READER’S STORY
ME AND MY RESTO
Manx resident Martin West restored his Ford Capri 2.8i and isn't afraid to use it
AS FOUND
The Capri was in a decent, running condition when Martin bought it in 2008. Engine temperature was an issue, though and led to engine removal. Martin decided this would be a chance to smarten the engine bay… and things snowballed.
I bought this car in 2008. It's a 1985 Ford Capri 2.8i with a Cartel body kit. It spent 23 years with its second owner, and it's now been with me for 15 years. I was living in Derbyshire at the time I bought it. I spied it on eBay and bought it on the strength of the photographs. Given the car's age, the body didn't disappoint: it needed a little work, but was fundamentally very sound. I drove it for some years, but unfortunately the engine developed a habit of overheating. After the usual process of elimination, I concluded that the engine block was badly corroded and silted up. I removed it, stripped it and sent it for acid dipping. After that, I fitted new pistons and crankshaft, plus a mildly-hot camshaft.
While the engine was away, I took the opportunity to repair the corroded and cracked front strut towers – often a weakness on older Fords. After this, I cleaned, rubbed down and painted the engine bay, using a base coat and lacquer system. I refitted the engine complete with a new clutch and a high-efficiency aluminium radiator. At the same time, I also fitted a straight-through, stainless exhaust system. It's quite loud, but sounds impressive.
I went on to paint the whole body in a tent inside my garage workshop. I resisted the temptation to take the windows out and remove the body kit – Ididn't want it to turn into something I'd regret starting. I applied a base coat of Ford Mineral Blue and followed it with four coats of clear coat lacquer. I'd say preparing each panel and getting it to the base coat stage took one to two days. I flatted and polished the lacquer once it was hardened, which gave a decent finish.
I'd conservatively say the whole job took about 45 hours. I applied wax to the underside of the car, after welding a small patch on one crossmember. The rest of the underbody was very solid.
The upholstery's original, except for the dash trimming and door cards. It has Recaro front seats – leather bolsters and fabric cushions – but the dash and cards had walnut trimming which was falling apart. Fortunately, I was able to replace these with standard trim from my old 1983 Capri 1.6LS. This was one of my early cars. I loved driving it, but ended up stripping it for some spares and selling the shell.
Restoring the car took two years in total. I started in 2017 and managed to finish it in time for the celebration of 50 years of the Capri at Brookland
