1990 pics of the car that gave me the Capri bug.......

[Big Mike]

I think I've mentioned here before that my mate passed his test while I was still 14, his first car was (what else) a Capri in Dove Grey - not for long though, with him working in a local accident repair shop it soon had a body kit and other bits and pieces added, with a Brooklands Green paint job too.

So that's when I got the bug. We kind of drifted apart for the last 20 years, but bumped into each other a few weeks ago - he's just sent me these pics of the car that I misspent my early youth in

We reckon these are from around 1990/91 and just had to share them! Enjoy!

Prepping for the big transformation!



Love it or hate it, Cossie style Whale Tail certainly stood out!



Fresh from the oven.....





Green pinstripe added.....



Cartel Body Kit.....



Kit was bonded on all round, no gaps or seams......



Front Shot......



Love this angle - we never got a rear infill panel though, she reeeeally needed one!



Proud owner - note the wires everywhere lol, and the missing ashtray! But that's exactly how I remember it! Carla check looking good though..... Cut dash with Ford standard radio cassette too!



Mean and Moody (sorry Rog!)



And finally, how's this for a party piece? Designed and built by my mate whilst still in his teens, it still amazes me! This really turned heads back in the day!





Happy days! Hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I have!

Mike.

[Terra-Kotta]

Awesome times late 80s early 90s.... I have a few albums of the cars...

That was a time when your neighbours gave you a set of dcoe's they found whilst clearing out the shed! And banana manifolds for £30. Don't get me started. I'd give my left arm to go back.

[Big Mike]

Awesome times late 80s early 90s.... I have a few albums of the cars...

I'd love to see some pics Glyn.....

[atomic4]

Great pics to remind you of what you had back in the day. Great memories.

[timfromull]

Fantastic pics and trip down memory lane.............looks like he did a great job and I remember going through the body kit phase in the 80's.........god knows why looking back because I think Capri body kits, even Tickfords look dire. Each to their own though I suppose.
I body kitted my first Capri in 1988, a 1300 crossflow, instantly hated it and sold it to my mate then bought my nearly new Laser........Happy days

[Caprifan Rob]

Thanks for sharing Mike, that bonnet mod would look outstanding today, must have been amazing then! Great looking back, used to see a quite a few body kits back then, cartel one of the better ones.

[Andrew 2.8i]

Hi Mike,

Fantastic photos, thanks for uploading them for us all to see. They must bring back many happy memories from young and carefree days!
I must confess, I do like to see a well fitted bodykit as much as I like to see a well-presented standard car, although the cosworth wing doesn't do much for me. Heck, those things were everywhere in the Nineties, weren't they?

Keep the photos and the memories coming, please!

All the best,
Andrew.

[Big Mike]

Thanks for the comments folks, we had a blast in that car - I'm with Andrew in agreeing that a well fitted kit has it's place, and believe me I really thought that TUK was something special back then (still do if I'm honest) but I'm also with Tim in as much as I'd never put one on mine now!

Rob you're right too - that bonnet mod would still draw a crowd, lord knows how he managed it but I remember 2 pieces of channel welded to the inner wings for about the first 6 inches from the bulkhead, with guides welded to the underside of the bonnet, and some hinge type fabrication that he created welded to the flitches and slam panel - it all worked off the original pull catch, and you slid the bonnet forward and over the front as if it was meant to be that way. Nothing caught or fouled up, and as you can see the bonnet was clear of the floor. It was genius!

[sheff]

Hi Mike,

Love the photo's

Good day's when you could pass your test then jump straight into a car with the potential to take you over 130 MPH

The youth of today are really missing out

[pbar]

Those pics just show what having a Capri can be - fun. Brilliant.

[Andrew 2.8i]

that bonnet mod would still draw a crowd.......t was genius!

Mike,
It's a shame that you don't have a video of it in action, it sounds like quite a party trick! Your friend must have incredible imagination to have even thought of it, and also some dedication to see the project through to completion.
He must have been as pleased as punch with the result.

Andrew.

Andrew.

[Big Mike]

Those pics just show what having a Capri can be - fun. Brilliant.

Cheers Dude, I agree

I don't actually remember taking those pics, although I know it was me taking them cos there's a dodgy one of a younger version of me amongst them! But it's making me smile, cos we were definitely trying to be a bit 'Max Power', taking the shots on an industrial estate (Neachells Lane Wednesfield for those who know it!) no doubt after a good dose of Turtle Wax ha ha

Happy days indeed.......

[Big Mike]

that bonnet mod would still draw a crowd.......t was genius!

Mike,
It's a shame that you don't have a video of it in action, it sounds like quite a party trick! Your friend must have incredible imagination to have even thought of it, and also some dedication to see the project through to completion.
He must have been as pleased as punch with the result.

Andrew.

Andrew.

Andrew he really was incredibly talented - still is actually, one of the best panel men in the business, in his 40's now so you can imagine that talent combined with time-served tradesmanship.

He currently has 2 Capris as projects, we had to relocate them last weekend owing to a change in circumstances, I managed to get a couple of shots, will see about getting them up here later if he's ok with that

[Jake]

Lobe the bonnet mod! Tell him he needs to recreate it in the current projects

[rshyndy]

Brilliant mate. Some of my first memories are of me flying round the back seat in my dads capri in about 90/91. Thers a 17 year age gap between me and my older brothers and you can guess what cars they all had when growing up aswel. Yea I got I few memories of going sideways in a capri. I was born 87, so I unfortunately missed out on the best era of fords.or cars in general.
However i work with a few 'old boys' who had the cortinas in the 70s ect and they have told a few stories about going sideways and crashing in their youth. One brought in photos of his mk1 cortina lotus replica. Looked mint.
I'd love to go back to the 70/80s and see the cars you guys were spoilt with.

Cheers for sharing the pics mate.

[Andrew 2.8i]

and see the cars you guys were spoilt with.

Hi,

My first car after passing my test was a Datsun 120Y, does that count?

Andrew.

[Big Mike]

and see the cars you guys were spoilt with.

Hi,

My first car after passing my test was a Datsun 120Y, does that count?

Andrew.

You'll never believe this but I was looking at one of those on Evilbay the other day! Another example of a car that was 10-a-penny once but never seen anymore.

Brilliant mate. Some of my first memories are of me flying round the back seat in my dads capri in about 90/91. Thers a 17 year age gap between me and my older brothers and you can guess what cars they all had when growing up aswel. Yea I got I few memories of going sideways in a capri. I was born 87, so I unfortunately missed out on the best era of fords.or cars in general.
However i work with a few 'old boys' who had the cortinas in the 70s ect and they have told a few stories about going sideways and crashing in their youth. One brought in photos of his mk1 cortina lotus replica. Looked mint.
I'd love to go back to the 70/80s and see the cars you guys were spoilt with.

Cheers for sharing the pics mate.

Glad you liked the pics, my mate's made up with the comments. It's nice that the car can still be appreciated 20 years later even after she's (presumably) dead! I suppose it's hard for you to imagine just going on a regular drive to work or whatever and seeing Capris Cortinas and Granadas everywhere, so common so that you don't even really bother! But that's just how it was, just like you hardly notice Mondeos and Insignias and so on today. (God I sound old!)

My son turns 17 next summer and we wonder what cars of today would ever hold the same sort of appeal in another 20 years time, it's a hard one to answer!

[Fordoholic Nick]

Hi Mike,

Superb...simply wonderful, great pics there.

Jesus man...that bonnet is proper good aint it just ! That would so have stood out at Brooklands if it were there...no doubt about it ! Genius !! A credit to your mate for doing all he did. And great to hear he still into his capris to this very day

Bet it must have been a very well known Capri round your neck of the woods way back in the time...

But I have to say Mike I was a little disappointed mate. I sat down with a nice cup of yorkshire tea and a toasted cheese sandwich all set up for a decent session ploughing through all the pics you said you took. Think you said you took 1,990...but I could only see 13 pics...

Er...maybe I have mis-understood the title you gave to this thread "1990 pics of the car that gave me the capri bug..."

All the best mate

Nick

[dan the capri fan]

hi mike it looked like a great car you spent your youth tearing up the streets in with your mate. its a bit in your face for liking as im not a big fan of body kit on capri's except the tickford as that originally came with it but thats just me. i love the pepper pots on it and the early 2.8i blue recaro carla check seats which im repairing a set of.

[Big Mike]

I was a little disappointed mate. I sat down with a nice cup of yorkshire tea and a toasted cheese sandwich all set up for a decent session ploughing through all the pics you said you took. Think you said you took 1,990...but I could only see 13 pics...

Er...maybe I have mis-understood the title you gave to this thread "1990 pics of the car that gave me the capri bug..."

Sorry to disappoint Nick, that's so funny! Ha ha I never even thought about that (clearly!)

its a bit in your face for liking as im not a big fan of body kit on capri's except the tickford as that originally came with it but thats just me.

Hi Dan, that's cool mate, each to their own and all that, as I said earlier I wouldn't dream of putting one on my 2.8 now either, but you have to remember that in the late 80's bodykits were a huge part of the custom scene - I seem to remember a particularly awful one (in my opinion) made for the Mk3 Escort called the 'Venom' or 'Viper' or something - anyone remember that? I daresay that someone somewhere made it look good but all the examples I saw around the mean streets of Wolverhampton were permanently in 3 shades of primer with a set of skinny standard XR3 alloys hidden away somewhere under the huge fibreglass arches!