Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Now im not having a go if you are one of the sorts of people who says this or does it yourself, but after last night i do find it really funny people say this, as i did before but now even moreso.
Last night i was forced to drive through a massive puddle of water due to flooding from the monsoon we had here yesterday (great summer!).
I dont know how deep it was exactly, but i reckon if i had waded through it in my wellies it would have gone past my ankles and half way up my calf.
A Renault van went through it before me and the water was up to the sills, obviously the van has much more ground clearance than i do so that should give you a rough idea of how deep it was.
I shouted "POWERRR" and pushed through it in my 2.0 s, the water had to have been up to and past the bodywork yet it didnt and phase it. I had to do this twice because it was the entrance to a supermarket so only on way in and out.
No problems what so ever, i was actually surprised and expected at least a minor electrical short of some kind but nope, kept running like nothing had happened i was quite proud of her actually.
I'm always sceptical my car can do things without breaking because A: Its 33 years old and B: I built it after-all but seems i need to give myself more credit lol.
Must have given the underside a nice wash thats for sure
Cant/shouldn't use a Capri all year round? That theory holds less water than my car. lol
Last night i was forced to drive through a massive puddle of water due to flooding from the monsoon we had here yesterday (great summer!).
I dont know how deep it was exactly, but i reckon if i had waded through it in my wellies it would have gone past my ankles and half way up my calf.
A Renault van went through it before me and the water was up to the sills, obviously the van has much more ground clearance than i do so that should give you a rough idea of how deep it was.
I shouted "POWERRR" and pushed through it in my 2.0 s, the water had to have been up to and past the bodywork yet it didnt and phase it. I had to do this twice because it was the entrance to a supermarket so only on way in and out.
No problems what so ever, i was actually surprised and expected at least a minor electrical short of some kind but nope, kept running like nothing had happened i was quite proud of her actually.
I'm always sceptical my car can do things without breaking because A: Its 33 years old and B: I built it after-all but seems i need to give myself more credit lol.
Must have given the underside a nice wash thats for sure
Cant/shouldn't use a Capri all year round? That theory holds less water than my car. lol
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Nice little story and I bet that was fun as you blasted through the water! I love it when people drive them no matter what. We will all be on the scrapheap one day, cars and the owners, so why not get that fun and enjoyment while you can. As you are doing. Great post, enjoyed that.
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
pbar wrote:Nice little story and I bet that was fun as you blasted through the water! I love it when people drive them no matter what. We will all be on the scrapheap one day, cars and the owners, so why not get that fun and enjoyment while you can. As you are doing. Great post, enjoyed that.
Totally agree!
Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Thank you. Yeah couldnt agree more with you! Nothing lasts forever, especially not us, hell not even the universe will last forever so why not enjoy life while you have it?pbar wrote:Nice little story and I bet that was fun as you blasted through the water! I love it when people drive them no matter what. We will all be on the scrapheap one day, cars and the owners, so why not get that fun and enjoyment while you can. As you are doing. Great post, enjoyed that.
I was a little worried because i made this thread before i went out today, so i wasn't 100% sure the car would still work! lol
You never know with these things, especially something as temperamental as an old car it might have decided not to start today because she didn't like going for a swim last night but no, started and ran just like normal. Thats my girl!
Needs a clean now though....
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
I tried doing this once, massively misjudged the puddle and it was up over the front of the bumper!!
I got halfway through said enormous puddle and the engine cut out.... Refused to run over again so I had to stick the car in gear and keep turning it over, slowly dragging itself out...
Ran like shit for a while afterwards and I've learnt to not go through puddles now without checking the depth first!
I got halfway through said enormous puddle and the engine cut out.... Refused to run over again so I had to stick the car in gear and keep turning it over, slowly dragging itself out...
Ran like shit for a while afterwards and I've learnt to not go through puddles now without checking the depth first!
A wise man once said... "you can never have too many capris - buy another"
It's me, I'm the wise man.
It's me, I'm the wise man.
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
That's the beauty of old cars, even if they do conk out it's only usually a case of drying out the distributor cap and leads then off it'll go again. If you get water in a modern ecu or sensors first you've got to find the problem then you've got to have your wallet wrenched open wide to replace them.
I remember a few years ago my old boss had a Volvo XC90 (hateful thing!) and I was pulling up outside work and noticed his brake lights were on, even though he wasn't in the car and it was locked up. I told Steve and we dragged the car in to the workshop thinking that the switch on the pedal was playing up and would need replacing. Stripped all the interior around the pedal but no pedal switch? Much headscratching, plugging the car into our Bosch KTS code reader and Autodata wiring loom examination later it was found out that it was all ecu controlled and the car would have to go to Volvo's.
At Volvo's we found out that the ABS unit ecu sends a signal to the "Body Control ECU" which basically controls all the car's non-ignition electrics. It is situated just below the windscreen and was marked as a Land Rover manufactured part. (from when Ford owned Land Rover and Volvo).New ones can only be coded in by Volvo's themselves.
Anyway, the outcome of it all was that Steve remembered going through a great big puddle which splashed up over the bonnet a few days before the problem and his ecu was of a bad batch that had suffered seal failure. Even with a bit of goodwill from Volvo (the car was 7 years old) he had a wacking great bill of £850 to put it right. All for a stuck on brake light!
Give me an old car with a workable if basic elecric system everytime!
I remember a few years ago my old boss had a Volvo XC90 (hateful thing!) and I was pulling up outside work and noticed his brake lights were on, even though he wasn't in the car and it was locked up. I told Steve and we dragged the car in to the workshop thinking that the switch on the pedal was playing up and would need replacing. Stripped all the interior around the pedal but no pedal switch? Much headscratching, plugging the car into our Bosch KTS code reader and Autodata wiring loom examination later it was found out that it was all ecu controlled and the car would have to go to Volvo's.
At Volvo's we found out that the ABS unit ecu sends a signal to the "Body Control ECU" which basically controls all the car's non-ignition electrics. It is situated just below the windscreen and was marked as a Land Rover manufactured part. (from when Ford owned Land Rover and Volvo).New ones can only be coded in by Volvo's themselves.
Anyway, the outcome of it all was that Steve remembered going through a great big puddle which splashed up over the bonnet a few days before the problem and his ecu was of a bad batch that had suffered seal failure. Even with a bit of goodwill from Volvo (the car was 7 years old) he had a wacking great bill of £850 to put it right. All for a stuck on brake light!
Give me an old car with a workable if basic elecric system everytime!
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
The discussion on the thread about electric vehicles made me think - there will come a point where keeping a vehicle like a Capri on the road will become too expensive for most to do it. A combination of lack of spares, price of petrol, cost of repairing aged metal etc. I don't know when that will happen - 20 years time, 30 even? But happen it will.
I was out both yesterday and today, yesterday got rained on a helluvalot (I actually went thru Turnpike Lane with wipers on full tilt, wondering if I'd bump into Nick on his bus, shocked at the sight of a Capri in the rain! ), today went through a massive muddy puddle which has meant I can't put a wash off any longer! Oh well - I'll use the works pressure washer at the weekend!
As for simplicity - the only time I've had a complete breakdown was ironically going through a large puddle and getting the dizzy wet, some WD40 and about two minutes saw to that and I was on my way again.
I was out both yesterday and today, yesterday got rained on a helluvalot (I actually went thru Turnpike Lane with wipers on full tilt, wondering if I'd bump into Nick on his bus, shocked at the sight of a Capri in the rain! ), today went through a massive muddy puddle which has meant I can't put a wash off any longer! Oh well - I'll use the works pressure washer at the weekend!
As for simplicity - the only time I've had a complete breakdown was ironically going through a large puddle and getting the dizzy wet, some WD40 and about two minutes saw to that and I was on my way again.
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
All SUVs are hateful things.....Paul G wrote: a Volvo XC90 (hateful thing!)
Andrew.
Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
I used to love using my capri all year round before its accident and I will no doubt use it all year round again when its done, I got into some great escapades with it one that springs to mind was when my mates new crap Citroen died at a petrol station, the body control module went, I towed him home then the next day took it to Citroen hooked to the back of the capri, all the salesmen were stuck to the window at the sight, to say i got lots of compliments about the choice of tow car is an understatement.
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
I enjoyed, and agree, with all seven of the above posts. This is turning into a great thread!
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
tejb1 wrote:I actually went thru Turnpike Lane with wipers on full tilt, wondering if I'd bump into Nick on his bus, shocked at the sight of a Capri in the rain! .
What...this one too Paul....pbar wrote:I enjoyed, and agree, with all seven of the above posts. This is turning into a great thread!
Tom surely our paths will cross sooner or later if not on my bus but in my Capri. I passed through Turnpike Lane about 7 times a day so surely I will be rewarded to seeing you in yours. My parents in law live up in Muswell Hill and on a nice dry day ( ) I sometimes drive the Capri up to them so again our paths may cross
Tom that rain on Weds was bleeding torrential for most parts. I applaud you for driving your Capri in those conditions..nice one....
All the best now
Nick
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
All I can say Arya is your cupboards must have been very low on food and you guys mighty hungry to revert to this extreme behaviour ......Arya2.0S wrote:I shouted "POWERRR" and pushed through it in my 2.0 s, the water had to have been up to and past the bodywork yet it didnt and phase it. I had to do this twice because it was the entrance to a supermarket so only on way in and out.
Seriously though it did sound like you had a blast of a time...nice one mate
All the best
Nick
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Someone needs to find Beakster's post from years ago with photos of taking his Capri up a mountain. Part of my love for the Capri is it's versatility - Boy racer mobile, shaggin' wagon, family runaround, off roader. It's all been done in a Capri.
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Good work I admire anyone who drives their classic everyday and in all weathers, I was always too overprotective of my Capri!
On Wednesday I was stuck in traffic near Shepperton and a black 2.8i 5speed passed me in the heavy rain, great to see but was a bit shocked at the same time!
On Wednesday I was stuck in traffic near Shepperton and a black 2.8i 5speed passed me in the heavy rain, great to see but was a bit shocked at the same time!
Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
I'm one of those that hates taking my capri out in the rain. I took it to a show the other week and it rained on the way back. Funnily enough when i was driving in the pouring rain it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. Maybe i should enjoy it more.
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Did somebody say they got there car wet ?
I will get caught out one day I know when we went up to CCI in may I thought the rain was going to get me .
One thing I remember in my old Capri was when that long nose was waxed and it rained I would be driving at say 50mph and when you started to slow down to about 25moh the water sitting on the bonnet would spray on to the windscreen .
I will get caught out one day I know when we went up to CCI in may I thought the rain was going to get me .
One thing I remember in my old Capri was when that long nose was waxed and it rained I would be driving at say 50mph and when you started to slow down to about 25moh the water sitting on the bonnet would spray on to the windscreen .
Ford Capri 2.0 Laser 1987 Mercury Grey .......
Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
This happens to me all the time and always slightly surprises me lol.Jasonmarie wrote: One thing I remember in my old Capri was when that long nose was waxed and it rained I would be driving at say 50mph and when you started to slow down to about 25moh the water sitting on the bonnet would spray on to the windscreen .
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
I don't even take my Focus out in the rain lol!
Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
Exactly like me But when it's clean and under cover in the garage, it's hard to take it out and get it wet unless you really have too.....Alanb67 wrote:I'm one of those that hates taking my capri out in the rain. I took it to a show the other week and it rained on the way back. Funnily enough when i was driving in the pouring rain it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. Maybe i should enjoy it more.
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Re: Dont use your Capri all year round, they are too delicate!
I never really see the point in not taking a car out in the rain? I thought the paint was waterproof??
I just like driving it too much to care about the weather
I just like driving it too much to care about the weather
A wise man once said... "you can never have too many capris - buy another"
It's me, I'm the wise man.
It's me, I'm the wise man.