Project Carla 820

Use this forum to post threads of ongoing Capri projects and restorations.
Daz-RSK
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Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

So after 15 years of messing about and dithering around, I have decided it's time for Capri 2.8i Special 820, that was made on 19/12/84, to have some restoration. This is the 1st time in 34 years, since it left the Cologne factory, that it has had anything substantial done. Only the front wings were replaced in 1997 with some work to the inner wings. That's it. And a god-awful RGA bodykit that was introduced to the car in 1988 - that will be removed!

Please don't think that this will be as full or as elaborate as some of your motors' restorations. I have had a look through some of the builds on here and they are immense. Well done you folk who are doing these. I can only admire.

Having owned the car 31 years (my parents car, but I have looked after for the last 15), I would like to treat it to a fairly substantial. What I won't be able to do is get the car to concours, without £10000's being spent and this is not my aim. It will just look like an honest, good condition 90k mile 34 yr old motor when I am done - better than some, worse than quite a few (from what I see on here).


OK, so this is the restoration of the Capri 2.8i that I am about to embark on.

Nothing significant has happened yet. In October, I did have some welding done on the floor which when I am under the car next time, I'll show. Nothing really much there. But I have some other plans under the car which will be combined in that set of pics or footage, dependent on how I show that. In Jan 2019, the seats will be refurbished.

As you may have seen, I am also speaking with a company who might entertain refurbishing the dashboards as, like all Ford models of this period, the sun / heat / light / cold has made the dashboard brittle and they all crack where there are weak points, typically near the speaker grill area. If I get this company to make a business of restoring these, there will be Ford models of this era starting to show some (at least) nicer dashboards.

So true to my usual form, I have done a Youtube clip. Apologies for my drawl on here - I need to go a long way before I become a voice over / actor, therefore, I don't even try. The long road to Carla 820 restoration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhDYB3J ... tEm1NMI_MN
Last edited by Daz-RSK on Sun Dec 02, 2018 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jasonmarie
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Jasonmarie »

Just watch your great you tube video , yes looks like you have a little bit of work to do , I did see them take a body kit of a Capri back in the 90s and OMG it’s a right water trap , Seats look good to me but would be interested where your getting them done . Hope the heater motor was a easy fix , and all the best in getting her up to spec .
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andyd
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by andyd »

Looks like a nice project :)
The rear 'Tailblazer' that were very popular in the 80s as was the bodykit, but not so sure now :?
Exhausts look good :cool:

:goodluck:
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Andrew 2.8i
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

I agreed with the others, it looks like a terrific car with only a few small areas that need attention.
It's great to see you cracking on with what needs doing, I look forward to more updates as the work progresses.

Andrew.
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Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

Thanks chaps. Yes, it's quite tidy on the outside. But as Martin at Caprigear said, it could be a bit of a mess on the "inside".

We'll see when it is stripped.

Anyway some easy stuff today. A spot of carpet cleaning and other stuff.

So first out, I needed to place some diamond white on the weld marks on the interior floor. This one is the driver's side but there were marks on the passenger side.

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Last edited by Daz-RSK on Sun Dec 02, 2018 8:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

Now into the carpet cleaning. This is halfway through the job. What a mess. Just years of grime!

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Still some way to go.

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Now coming along

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Quite happy with this. Still needs another go. (ooohh you'll see that the heater motor / box is back in - thanks to Martin Caprigear for restoring - all works perfectly)

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Driver's side rear carpet - started on this whilst the paint was drying under the pedals where the weld marks were.

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Last edited by Daz-RSK on Sun Dec 02, 2018 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

OK, so the seat runners have made a mess of the carpet, particularly the driver's side and the one on the outside.

This is why.

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So it's marked the carpet due to years of damp weather getting in that side, I guess, from the door opening. I decided i would have a tidy up. Not quite the right colour. But frankly, it sits under the seat. I'll paint the other side runner to match.

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Driver kick panel has come up well as well.

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Last edited by Daz-RSK on Thu Dec 27, 2018 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jasonmarie
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Jasonmarie »

Looks like you have been very busy , so will she be ready for the big Brooklands event nextyear ?
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Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

I hope so Jason.

It won't have the outer restored but all of the interior up to scratch by then. The issue with the outer is that I don't know what level of work, therefore time, is required on it. So what I might do (which was not the original intention) is set about the outside after all of the events next year. Otherwise there is a threat that the events all turn up and my Capri is in the bodyshop still.

Hmmmm....I have had a change of heart. Think I'll get the right colour for that runner. It was just some charcoal colour I had kicking about but sleeping on it, the colour should be like a slate grey. I'll get some to do it properly. I thought I would get away with the runner being a different colour but there may be too much on show for my liking.
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Jasonmarie
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Jasonmarie »

Mine are black not grey , they must have always been grey and I never new that . Also where are you getting your seats redone ? As I have been looking myself .
And your only up the road I think ? From me .
Yes good thinking about leaving the body work as restoring always take longer then you think .
Ford Capri 2.0 Laser 1987 Mercury Grey ....... :beer:
Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

Yes, I am not sure why some runners are black, some are grey, Jason. As you say, maybe yours have been repainted. Is yours a black carpet, incidentally ? Just thinking, Ford may have colour keyed the runners to the carpet colour ?

Yes, I am in Essex. I am going to a guy in Maldon. I have seen his work before on a Mk1 Cortina and asked the owner of that Mk1 who did this amazing interior. This chap passed me this trimmer's details. I was meant to have the seats re-trimmed 5 yrs ago when I first saw him but life got in the way and here I am now, having set up the seats to be done in Jan.

He works on classic Fords and knew all of the Ford trims.

What I'll do - let me just vet how good he is and then report back. I am sure he is still brilliant. But I don't want to go spreading a name if the work isn't as good as it should be. I am not expecting that because as I said, that Mk1 Cortina was unbelievable. I like the fact also that he tends to work on Ford models and knows all his trimming stuff for Fords. He even has that Recaro badge for me - the one in the video above that spins on the driver seat. Apparently he has one going spare.

I'll let you know Jason.
Last edited by Daz-RSK on Sun Jan 20, 2019 6:36 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Jasonmarie
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Jasonmarie »

Cheers for that yes my carpet is grey perhaps ford changed after a few years but thinking all my runners have been black form my Mk1 Escort ? So has anybody else got grey runners ?

Yes let me know , Young Andrew near me who has a very Mint show Capri had he done round the corner from me so I will check them out nextyear .

All the best

Jason
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Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

OK so the show continues. I have now completed the carpet cleaning. This is about as good as I am going to get them. Much better than before but 34 years of stain and grime has got to the carpet and there is little more I can do, short of buying a new set. A little wasteful, I think you would agree.

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Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

So next it is the rear seats and also the front seat runner as the pic above shows the rust.

I did paint the front seat runner in the charcoal colour but have since had 2nd thoughts. I went to a paint specialist and bought some proper colour for the seat runner. Anyway, more pics of that soon, as I have just finished this off today.

The rear seat. So this is the untouched version and need to feed these with hide food. Not bad condition for 34 years, I think you'd agree. But they do need work. That is my next job.

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This bench, although again not in bad shape for 34 years, is another matter. I have just fed this now and it looks great!

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Hopefully, next week, the front seats go away for refurbishing and then the interior is coming along quite nice.
Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

OK, so on a bit of a roll now.

Finally got the seat runner painted with the colour that is close to the original. Much better!!

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Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

So the rear seats now have been cleaned and had some hide food applied. They look so much better. Probably another few applications through 2019 will make them look better still. These are now back in the car.

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Whilst I was cleaning the rear seat backs with the hide food, I washed/cleaned the carpet material at the back of the seat back and cleaned the boot area as much as I could. Still a long way to go as this has seen 34 years of all sorts.

Also the boot carpet as well and that has come up just as good.

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Interior is all coming together now. That's the easy stuff. Time consuming, but easy.
Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

Finally, some authenticity. Really proud of these because....well you'll see what I mean. Their actual worth is little. Their presence is immense.

This one is a 3 owner vehicle and if you read my monologue when I introduced myself to the forum, you would have seen that the 1st owner wanted to meet up with me, after some 20+ years beyond his ownership, having spotted an article I wrote in the CCI mag. When he and his son met me, they were bearing gifts. These lumbar supports were detached from the car some 20+ years and then became reunited with the motor that day I met them.

So these are the originals that came with 820 34 years ago.

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Another piece of originality. Now this is probably rare as hen's teeth today. It's just that I have had the luck of a non-tampered, never messed around with motor. This is personal to my motor. Once upon a time, yours would have had the same - certainly if a Mk3 - and you may be lucky that you still have this. Normally they have been removed or weren't present or whatever.

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So this is my car's build. You can see that it is 2800 Ghia (not quite), RHD destined for England. Down the right side, it the motor's specification in detail - the build itself. Servo lenkung is power steering. Electric aerial, leather steering wheel, leather radio button and steel grey interior colour.

It was built under the Special Vehicle Operation (SVO) 3233 on 19/12/84 at 20:13:04hrs. Not really sure what the 150/155/180 values are. Probably represent something
Ptgladstone
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Ptgladstone »

Daz-RSK wrote:Thanks chaps. Yes, it's quite tidy on the outside. But as Martin at Caprigear said, it could be a bit of a mess on the "inside".

We'll see when it is stripped.

Anyway some easy stuff today. A spot of carpet cleaning and other stuff.

So first out, I needed to place some diamond white on the weld marks on the interior floor. This one is the driver's side but there were marks on the passenger side.

Image



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Make sure you move that sound deadening always hinden nasties under their
Daz-RSK
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by Daz-RSK »

Yes, thanks for this - it's not in too bad shape under the deadening actually. Better than I thought.
ESSEXV6ESSEX
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Re: Project Carla 820

Post by ESSEXV6ESSEX »

Hi Darren, first time that I have seen your thread and youtube video. The car looks great and it looks like you are doing a great job. Good story and great history, I know what you mean about the RGA kit but over the years I have warmed to these and think that they're kind of retro cool. A friends dad had a Red 2.0S with this kit and I hated it but now it looks cool but I do see both sides. Really like it in white. Good luck with the resto, I will keep on eye on your thread.
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