The Ford Capri Laser Page

Pauliil1948's thread on windscreens has got me thinking about an issue I have. When I got the car the front screen fitted fine . I had a new screen fitted and they had trouble fitting it . My impression was that the screen was to big .
I'm not sure if I have this right but I now believe the holes in the front of the car for the screen are all the same size ,some cars came with a smaller screen and a fat seal, others came with a larger screen and a skinny seal ? If this is correct I'm thinking I now have a larger screen and a fat seal. The last windscreen co bought out a few screens , same part #( they came to my house ) and I made myself a real pain in the arse comparing them all but they were all pretty much the same, and you could only get one side or the other ,but not both , to seat in properly, which is how it remains now . There is only this one screen available in NZ so I'm stuck with that . The problem is when I look for seals no one says if it's fat or skinny ,just that it fits all years, so , where can I get a skinny seal assuming I have got it right .

Hi mate, Yep the hole is the same size and as you say the screens differ in size slightly with an appropriate seal to suit. The later MK 3 (82 onwards I think) Lasers, 2.8i have slightly smaller screens with thicker seals whilst the earlier models MK 1,2 early 78 series had larger screens with thinner seals. I remember a guy on Facebook put up a very useful reply do I looked it up and copied it here. Hope this helps...


The hole in the shell is the same size - Mk1 - Mk2 - Mk2 '78 series ...
the Mk1 & Mk II , and early Mk2 '78 series screens are TALLER by about 8 mm in the centre line
Later models, 78'series, have a thicker rubber and a smaller screen....
SO for Lasers and 28is etc - its smaller screen thick rubbers ...
we gonna have to get a definition on how to ID the rubbers - OR - we need to measure the screens once and for all, log the years (chassis Vin Code) and get
the info preserved somewhere reet handy for easy recall...

ACCORDING TO THE GERMAN MOTOMOBIL SITE - FOLLOWING INFO
Front Screen - 530mm centre height - 11/68 - 07/81
Front Screen - 522mm centre height - 07/81 - 02/87 --- bit weird 'cos production finished in 12/86 (or did it ?) !!!

Rubber seals have 3 variants !!
Front Seal - 11/68 - 01/78
Front Seal - 01/78 - 08/81
Front Seal - 08/81 - 02/87

be aware that early rubber screen seals had an insert to be fitted once the screen and rubber were in place,
some were 'chrome' at 11mm & 14mm.

http://www.capripower.co.uk/forum/index ... ons.22743/

Thanks for that Nick , mine is a 1980 MK3. Huh , I just remembered that I kept the windscreen that fitted ( taken out because of a small stone chip in the critical vision area )...actually moved house twice since that.....and I know where it is, might go have a measure up in my cave

It makes you wonder why East Kent Trims don't make the bigger seals. There are far more post-1981 Capris surviving than pre-1981 cars.

Andrew.

So they make skinny ones ?

Mc Tool wrote: ↑Sun Dec 29, 2019 6:54 am So they make skinny ones ?

Yes, I think that's what Martin said on here once. Can't you get the stonechip repaired in your old screen and use that with a new seal?

Andrew.

Nah , the chip is in the "critical vision area " ie right in front of me at eye height and down ere we ain't allowed to fix that( Who gives one coz I get as many free screens as I need to keep my car compliant as part of my full cover insurance) . I can't get any seals here and only one sized screen so if these guys have a skinny one I best drop them a line. Thanks Andrew

On the subject of windscreens, do the pre '81 larger screens and the post '81 smaller screens have the same colour tint?
If they do, replacement windscreens shouldn't be an issue here in the UK, we just need to make sure we get the larger earlier screen and an East Kent seal.
Nick says that there is an 8mm difference between the two sizes, but without knowing the actual sizes, it's impossible to tell if the screens on later cars have been replaced using the larger screen with skinny seal.

Andrew.