Was considering buying a 1.6 Capri for a long trip around Europe... would it be reliable enough for that kind of thing? Is it relatively easy to service? And what spare parts would I need to bring with me to ensure I could keep it in good shape and fix it when common problems occur?
Main reason for thinking of a Capri, aside from the fact that they are beautiful is that the insurance is strangely cheap for a new driver (£30 more than a Reliant Robin).
How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
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sparkandstir
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thesnake505
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
yea man do it, drop a electronic iginiton on it, and carry new plugs and oil will be mint, id do it 
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nigecapri
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
Welcome to the forum sparkandstir,
I would want to be running said car for a couple of months at least to get to know it and find out what if anything needed doing. If someone sells a capri it's often because it's started to go wrong and they don't know how or can't afford to mend it. Most often it's rust leading to mot failure. If the car's a good runner in good condition it's a keeper!
Is the engine quiet? camshaft wear or on high mileage, worn bottom end.
Does it brake in a straight line? - seized callipers, rear adjusters, radius arm bushes, knacked shocks.
Wheel wobbles - a pain in the arm on long journeys? tyre balance, front suspension bushes again, damaged disc.
Will the cooling system blow? old radiator, weeping water pump, perished hoses.
I've run them for donkeys years and regularly whizzed up to Scotland from Grimsby in the depths of winter without any troubles but that was in cars that I ran daily and was familiar with. Plenty members on here have travelled through europe, Holland, France, Spain etc.
A few spares and some useful phone numbers of continental enthusiasts/clubs who can help in emergencies for spares (alternator, starter coil etc.) are worth having with you.
If you're a brand new driver then bear in mind a right hand drive U.K. car will be a nightmare for you to overtake with especially slow vehicles like tractors in europe. You might be able to get a left hooker on the cheap then flog it there for spares and ferry home?
I would want to be running said car for a couple of months at least to get to know it and find out what if anything needed doing. If someone sells a capri it's often because it's started to go wrong and they don't know how or can't afford to mend it. Most often it's rust leading to mot failure. If the car's a good runner in good condition it's a keeper!
Is the engine quiet? camshaft wear or on high mileage, worn bottom end.
Does it brake in a straight line? - seized callipers, rear adjusters, radius arm bushes, knacked shocks.
Wheel wobbles - a pain in the arm on long journeys? tyre balance, front suspension bushes again, damaged disc.
Will the cooling system blow? old radiator, weeping water pump, perished hoses.
I've run them for donkeys years and regularly whizzed up to Scotland from Grimsby in the depths of winter without any troubles but that was in cars that I ran daily and was familiar with. Plenty members on here have travelled through europe, Holland, France, Spain etc.
A few spares and some useful phone numbers of continental enthusiasts/clubs who can help in emergencies for spares (alternator, starter coil etc.) are worth having with you.
If you're a brand new driver then bear in mind a right hand drive U.K. car will be a nightmare for you to overtake with especially slow vehicles like tractors in europe. You might be able to get a left hooker on the cheap then flog it there for spares and ferry home?
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mcramsay
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
a few members off this board recently did quite a long road trip through france and i dont think any of them had any problems! if i was going on a long trip my essentials list would be:
spare dizzy cap
plugs
leads
points/condenser
head gasket (and necissary tools)
cam belt and fan belt
obviously that would be if i was going on a mahuuusive trip some ware, to be honest if your gona do that, as has aleady been said, get the car a few weeks before and drive it solidly and see whats what with it, if you buy it and cant even use it as a daily driver because of problems then its gona be useless as a long distance car in another country! but if u can get a goodun i would def do your trip, i sure as hell will be doing one when my cappa is owning
the road!
spare dizzy cap
plugs
leads
points/condenser
head gasket (and necissary tools)
cam belt and fan belt
obviously that would be if i was going on a mahuuusive trip some ware, to be honest if your gona do that, as has aleady been said, get the car a few weeks before and drive it solidly and see whats what with it, if you buy it and cant even use it as a daily driver because of problems then its gona be useless as a long distance car in another country! but if u can get a goodun i would def do your trip, i sure as hell will be doing one when my cappa is owning
the road!-
sparkandstir
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
Would the spares you would most likely need be small enough to fit in the boot? Likely to be only me, perhaps on other person on the trip. Would have to make sure I get a good condition model of course, are the AA checks you can get on used cars thorough enough to ensure it would be reliable?
On the front of overtaking... couldn't you just set up a mirror or something so you could see what was ahead better? Could have a problem with insurance if I bought one abroad I think.
On the front of overtaking... couldn't you just set up a mirror or something so you could see what was ahead better? Could have a problem with insurance if I bought one abroad I think.
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Beakster
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
Yo,
Do it! I drove my 2.0 Laser along with Capri Andy's 2.9i Laser to Madrid, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Ibiza and back home again a few months back. Here's the thread about it: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1762
Neither of us had any mechanical problems over the 4000 miles.
I took a load of spares with me which included: head gasket, water pump, fuel pump, fuel lines, bulbs, k-seal, rear brake cylinder, points, condenser, coil, dizzy cap, rotor arm. I didn't need to use any of them though, but glad I had them just in case so I could have fixed at side of road rather than have to get recovery.
My car was pretty well sorted before I left as I usually keep on top of the servicing and because I use it as a daily driver I'm aware of any issues with it as soon as they appear.
Only thing I had to do during the trip was swap one of the wheels for the spare as the tyre had bulged and tighten my TCAs up which I had fitted the week before leaving. So I'd advise a check of your tyres before you leave as I've heard its difficult to locate 13" tyres on the continent.
I also had to take a mallet to my wing after I hit a bollard doing donuts in a caravan park, but that was my own fault.
Be sure and keep us updated of your progress and send us lots of pictures.
Check this thread and have a look at these videos for inspiration viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1762
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qI-ss9HcaQQ&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qI-ss9HcaQQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Y36BQcxFzI&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Y36BQcxFzI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
Do it! I drove my 2.0 Laser along with Capri Andy's 2.9i Laser to Madrid, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Ibiza and back home again a few months back. Here's the thread about it: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1762
Neither of us had any mechanical problems over the 4000 miles.
I took a load of spares with me which included: head gasket, water pump, fuel pump, fuel lines, bulbs, k-seal, rear brake cylinder, points, condenser, coil, dizzy cap, rotor arm. I didn't need to use any of them though, but glad I had them just in case so I could have fixed at side of road rather than have to get recovery.
My car was pretty well sorted before I left as I usually keep on top of the servicing and because I use it as a daily driver I'm aware of any issues with it as soon as they appear.
Only thing I had to do during the trip was swap one of the wheels for the spare as the tyre had bulged and tighten my TCAs up which I had fitted the week before leaving. So I'd advise a check of your tyres before you leave as I've heard its difficult to locate 13" tyres on the continent.
I also had to take a mallet to my wing after I hit a bollard doing donuts in a caravan park, but that was my own fault.
Be sure and keep us updated of your progress and send us lots of pictures.
Check this thread and have a look at these videos for inspiration viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1762
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qI-ss9HcaQQ&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qI-ss9HcaQQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Y36BQcxFzI&hl ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Y36BQcxFzI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]
Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
Just a thought here.....but if you're a new driver, will you legally be able to drive abroad? I'm assuming you've just passed your test at, let's say 18.....?
Can't remember if there's anything legal for young drivers, but I'm fairly certain insurance companies don't allow it until the driver is in their twenties or something.
Just kinda remember hearing something about it. Might be worth checking our first. Wouldn't want you to get your hopes up, then have to postpone the trip for years.
Anyway, aside from that, a box full of spares in the boot should see you fine, as long as you know the car first....like a few have already said, you've got to spend a fair while getting to know the car...they all have a lot of character and they all have different characters....obviously, when I say "character", I mean "issues"....lol
Can't remember if there's anything legal for young drivers, but I'm fairly certain insurance companies don't allow it until the driver is in their twenties or something.
Just kinda remember hearing something about it. Might be worth checking our first. Wouldn't want you to get your hopes up, then have to postpone the trip for years.
Anyway, aside from that, a box full of spares in the boot should see you fine, as long as you know the car first....like a few have already said, you've got to spend a fair while getting to know the car...they all have a lot of character and they all have different characters....obviously, when I say "character", I mean "issues"....lol
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Peter-S
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
Capris would have done the trip no problem back in the day and so there is no reason why they shouldn't now. It's just down to maintenance issues that often get neglected as cars get older. Make sure everthing is A1 before you go, take some spares as the lads suggest and have a great time 
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Dave
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4 Mk1 Escorts, 2 of them roadworthy, one nearly and one rotter. :) - Location: Cheshire
Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
I can't think of a better car to do it in.
As for driving on the wrong side, it becomes natural almost straight away.
As for driving on the wrong side, it becomes natural almost straight away.
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Caprixpack
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
am planning a trip round europe next year i n my 3.0i, along the lines of paris, luxembourg nurburgring, rudesheim, switzerland, italy, monaco, then up through central france back up to calais
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georgezippybungle
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BMW 325i touring
Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
It obviously depends on the car you buy. Mine is well maintained and sorted and I would have no hesitation in driving it to the south of France tomorrow (it's done it before).
Get one as far as poss in advance of your trip so you can do some journeys in it in the UK to check it's reliable and give it a full thorough service (including gearbox oil + cambelt)
Check the thermostat and if you're going in summer I'd suggest adding a kenlowe and removing the viscous.
I bought a Pinto injection Sierra back in 2005 and toured France in it 2 months later, without breakdown cover as by then I'd figured out it was a good one. Had a fault free 1500 miles.
Go and have fun, you'll not see another there.
All the above advice also applies.....
Get one as far as poss in advance of your trip so you can do some journeys in it in the UK to check it's reliable and give it a full thorough service (including gearbox oil + cambelt)
Check the thermostat and if you're going in summer I'd suggest adding a kenlowe and removing the viscous.
I bought a Pinto injection Sierra back in 2005 and toured France in it 2 months later, without breakdown cover as by then I'd figured out it was a good one. Had a fault free 1500 miles.
Go and have fun, you'll not see another there.
All the above advice also applies.....
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westycapri
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Re: How reliable would a Capri be for long distance touring?
I just did this in my 1.6 capri. We did 5000 miles in about a month covering Paris Bordeaux Marseille St. Tropez Monaco Florence Sienna Rome Lake Garda and up through switzerland germany belgium, it had no problems apart from the slidey mechanism on the drivers seat breaking. the advantage with the capri was that if it was going to break in any way the likelihood of getting a get you home repair is much greater. I'd recommend taking some radweld and duct tape. i also managed to fit all my spare parts and a few essential tools in and around the spare tire to mininmise the amount of space taken up in the boot, although this was annoying when i needed to get at them as i had to empty the whole boot to get them. Id also make sure the cooling system is working well as my car didn't like being stuck in traffic in the middle of the day, or climbing some of the hills.
All in all my capri performed like a dream as i knew it would although i have had it for 4 years so knew all its faults and problems and got them sorted before we went.
Id recomend touring europe in a capri any day! DO IT!
All in all my capri performed like a dream as i knew it would although i have had it for 4 years so knew all its faults and problems and got them sorted before we went.
Id recomend touring europe in a capri any day! DO IT!