what’s involved? Or would I just be
better off buying a Cosworth threedoor axle and fitting that instead?
Dan Smith
UK
A The Cossie one would be better
— it’s a 7.5-inch diff as opposed to
a 7-inch — and you could then put
the Sierra Cossie 4x4 rear vented
discs and callipers on. They’re
plenty good enough to stop
anything, but, and it’s a big but,
getting hold of one could be
difficult, as three-door spares are
getting scarce and when they do
come up, they attract a premium.
So yes, we’d say fit the XR axle if
you’ve got one around. It should
be a bolt-up job but check the drive
flange is going to fit your prop
before you dismantle the car.
Tyre sizes
Q What are the widest tyres I can
fit to my Mk2 Escort, and which
size would you say is best?
Franco Conterato
Italy
practicality. If you’re running
wider wheels (7x13, for example),
then you will find you may
have to resort to a 175/50R13.
A This really depends on what
width wheels you are using,
but generally with standard
Mk2 arches and if the car isn’t
severely lowered, you should be
able to get 205/50R13 tyres on
without major rubbing issues —
with 5.5 or 6x13 inch wheels.
The best all-rounder though
is definitely a 185/60R13 tyre
with the same size wheel, in
terms of looks, availability and
Pinto fuel pump
Q I‘m building a 2.1 Pinto, which
will be lightened and balanced
and I’ve got the RS2000 engine
mounts. Could you please tell
me which side they fit, as I think
it’s the small one that fits on
the alternator side. Also, do I
need to fit a better fuel pump
or will the manual one be OK?
Kevin Lewis
UK
A You are correct — the small
mount fits on the alternator side
of the engine. With regard to the
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Spring 2024
fuel pump, it depends what carb
you’re planning to run. If you’re
intending to use a Weber DGAV
or DGAS carb, the standard
pump will be OK and should
easily keep up with demand.
If you intend to run DCOEs
you will ideally need a Facet
Silver/Red Top pump and Filter
King regulator to make sure
you get enough fuel flowing to
them. If you have the budget,
fit the pump and regulator
anyway so that you have plenty
of capacity for future mods.
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your tech questions
Fiesta rev counter
Q I have a 1981 Mk1 Fiesta Ghia
and it has just come off the road
for a full rebuild. I would like
more power than the standard
1300, so I was thinking of buying
a scrap Mondeo and robbing its
Zetec and fitting it with an RS
Turbo gearbox before putting
it in the Fiesta. My question
concerns the original rev counter
in the Fiesta. Will it work from
the Mondeo motor or will it need
work doing to it? I would like to
keep the dash looking standard.
Lennox Bradley
UK
A The problem you will have
is that the Zetec engine runs a
wasted spark ignition system
whereas the Mk1 uses a standard
distributor set-up. The tacho will
work but it will read at half speed.
You can rectify this by taking
a feed from both sides of the
coil trigger wires up to the tacho
with two diodes to stop power
backfeeding across the coil. Not
an ideal solution, but it will work.
The other option is to go for
an aftermarket ECU such as
Omex instead of the Zetec’s
existing Ford ECU. Both have
configurable outputs for the
rev counter and can be mapped
to suit any modifications
you do to the engine.
Escort engine mounts
Q I’ve just imported a 1970 Escort
1100 Deluxe that’s in need of
restoration. I want to drop in a Mk2
auto engine but am going to keep
the manual ’box from the Mk1.
The trouble I’m having is with the
engine mounts — they don’t fit as
they’re about half an inch too long.
Any idea what the solution is?
Jeff Kitson
UK
A It’s possible that your car has the
early-type engine crossmember.
These had just a single round hole
for the engine mounts to bolt into
as opposed to the later slotted type
which allow for some adjustment
of the position of the mount. This
can be the only reason for your
problem. A 1970 car shouldn’t
have the early compression
strut-type suspension but Ford
was notorious for using whatever
bits were left in the parts bin.
The simple solution would be
to re-drill or elongate the holes
in your existing crossmember.
Contact
Omex
www.omex
technology.co.uk
Perspex windows
Q I’m looking at fitting perspex
windows to my Mk2 Escort. I
know, that I can’t change the
screen, but if I change the other
windows is it still road-legal?
Jason Robson
UK
A Yes, the car will still be legal.
Try to get proper polycarbonate
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rather than perspex ones
though, as the former is less
prone to shattering during
an accident. It does scratch
more easily though, so you
need to treat it with care.
There are also companies who
can supply the rear screen with
the correct contour so it will fit
straight into the original rubber.
Steadspeed
Restorations
07766 676379
www.facebook.
com/Steadspeed
Help!
Tech problem?
Email your query to
classicford.ed
@kelsey.co.uk
Spring 2024
99
MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
o describe a Capri race car as being
hairy-chested is to rehash a cliché
already threadbare through overuse,
but once you’ve read the story of the Group 1
car you see here, I hope you’ll agree that really
it’s a fitting characterisation for a car
so redolent of late 1970s Touring Car racing
that it might as well come with a pack of
Belgas on the dash. You see, this particular
Capri is none other than CC5, one of the
Capris built by CC Racing Developments
for Gordon Spice, and in which the late,
great tin-top ace claimed his most famous
T
100
Spring 2024
Touring Car win — the 1978 Spa 24 Hours.
Gary Wilkinson is a man who’s better
acquainted with the charms of the Gordon
Spice Capri than most, having recently
completed the restoration of CC5. A proud
Kiwi with a longterm fascination with Ford
race cars (he’s also responsible for restoring
ZAK-E23/75, the Group 5 Zakspeed
Escort Hans Heyer used to win the DRM in
1975), Gary is well-placed to recount both
the remarkable race history of this car and
also how this most European of Touring
Cars came to reside in New Zealand.
“I’m a firm believer in the notion that old
cars come to the right people for the right
reasons, and that was the case with CC5,”
explains Gary. “I first encountered it back in
2016 when doing some work for a Manxman
called Barry Forth, who’d owned the car
for many years and been responsible for
bringing it out of Europe and into Asia.”
The Capri Gary encountered looked
every inch the period Group 1 hero, albeit a
slightly down at heel one having resided in
the same, small (but watertight, thankfully)
shipping container since — wait for it —
Gary Wilkinson’s mission to resurrect
Gordon Spice’s 24 Hours of Spa-winning
Capri has been a true labour of love, and
evidence of this Kiwi’s dedication to
the classic Ford cause.
1988! Gary makes no bones about this
longterm confinement being crucial to the
Capri’s survival and points out that, had
it remained closer to its place of birth, the
likelihood is that it would have been pressed
into service as a privateer race car later in
the decade, crashed, and probably broken
up or otherwise parted out as a result.
Thus, when Gary agreed to take the car
off Barry’s hands midway through 2017, he
came into possession of what surely ranks as
the most complete example of an ex-Spice
Capri in existence. Quite how proper the car
was only became apparent when Gary began
to strip it down for restoration, whereupon a
veritable treasure trove of period-correct, FIApleasing (and in some cases, countermanding)
hardware came to light, not to mention
ample evidence of its extended career at the
sharp end of European tin-top racing.
Under colour
First up, the paintwork. Painstaking stripdown
of the shell presented Gary with the chance
to conduct what amounted to an automotive
archaeological excavation, revealing first a
layer of blue (evidence of the blue and white
livery it wore on the Spa 500 in 1980, then
the Autocar red it sported in 1979, and finally
the red and white of Belgium’s foremost
cigarette brand, Belga. This latter livery is
the one it presented on the occasion of its
ultimate triumph, victory in the 24 Hours of
Spa, back in 1978. But more on that later.
Below these layers lurked a bodyshell so
clean, tidy, and free from rot that it staggered
all associated with the rebuild, Gary’s
panelbeater included. There were dents
earned in the melee of door-to-door racing,
Spring 2024
101
Words Jamie Arkle Photos Richard Opie
SPICE
MERCHANT
MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
“IT’S A JOY TO DRIVE —
PLANTED, PREDICTABLE
AND VERY FRIENDLY”
sure, but rust was notable only by its absence.
What was there in abundance was nickelbronze seam braze, evidence of the reputed
450–550 hours CC Racing Developments put
into prepping their Group 1 Capris in period.
Another name indelibly associated with
the Spice Capris is that of Neil Brown, master
engine builder and the man responsible for
assembling the Essex V6 in Gary’s car, as
evidenced by the NB007 stamping found on
the block and flywheel. Gary also found other
evidence of Brown’s handiwork nestled within
and points to the windage tray, complete with
numerous intricate trap doors and channels
SPA DAY
THE CAPRI’S INCREDIBLE ENDURANCE WIN
The reason CC5 must ranks among the
most successful production Capri race
cars of all time is thanks to its victory on the
1978 running of the 24 Hours of Spa,
widely viewed as the most important
fixture in the Touring Car calendar at the
time. More pertinently, that year’s race
was the last ever to utilise the old SpaFrancorchamps road course, which
compelled competitors to tackle iconic
corners like the Kemmel curves and the
infamously-perilous Masta Kink. The ins
and outs of Spice’s victory at Spa that year,
a win he shared with co-driver Teddy
Pilette, are too numerous to do justice
here, but suffice to say the pair
encountered more than their fair share of
dramas over the course of those 24 hours,
and in fact spent a full 60 minutes of that
period in the pits for various repairs! This
mandated a truly herculean effort from
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Spring 2024
Spice in order to make up for lost time in
the early hours of Sunday morning, and
boy did the Londoner deliver: his eventual
winning margin over the BMW of Eddy
Joosen, Dirk Vermeesch, and Raymond
Vanhoe was 4.42 km (this being an
endurance race, remember) with an
average speed of some 112 mph. Both cars
finished on the same lap, lap 305.
to marshal the oil away from the manically
revving crank, as being especially impressive
and also indicative of the lengths he went to
in order to give the Capri a competitive edge.
Group 1 Essex V6s made between 220
and 240 bhp, though the higher figure was
only achieved late in the competitive career
of the Mk3, and even then often came at
the expense of reliability. The engine in
CC5 now makes 272 bhp thanks to modern
know-how and some parts from Ric Wood
Motorsport, but Gary is keen to highlight
just how effective Neil Brown and his ilk were
at extracting power from the stalwart Essex
in period and offers an anecdote from the
car’s first post-rebuild dyno session as proof.
“I’d set the engine up in a synopsis cell,
initially with a 350 Holley two-barrel carb
that we thought would be perfect, the
results were pretty good but always looking
for more I decided to swap it for the period
Weber 42DCNF that came with the car,
and it made 9 bhp more when bolted to
the same manifold,” muses Gary. “It was
only when we stripped the carb down
that the amount of work that had been
put into perfecting it became clear.”
Shoe stoppers
While there’s no denying that CC5 is
stupidly evocative as a complete, going
concern, in many respects, this is a build
whose significance is best conveyed by small,
outwardly insignificant details. The rear
brake shoes are a case in point, evidence
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motorsport: spa capri
3-litre V6 remains the
Neil Brown-built original,
now good for 272 bhp.
Custom fuel tank was understandably needed for
endurance racing, with audible fuel-low warning for
the driver rather than a gauge.
Heavily-reworked DCNF carb was key to
unlocking more power from the Essex.
not merely of the Capri’s everyman origins
but of the tactical nous of CC and the Spice
Racing operation on their way to victory at
Spa all those years ago. For while the Fords
had to cede second best in the battle for last
of the late brakers to the disc-shod BMWs,
the cars from Munich consumed their pads
at such an insatiable rate that they required
an additional pit stop over the Capris, thus
giving the Cologne rangers and their old
school, drum-shod Atlas axles a stop in hand.
This ability to remain out on track for
longer would prove crucial on long-distance
races such as the Spa 24 Hours, and it’s
something Gary has found evidence of
since committing to rebuilding the Capri.
“I found an in-situ puck attached to the
rear of the shoes and sintered metal linings,
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Spring 2024
103
MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
“CC RACING REPUTEDLY PUT 450-550 HOURS INTO
BUILDING SPICE’S GROUP 1 CAPRIS”
As per the Group 1 regs, the interior
remains decidedly Capri-like.
a way of extending their working life just
that little bit further. I’ve got three of these
in the spares package with the car, almost
certainly the only ones left in the world and
irrefutable evidence of CC5’s pedigree.”
Other elements of CC5’s rebirth underscore
just how long ago 1978 was and how different
the world of motorsport was at the time. Its
fuel tank is a great example of this, as Gary
found it to have been designed in such a
way as to provide the driver with an audible
warning when it was time to head to the pits
for a top-up. “It features three large chambers
separated by baffles, and in the front left
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Spring 2024
corner there was a separate chamber that I
reckon held about 3 litres of fuel. Fuel was
pumped out of the main tank with a lift pump,
then pumped into the top of the chamber so it
would fill up and overflow back into the main
tank. This kept the small reservoir full, and
so stopped surge and provided a safety net.”
The lift pump would draw fuel from
the main tank in to the small chamber
and when this started to rattle, the driver
knew he only had 3-litres of fuel left
and should head to the pits pronto.
It’s hardly ground-breaking stuff (and
it’s fair to say that you’d be laughed out
of the paddock were you to float the
idea to a race team today), but there
can be no doubting its effectiveness.
Planted power
If the proof of the pudding is in the eating,
then the proof of the Group 1 race car is in the
driving, and you’ll all no doubt be delighted
to learn that CC5 over-delivers in this respect.
“Honestly? It’s a joy to drive; it’s
planted, predictable, and very friendly…
it’s like settling into a cosy, well-worn
armchair or an old pair of jeans! Just
what you want in an endurance car.”
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motorsport: spa capri
Tech Spec
Body
CC5 1978 Capri Mk3 converted to
Group 1 Touring Car regulation by CC
Racing Developments, fully nickel-bronze
seam welded bodyshell ballasted to
make minimum FIA weight (1070 kg),
Belga cigarettes livery with Gordon Spice
sunstrip, Cibe Oscar spotlights, remote
shut-offs for fuel and ignition
Engine
Neil Brown-built 2994cc Essex V6 with
CP-Carrillo con-rods and pistons, original
Neil Brown four bearing crankshaft, Neil
Brown windage tray in Essex wet sump,
uprated motorsport spec fasteners and
bolts, period Neil Brown ported heads
rebuilt with new competition spec valve
train and Ric Wood camshaft, original
inlet manifold with Weber 42 DCNF
carburettor, Tony Law exhaust manifolds
running to 3 inch exhaust system, Piranha
transistorised ignition system, Champion
spark plugs
Transmission
Type 5 four-speed gearbox with alloy
bellhousing, close-ratio Hewland
Racing gearset and synchros, AP
Racing competition single-plate clutch,
competition two-piece propshaft to Atlas
axle with limited-slip differential, rebuilt
halfshafts
Suspension
Below: custom tower for extra
switchgear remains nicely unrestored.
Having completed his mission to resurrect
this most significant of Spice Capris, Gary
took the somewhat puzzling decision to sell it
early in 2024. That’s the bad news. The good
news, at least if you happen to be reading this
in the UK or anywhere north of the equator,
is that CC5’s new owner is based in Britain,
and he plans on driving it competitively,
meaning it shouldn’t be too long before
more of us get to see this spectacular machine
from one of Touring Car racing’s golden eras
being driven in anger, likely at a Goodwood
Members’ Meeting. Let’s face it, it’s what
Gordon himself would have wanted.
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Front: RS3100-style crossmember, height
adjustable Bilstein dampers with 350 lb
springs, FAVO alloy hubs, factory steering
arms modified to reduce bump-steer, rose
jointed track rod ends, tubular anti-roll bar,
adjustable alloy top-mounts.
Rear: decambered single-leaf Capri RS
springs, Bilstein dampers, polyushes
Brakes
Front: RS3100 240 mm vented discs with
Ferodo pads. Rear: rebuilt drums with
uprated shoes and sintered metal linings.
Aeroquip braided lines
Wheels and Tyres
7x13 inch Minilite alloy wheels, Goodyear
semi-slick tyres
Interior
Period gauges, uprated Stack tacho,
multi-point roll-cage, RS three-spoke
steering wheel, Capri 3-litre dashboard
facia, Racetech race seat with Sparco
multi-point harnesses, Fire Eater
fire suppression system, CC Racing
Developments fuel tank with twin Facet
fuel pumps (with mountings for original
later three pump set-up retained) and
alloy endurance fuel tank
Spring 2024
105
MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
To compete in the Circuit of Ireland, Boreham built up their
most special Escort so far, with 1.8-litre engine, flared
arches and all. Roger Clark won the event comfortably.
ifty-five years ago, Ford’s Boreham
factory was the epicentre of the
company’s motorsport business. When
Ford’s works team flew back from the LondonSydney Marathon at Christmas 1968, they had
only a few days’ rest. Boreham’s workshops
opened their doors again on January 2,
1969, and another frantically busy season
was in prospect. This is what happened...
F
January
When the battered, sometimes broken,
Lotus Cortinas trickled back from the
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Spring 2024
London-Sydney Marathon, they were hastily
rebuilt, then sold off. This took weeks, but
the team had no further use for them. They
never again appeared in full works guise.
Escorts, Capris and Zodiacs would all be
seen at Boreham in the coming months.
Two brand-new Escort Twin Cams (BEV
781G and BEV 782G) were prepared to
take part in the Monte Carlo rally. Team
recruit, Jean-Francois Piot, from France, took
fourth overall, and won the Touring Car
Category in one of them. Ford revealed the
new 16-valve BDA engine, which Boreham
had already seen in private. The press saw
this Cosworth design, shown in prototype
new-model Capris. Meanwhile, Boreham
had ‘found’ a prototype, and was busily
building up a four-wheel-drive Capri.
February
Boreham’s very first Capri, complete with
FF four-wheel-drive, and a 160 bhp Essex
V6 engine, appeared at Croft rallycross
circuit, where ITV viewers saw Roger Clark
win three races. It was an understeering
pig to handle (Roger hated it, but was too
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motorsport history
THE BIG
YEAR
1969 wasn’t just the year of the Capri,
it marked a milestone for Ford
Motorsport too, as the Borehambased team turned the dial up to 11.
diplomatic to tell the press about it), but
the traction made up for everything.
March
The British race season began, but
Boreham left it to Alan Mann Racing to
campaign a supercharged Escort Twin
Cam on its behalf. The red-and-gold car
would win several races during the year.
News broke of a proposed World Cup Rally,
which would link London to Mexico City by
way of Sofia and Lisbon in 1970, and would
be sponsored by the Daily Mirror newspaper.
Having failed in the London-Sydney
Marathon, Boreham was determined to win
this one. Planning began almost at once.
April
Roger Clark won the Circuit of Ireland in the
ultimate of prototype Escorts (BEV 782G),
complete with 180 bhp 1.8-litre engine, ZF
transmission, and lightened bodywork.
To everyone’s surprise, Ford announced
that Stuart Turner (ex-BMC competitions
manager) would soon take over from Henry
Taylor at Boreham. Henry would become
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Performance Operations Manager, and
would soon be involved in setting up AVO.
May
BEV 782G was working hard for its living.
It was refurbished after the Circuit, for Ove
Andersson to drive on the Welsh, which he
won. In the meantime, Hannu Mikkola took
sister car BEV 781G out on the Austrian
Alpine, and won that event outright. The
two new cars were working very hard for
their living. Boreham was then frantically
busy, completing three cars to contest
Spring 2024
107
MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
“BOREHAM’S MECHANICS GRABBED WHAT HOLIDAYS THEY
COULD — THE 1000 LAKES, FRENCH ALPINE AND THE WORLD
CUP CARS WERE ALL DUE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS...”
the Acropolis rally. Of the three, only
Roger Clark finished (in XOO 243F — old
registration, new car), in second place.
testing and planning began. But what cars
should be used? Escorts, Taunuses, or even
Zodiacs? Definitely not Lotus Cortinas.
Britain race. Driving Avenger Too, Timo
won the race outright. Two months later he
would sign up to drive for Boreham in 1970.
June
July
August
Stuart Turner joined Ford as Competitions
Manager. One of his first decisions, we
now know, was to see the ageing Escort
fleet and say: “Get some new cars, and
get some new numbers.” The finances, he
thought, would look after themselves.
Turner then shook up Boreham’s system, by
taking cars to a tyre testing day in Yorkshire.
Some famous names were also present.
The Daily Mirror officially announced
its support for the 1970 World Cup
Rally. New manager Stuart Turner was
determined that Ford should win it, so
Boreham’s mechanics grabbed what
holidays they could, because the 1000
Lakes, the French Alpine and preparing
the first World Cup test cars would
all be due in the next few weeks...
Stuart Turner not only sent Hannu Mikkola
out to gain some club racing experience
in Escorts (he won several races),but
also sent Jim Porter (Roger Clark’s codriver) on a high-speed driving course!
In the holiday spirit, Ford asked Timo
Makinen and Roger Clark to compete, in
Ford-powered powerboats, in the Round
Boreham sent just one brand-new Escort
Twin Cam to Finland for the 1000 Lakes —
ETW 881G for Hannu Mikkola — where the
team won with ease. This was Hannu’s second
victory in his home event, and in future years
there would be several more to add to that.
Back at Boreham, a massive Mk4
Zodiac arrived, was inspected, briefly
tested, and was assessed for possible use
on the World Cup rally. Four-wheel-drive
(by GKN/FF) was considered, but never
enacted. Rally engineer, Bill Meade’s
thoughts on this car are unprintable.
State of the art, Boreham: 1969/1970-style
— this is how FEV 5H was built up at the end of
the year, for use in the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally.
ETW 885G took Clark to sixth place in the ’69 RAC, then the car
was given away as first prize in a Daily Mirror competition.
New combination, early success — Hannu Mikkola and Mike
Wood took BEV 781G to victory in the Austrian Alpine rally.
Testing of the original four-wheel-drive, 3-litre prototype Capri began at
Boreham in January 1969, before the new model was announced.
108
Spring 2024
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motorsport history
Boreham personnel kept a close eye on everything motorsport that Ford-Germany was doing in 1969
— which included developing the Capri as a race car. The original works cars, with 2.3-litre Cologne
V6 engines, took part in the Tour de France in 1969.
Roger Clark under the bonnet, with British Vita mechanics working
on the ‘aircraft carrier’ Mk4 Zodiac during the 1969 Three Cities rally.
Tyre testing — and laughs — in Yorkshire in 1969.
September
Head honcho, Stuart Turner’s ‘new
cars’ policy was now starting to bear
fruit — for three of the four cars built
for the French Alpine rally had ETW...
registration numbers. Not that it helped
in this case, for all of them retired.
One Escort, however — ETW 882G,
driven by Roger Clark — notably ran as a
prototype, with a 165 bhp 2.3-litre Cologne
V6 engine and a ZF five-speed transmission,
effectively as ‘look-see’ for possible World Cup
usage. Sadly, the engine overheated several
times, and the outing was deemed a failure.
Boreham’s surveys and reccies then began
for the marathon World Cup Rally of 1970.
Boreham built up a Kent-engined Escort
(ETW 880G), and flew it out to South
Roger Clark in XOO 243F, on his way to taking second place
in the 1969 Acropolis rally. This was the only event which
this car ever started for Boreham.
America, where Tony Fall and Gunnar
Palm spent two months settling the spec.
Within days of their arrival, the Fall/Palm/
Escort combo won the Rally Of The Incas
in Peru, which was a 1750-mile thrash. Fall,
Palm and the Escort were so outstanding
that they beat every other competitor
by more than two and a half hours!
From that moment on, Ford
became favourites for the World
Cup which was to follow.
Although principally built and run by
Ford Cologne, Ford-Germany also raced the
Capri 2300GT for the first time — not only
in the 84-hour Marathon de la Route on the
Nürburgring, but also on the multi-day Tour
de France, where one car finished sixth against
all manner of bigger-engined Group 6 cars.
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October
The highlight of the month — though it was
never wise to describe it like that to Roger
Clark — was when Boreham entered a massive
Mk4 Zodiac (ETW 690G) for the Three
Cities Rally (Munich-Vienna-Budapest).
British Vita Racing of Lancashire had
prepared the car on Boreham’s behalf,
which had a virtually standard 3-litre
V6 engine — and somehow Roger won
his class, and finished 16th overall.
This was a try-out for possible World
Cup usage — but after Roger described
it as ‘Like driving a f ****** aircraft
carrier’, the experiment was abandoned.
Whatever happened to that car?
In what was otherwise a quiet month for
the team at Boreham, the big news was that
Spring 2024
109
MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
Yes, there really were two rally-prepped Zodiacs.
ETW 692G did all the pre-event testing and practice
for the 1969 Three Cities rally.
the signing of Timo Makinen was confirmed
at motorshow time in October. Timo, out
of steady work since his BMC contract had
expired in 1968, was widely thought to be
the fastest rally driver in the world. At the
same time Henry Liddon was also persuaded
to join Boreham as Timo’s co-driver.
Timo was the only hero truly to
have mastered the Austin-Healey
3000, and his Monte Carlo victory in
1965 (in a Mini Cooper S) was often
described as the drive of the century.
His first drive for Boreham would be
delayed until January 1970. Unhappily,
Roger Clark, well sideways in XOO 243F, on his way to taking second place in the 1969
Acropolis rally. This was the only event which this car ever started for Boreham.
Ove Andersson had to be dropped from
Boreham’s line-up to make way for him.
November
As if the French Alpine rally experience had
not been bad enough, Boreham built up a
second V6-engined prototype Escort, for
Hannu Mikkola to drive in the Tour de
Corse. The car was YVW 591F, an identity
which went all the way back to the spring of
1968. By this time most familiarly known as
the ‘Wembley’ project, it fared better than
before. At least it didn’t boil, but it threw a
fan belt, which cost a lot of time, and finished
16th. Even after this, there were thoughts
of fitting 2.6-litre V6s to more Escorts, and
using them on the World Cup, but that
scheme was abandoned at the end of the
year, and no more was ever heard of it.
In the meantime, Boreham completed
two brand-new cars — FTW 42H and ETW
885H — for the RAC rally, and added dear
old BEV 782G to make up a formidable
three-car team. Formidable maybe, but as it
snowed hard in the north of England and in
Wales, the Fords always struggled for grip.
In the end, Ove Andersson took fourth
place, and Clark sixth. After just one event,
ETW 885G was then given away as the first
prize in a competition organised by the Daily
Mirror newspaper. Having won the car,
Sergeant Walter Easton (who was serving
with REME in Germany), and himself a
club rally driver and experienced mechanic,
took delivery, and this car fell out of sight.
The day after the RAC rally ended, Ford
held a major meeting at a London hotel
to discuss the World Cup rally strategy.
We now know that all major decisions
— to run with Escorts, to go two-up,
and to use enlarged pushrod engines
— were taken there and then.
December
Ford’s archive dates this picture as December 1969, when Roger Clark and Jim Porter were ready to leave for
practice/testing for the 1970 Monte. XOO 354F had previously done only one rally — the 1969 Alpine. Service
was to be provided on this occasion by Mick Jones (right), Ken Wiltshire and a well-laden Zodiac Estate.
110
Spring 2024
Time for a holiday after the 1969 season?
No chance... Practice cars for the Monte
Carlo rally — scheduled for mid-January
1970 — had to be completed. Some of the
ageing Escort fleet was pressed into service.
The preparation of four brand-new
and highly-tuned Twin Cams — FEV
5H, 6H, 7H and 8H — began for use
in the Monte Carlo rally. These were the
famous ‘ice-racers’, which still couldn’t
keep up with rear-engined sports cars.
A start was made on settling the
specification, and building of four brandnew World Cup Escorts. Work on FEV
1H, FEV 2H, FEV 3H and FEV 4H
all began, and another crazy year at
Boreham began all over again.
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MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
SLIPPERY
WHEN WET
Belgians, Stouf and Erard take the third
victory in a row on the slippery and Escortheavy Legend Boucles at Bastogne rally.
Words and Photos Jeannot Boesen
he 65th edition of what was initially
called Boucles de Spa, and since 2006
as Legend Boucles à Bastogne, took
place over the first weekend in February
around the Belgian Province of Luxembourg.
We were expecting a fiery rally and we
weren’t disappointed! At the end of the first
leg on Saturday, eight Escorts were in the
top 10. On Sunday morning, Ghislain de
Mévius and Johan Jalet (Escort RS1800)
were in the lead when they set off on the five
forestry stages but on stage 12 everything
went wrong with their Escort which
came to a halt following a broken axle!
The best performer of the rally was
local hero, Cédric Cherain with co-driver,
T
112
Spring 2024
Damien Whiters. They missed the two first
stages, because the car wasn’t ready, and
started on stage three with 1200 penalty
points. Yet after winning eight of the stages
they climbed from 74th to 11th place.
Incidents, twists and turns, choice
performances — it was an explosive
cocktail, and in the end Belgians, Stefaan
Stouf and Joris Erard took a third overall
victory in the winter classic, this time in
a newly-built Mk2 Escort. They won
by a margin of just eight points to add
their names in the prize list for 2024.
As for the battle for the lowest step
on the overall podium, it went in favour
of Jean-Pierre Vandewauver, co-driven
by Valery Soret, who didn’t make any
major mistakes, celebrating his 70th
birthday in the best possible way!
Positioned in the top three on Saturday
evening, John Wartique and Vincent
Duchesne (Escort RS1600) encountered
more difficulties on Sunday, with a puncture
to finish in sixth place overall, ahead of
Emile Breittmayer (Escort RS1800) who
never gave up in the company of Alexis
Thomas, ensuring a good part of the show.
The final top 10 also included Loïc
Pirot and Jean-Baptiste Bodet (Mk2
RS2000), Bastien Rouard and Dimitri
Debuisson (Mk1 RS2000), as well as
Frenchmen Eric Mauffrey and Anne
Brahy (Mk2 RS2000) — proof of the
indisputable quality of the 2024 field!
The Legend Boucles at Bastogne once
again demonstrated that historic motor
sport, especially with lots of blue ovals
on the entry list, is synonymous with
great spectacle and scenarios that are very
difficult to write in advance! See you in
12 months’ time for the continuation
of this wonderful adventure...
CONTACT
Legend Boucles at Bastogne
https://lbb2024.racspa.be/home
Fred Caprasse was running in fifth
position before he went off.
Miguel de Frahan cocking a wheel in his flatfront RS2000.
RS1800 in full powerslide!
John Wartique finished sixth overall.
Stouf and Erard won for the third time.
Olivier Cartelle was in the top ten before
mechanical failure pushed him back.
Robert Millar in his Cortina GT.
Spring 2024
113
MOTORSPORT
CLASSIC FORDS FLAT-OUT ON THE STAGE, STRIP AND TRACK
Lucky for some: Thomas
Breitmayer finished in 13th place.
Belgian legend, Jean Pierrre
Vandewauver finished third.
Ghislain de Mevius was leading the
event on Saturday evening.
Cédric Cherain was the man of
the rally with eight RT wins.
114
Spring 2024
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118 KNOW THIS: buying engines
What to check on a classic or modern unit
124 CLASSIC FORDS RESTORED: Tickford Capri
Fire-damaged Mk3 gets a second chance
130 TOP 10: insurance tips
132 BACK ISSUES
Missed an issue? Find it here
134 BUYING GUIDE: Mk2 Lotus Cortina
What to check, how much to pay
140 CLASSIC FORD CLASSIFIEDS
Cars, parts and projects for sale
HOW TO BUY
USED RS
FOUR-SPOKES
Despite replica versions being available
new, original RS four-spokes are
still hugely popular on the secondhand market. The 5.5Jx13 was fitted
to Mk1 RSs and features a flat face
and flat seats for the wheelnuts.
These are getting hard to find now
and command a premium.
The 6x13s are easier to find and feature
a convex face. Don’t confuse them with
the later, more common Capri Laser
rims though. Genuine RS wheels have a
flat seating on the nut and Laser alloys
had a tapered seating. The edge around
the spokes is also slightly thinner on
the RS wheels, but without comparing
the two this is not obvious. If you’re
not sure, look at the date markings
— a 1982-onwards stamp is usually a
dead giveaway that it’s a Laser rim.
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Black vinyl roof
Central locking
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Or near offer
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New old stock
Overdrive
Part-exchange
Power steering
Stainless steel
Taxed and tested
Very good condition
What have you?
Looking for your next project?
See page 140
Know this
Buying engines
Looking to buy a Ford powerplant to either rebuild or drop
straight in to your next project? Read this first.
ou can’t deny it, almost everyone
buys a classic Ford with thoughts
in their head about planning an
engine swap to improve performance.
The thought of a classic Ford with
something big, bad and screaming under
the bonnet is just way too tempting
a idea not to do look into doing. Plus,
in the majority of cases, it’s by far the
quickest and cheapest route to getting
Y
118
Spring 2024
bigger power figures to the rear wheels.
The clincher though, is that there’s a
serious wealth of available engines
out there to choose from too. From the
classic selection of units (Essex, Kents,
Pintos) to the list of modern, electronic,
start on the button every time motors
(Zetecs, Duratecs), virtually everything
is acceptable — even the occasional
Vauxhall motor! There is a downside to
all this choice though, and that’s that it
can all become a little bit confusing.
It throws up questions such as: what
engine’s your best option? Where can
you actually get an engine from? Is it
best to buy a complete car or just the
motor? And if so what other parts do
you need to keep? It could put you off
doing the job completely. Luckily you’ve
got us to rely on, and as usual Classic
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know this: buying engines
Ford looks for the answers to all of your
questions, and a whole lot more.
Have a plan
Before you rush out and buy the first
engine you see, you need a plan.
Do you merely want an updated
version of a classic car (one that you
can get in and drive without fuss), or
will your engine swap be the base
for the most awesome tarmac flyer
that ever landed on the planet?
Usually it’s in between these two,
in which case you need to do your
homework, learn everything you
can about the intended engine and
what you can do with it. Knowledge
and preparation are everything!
nothing wrong with that, most are very
reputable, plus you don’t get quite so
dirty. However, getting a guarantee on
any engine you buy is essential. Most
are short like 10 days so don’t leave the
engine lying around before you put it in.
Do the deed and try it or take a gamble.
On the modern engines you also
need to make sure you get everything
you want — like the ECU and wiring. If
it’s a classic type of engine you’re after,
then the breakers/dismantlers aren’t
actually such a good bet. Basically the
engines themselves are too old and the
possibility of serious problems with
them is very high. Anything remotely
classic means buying from a specialist.
whatever you’re buying tends to be the
other end of the country. Nevertheless
it can be a very good source of engines
and even more so for complete donor
cars. Our advice would be to go and see
whatever you’re buying first, although
if you can’t do that and the ad says it’s
a runner and in great nick make sure it
is when you get there. If it’s not exactly
as the seller described it as then we
reckon you’re well within your rights
to say you’ve changed your mind.
Where to buy
It’s all well and good knowing what
engine you want for your car, but
where do you look to actually buy it?
Specialists
The safest place to buy because if there’s
a problem, it can be easily sorted. The
majority of classic Ford second-hand
parts specialists keep a selection of
engines in stock, from classic to more
modern, including Escort Tec, Rally
& Competition Equipment and many
others. They’ve also been known to
buy up stocks of new-old stock crate
engines too — Zetec specialists, Retro
Ford offer Zetec, ST170 and Duratec
crate engines from time to time.
Breakers
The decline of traditional breakers
means you might have to put your
faith in your local dismantlers —
Online
Let’s face it, the online the world revolves
around eBay and Facebook Marketplace,
and everyone knows what the score is
there. But bargains are getting rare, plus
Enthusiasts
The other option is to make contact
with other enthusiasts like you and
us. That means searching relevant
websites and groups, owners’ clubs,
plus good old word of mouth. You’re
more likely to buy a dismantled
engine this way too. However, don’t
be naïve and take the seller’s word
that all’s fine — check everything!
Identifying an engine
Virtually every engine block will have some kind of
identification on it. Zetecs have the capacity cast
in — 1.8, 2.0. Pintos, especially late ones, have 205
for 2-litre, 165 for 1600, 185 for 1800 and so on.
All of these are pretty obvious and easy to spot but earlier
engines such as Crossflows aren’t quite so forthcoming.
These have a string of cast in numbers at the back on the
right-hand side and the one everyone wants starts with 711M.
But it’s the number and letter combination after it that’s even
more significant — 6015 BA. That numbers bit is the Ford part
code meaning block, but the BA after it means 1600. However,
if it had AA instead, it could well be either an 1100 or more
likely, 1300 — and yes they did make a 1300 711M. Similarly,
there are Escort Zetecs and Mondeo Zetecs: these aren’t the
same either. Escort ones look like they have a lug missing
on the bellhousing, which is where Ford made provision to
house the starter on the opposite side to the Mondeo. Like
we say, homework is essential. There’s a lot you need to
know, especially about variations in fuel injection, if that’s
the route you plan to use. Remember though, if you’re not
sure you can always walk away, so go with your gut feeling.
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Spring 2024
119
How to check an engine
1
2
Block: There are a few essential tools you
need to invest in to make your engine buying
life easier. Essential is a pair of vernier callipers,
which you can use to measure bore size,
depth, valve size and so on. They’re so cheap
now it’s rude not to have a pair anyway!
5
With the head off, the first thing you need to
examine is the bore. Stick your hand in and
feel the top edges. Basically, you’re looking for
ridges that indicate wear. Then feel and look for
scoring, rust and damage.
6
If it’s out of the engine, check the crank for
wear — again with the verniers — scoring on
the journals and rust. It pays to know what the
original journal size should be and if oversize
bearings are available. Cam-wise, they’re
often worn and very difficult to check without
a dial gauge. You may see some wear but it’s
not always easy to spot when the top’s been
wiped off due to old lifters being matched with
a new cam.
Ideally you need to know standard bore size
and how many rebores the block will take
before it’s scrap. For example in the case of
a small-block Ford V8, you’re really looking
for standard bore blocks, which is 4.00
inches. These engines use thin-wall casting
technology, which makes them nice and light.
But the downside is they’ll only take around a
+60 thou re-bore before the block’s history.
7
Next run your eye over the rod and piston
assembly. You’re looking for modifications to
the rods — polished sides, ground-off weights
(indicating they’ve been balanced) and of
course whether they’re complete. Rods with
no caps can be viewed the same as cap-less
blocks — they’ll need re-sizing.
9
Pistons can be a grey area and are often best
replaced. If the pistons are meant to be forged,
check they are — turn them over and look for
a maker’s name/casting mark. Forged pistons
are often much smoother inside than standard
cast pistons — they have a more precise feel
about them and are often a brighter colour —
cast pistons are often dull grey.
10
Cylinder head: These are hard to completely check, especially if
they’re aluminium, although there are lots of clues to potential problems.
First thing to check is surface damage. Similar to pistons, you need to
search for damage caused by detonation — this will show up
as tiny craters as if someone’s been stabbing the surface with a
pointed hammer.
120
3
Spring 2024
Alloy heads also typically suffer from warping due to overheating,
although this is hard to spot without putting the head face on a flat and
level surface. Even then it only needs to be a few thou out to cause
sealing problems. Skimming a head isn’t dear (typically about £60) but
too much skimming raises compression and can cause valve-to-piston
problems. However, if you go pre-armed with data, you can measure the
overall head depth and instantly know.
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know this: buying engines
How do you know if an engine’s good?
4
Make sure that the block on the engine you’re
looking at comes with its mains caps. If it
doesn’t you can’t simply bolt on another set
from a different engine. Swap caps and the
block will need line boring since all mains
caps are unique to its own engine — all are
machined as one.
8
Classic engines are a different kettle of fish. Unless you’re buying a well-known engine
from a car that’s already producing monster horsepower and storming the strip, view
virtually everything as being rife for a rebuild.
Also check the ring landing area — you’re
looking for distortion and missing sections
of piston. Particularly in turbo engines, this
indicates too much boost or excessive nitrous
use. The faces should be pit-free too — small
dents and a general, sandy rough texture
points to detonation, wrong timing settings or
use of unleaded fuel and pinking.
11
There are further indications, too: this Pinto
head has been skimmed greatly and if you
know your stuff, you’ll look here at the amount
of ‘land’ between the spark plug hole and the
top of the chamber — there’s normally a lot of
metal here. Common on Crossflow heads is
cracking between the valves, which renders
them useless. However, cracking on PreCrossflow heads isn’t too much of a drama.
Buying any engine’s a gamble, which
is why buying a complete car’s a good
idea — you can hear it running, check
the mileage, condition of oil and so on.
What’s more you can do a compression
test if the owner will let you. This one’s
dead easy and involves taking out a spark
plug, screwing in a compression gauge
and turning the engine over.
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We’ve bought loads of older engines
in the past and had to source other
components later. That’s fine if you
know these engines, but if it’s the small
bits on a classic engine that cause grief.
Mostly that’s down to thread differences:
modern engines are often Metric whereas
old engines can be Imperial. And not all
Imperial is the same — UNC, UNF, BSW,
BA and so on.
Spring 2024
121
Buying a complete car
More modern cars may not be the bargains they used to be but
MoT failures are ideal for buying as donors. Plenty of people view
cars as throwaway commodities now; it’s cheaper to buy a lowcost car than fix a banger — which is where you can clean up!
Buying a complete car means you get the lot — loads of tiny bits
you may well have discarded at the breakers and kicked yourself
for later. What’s more, you get to hear the car run (if it does of
course) and you could even drive it. Plus if you’ve got time and
storage space then you needn’t be in a rush either. Take the parts
off the donor you immediately need and go back for the rest as
and when.
We bought one
Recently we had the idea of buying a complete
Mondeo or Escort for its engine. The idea was
to run the motor on its standard fuel-injection
for use everyday. All we needed was a good
122
Spring 2024
1800, which would give a reliable 100 bhp.
First off was obviously the engine, which we
unbolted rather than chop out with an angle
grinder. We also saved as many of the nuts and
bolts as possible. We actually took the trouble
of removing the gearbox — yes, it’s frontwheel drive but it’s a BC and therefore worth a
couple of quid. It all helps to reduce the cost.
Next was the wiring. It’s not difficult to
start at the ECU and take everything
that’s connected to it — again, unclip the
harness rather than cut anything. We also
kept everything that looked remotely like
it was related in the loom — the wires to
the rear of the car were chopped off, then
we asked a mate who’s good with car
electrics what we’d need of what’s left.
He went through the lot ending up with
the basic engine wiring loom.
We retained the radiator, plus the coil pack
and leads, although we didn’t need to
retain the ignition switch — we knew this
but it’s best to keep it if you’re not sure.
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Words Mike Renaut Photos Adrian Brannan
ASHTON
MARTIN
Classic Fords restored: Saving this Tickford
Turbo Capri was complicated since many of its
unique parts had been destroyed by an underdash fire. Now it’s back — and better than ever.
124
Spring 2024
classic fords restored: tickford turbo
O
ur classic Fords can suffer in any
number of ways, from neglect
that results in rust and rotting, to
crashes that bend and destroy parts. But
the most destructive force to any old car
is a fire. With so much being combustible
a blaze can wreak utter havoc in seconds.
That was the fate of this rare 1984 Tickford
Turbo Capri. The man who saved it with
extensive restoration work will be a familiar
one to regular readers; Sean Horsey from
1st Choice Car and Body Repairs.
“In 2021 this Tickford Capri was being
driven through Portsmouth when it caught
fire,” explains Sean. “Apparently it was well
ablaze within moments. Fortunately the
entire car wasn’t destroyed, but the Capri
was heavily burnt at the front with extreme
damage to the electrics under the dashboard.”
“The owner did not proceed with the
repairs since it was more work than he wanted
to take on, so I bought the car through
Copart where it had ended up as an uninsured
loss. There then followed a two-year plus
restoration.” Had the Capri not been such
a rare example it’s unlikely Sean would have
put in such extensive time and effort. “The
whole front end was completely gone, the
interior was badly smoke-damaged and the
dashboard had melted. There was various
damage from what the fire brigade had to
do to stop the flames spreading because,
understandably, of course their priority
isn’t to avoid damaging rare old parts…”
But there were some good aspects too.
“This was a genuine and well-known
Tickford with just 42,000 original miles. It
had a full documented history and over the
course of the restoration every one of the car’s
previous owners has been in touch helping
with parts or simply asking after it.” Another
plus point was the Capri had been in great
Spring 2024
125
All-important wood inserts had
to be made from scratch.
condition before the fire. “The body was very
good so no welding was required. We had to
go to the Tickford community to plead and
ask for help sourcing so many rare parts. Then
some of the parts we purchased were not
correct and we had to find others that were.
“We called upon specific Aston Martin
Capri gurus to help in our task and The
Tickford Owners’ Club has been a fountain
of knowledge and help, as has the Tickford
Capri group on Facebook. Speaking with
the previous owners also proved extremely
useful. In the end the bulk of the car was
saved from the doors backwards. But the
first part of the restoration was to strip
it all down and assess what we had…”
Burnt offerings
Rob Sealey, senior painter and fabricator
at 1st Choice, worked extensively on the
Tickford. “The car arrived with the front
126
Spring 2024
“WE HAD TO GO TO THE TICKFORD
COMMUNITY TO ASK FOR HELP
SOURCING THE MANY RARE PARTS”
end burnt out and not looking good at all,”
remembers Rob. “We took the engine out
but little was salvageable as it was too burnt.
I then stripped out the complete interior,
carpets, dashboard and found the cause of
fire was the seized heater blower which had
completely taken all of the wiring loom and
the auxiliaries behind the dashboard.”
“We then decided to get the front
sandblasted, not only to remove every inch
of paint but also any contaminates from the
fire. To be fair the metalwork was in good
shape with no rust holes, but the bonnet
was too far gone to ever salvage. However,
the driver’s side front wing with just a few
hours of panel-beating was returned to
shape — which was great as we could
preserve the original spotwelds and keep
the panel gaps to just as it left the factory.
“I then consulted Sean regarding tracking
down the other parts we needed. He put
many posts out over forums and used his
years of contacts to acquire various bits such
as the Tickford-only fibreglass front bumper,
grille and particularly the wiring loom. In
the end the only two things we couldn’t
acquire were the Tickford part of the wiring
loom and a correct Tickford bonnet, so
we decided to fabricate those. I converted
a standard 2.8i bonnet into the Tickford
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classic fords restored: tickford turbo
a
RESTO LOG
Taking on this Tickford would be a big job for 1st
Choice — how big they only realised later...
The fire had destroyed much of the front end, taking
out the dash and all the unique wiring, too.
Despite the damage, much of the panelwork could
be save, including the original wings.
The interior is now back in fine
fettle — and looking incredible.
By this point, many hours had gone into saving the
Capri, but they were determined to see it through.
The blown Cologne needed a complete stripdown
and rebuild, carried out by 1st Choice’s mechanics.
Finally, the Tickford started to take shape, with
many of the rare parts found, refreshed and fitted.
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Spring 2024
127
“WE PROBABLY WENT TOO FAR — THIS CAR HAS HAD
THOUSANDS OF HOURS POURED INTO IT”
Underside is now as good as on top. Sean
(below) and his team have done an amazing
job of bringing this car back from the dead.
style, cutting away and creating complete new
edging then welding it in and smoothing it to
finish, using the old bonnet for reference.”
The loom was pulled apart and rewired to
precisely replicate the original, Sean mentions
that The Vintage Wireman was responsible
for much of the electrical work, while Capri
guru, Thomas Lilley sorted out the ECU.
“I fitted the bonnet to insure all gaps were
correct,” remembers Rob, “then applied
white undercoat and let it sit for a week
before prepping it and applying the PPG
Diamond white base paint and lacquer.” The
underside of the Capri was also painted and is
just as shiny as the top, of course everything
underneath that needed replacing was also
rebuilt. “The black body mouldings were
also impossible to find so generic aftermarket
128
Spring 2024
parts were reshaped and cut to size,” says
Sean. “It’s accurate to say my team has made
them bespoke. And that has tended to be the
main part of the car that Tickford owners
have asked about. A replacement dash was
sourced to replace the melted original,
while the dials were replaced using the best
examples we could find then altering them
to match the originals. We made a complete
set of new wood inserts which were finished
by Ogee Restoration — a local furniture
polisher. All carpets were replaced, too.”
By the books
Rob continues, “Then we refitted the
interior and undertook all the testing to
make sure the electric windows worked
correctly, as did the central locking and all
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classic fords restored: tickford turbo
Engine needed a total rebuild. Much of the
underbonnet metalwork could thankfully be saved.
TECH SPEC
MK1 FIESTA XR2
the other electrical parts. I then passed the
car over to our mechanics who completely
rebuilt the engine with all new internals,
following Tickford information sheets and
data to ensure the correct parts fitted.”
The final touch was the wheels,
which were swapped for the correct
factory style which have been fully
refurbed by Platinum Alloys.
“The car now drives fantastically,”
says Sean. “As expert as we are around
classic Fords, with such a specialist car
as this we were still learning on the job
for some aspects. If I’m honest we went
vastly too far. This Tickford has had
thousands of hours poured into it.”
Much as he’d like to, Sean can’t keep
all the cars he’s restoring so, if you’re
quick, you might even get the chance
to own this Tickford. The car will be
in the Classic Car Auctions sale on
March 23 at the NEC Birmingham.
“On reflection it is a job that we should
have never taken on,” admits Sean. “The
work that has gone into the car has cost
twice what it’s worth. I know I’ve spent
over £60,000 bringing it back from the
dead and that’s not including the £14,000
I initially paid to buy it. What seemed like
a good idea at the outset of the restoration
has, alas, not made much financial sense.
Although restorations rarely do, for us it’s
all about saving the car. But I’ve no regrets,
the Tickford Capri is an iconic vehicle.”
LUXURY
AND POWER
THE TICKFORD TURBO
The idea of a high-performance luxury
Capri was born from a suggestion to Ford
by Autocar journalist, John Miles. Having
turned his own 3-litre into a heavilymodified 3.2 with uprated suspension
Miles liked the idea of a turbo’d Capri
that could be produced for many years
to come. Tickford (a coachbuilder owned
by Aston Martin) were contracted to
hand build these tailor-made supercar
Capris out of the regular 2.8i model. Inside
you got optional leather seats and wool
headlining, a boost gauge and ash wood
veneer inserts. On the outside was an
exclusive bodykit including boot spoiler,
while that distinctive blanked off grille
was the result of wind tunnel testing; the
opening under the ‘bumper’ forcing air
through an electric fan into the radiator.
The majority of Tickfords were finished in
white, black or red since these tended to
be the colours of the cars being supplied
by Ford, but any colour could be chosen
for an extra cost of around £3000. Ford
intended to produce 250 examples, but
the £15,000-plus price kept production
lower. It’s thought just 86 were built.
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Engine: 2793cc V6, fuel injection, IHI turbo
with Garrett intercooler, ECU ignition,
upgraded radiator with electric fan
Transmission: five-speed Type-9
Brakes: discs all round
Wheels and tyres: 15-inch alloys, 205/50R15
tyres
Suspension: Bilstein dampers, ZF limited
slip diff, extra A-frame mounting on rear
Power: 205 bhp @5000 rpm
Torque: 260 lb.ft @ 5000 rpm
0-60: 6.7 seconds
Top speed: 137 mph
RESTO CONTACTS
SPECIALIST HELP
1st Choice Car and Body Repairs
01367 700500,
www.1stchoicebodyworks.net
Capri Club
www.capriclub.co.uk
Ogee Restoration
www.ogeerestorationsoxford.co.uk
Platinum Alloys
https://platinumalloys.com
Tickford Owners Club
www.tickfordownersclub.com
Tickover
www.tickover.co.uk
The Vintage Wireman
https://vintagewireman.co.uk
Spring 2024
129
Top 10
INSURANCE TIPS
There are lots of ways you can keep insurance premiums down.
Here are 10 tips on how you can do it effectively and still come away
with the right policy for you and your classic Ford.
1. Don’t just renew
It’s all too easy to let the direct debit continue
and sign up for another year with your
existing insurer. Before you do though, have a
look at quotes from other insurers. If they
come in cheaper and you don’t want to switch,
call your existing insurer, quote the cheaper
prices and quite often they will be able to bring
your renewal quote down to a similar level.
2. Look at classic insurance
They’re often tied into Agreed Value,
limited-mileage polices but classic insurance
specialists can offer some great-value
policies. Most class a vehicle eligible for
classic insurance as being over 20 or 25 years
old, but some allow exceptions for modern
classics, so do your research before you
dismiss a classic insurance policy out of hand
if you own a newer Ford.
3. Know the market
Don’t assume the same people who sort out
your house insurance will always understand
the exclusiveness of your Puma Racing. Do
your research and make sure that they know
your Ford isn’t just any old car.
130
Spring 2024
4. Disclose all modifications
Even minor modifications such as an
aftermarket air filter should be disclosed, or the
insurance company could refuse to pay out if
the unthinkable happens. It’s worth noting that
not all modifications will necessarily increase
your insurance premium.
5. Get Agreed Value
Where possible, go for a policy from a
company that will give you an agreed
valuation, so your Ford is insured for what it’s
actually worth.
6. Join a club
Many insurance companies offer cheaper
schemes and policies through affiliated car
clubs, because they recognise that club
members are enthusiasts who care about
their cars.
7. Limit the number of drivers
Try to limit the amount of drivers covered on
your insurance policy - if it’s your car, then the
insurance company will understand that you
are going to drive it with the knowledge that
you’ve paid for it.
8. Do less miles
There is the temptation to drive your
cherished Ford everywhere, but picking the
right moments can lead to saving money
on insurance. A reduction in mileage
means there’s less risk involved and
insurance companies will pick up on that
fact. Always be honest with your yearly
mileage, as you don’t want to run the risk of
it affecting a claim.
9. Invest in security
Immobilisers, GPS trackers, steering locks or
anything that will stop those light-fingered
scumbags having away with your Ford is
worth doing, and quite often will be a
requirement for an insurance policy. They
may even ask what type of locks are fitted to
your garage doors.
10. Don’t over-value your car
Overvaluing a classic Ford when applying
for an insurance quote could lead to an
increase on the premium price. Most
cherished Fords tend to hold their value,
but you should be cautious in how you
rate one.
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Your in-depth guide
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Step-by-step guide to getting
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BUYER’S GUIDE
LOTUS
CORTINA MK2
The Mk2 took all the best bits of the original, now-iconic
Lotus Cortina and put them in a more refined,less fragile
package. Here’s what you need to know if you’ve got
your heart set on one.
Words Christian Tilbury Photos Magic Car Pics
134
Spring 2024
I
t wasn’t until six months after the demise
of the Mk1 Lotus Cortina that the Mk2
version appeared, but on its February
1967 launch it was obvious that the new
generation model was worth the wait.
Granted, the Mk2 wasn’t as specialised as its
predecessor, being devoid of the earlier Mk1’s
aluminium panels, lightweight transmission
casing and trick rear axle set-up, but what
it lacked in exclusivity it more than made
up for in terms of reliability and usability.
Ford had already fettled the last of the
Mk1s to be more durable and it went
even further with the Mk2, bringing
production in-house at its Dagenham
manufacturing facility in order to
significantly boost build quality.
Much of the Lotus Cortina’s newfound robustness and user-friendly nature
was down to it being based on the lesser,
more normal GT, but there was nothing
run-of-the-mill about its performance.
As standard, it came with the more
powerful, formerly optional Special
Equipment engine, which for the Mk2
introduced such improvements as a
thicker block, square main caps, improved
oil seals and oil returns, and 123E
rods. Producing 109 bhp, it propelled
the Cortina to nearly 110 mph.
Better still, it fused its impressive pace
with enhanced driveability, the Mk1’s final
drive being ousted in favour of a taller 3.77:1
version that helped high speed cruising.
The GT influence also extended to
the interior, with only the additional
instrumentation and steering wheel being
the obvious differences. Exterior-wise, the
Ford production line allowed a greater choice
of colours, and while Ermine White was
still available, the iconic green speed stripe
was to special order only and applied by
the supplying dealer. The only other visible
giveaways to the car’s performance were a
couple of Lotus badges on the rear quarters,
black grille and wide 5.5x13 inch steels.
Over 4000 were sold – split between
pre-1968 Series 1 cars and Series 2s made
up until 1970 – before the Mk2 made
way for the Escort Twin Cam, making
it even more popular than the Mk1.
Truth be told, hardcore enthusiasts
still consider the Mk1 version to be the
best, but the Mk2 Lotus Cortina also has
a huge amount going for it. It might be a
follow-up to a much lauded original, but
it’s certainly much more than second-best.
“FORD BROUGHT PRODUCTION
IN-HOUSE AT ITS DAGENHAM
PLANT TO SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST
BUILD QUALITY”
Spring 2024
135
INTERIOR
BODY
The original vinyl splits with age, but
quality remanufactured front and rear
seat covers are available. Collapsed
bases are common too, but Aldridge
does list a foam replacement for Series
2 cars at circa £60. The headlining,
ELECTRICS
Many Series 1 cars will have been
upgraded with the Series 2’s fused
electrics to ensure better reliability
and safety, but the wiring on any
Mk2 Cortina Lotus needs careful
inspection. Complete new looms
are available for circa £400, but they
usually require customers to supply
the factory bulkhead connecting plugs
to be made. Gauges tend to give few
issues and should the dynamo or front
headlamps be faulty, both are available
new. Numberplate light commonly
breaks and isn’t that cheap to replace.
carpet set, doorcards, kick panels
and more can also be replaced with
remanufactured items, but be aware
that rectifying a cracked dash crash pad
usually means having it recovered rather
than replaced.
Bulkhead and A-post condition is vital as
righting rust in these areas is difficult
and expensive. Other structural areas to
check are the strut tops, sills, spare
wheel well and opposite void, boot floor
(especially near the battery), floorpan
and the jacking points. More visible
corrosion is likely in the rear arches,
front edge of the bonnet, front wings
and both front and rear valances.
Reproduction panels and repair sections
are plentiful but quality items don’t
come cheap – reckon on about £1200 for
a wing and £300 for the unique battery
tray. Reproduction bumper kits are
available, but replacing the rest of the
chrome is hard and re-chroming the
grille and headlight bezels can be
expensive. Other than a bit of hidden
strengthening (the Clubs listed will tell
you where and help to authenticate any
car), the shell’s much the same as any
Mk2, so look for a couple of signs to help
identify it as the genuine article, such as
the boot-mounted battery and the V5
showing ‘Ford Cortina MkII Lotus’.
TRANSMISSION
Series 1 cars have the 2000E gearbox and
Series 2 models are fitted with the Type 3,
which was a single-rail version of the
2000E transmission. The gearlever of the
Type 3 can come adrift, but neither ‘box
has any notable weaknesses, the likes of
noisy, collapsed bearings and failing
synchromesh simply being down to
age-related wear. Parts are available to
rebuild either four-speeder.
136
Spring 2024
SUSPENSION
Suspension can get saggy but all
components, other than the front
springs, are available new or can be
overhauled. Likewise, the steering box
can be rebuilt if there’s too much play or
any tight spots. Vague steering response
can also be attributed to premature wear
in the ends of the inner track rod arms.
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buyer’s guide: lotus cortina
“THE ICONIC GREEN STRIPE WAS SPECIAL ORDER ONLY
AND APPLIED BY THE SUPPLYING DEALERSHIP”
BRAKES
Inactivity causes most issues, but the
good news is that parts availability is
better than it was a few years ago.
Together with new discs and pads,
several suppliers do now list the
previously hard-to-find rear drums and
wheel cylinders, while the callipers can
be overhauled with rebuild kits. Poor
rear brakes can also be a result of the
rear adjuster cogs failing, which in turn
means that the auto adjust doesn’t
work. Girling servo differs between the
Series 1 and Series 2, the earlier car
having the type MkIIA and the Series 2
the MkIIB item that has a band round the
vacuum drum. Either can be
troublesome if cars have been standing
and it’s also vital that the vacuum pipe
is correct as one of the wrong material
can collapse.
ENGINE
Look for the L on the side of the block to
confirm it’s the correct, thicker Lotus item
that features in the Mk2. It’s tougher than
that of the Mk1, but the Mk2’s engine
isn’t immune to the effects of age or hard
use, so look for signs of wear, such as
blue smoke, heavy breathing, a rumbling
bottom end and low oil pressure – as a
rule about 40 psi at 3000 rpm is healthy.
A worn engine can be very expensive
to rebuild and replacement blocks are
hard to find, although brand new blocks
have previously been available at circa
Subscribe: 01959 543747, https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/cfd
£3000. As well as any knocking, listen
for a rattling timing chain and a noisy
water pump, the latter being especially
prone to failure. Replacing a standard
pump requires the head and sump to be
removed, but some cars will be running
aftermarket conversions where the
pump bolts into the front cover instead
of having a press fitting. Out of tune
or worn Weber carburettors are often
the cause of running issues or poor
performance, while replacing a missing
airbox can cost as much as £1000.
Spring 2024
137
ONE TO BUY
Price: £22,900
On sale at: www.racecarsdirect.com
For: Could be a cheap entry to ownership
Against: Would cost a lot to return to
original, needs to be authenticated
This Mk2 has been raced in Scandinavia for several years and is
for sale in Denmark. It has a UK logbook that says ‘Lotus Cortina
Mk2’, with the registration number denoting it as a white, March
1967-registered car. Said to be ‘100% ready to race’, the Cortina
features a full-race 160 bhp engine with dry sump, five-speed straightcut gearbox and a Quaife LSD. The body is described as very solid
and in good condition. It comes with national FIA and homologation
papers, rolling road printout and a spare 2000E gearbox, and there’s
also correspondence from Ford confirming the original build date.
TECH SPEC
Body
Two-door saloon, pressed steel
monocoque
Engine
1558cc, four cylinders, in line,
twin chain-driven camshafts, cast
aluminium cylinder head, cast iron
block, bucket tappets, twin dual-choke
Weber 40 DCOE carburettors.
Power: 109 bhp @ 6000 rpm,
106 lb. ft @ 4500 rpm
Gearbox
Four-speed manual, all-synchromesh
“OVER 400 WERE SOLD BEFORE THE MK2
MADE WAY FOR THE ESCORT TWIN CAM”
NEED TO KNOW
Clubs & Forums
BuySellCortina
www.buysellcortina.co.uk
Ford Cortina Mk2 & 1600E
Owners’ Club
01268 413171
https://mk2cortina-1600e.
co.uk
Ford Cortina Mk2
Owners’ Club
07835 936073
www.fordcortinamk2oc.co.uk
Lotus Cortina Register
www.lotuscortina.net
Specialists
Burton Power
020 8518 9127
www.burtonpower.com
138
Spring 2024
Cortina Parts
01406 351526
www.cortinaparts.co.uk
Ex-Pressed Steel Panels
01535 632721
www.steelpanels.co.uk
Kelvedon Lotus
01775 725457
www.kelvedonlotus.co.uk
Magnum Classic Ford Panels
01706 359666
www.magnumclassic
fordpanels.co.uk
MotoMobil
+49 8106 9967760
www.motomobil.com
Old Ford Auto Services Ltd
01344 422731
www.oldfordautos.co.uk
Stage 1 Motorsport
01736 754381
https://stage1.org.uk
Team Deville
01775 711082
https://teamdeville.co.uk
VALUES
£30,000-£40,000
Roadworthy cars
£40,000-£50,000
Good examples
£50,000-£60,000+
Excellent Mk2s
Suspension
Front: independent by coil springs,
MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar and
telescopic dampers. Rear: beam axle
with half-elliptic leaf springs, radius
arms, telescopic dampers
Steering
Burman recirculating ball, 4.3 turns
lock-to-lock
Brakes
Hydraulic with vacuum servo
assistance. Front: 244 mm discs. Rear:
229 mm drums
Wheels and tyres
5.5x13 steel disc wheels, 165/13 radial
ply tyres
Performance
Max speed: 108 mph
0-60 mph: 10.4
seconds
Price when
launched
£1068
NEXT
ISSUE
CAPR
I
JPS
FOR OVER 35 YEARS
SPECIALIST CLASSIC FORD INSURANCE WITH YOU IN MIND 01480 400897
TO ADVERTISE VISIT
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CURRENT LISTINGS
FORD CAPRI
1986, 50600 miles, POA. 2.8 Injection Dealer
Special. One owner from new. More pictures
on our Auction catalogue. Starting at 12:00pm
on Wednesday 17th April 2024. Bidding ends
for the first lots from 12:00pm on Thursday
18th April 2024. To bid online please create an
account on our Online bidding page. Please call
01233506266, South East. (T)
122128
FORD FOCUS ST3
FORD CONSUL CLASSIC
2015, 86000 miles, £10,500. In gorgeous stealth
grey, 2 litre diesel, HPI clear cambelt water
pump changed recently brand new battery got
receipts, Bluetooth AUX phone voice activation
cruise control climate control, parking sensors
alarmed body work is immaculate on it, MOT
Aug 2024 passed with no advisories. Please call
07922321822, North West.
1962, 49000 miles, £7,900. -1430cc. 4 door.
Paint work is original with age related patina.
Since I purchased it both lower wings have been
repaired. MOT until July 24. Good runner. Was
featured in Classic Ford Magazine 2019. Please
call 07482751978, East Midlands.
120866
122124
FORD GRANADA
FORD ZEPHYR
FORD ESCORT
1956, 72000 miles, £17,500. Ford zephyr six
registered 1/1/1956 mk1. Original condition never
needed welding. Spent most of its life in Australia,
drives superb had loads of new parts but still
original, starts and drives superb. Turns many
heads, Whitewall tyres and many Americanisms.
Recent cd player with amp and 4 new speakers
so 60’s music can be played. Please call
07970643572, West Midlands.
120775
1998, 98000 miles, £1,900. Top of the range
Ghia estate. Diamond white. Excellent condition
throughout, sunshine roof, new sills recently
fitted, good tyres. Practical, reliable and stylish.
Please call 07710788314, East of England.
1985, POA. 1600 CC. Lots of glass including front
windscreen matrex. Rear metal bumper bar. Rear
lights. Lots of other items inc front grill. Please call
07810 023793, West Midlands.
1990, 175217 miles, POA. Scorpio 2.9 Auto. One
local lady driver from new, her company car then
purchased by her on her retirement in 1993. Last
on the road in 2009 the car has been dry stored
since and will be sold with no reserve. Starting at
12:00pm on Wednesday 17th April 2024. Bidding
ends for the first lots from 12:00pm on Thursday
18th April 2024. To bid online please create an
account on our online bidding page. Please call
01233506266, South East. (T)
121223
122131
120780
FORD CAPRI
FEATURE YOUR MOTOR IN YOUR FAVOURITE MAGS!
OR FIND YOUR NEXT!
CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE EXPERTS
SPECIALIST CLASSIC FORD INSURANCE WITH YOU IN MIND 01480 400897
FORD SIERRA
1989, 39000 miles, POA. 1.8 L. All original.
Exceptional condition, private reg number, dry
stored. MOT until April 24. 5 speed, original radio/
cassette, central locking, sunroof, mudflaps.
Please call 07710814161, South East.
FORD GT
2006, 5300 miles, £449,995. This is a completely
original, immaculate First Generation Ford GT. The
car features options to include the lightweight
aluminium BBS alloy wheels, Monotone paint
application with clearcoat metallic, painted red
brake calipers, painted racing stripes and the
McIntosh audio system. The GT is in original,
immaculate showroom condition with perfect
bodywork, paintwork and trim. Please call 01944
758000, Yorkshire and the Humber. (T)
FORD FOCUS
£1,195. “Auto” 1.6 petrol x-reg 2001, MOT 12th
February 25, no accidents, winter antifreezed
minus 15 degrees, elec windows, radio cd, 2
previous owners, very reliable, can deliver, 152k.
Please call 07927 069352, South East.
122316
121211
120904
FORD ESCORT
FORD CORTINA
FORD FOCUS
1969, £2250. Cortina Mk2 1600E in need of
restoration, many new and old parts, poor health
forces sale, all parts to finish car available. Please
call 07564484399, South West.
120054
FORD SIERRA RS COSWORTH
2020, 7000 miles, £22,000. Hatchback. FSH, 1
owner from new, less than a year old. Body work
interior as good as new. Less than a year old Ford
Focus New Shape. LED lights front and rear, B
and O sound system, full leather interior, heated
front seats, heated steering wheel. Please call
07762412080, East of England.
1980, 65900 miles, £11,750. For sale is my
stunning 1980 Ford Escort 1.3L, finished in its
original colour of unblemished Strato Metallic
Silver with original 1300 high compression
crossflow engine. Please call +447377086489,
East Midlands.
122226
118644
FORD KA
FORD FIESTA
1961, 54000 miles, £7,500. 997cc saloon blue
with cream roof, interior clean no splits or stains.
Good solid original car, not been messed with.
Used for days out and shows. Has been fully wax
oiled on the chassis. Genuine reason for sale.
Please call 07814785836, South East.
2006, 52585 miles, £1,800. Here is my Ford
sportka in metallic black, has 12 months m.o.t
and full service history, 16” alloy wheels with
good tyres full se spec which includes front heated
screen air conditioning full black and infra red
leather interior which is rare for this model, CD
player, electric windows and heated and electric
mirrors new discs. Please call 07565018184,
Yorkshire and the Humber.
2006, £1,195. 1242cc petrol 16 valve “style”,
silver, 2006-56 plate, 5-speed manual, MOT 27th
July, no accidents, cambelt kit £374 at 96,900,
128000 now. Could deliver. Please call 07927
069352, South East.
120751
119234
122105
1989, 27600 miles, £39,995. Comes with an
impressive spec to include full leather upholstery,
air-conditioning and sunroof and the car comes
with a comprehensive history file. Comes with an
original handbook. It was MOT tested at 22410 in
the UK. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and
the Humber. (T)
121204
FORD ANGLIA
TO ADVERTISE VISIT:
OR EMAIL:
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CARS@KELSEYCLASSIFIEDS.CO.UK
CLUB MEMBER DISCOUNTS
SPECIALIST CLASSIC FORD INSURANCE WITH YOU IN MIND 01480 400897
FORD FIESTA
FORD MUSTANG
2016, 69117 miles, £5,995. Ford Fiesta Van
1.5TDCI Euro 6 Engine, 5 speed gearbox. 1 owner
from new with Full Service History, mot’d until
June 2024. Equipment includes Central Locking.
Please call 01543468885, West Midlands. (T)
1994, 66115 miles, £4,250. The Mustang is
the 3.0 V6 30th anniversary edition and drives
beautifully. Extremely reliable and smooth. A real
head turner. New tyres. MOT - May 2024. The
bodywork is in beautiful condition. Fully working
electrical roof. Good looking spoiler kit fitted.
The interior is in lovely condition. Please call
07956581823, Greater London.
120367
121480
FORD FIESTA
FORD FIESTA
FORD ORION
1987, 15000 miles, £4,500. Ford Orion 1.6 GL.
Fabulous, low mileage example with just 15,000
miles. While there is no formal service history,
there is plenty of documentation, MoT history and
the overall condition would suggest the mileage is
genuine. Galaxy Blue paint needs some detailing,
the front wings probably need some work in
the future, and there’s a small imperfection in
the offside rear wing. Otherwise, it’s a straight
example, so rare now. Interior is spotless complete
with original tape/cassette player. Please call
07931 173638, South East.
120443
FORD GALAXIE
2000, £500. 1300 CC. Finesse 3 door hatchback.
2nd owner from new. 20+ years myself. Fitted
sun roof. Used only as a second car. MOT 10.1.24.
Please call 01270 665714, West Midlands.
1995, £1,000. MK3 facelift has electric windows
1.3 lxi version s door central locking, have most
MOT’s from new, have owned since 26K, never
been welded, MOT expired March 2023, have new
front bumper in wrapper. In ULEZ zone. Please call
07459608118, Greater London.
121029
122262
121514
BEWARE SCAMMERS!
1963, £26,500. 500XL 2 DR 390 CI engine, 4
speed manual g/box, all original, red/red int,
alloy wheels. Please call 07860 379440, East of
England.
FORD CORTINA MK2 1600 GT
We value your advertising and want to remind you be aware of scammers.
Scammers are clever and can often seem genuine so please remember :
• Kelsey will never contact you to upsell your free advert to a paid for one.
• Do not share any financial or personal information with people you do not
know.
• Kelsey are not responsible for any transactions between seller and buyer.
• You can report scam calls to us via email at cars@kelseyclassifieds.co.uk
1970, £21,000. J Reg right hand drive. It is a
South African import. UK Registered. A full nut and
bolt restoration by owner. Very solid car. I have
many pictures to show the restoration. Please call
07760 217999, Greater London.
120983
FEATURE YOUR MOTOR IN YOUR FAVOURITE MAGS!
OR FIND YOUR NEXT!
WE’RE RATED EXCELLENT ON TRUST PILOT
SPECIALIST CLASSIC FORD INSURANCE WITH YOU IN MIND 01480 400897
FORD GRANADA
FORD TRANSIT CUSTOM
FORD TRANSIT
1972, 55763 miles, POA. Original bill of sale
2019, 91000 miles, £13,140. SWB L1H1 -130
BHP air con, heated seats, pas remote c- locking
rear t/gate only 1 owner 91k used by AA. excellent
throughout. Finance and P/EX possible. ULEZ
compliant. Please call 07831838833, Wales.
2010, 114000 miles, £3,750. Owen Commercials
from F English LTD Ford Distributors of Poole,
Dorset in September 1972. Starting at 12:00pm
on Wednesday 17th April 2024. Bidding ends
122025
for the first lots from 12:00pm on Thursday
18th April 2024. To bid online please create an
are pleased to offer this Ford Transit MK7 (Transit
85 T280M FWD) 2.2 tdci 85ps, and mot’d until
05/11/2024. Equipped with Electric Windows and
Central Locking, Radio CD Player and a ply lined
FORD TRANSIT
account on our Online Bidding page. Please call
rear. This van is available to purchase on a trade
sale basis with no warranty or guarantee due to its
01233506266, South East. (T)
mileage and age and falling outside our Company
122127
Policy to Retail. You are welcome to Test drive plug
in and inspect the vehicle and are encouraged to
FORD TRANSIT
take your time to make sure this is the van for
you. We have a large selection of part exchanges
on a weekly basis and can put traders on our
2020, 35984 miles, £14,995. Owen Commercials
are pleased to offer this 2021 21 Plate Ford Transit
Connect 1.5 Euro 6 Diesel with 6 speed manual
gearbox, the vehicle has 1 previous owner and
benefits from 35984 mile and Full Service History,
Manufacturers Warranty until May 2024 and is
ready to go. Finance available subject to status,
ask about our low cost van insurance. Please call
01543468885, West Midlands. (T)
weekly stocklist. Please call 01543468885, West
Midlands. (T)
121737
FORD TRANSIT
121734
FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
2007, £1,595. Connect 1753 cc T220, Diesel
5-speed, 57 plate T.D.C.I unsignwritten white,
2013, 147000 miles, £2,800. Connect T200 MOT
October V5 present, electric windows 147k 1 key
remote fob central locking good tyres battery very
tidy van drives well. Please call 07548697392, East
Midlands. (T)
122247
2018, 82000 miles, £8,940. 1.5 TDCI 100 ECO
L1 1 owner with 82 k 4 main dealer services
SLD- bluetooth- USB - bulkhead - PAS - remote
c/locking. This van has had very light use. Finance
and P/ex possible. Please call 07831838833,
Wales.
woodlined with towbar, recent Varta battery,
121896
122452
winter antifreezed to minus 15 degrees, MOT 28th
September, 195000. Please call 07895 675851,
South West.
TO ADVERTISE VISIT:
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WWW.MOTORFREEADS.CO.UK
CARS@KELSEYCLASSIFIEDS.CO.UK
LOOKING TO THE PAST ONE CLASSIC IMAGE AT A TIME
144
Spring 2024
ON THE SIDE
This fascinating image dates from 1968 and shows a prototype of the forthcoming
Capri — known prior to launch under codename Project Colt — undergoing coldweather testing in Finland. What makes this pre-production example particularly
interesting is the shape of its rear side windows. Although Ford had decided on the
characteristic U-shaped windows as early as October 1967, prototypes were still be
used with the design originally drawn up for Project Colt. The window shape was
changed for the production version of the Capri following complaints from rear seat
passengers of a claustrophobic feeling. Words Paul Guinness
Spring 2024
145
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