Friday 2nd February 2007

SOTW:Ford Capri laser fastback

1987 Ford Capri 1.6 Laser 3dr Fastback

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1987 Ford Capri 1.6

When it comes to cars, everyone wants a bargain. And with cars getting more reliable, more durable and more rot-free than ever they have been, paying pocket money for an older machine need not be a total restoration job.

In other words, old cars have never been such a good buy -- you get a lot of car for your money, and £1,000 is still throwaway money when it comes to cars.

So in the spirit of aiming for fun, low-cost motoring, here's our regular weekly slot following a trawl of Auto Trader's depths to find a drive-away bargain.

We loved this one: drop a Rover V8 in it and go...

1987 Ford Capri 1.6 Laser 3dr Fastback. Manual, 84,000 miles, White with dark cream strip recent full service including cambelt and exhaust tax and mot till may07 drives like new still has the original Ford radio with electric aerial very very good condition has to be seen to be appreciated only 2 previous owners has some service history and original ford folder with radio hand books etc. Genuine reason for sale, first to see will buy. £995 ovno.

[kieran2006]

Very retro cool. The V8's a good idea, maybe the small block Ford though! The wheezing carb 1.6 has got to be a bit gutless unless these are relatively light?

[215cu]

Heard a few stories of a Rover V8 and Sherpa gearbox in a Capri, very successful marriage I think. Has to be worth a punt at £1000.

It would need a good going over for tinworm and it would need a respray for my tastes.

[o.versteer]

215cu said:

would need a respray for my tastes.

Not for mine - that beige over white looks ace!

[trickywoo]

I'd have a Chevy big-block in that pronto....

[pasthim]

This is better 'Sports' shed of the week instead of 'Barge' of the week.

Anywhere else and beige over white would be horrendous but it looks good here.

[mark seeker]

The beige go-faster stripe is awful

I think for £1,000 you could find a 3 litre Capri, which would give far more smiles per £££

[racingsnake]

That's a very odd paint job.
I wonder what lies beneath that horrible stripe - some damage for sure.
The 1.6 Capri is a wheezing bag o' shite with spindly running gear.
To transplant anything into it would require the brakes,axle,struts ect all replacing.
Better to buy a three litre or 2.8i and start there, not much dearer if you scout em out of Autotrader or Ebay.
If you do it though I have seen a rapid Rover V8 engined one.
The aluminium rover engines actually lighter than the iron ford V6 so a V6 capri's running gear is a good starting place.
Forget the 1.6 Pinto it's best used as an anchor lol.

[irs]

beige and car's don't go together. Wrong wrong wrong wrong.

Did alway's fancy a capri as a youngster though, especially when the professional had them...!!

But for the love of god, stand away from the beige spray cans.

[ingrowtn]

For that money you can get a 2.8i

Why have go the expense of fitting a V8

[dougieboard]

A big Zetec switch is nut and bolt work, and the right bits can be had for pennies - quicker, more economical and it'll look factory. Beigeness not so easy to improve...

[vladd]

Years ago I split up with my girlfriend and I said that she could have our car. My Dad phoned and said that his mate ran a garage and that he had a car for sale and would buy it for me , good man. I didn't ask what it was, but he turned up in a gold 1.6 Capri L with a brown vinyl roof. The abuse I got when I turned up to work in it the following week was to be expected, but I was just glad to have a car. It did have one great feature though, under full acceleration the passenger seat use to collapse backwards. Always entertaining for the passenger.

[twincam16]

Am I the only one who fancies a Zakspeed-style conversion?

Based on the 1600, with a German Ford 1.4 block, turbocharged to F1 levels and every body panel that can be lightened replaced.

Not to mention the huge wings, arches, exhusts and flames

[ewenm]

Capris have never appealed to me for some reason.

Not where my £1000 would go.

[bri_the_fly]

My Mum had the old Capri, then bought a friends newer one, I had the old one and used to get all wheels off the ground going over a little bridge on the way home. Great fun! Capri's are proper cars, front wheels do the steering and rear does the pulling, handbrake 180's a piece of cake. Years later I got one like this 1.6 but a sensible red colour! Did 110 down the motorway no worries. Capri's ARE classics, looks sporty but you can get the garden shed flatpack in the back easily!
My car had so many parking tickets, eventually the bailiffs took it away, I went to my local plod shop to report it stolen, got a cheque double what I paid for it from the insurance. :-)) Would have preferred to keep it tho!

Need some new leaf springs on the rear here..(heat the nuts up first or they'll shear the bolts!)and are you sure that beige is not wood-grained sticky back plastic?

Edited by bri_the_fly on Friday 2nd February 13:31

[wadgebeast]

1.6 engine barely adequate. 0-60 in about 12 1/2 secs, flat out about 105mph. I had one for a bit (had a 2 litre too).

Still good fun for a first classic if you're under 25. They don't handle half as bad as the press would have it either....

[900T-R]

wadgebeast said:

1.6 engine barely adequate. 0-60 in about 12 1/2 secs, flat out about 105mph. I had one for a bit (had a 2 litre too).

More like 14.5 and 98 mph... The 1.6l Cortinas and Capris were on the slow side even in their day. Not as bad as the 1.3 versions though that took 20+ for the 0-62 dash...

[Lord-Flasheart]

Still better looking than alot (if not most) of the new cars being produced today. Not sure about that horrid stripe though....

[convert]

vladd said:

Years ago I split up with my girlfriend and I said that she could have our car. My Dad phoned and said that his mate ran a garage and that he had a car for sale and would buy it for me , good man. I didn't ask what it was, but he turned up in a gold 1.6 Capri L with a brown vinyl roof. The abuse I got when I turned up to work in it the following week was to be expected, but I was just glad to have a car. It did have one great feature though, under full acceleration the passenger seat use to collapse backwards. Always entertaining for the passenger.

I had a Gold Capri 2.0s with the ole' brown vinyl roof, on a V plate as I remember. Tals out fun whenever you wanted, but crap in cross winds. I think a grand is steep for the shed though.

[900T-R]

"Drop a Rover V8 in it and go..."

Um, given that all the running gear is boggo 1.6, by the times you've upgraded drivetrain, suspension and brakes to suit you'd as well have bought a Chimaera...

[oppressed mass]

twincam16 said:

Am I the only one who fancies a Zakspeed-style conversion?

..

Probably