laserdude wrote:If you get to picky you will never buy one. There are only a 1000 2.8 injection left Taxed or on Sorn in all models Ford made. You have to also remember that the newest are nearly 30 years old so have done very well to survive. All will need something doing to them whether it be £5000 or £10000. I do hope you find one Andy but it won't be easy by what you are hoping to find.
I think we all know that good ones are getting thin on the ground, it's a case of what work needs doing, the asking price, and what work you're willing to carry out, obviously the more you expect the more you'll pay, and you could take it o the point where you won't find one, I'm a realist, show me a solid example priced according to it's condition and I'd buy it if it suited me, show me one that's been welded up here and there with signs of rust at the wrong price and I'll walk away.
Look at the one I looked at last weekend, nice enough on the surface, and it would make someone a nice car no doubt, it was restored 6 years ago, but was showing the first signs of that work ageing, bubbling starting on several seams adjacent to where the restoration work had been done, lower rear corners and above the rear of the sill, the strut top plates had been done, nicely, bar the plug welds and it was showing signs of rust around the headlight bowl, okay, you could grind it all out, load it up with plod and chuck some paint at it, job done, until it comes back, or you can do it properly.
Now, my guess is that the sills, strut top plates, lower rear quarters and arches were replaced for a reason, the owner didn't suddenly think let's replace this lot because I'm bored, that reason was rust, and now it's starting to rear it's head again going by the bubbling, there were a few spots where the coating on the underside had lifted, and it was scabbing, okay, it gets used, but the waxoil was 4 years old, with no dirt on it anywhere, the car had done 6000 miles in that time, something didn't add up there, the asking price, £7,500, so, as I've said before, you buy it in at that price then look at having that wing off to sort that properly, find a NOS wing at less than 600 and you're doing well, then you've got to start digging into the lower rear quarters, not knowing what you'll find from the previous work beneath the paint, then above the sill end, by the time you're done you're the thick end of 10-11 grand in, those strut top plates will still bug you along with other bits, easier to spend 10 grand on a nice original one needing odd jobs than face all that,
The cars offered at the dealers have all come from previous owners, so they are out there, if you can find one before it ends up on the forecourt with their 4-5 grand added on then both parties are on a winner, if not I'd rather have the money in the bank or into an alternative, E30 325's are very viable, as are 635's, along with others, it just depends how desperate you are to own a Capri, I'd like one by summer, but if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen, I'll leave some cash to one side until the right car comes up and crack on collecting the bits needed to get the Mk1 restored.
that bloke was...
