Capri GTT... V10, 550bhp
Discussion
Megaflow said:
andygtt said:
Ironically the standard mk3 2.0s with full tank and driver has exactly 50:50 weight distribution apparently... The handling reputation was down to ford not making any attempt to locate the rear axle, easily sorted :-)
Don't worry, this Capri will handle and stop as well as it goes ;-)
Axle location is shocking on live axle Fords, winds up very easily.Don't worry, this Capri will handle and stop as well as it goes ;-)
Are you sticking with the live axle or going for independent?
Will still be a hell of a handful!
Good luck, watching with interest!
I did some googling and found this (PDF warning) about converting an Escort from its standard Hotchkiss setup to 4-link with a Watts linkage to sort out axle location. You have got some interesting maths ahead which I'm sort of jealous of (it's what I'd be wanting to do on a similar project rather than just eyeballing). There are some diagrams at the end that might be useful, though might need beefing up for the weight of the Capri and the power...
Would it not be possible to "Frankenstein" the Capri body over the BMW running gear, i.e. cut the body off the BMW and the floor out of the Capri and mate the two together, obviously would need to take some length out of the wheelbase but that would avoid the suspension question and it should be wide enough with the X pack body ?
All the best OP, it is an audacious project 
The first thing which came to mind was to get the V10 on carbs to at least vaguely remain inkeeping with the original Capri.
Second thing and a question for you about the points system. You have to keep the rear axle setup original to get enough points to pass the tests and get it registered, but are there rules about what you do to it later on? Are these points checked at each MOT? Could you do the engine only, get it through the tests and registered, THEN carry on modifying e.g. fit a BMW rear end etc.?
The first thing which came to mind was to get the V10 on carbs to at least vaguely remain inkeeping with the original Capri.
Second thing and a question for you about the points system. You have to keep the rear axle setup original to get enough points to pass the tests and get it registered, but are there rules about what you do to it later on? Are these points checked at each MOT? Could you do the engine only, get it through the tests and registered, THEN carry on modifying e.g. fit a BMW rear end etc.?
The way I read the rules are that if you have enough points and the Capri has a log book then it does not need an IVA. If you are only changing the engine and box then you have enough points. Its all about using a bit of common sense - you could say an uprated atlas axle is a mod or change to billy front struts is not standard fitment or even a different steering wheel could loose you some points as it makes the steering none standard. But if that were the case all modified cars would require an IVA. If it still looks like a Capri and is not space framed or a shell over a more modern vehicle I would not worry. Unless someone knows different - please comment.
Thing in theory at any time VOSA could call the car to be inspected... so even if I do the changes piece meal and as such slip them under the net an MoT could put in the wrong thing and send warning signs to DVLA and trigger an inspection.
In practical terms that is rare and loads of cars get away with cut and shuts i.e. cutting the body off one car and grafting it on the chassis and running gear of another.... this is not what I want.
I want it 100% legit and legal, i will get engineers inspections etc and present it to VOSA if required.
Upgrading parts on the car made for the car are ok... I toyed with the idea of going independent suspension at the rear, however it puts me technically too close to being marginal on genuinely retaining the cars identity.
And it is possible to get the live axle working very effectively... ok it won't handle like the noble, but it defiantly will handle
In practical terms that is rare and loads of cars get away with cut and shuts i.e. cutting the body off one car and grafting it on the chassis and running gear of another.... this is not what I want.
I want it 100% legit and legal, i will get engineers inspections etc and present it to VOSA if required.
Upgrading parts on the car made for the car are ok... I toyed with the idea of going independent suspension at the rear, however it puts me technically too close to being marginal on genuinely retaining the cars identity.
And it is possible to get the live axle working very effectively... ok it won't handle like the noble, but it defiantly will handle
andygtt said:
Think in theory at any time VOSA could call the car to be inspected... so even if I do the changes piecemeal and as such slip them under the net an MoT could put in the wrong thing and send warning signs to DVLA and trigger an inspection.
In practical terms that is rare and loads of cars get away with cut and shuts i.e. cutting the body off one car and grafting it on the chassis and running gear of another.... this is not what I want.
I want it 100% legit and legal. I will get engineer's inspections etc and present it to VOSA if required.
Upgrading parts on the car made for the car are OK... I toyed with the idea of going independent suspension at the rear, however it puts me technically too close to being marginal on genuinely retaining the cars identity.
And it is possible to get the live axle working very effectively... OK it won't handle like the Noble, but it defiantly will handle
You referred to the Capri's poor rear axle location, which, I assume, means that you intend to "5-link" it. The problem you may have is that the boxes required to locate the forward ends of the links could constitute major modifications to the monocoque that would trigger an IVA.In practical terms that is rare and loads of cars get away with cut and shuts i.e. cutting the body off one car and grafting it on the chassis and running gear of another.... this is not what I want.
I want it 100% legit and legal. I will get engineer's inspections etc and present it to VOSA if required.
Upgrading parts on the car made for the car are OK... I toyed with the idea of going independent suspension at the rear, however it puts me technically too close to being marginal on genuinely retaining the cars identity.
And it is possible to get the live axle working very effectively... OK it won't handle like the Noble, but it defiantly will handle
The same would apply to any bulkhead/tunnel modification required to fit the V10 and its gearbox.
Major modifications in their eyes are things like cutting the front chassis away and replacing with new...but technically it is a bit of a grey area for sure which is why I must get an independent engineers report at the end of it and declare it all up front.
Fortunately what I plan to do will not remove any of the chassis, just strengthen and add to it and these modifications have been accepted on thousands of similar era cars including road legal race/rally cars etc... so the car does genuinely retain its capri roots just updated to make it more safe.
Fortunately what I plan to do will not remove any of the chassis, just strengthen and add to it and these modifications have been accepted on thousands of similar era cars including road legal race/rally cars etc... so the car does genuinely retain its capri roots just updated to make it more safe.
turbospud said:
the normal watts rally thing fixes the roll center too high,you want to be able to even them out,off axle watts can help there though
Why is this the "standard" setup for rally when it lowers rear traction? Surely it'd be better to have a lower roll centre for the gravelly slippery messes that rally cars tend to be on? (Is this why rally prepped Escorts seem so lively?)Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff