Ex Laser rolling project

Use this forum to post threads of ongoing Capri projects and restorations.
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Wickedbad
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Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:18 am
Car(s): Ford Capri 1.6 Laser (2.9 Cosworth) rolling project
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Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

Hi, new to the forum and back in a Capri after about 20 years, so going to use this thread to document work on my latest!

Had a 1.6 LS and then a 2.0 Laser before going through a succession of other retro cars, company cars, and finally a B7 RS4 Avant which was glorious but needed a remortgage every year just to keep it on the road!

So enter this little colour coded slice of the mid 80s, a 1.6 Laser despite the S side stripes.

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The inspection and test drive were great, but a 250 mile drive home either revealed some bits I’d missed, or shook loose some cobwebs and connections, because by 3am I’d pulled off the motorway near home to find the coolant gauge is, to put it politely, temperamental. The fuel gauge which had worked fine stopped working after I filled up, and topped out never to drop again. The blower doesn’t work. The brakes aren’t just bad, there’s what seems like a vac/servo issue.
But anyway, she’s scabby but essentially solid.

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She’s on coilover comversion front and single leaf rear, lowered about 1.5 inches. 2.8 wheels and what I think is an RGA spoiler which I didn’t notice when I bought it.

The interior is pretty poor but all there

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I hated the colour. The idea was to buy a scabby but solid base to immediately respray into my dream car but plans have changed and now - the colour and the scabs have really grown on me. No respray in the near future now!
Wickedbad
Posts: 22
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:18 am
Car(s): Ford Capri 1.6 Laser (2.9 Cosworth) rolling project
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

First change was a Mk2 grill and new wheels, needed 15s as I want bigger brakes in future, and I wanted 8” wide to get some dish!

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Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

Then a replica motorsport front spoiler, new wheel, and Recaro interior

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Wickedbad
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Car(s): Ford Capri 1.6 Laser (2.9 Cosworth) rolling project
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

It’s at this stage I should point out it is no longer a 1.6 Pinto

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Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

Then time to start fixing the actual issues. First up - dreaded blower.

Since this requires removing pretty much most of the interior I decided it’d be a good time to deal with the faded grey plastic.

I’d bought some really good beige Mk2 door cards ages ago so decided to dye the trim.

Purists look away. The idea is a sort of backdate, to give it a more ‘70s look (I actually wanted a mk2) so think… brown and beige and more brown.

Anyway, first up, remove almost everything, including half the carpet as I’m taking the opportunity to run new speaker wire.

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Wonder why it wasn’t working? :D

Hands down worst car job I’ve done. I mean, removing interior and dash isn’t hard, just time consuming, but that heater just would not come out! The pipe work is next to impossible to get to from the engine bay behind that Cosworth, and took ages and many knuckles.
Took me just as long to get it all in again. To the point where I just found myself wondering if I actually need a blower at all.
I persevered but I’ve lost days to that job!
Last edited by Wickedbad on Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wickedbad
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Car(s): Ford Capri 1.6 Laser (2.9 Cosworth) rolling project
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

In the meantime picked up an uncut dash, and a Capri Club centre console.

Plan is to mount a stereo in the centre console, freeing the original stereo hole to mount and charge my phone so I can use it as a sat-nav, getting round having to have a modern stereo with a big screen.

First I cut a template

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Then cut a piece of textured plastic to fit

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I used my Mous MagSafe mount and carefully cut the rear in order to move the charge wire round to the back so you don’t see it when mounted.

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It has a ball socket connection for an air vent - I simply removed the jaw piece and used the screw clamp on the rear of the panel to hold it on

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Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

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And while everything is out I’ve been running new wiring for a new stereo.

The wiring loom is in two parts due to the engine conversion, with the entire Capri loom on a battery cut off isolator which acts as an immobiliser. The engine loom and fuse box is connected to power separately in order to provide continuous power to the ECU but it’s impossible to start the car without the cutout switch key in place.

I’ve taken a feed from this engine fuse box to run a permanent live for the stereo, and run a new ignition feed for it from the Capri fuse box. I’ve run new speaker wires. I’m doing away with the clock so I’ve used its bulb wiring to provide a lighting signal feed to the stereo.

I’ve removed the cig lighter and replaced with a USB socket which will power the MagSafe charger, and the new stereo will also have USB in at the rear, keeping it all hidden.

I’ve also run switched live feeds into the rear to a second 2 gang USB charger for the kids’ tablets on long journeys.

I’ve cut the Mk2 door cards to mount new Alpine speakers, re-using the 2.8 speaker covers

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Current state as at today is:

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Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

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Next job is the centre console.

It’s a fantastic product but as with any aftermarket fibreglass plus 40 year old car with various plastic bits that have moved and settled, it needs a little work. In this case the top is slightly too wide and won’t allow the ashtray to open, and also the angle of the sides isn’t quite close enough to the bottom of the dash.
I cut the inner sides off and glued them further in

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Then roughly filled and tested

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Not a million miles away but needs a bit more work

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The centre console will house a coolant gauge. I’ll persevere and get the original one working - I suspect it’s simply the wrong sender in the thermostat - but even so, it’s wildly inaccurate and I’d prefer to run new everything and know exactly what’s going on! So I’ve taken a switched feed from the Capri fuse box and run wires for the sender through the bulkhead while access is easy. I’ve used the second now-redundant clock bulb wire to provide an illumination feed to tell it when the lights are on.

I should say I’ve been gathering parts for a long time, as knew what I wanted, so lots more to do!

The new stereo came with a DAB aerial, which is nice, so I fitted in the corner of the windscreen while everything is out. I realised after that the wires are long enough to mount it in rear window and I could have run the wires with the new speaker wire, thus making it less visible, but hey ho, it’s done now. :| also run a mic for the Bluetooth phone.

The wiring is all ready, the trim is all brown, and it’s ready to go back together once I’ve finished the centre console!
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Major_Tom
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Major_Tom »

Looking good! Looking forward to seeing more.. not sure about the stripe but each to his own my good man 👍
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

Haha cheers!

Yeah the kids have input on the stickers too. Being stickers we tend to change them frequently on our cars!

A setback today as the fan is now catching on something and ticking when it’s on. Not sure if I’ve pushed the fan too far down onto the new motor or it’s too far out, either way the whole lot has to come back out again. So it’s set me back and getting the interior back in!
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Major_Tom
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Major_Tom »

Wickedbad wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:41 am Haha cheers!

Yeah the kids have input on the stickers too. Being stickers we tend to change them frequently on our cars!
Ha, love it! Do you all sit down and sketch what you want to see on it, then do it on the real thing?
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
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Major_Tom
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Major_Tom »

What have you done with your old grille??
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

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Hahaha no, a little more haphazard than that. More like ‘now it needs stripes like this’

The grille went straight on eBay and sold, as did the rear lights and other bits. The stereo and dash panel are on at the mo, the wheels and new tyres are going on this weekend!
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Major_Tom
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Major_Tom »

Love it 8-)
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

It’s going back together.

Annoyed that I scratched the shit out of the centre console fitting it so I’ll have to touch it up. And it’s not as neat a fit as I wanted, but you know when you get to that stage when you’ve spent too long on it and you want to drive it again?

A job for another day. I can’t stretch to a new carpet right now, so maybe I’ll re-do the centre console when I get the seats retrimmed and get a new carpet.

Also the footwell side trims didn’t come out as dark as I wanted, so I’ll re-do those

The USB sockets in the back are for the kids :xd: I’ve fitted another twin USB charger inside the ashtray pull-down, which powers the magsafe mount where the original radio was, so I can use the phone as a sat nav screen and it’ll be charging. I can turn the charger off with a button inside the ashtray. The lightning cable goes to the back of the stereo for Apple CarPlay. I need to work out an invisible solution for when the wire isn’t in use.


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Major_Tom
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Major_Tom »

I do like this, good man for getting the kids into the old Fords too 8-)
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

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We’re back on the road for now.

Next at the end of August is a new gearbox (currently on a late type 9, going to a custom type 9 with stronger internals) new brake servo, rebuild steering rack (leaky and groaning) and some engine seal TLC (I’ve lost count how many leaks it has)!

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Major_Tom
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Major_Tom »

Excellent job there, top hole what what!
I'm the one who leaves all those shoes in the carriageway.
Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

Much obliged, Major!
Wickedbad
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Re: Ex Laser rolling project

Post by Wickedbad »

Just new leads today, from Formula Power.

https://www.formulapower.com/high-performance-leads/

Magnecor don't get great reviews sometimes, these do and much cheaper. Will report back!

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