• 2 owners from new, the current owner has had her for 20 years
• Low mileage and structurally sound example
• Still wears its factory original vinyl roof
The Appeal
Designed as the European equivalent to the Ford Mustang, the Capri has played a role in many childhoods. Adults now look back on these cars with rose-tinted spectacles as you always knew someone who had a Capri. With the name Capri gracing the roads for almost 20 years it is clear to see it was a hit from day one.
The Capri would bow out in style with the Mk.III, with the market for hot hatches on the up, Ford had decided it was time to cull its sports saloons. Over the past 40 years, the Capri has remained a firm favourite with car enthusiasts across the nation. This example has an incredible story with a modern heart transplant that has transformed it.
• Starting life out as a normal run around on the 25th of June 1982, the first owner loved this Capri for a very long time
• Using it sparingly from the 1980s until the first owner's sad passing it was then left in the garage by his widow
• After almost a decade of being untouched, the current owner stumbled across her on a roofing job and made an offer for her
• She then received a bit of TLC on the brakes to get her moving, she was then fitted with a new battery, and with some easy start down the carbs she fired into life
• The current owner mentioned that when they found the car in a garage in the early 00s it had cardboard over the floor mats and original plastic protection on the seats, meaning the first owner never removed it and kept it pristine
• Over the past 20 years, the current owner has used it on occasions, but in 2009 she received a great little mechanical upgrade.
• After a trip to legendary engine builder Jeff Harris the original engine was removed and replaced with one of his tuned Pinto engines
• With some time spent on the rolling, she was able to produce 198.2hp, an absolutely ludicrous figure that is just beggars’ belief
• She now gets down the road nicely, enjoying high revs more she will be a monster on a Great British B-road
• To help deal with this new engine there have been a few additions made, a new radiator, a heavy-duty starter motor, and a racing manifold leading into a stainless-steel exhaust system. The latter makes for a raucous noise
• Accompanying the car will be a few bits of paperwork that helps piece together her more recent history.
• Along with a modern V5c, there are a couple of old styles examples
• There are a handful of MOT certificates that show its modern usage pattern of only a few hundred miles a year
• Amazingly all of the original Ford handbooks and literature has survived in the plastic handbook and will come with the car
• The original carpets are in remarkable condition
With the interior being the place you spend the most time when using a classic you will be happy to hear the interior of this Capri is in great condition. As has been mentioned both the previous and current owner have lavished love and attention over the car, with the previous owner opting to keep the plastic protectors on many elements of the interior. Its thanks to this level of care that it is now presented in such great interior condition.
From the factory the car did not come with the Recaros that are currently fitted, this was a modification done by the current owner. They sourced these rather fetching Recaros and then had them recovered in the grey and red contrasting leather, at the same time they also had the door cards re-done to match the new interior colour scheme.
One of the biggest features within the interior of this Capri is the sunroof, a lovely addition it works like new. With a flick of a switch, it will either retract into the roof or the back will tilt to allow some airflow when the windows are open. Having a look at the roof when it is retracted shows little to no signs of the dreaded tin worm, and a quick rain shower on the day of the photos showed that it did not leak.
Turning our attention to the boot we can see that not only is nice and big but it is also dry and void of any moisture that could lead to rust. The parcel shelf does have some damage on it, but this is apparently normal for these cars. Lifting the boot floor, you will find a spare tyre and some basic tools to help should you get a puncture.
The interior of this Capri is in overall great condition and the next owner will spend the majority of the time at the wheel with a huge grin on their face.B3a7GfFOCuuCsEGsfxFmGHNGp9T3LyfVFiKVlu21.jpeg1.09 MB
The Exterior
• Factory original vinyl roof is in good condition
• Iconic design
• Original paintwork
This car is a great example of an original Capri, with the original paint and vinyl roof still looking stunning 40 years after it was applied. It is a lovely compliment to the previous and current owners’ level of attention. With the addition of this car's soundtrack, it does get a lot of attention when rolling down the road.
When this car was found in the early 00s it did not look this shiny, it had about 10 or so years’ worth of dust on her. But with a wash and polish, she came back to as good as new and she still looks great today almost 20 years on.
With the car having spent a lot of its time either in a garage or under a heavy-duty cover it has preserved the black vinyl roof. On some examples, you can see that this has either been changed for a new one or has cracks in the material. This one has neither been replaced nor does it show any signs of damage which is excellent for a car of this age.
Overall, the exterior of this Capri is not only striking but it is excellent. With straight panels all round and still wearing so many of its original features, it could even make a great Concours car.
The mechanical elements are where this Capri excels, gone is the original and rather boring engine in favour of a raucous and peppy 2.1L Pinto engine. Provided by well-known engine builder Jeff Harris this engine puts out 198.2hp with thanks to Cosworth pistons and head and twin 48 Weber Carburettors, it sends all of its newly found power to the rear wheels through the 4-speed manual box. With the new power to weight ratio, it has been transformed into an excellent car to drive.
The engine was transplanted into the engine bay in 2009 and since then has only covered a few thousand miles. As she has been sitting for a while, she could probably do with a tune but after this, you will have one excellent car. To help her run at her optimum there have been some other additions made in the engine bay, such as a new radiator, electric fan, heavy-duty starter motor, and an amazing stainless exhaust system which makes the car sound amazing.
On a summer's day, this will be an excellent car to drive down the best B-roads the country has to offer. As soon as you start the car you are overcome with a huge smile which only gets bigger as you experience the thrills of driving this car.
What we have here is an extremely original 1980s family saloon car with a new, high output, heart. With all of the elements of this car in very good condition, it is no wonder why it has probably excited you by now. You will be hard-pressed to find a more original car, with only 2 owners from new and so few miles on the clock.
This is not a car to miss out on, it will provide the next owner with so many happy memories over the coming years.
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