How do I check 2.8 is factory original

[Bug]

Also, the engine bay photo is a bit small to see properly, but I cannot see a fuel filter.

And it also looks like the radiator cap is the wrong one? Should be a plain cap not a sprung-loaded pressure relief one, that goes on the de-gassing tank.
If it has been run like that there is a possibility it could have caused a coolant circulation issue.

[Bug]

The fuel pipes seem to be jumbled all over the place.

From memory the throttle cable should be clamped on one of the o/s strut top mount studs?

All niggly little things but added together make me think the car has not been looked after that well.

If it truly was only put back on the road last year then I suspect that is how it was presented post-restoration. What were they restoring it to?

I would be walking away tbh.

[pbar]

Also, the engine bay photo is a bit small to see properly, but I cannot see a fuel filter.

Here is a slightly bigger pic -

[Caprigear]

The rad cap could be a pattern one, they look like a pressure cap. It's definitely had wings replaced , no fuel filter but the one that is really obvious is the lack of suspension top plates.
Factory original - it's a long way from that.

[Oilburner]

BIG thanks to everyone for their help
I will give this one a wide berth
some excellent information
cheers

[pbar]

BIG thanks to everyone for their help
I will give this one a wide berth
some excellent information
cheers

Might be worth contacting the seller first though? May have some very legitimate answers, unless of course you are looking for a standard car which has had minimal work done, hard to find at this kind of price though.

[Bug]

The rad cap could be a pattern one, they look like a pressure cap.

I bow to your knowledge on that one Martin

[Mc Tool]

Bloody good thread . I have definitly learnt more about capris. Thanks to posters
As pbar says ,probly worth contacting seller as its not a bad looking motor and you may be able to lever the price down ( now that you have some good info to bolster your case ). Maybe its not original ,or its been altered , but I think a bit of that can be overlooked as long as you know about it before and as long as its still good for the job . Might get a bargain

[Mr B]

BIG thanks to everyone for their help
I will give this one a wide berth
some excellent information
cheers

Might be worth contacting the seller first though? May have some very legitimate answers, unless of course you are looking for a standard car which has had minimal work done, hard to find at this kind of price though.

Sometimes the seller isn't even aware that the car they are selling has been converted from a four cylinder car, had this a couple of times when I've gone to look at Capri's for sale, it's can't be a nice feeling when it appears to be a genuine seller and you tell them that their car isn't original, I've often made other excuses and walked away rather than give them the bad news.

Mr B

[Not_Anumber]

As others have said only the 2.8 i and the automatic had the battery on that side. Its probably a genuine 2.8 i but then its not beyond the bounds of possibility some clever soul may have dropped a V6 into a 4 cylinder automatic shell and dressed it up. Certainly a few years ago when Capri values were languishing no one would have ever bothered to go to that trouble, they would just drop in a V6 crossmember, engine, gearbox, prop, fuel tank (and optionally rear diff) into any reasonable 4 cylinder shell and drive it. Its only in later years when values have skyrocketed anyone would want to go to the bother of carrying out detailed works to try to pass off a converted car as a genuine V6.
The VIN numbers should help you.

It is a very good price though so if it is a genuine factory 2.8i and the car is safe, solid and otherwise desirable and just looks to have had one of the inner wings replaced with one from a 4 cylinder car it could still be worth buying. Capris are of such an age now that even some quite good bodyshops may not have realised about the reinforcement sections though done an otherwise perfectly good job of restoring the car. You could always correct these at some point which will improve the value.

[Bug]

It is not really possible to tell from the photos but the lack of a fuel filter would concern me, unless there's one hiding somewhere?
For starters, to bypass it is fiddly as I'm sure i remember the two banjo couplings being different sizes, so why would anyone go to the trouble?
But more importantly, without one, I would be concerned how much debris is in the injection system. Knowing how badly the 2.8i would run with a blocked filter, there is obviously a lot of crap that get's picked up, and if it isn't being stopped.........................

I would also suggest a rummage around under the back, just to see if it has a genuine 2.8i fuel tank, accumulator etc.

[Andrew 2.8i]

It is not really possible to tell from the photos but the lack of a fuel filter would concern me, unless there's one hiding somewhere?
For starters, to bypass it is fiddly as I'm sure i remember the two banjo couplings being different sizes, so why would anyone go to the trouble?

I totally agree about the absence of the fuel filter.
However, to bypass it would be quite an easy procedure. There's a join on the fuel pipe under the n/s front chassis rail. Simply run the original fuel line from there to the inlet on the metering head, bypassing the filter. I suspect that part of the fuel system had been removed for the welding repairs to the strut tops/inner wing and the reassembly had been undertaken by somebody who had no specific Capri 2.8 knowledge or experience. That would also explain the mess of the pipes connected to the metering head, if that had also been removed for the repairs.

My view is that the seller is probably aware of the car's shortcomings as it is advertised at a price that is just over the market value for a car in fair condition, according to Hagerty. For a runaround resto car, it might appeal to somebody. However, as the OP appears concerned with having a factory original car, I would run a mile from this one.

Andrew.

[Mr B]

There's another 2.8i (for restoration) on eBay at the moment that doesn't appear to have the top strut plates either.

Wayne

[D366Y]

This one cropped up over the weekend

viewtopic.php?f=15&p=380710#p380710

[rumone]

To all the people who insisted on having their opinion on this car here goes!
The 2.8 was mine! The car was restored many years ago! It did have new wings inner and outer! Strenghing plates were not add weather not available at the time or lack of knowledge at the time!( remember capris were buttons over 10+ yyears ago)
As for the fuel filter and all pipes and cables be all wrong it was converted to a janspeed turbo set up! Fuel filter was moved next to the petrol tank to allow for the turbo which on top of the exhaust manifold!Cables had to be moved!fuel pipes needed tidying up but mat what the sit on was removed when being painted!
And as for the
rad cap ! F@$k me as no one ever had a replacement cap!
Shame nobody on here asked the owner direct about the above problems
The car was not stupid money and had leeway on the price!just needed a bit of tlc which was reflected in the price i may had!
The car is a good solid motor with a few things not original as standard!
Compared to some of the overpriced shite out there this was a nice motor!
Understand people need to be sure of what they are buying but some of the comments are dam right rude!
shame i didnt see this post about the car before as i could of put people straigh about it and maybe with what was said here i lost maybe a possibly sale!but no worrys because the person who bought it did all the checks i even allowed him to take it to a garage to check it over top and bottom and is very happy with it!i had nothing to hide with motor but this car was made out to sound a right dog!
been a capri owner on and off for many years but the snobbery is slowly killing my enjoyment of classic cars not just on here but on other sites!
RANT OVER!

[340truck]

To all the people who insisted on having their opinion on this car here goes!
The 2.8 was mine! The car was restored many years ago! It did have new wings inner and outer! Strenghing plates were not add weather not available at the time or lack of knowledge at the time!( remember capris were buttons over 10+ yyears ago)
As for the fuel filter and all pipes and cables be all wrong it was converted to a janspeed turbo set up! Fuel filter was moved next to the petrol tank to allow for the turbo which on top of the exhaust manifold!Cables had to be moved!fuel pipes needed tidying up but mat what the sit on was removed when being painted!
And as for the
rad cap ! F@$k me as no one ever had a replacement cap!
Shame nobody on here asked the owner direct about the above problems
The car was not stupid money and had leeway on the price!just needed a bit of tlc which was reflected in the price i may had!
The car is a good solid motor with a few things not original as standard!
Compared to some of the overpriced shite out there this was a nice motor!
Understand people need to be sure of what they are buying but some of the comments are dam right rude!
shame i didnt see this post about the car before as i could of put people straigh about it and maybe with what was said here i lost maybe a possibly sale!but no worrys because the person who bought it did all the checks i even allowed him to take it to a garage to check it over top and bottom and is very happy with it!i had nothing to hide with motor but this car was made out to sound a right dog!
been a capri owner on and off for many years but the snobbery is slowly killing my enjoyment of classic cars not just on here but on other sites!
RANT OVER!

The original post asked if the car was factory original. It clearly is not...and the knowledgeable people on here pointed that out to the poster. I can find no rude posts, in fact many compliment the car as being worth buying if the price is right. I've been on this forum many many years......there's no snobbery on here. Occasional muppetry but no snobbery. You've sold your car, made your deal and must be satisfied with what you got for it - why attempt to stir up trouble where none needs to exist?

[Jasonmarie]

I think us pinto boys are a little more upper class ok I am using the cat at the moment to wipe my behind but somebody should have told the buyer that’s it’s not got a pinto engine what was mention in a book last year as the “ Best Engine in the world “

[Andrew 2.8i]

I'm pleased that you have sold your car, and I'm sure that the new owner is very happy with it.

maybe with what was said here i lost maybe a possibly sale!

I don't believe that to be the case as the original poster specifically stated "if I pay for a 2.8 I want a 2.8 as it came out of the factory". I think you'd be the first to admit that your car, as presented, would not be suitable for their requirements
Your car was fairly priced for what it is, as was mentioned in some of the posts, and an ideal car for somebody who wanted a 2.8 Capri but didn't want to spend lots of money on a car in immaculate condition.

Andrew.

Edit: 340truck beat me to it!

[Mr B]

To all the people who insisted on having their opinion on this car here goes!
The 2.8 was mine! The car was restored many years ago! It did have new wings inner and outer! Strenghing plates were not add weather not available at the time or lack of knowledge at the time!( remember capris were buttons over 10+ yyears ago)
As for the fuel filter and all pipes and cables be all wrong it was converted to a janspeed turbo set up! Fuel filter was moved next to the petrol tank to allow for the turbo which on top of the exhaust manifold!Cables had to be moved!fuel pipes needed tidying up but mat what the sit on was removed when being painted!
And as for the
rad cap ! F@$k me as no one ever had a replacement cap!
Shame nobody on here asked the owner direct about the above problems
The car was not stupid money and had leeway on the price!just needed a bit of tlc which was reflected in the price i may had!
The car is a good solid motor with a few things not original as standard!
Compared to some of the overpriced shite out there this was a nice motor!
Understand people need to be sure of what they are buying but some of the comments are dam right rude!
shame i didnt see this post about the car before as i could of put people straigh about it and maybe with what was said here i lost maybe a possibly sale!but no worrys because the person who bought it did all the checks i even allowed him to take it to a garage to check it over top and bottom and is very happy with it!i had nothing to hide with motor but this car was made out to sound a right dog!
been a capri owner on and off for many years but the snobbery is slowly killing my enjoyment of classic cars not just on here but on other sites!
RANT OVER!

The original post asked if the car was factory original. It clearly is not...and the knowledgeable people on here pointed that out to the poster. I can find no rude posts, in fact many compliment the car as being worth buying if the price is right. I've been on this forum many many years......there's no snobbery on here. Occasional muppetry but no snobbery. You've sold your car, made your deal and must be satisfied with what you got for it - why attempt to stir up trouble where none needs to exist?

[pbar]

To all the people who insisted on having their opinion on this car here goes!

Thanks for clearing up the points raised, always nice to get some answers and a conclusion. I'm pleased that you sold it and that the buyer is contented and happy with his new car. Kudos for letting a prospective buyer take the car for checks at a garage, that's a rarity. Sounds like a good result all round