The Professionals Capri

The Capri - from the 1960s Classic Capri to the last off the line in late 1986 - has a particular attraction for the Ford fan. It's all about style and image - the self-same features that attracted buyers in the first place - yet with running costs more in keeping with those of a Cortina than a German or Italian exotic. Capris have now been elevated to classic status, their prices at least holding their own in today's economic climate. In short, they make a sensible choice for the collector/enthusiast.
However, a word of warning is in order here before we start to look at the nuances of purchasing a Capri. From the Classic Capri of the 1960s to the striking Brooklands version which marked the model's demise, little changed in the fundamental design culture: MacPherson strut suspension up front and a solid rear axle with leaf springs - simple and straightforward. The car had a conventional drivetrain layout, with no overhead camshafts or front-wheel-drive transmission systems. If you are looking for the sophistication of all-independent suspension set-ups and belt-driven camshafts with multi-valve cylinder heads, then the Capri is not for you.
It is equally important to remember that early Capris - especially the SB60 range - had little in the way of rot protection. No great thought was given at the design stage to eliminating rust traps, while undersealing was offered as a service through Ford agents before delivery, and was one many new owners simply didn't bother to take up! I am glad to say that as the Capri entered the 1980s, Ford, like most major manufacturers, began paying attention to rust-prevention processes during manufacture, the result being that MK III cars have generally lasted better.
Another bonus for Capri enthusiasts is that servicing and restoration should pose few problems, at least for the foreseeable future. Parts for the later cars should still be available of the shelf, while owners' clubs offer an enormous field of opportunity to track down spares. Club days bring the usual collection of specialist dealers, while autojumbles provide another source of parts. Finally, there are always breaker's yards, though with the usual caveat that anything bought second hand should be inspected thoroughly before fitting.
Whatever the model of Capri you are thinking of buying, always aim to pay the most you can afford (leaving enough in the kitty for insurance). Remember, the larger the engine, the higher the running costs. During a year's motoring, a 2.0-litre S or Ghia model could prove much more economic for your purposes, yet still give the same level of trim and extras found on the 3.0-litre versions. If you are under twenty-five years old it is as well to shop around for insurance quotations before you buy the car, just in case it proves prohibitive! Limited-mileage classic-car policies should also be considered.
It is as well to mention at this point that anyone really interested in Capris should join one of the clubs that specialize in these cars. There is much to be gained through going to meetings and chatting with knowledgeable members before buying a car, so that you can pick up tips and grasp the fundamental weaknesses of each model. You might even find someone who lives locally who will be willing to come along and check a car over with you. The Capri Club International also publishes information on what to look for when buying one of these cars. Indeed, there is so much detail on Capri technology available that there really is no excuse for anyone not having access to the right information; what follows here is very much a potted version of that information.
Which Car ?
Before discussing what to look for when buying a Capri, there are two main categories of prospective purchase (that is if you leave out cars that have been prepared for racing, or those bought for complete restoration projects). Let us start with the 'buying as new' car.
Despite the age fo even the youngest Capri, it will still be possible to buy a good, clean example (as they say in the trade) off a garage forecourt. If bought from a reputable company, such a car should be original, with no signs of real wear in the interior trim, body or mechanics, and should also come with a warranty. The only considerations with such a car are : model type with associated engine size (to be considered for insurance purposes); price; overall condition; and what the warranty actually covers. It is however, still important to check the body thoroughly to see if rust is beginning to gain a foothold; if it has, you may find yourself having to cope with major problems later on.
Moving on to the second category, I shall assume that the car will be bought through the pages of one of the reputable magazines or even the columns of a club magazine. Whatever, it is important to say at this point that, as the values of classic cars have escalated, so too have the numbers of people trying to pass off fakes! The most obvious candidate for replication in the Capri market is a modified car being sold as an original RS. Here again, the clubs are an enormous fund of information and have lists of chassis numbers. They often even know the whereabouts of most 'original' limited-production models.

Inspecting The Car
Assuming you have located the car you wish to buy, you then need to make arrangements to view it. Ideally, make the appointment for mid-morning or during the afternoon; people have been known to buy cars at night-time, only to regret their folly! Remember that you will be spending time under the car, so take along ramps, a jack (preferably a trolley jack), overalls and rags or domestic-type kitchen roll. Also take along a notepad to jot down any comments which may be used to bargain over a better price!
If the Capri you are considering is one of those that are worth faking, then the first thing to do is to make a note of the chassis number and compare it with the chassis identification table. If there is a query or the plate looks doubtful, walk smartly away!

Body Condition
Try to draw an over all impression of the car's condition. Does it look well cared for? Is the interior trim well worn? Are there any signs of accident damage? And are there any indications of hasty rust repairs? The oldest Capris - 109E or 116E of 1961-4 vintage - will obviously need the most rigorous inspection. That said, although the majority of these cars have now been relegated to the great Capri graveyard, there are still a few left in remarkably good original condition.
Treating all Capris as one, start at the front, check for rust behind the headlamps, and look to see if it has taken hold in the sidelamp mouldings which form part of the wheelarch. Moving back to the front wings themselves (a weak point on all Capris), check both the tops of the wing sectiions and the inner to outer wing, seen by lifting the bonnet and inspecting closely.
All Capris were fitted with MacPherson strut front suspensions, so look at the mounting points. Sometimes plates are welded on to repair these when an MOT failure looks imminent; such a job should be well executed and not bodged. It is worth mentioning that the Capri's front wings are not bolted on but are welded on instead, so wing replacement is hardly a weekend DIY job. While the bonnet is up, investigate the condition of the inner wings, the panels surrounding the radiator and the scuttle section.
Moving on, check the A-post and the base of the front screen, paying particular attention to the rear of the outer wing and the rear of the front wheelarch (a favourite rot section on Ford's products in the past). Severe rot in the A-post itself will couse the doors to drop; carry out a body-panel alignment check, and whatch the way the door swings outwards from its aperture.
Door skins are next on the agenda. Moisture, especially on older Capris, will cause the skin to rot from the inside out, so small blisters apparent on the outside surface could indicate a major problem. Don't forget to look at the underside of the door frame, too, as moisture trapped in the bottom of the frame can cause rotting, especially if the drain holes are blocked.
Next come the well-known sill sections which, on a monologue bodyshell like the Capri, form an integral part of the unit and therefore a major MOT check area. These should be inspected thoroughly on Capris of all ages. It may well be possible to effect repairs, but as on the door skins, bubbles that are apparent on the outer surfaces can indicate far worse problems on the inside. While you are looking at this part of the car, open the doors and lift the carpets to look at the floorpan. Damp carpets are not a good sign!
Moving to the rear wheelarch, check for rot around the circumference of the arch itself where the inner and outer body panels meet. Also have a quick glance at the inside of the fuel-filler neck. More advanced body rust is, however, more likely to occur on the inner wheelarch itself, which can be inspected from inside the boot. While the bootlid or tailgate is up, look carefully at the boot floor and the area around the rear light clusters. On three-door Capris, check the condition of the tailgate, especially around the bottom edge. Finally, have a look at the rear apron under the bumper. Again, rot can start from the inside and work its way out, so beware of bubbles.

The Underside
The next stage is to check underneath the car. With the front of the car up on ramps (safely chocked in position, of course), it is possible to look at the condition of the front bumper mountings, the front cross-member and the rubber suspension bushes. Weak dampers and wear in the suspension bushes themselves will affect the car's handling. It is also important to look at the condition of the steering system (recirculatory ball box on SB60 cars and rack and pinion on later cars), checking for vital signs of lubrication leakage and the condition of the rubber rack gaiters. Evidence of fluid leakage should also be looked for on cars fitted with power steering. Before crawling out, it is worth looking for traces of oil leaks from the engine (perhaps caused by a faulty rocker box or sump gasket in need of replacement), indicated by oil on engine mountings and coolant pipes. Also, look for vestiges of leaks in the transmission; this is not difficult to cure, but just means that you will leave oil messages wherever you go! Finally, check the condition of the brake pipes, looking for rust in the tubes and examine wear in the flexible hoses.
You may wish to use the trolley jack to check the condition of the steering joints, wheel bearings and swivel joints (remember not to jack the car up using the base of the MacPherson strut as a lifting point). Play in these areas can affect handling and tyre wear. Also, check on the condition of the brake discs for scoring and uneven wear.
Next, drive the rear of the car on to the ramps and begin to look for rot in the spring hangers and the inner sill sections. You should be able to see if there are any signs of leaks from the differential, and should also try the universal joints on the prop shaft for play (nowadays, a replacement means a complete new prop shaft). Check the condition of the exhaust system, remembering that a replacement for a V6 is not cheap. Look at the condition of the brake pipes and locating brackets which, although they are MOT test points, may have deteriorated over the previous twelve months.

The Engine
Mechanically speaking, Ford's engines have a good reputation for reliability and longevity. Even the problems with the overhead camshaft Pinto unit (caused through inadequate camshaft lobe lubrication) were sorted out long ago, although there was some resultant poor publicity in the motoring press at the time.
There really is only one way to check an engine properly and that is to run it until it is up on temperature so that the mechanical parts have reached their working tolerances and the oil is at its usual viscosity. An old engine will show signs of wear through noisy timing gear and a smoking exhaust, especially on over-run, worn valve guides that allow oil into the combustion chambers. The truth is, however, that modern lubricants allow engines to go on for well over 100,000 miles (161,0000km) or more. Even if the engine is really worn, parts will still be readily available from Ford (or factors), so a rebuild will not be out of the question - although clearly this will have to be reflected in the price. Signs of wear in the 3.0-litre engine are piston slap and bottom-end rumble on cold start-up. The distributor driveshaft can shear if the engine has been neglected, while the fibre camshaft drive gears can also become damaged through old age.
Only the complexity of the injection system fitted to the 2.8i engine puts it out of the reach of the average mechanic. Problems of high-speed misfire, caused through a fault in the Bosch injection system, are about the worst that can happen if the engine has not been serviced regularly. Meanwhile, the carburettors on most Ford engines are pretty straightforward, although over-rich running could simply be due to a worn unit, calling for its replacement. Wear in the distributor skew gears can also result in uneven running.
Ford gearboxes are another item that motor-noters have praised over the years, and it was really only the somewhat agricultural 3.0-litre gearbox that came in for anything less than full marks. Gearboxes fitted to first-generation Consul Capris did not have synchromesh on first gear, while some cars had steering-column gear change - hardly sporting, and rather imprecise. With the introduction of the 2000E gearbox (first seen on the Corsair V4 2000E), changes were always smooth and the ratios better chosen for sports motoring.
In use, the gearboxes fitted to Capris from MK I onwards (including 3.0-litre manual cars) should be smooth and precise with strong synchromesh action. However, wear can create a sloppy change, while weak second and third synchromesh cones can make downward changes difficult, the gearbox actually jumping out of gear in bad cases. Also, listen for noisy bearings - another give-away of a poor gearbox. Wear in the prop shaft (as discussed earlier) can cause backlash in the drivetrain, making it impossible to make smooth changes. Later Capris - especially the 3.0-litre Ghias - were fitted with the C3-type automatic transmission system which gave reliable service, although it did sap the engine of valuable horsepower. In all cases, however, spares are readily available for repair and rebuilt units can be bought from specialists.
Before shutting the bonnet it is worth casting an eye over the car's wiring, especially if it is an early model. For some reason competent mechanics can turn into hamfisted electricians when faced with a soldering iron or multimeter, and tape joints and odd lengths of extra wire should be treated with suspicion! Seriously though, Ford's electrics - which are not Lucas - are no more fault prone than the units used by other mainstream manufacturers, and parts are still readily available.

The Interior
Sadly, some of the trim panels and carpets used on Capris were not that hard wearing, the result being that many (even carefully used examples) soon begin to look tatty. Typical of this are the vinyl seats in the MK I cars, these tending to split their seams after hard use. The early Recaro seats fitted to S models also suffer from wear problems, the squab sides becoming worn and frayed through continued scuffing as driver and passengers get in and out. Seats on the later 2.8i cars had leather panels which largely overcame problems of wear.
Trim panels and carpets may now be looking their age, especially if they have been abused. And while it is true that replacements are available, experts agree there can sometimes be colour differences when old and new coverings are mismatched. The same experts also say that it is best to be careful when buying trim parts from auto jumbles for the same reason. (If you are restoring the car and retrimming the whole of the interior, careful colour matching should not be a problem!) If you simply need to give the trim a good clean, use one of the excellent products that are available on the market for just this job. Before you finish with the interior, look for any evidence of leakage around the sun roof.

Test Driving
As all cars have individual characters (this is true even of different examples of the same model and year) there is little point in trying to describe in detail how any one model will perform. Added to this, everyone's yardstick of what is good or bad handling and good or bad performance varies dramatically. However, a good measure of what to expect can be gained by reading the original road-test report. Also remember that more can be learned about a car's behaviour by driving it carefully, listening for ominous noises and feeling for any handling anomalies (does the steering pull to one side ? Does the suspension wallow ? Are the brakes spongy ?), than by seeing how fast it goes!
Whatever the model of Capri you are testing, the engine should start cleanly with no necessity to keep it turning over before it fires. Once it has reached its normal operating temperature, the gauge should stay static; any tendency to rise and fall with engine and road speed could indicate a blown head gasket. The sportier Capris have an oil-pressure gauge, so keep a watchful eye to see how this reacts on tick over when the engine is hot. Watch in the mirror for signs of smoke when applying the throttle after a period of over-run as this could indicate worn valve guides and/or cylinder bores. None of the Ford engines fitted to the Capri was afraid of hard work, although regular servicing was necessary to keep them at their best. Should you be lucky enough to find a low-mileage car with service papers, so much the better.
As discussed previously, suspension settings on the sporting versions of the Capri will give a noticeably hard ride - particularly over uneven surfaces - when compared to modern hatchback standards. If you are testing an S, a 2.8i or an RS car and it has a softish ride, then there is a strong chance that the dampers and springs need replacing.
Other characteristics which may be felt as the test progresses include vibration through the steering, an obvious sign that the wheels are out of balance. Another give-away is vibration through the brake pedal, which is a sure sign of warped discs. Neither of these problems are difficult to sort out once you know what is wrong. However, brakes that pull to one side could indicate a number of things, including a faulty slave cylinder.
As for the transmission and clutch operation, the Capri is noteably smooth in this department - as is the case with all latterday Fords. There should be no snatch in transmission-drive take-up, while gear changes should be baulk-free during both upward and downward changes. Clutch take-up should also be smooth; check to see how much free travel there is before drive take-up to establish the condition of the clutch.
When the road test is over, lift the bonnet once more and check again for tell-tale leaks, then take another look underneath the car. Try to be objective, and make a note of any parts that need replacing so that you can relate the rough prices of these to the asking price. It is sometimes possible to negotiate a good deal once all the costs have been accounted for - you might get a better bargain than you had counted on!

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