My Memories are Ford Shaped!

                                        My memories are Ford shaped with a few exceptions!

This is a 1972 1.1L MK1 Escort. Driving is my sister this day in 1982 she passed her driving test, in my first car, (Trusting brother to lend his first car to his sister) I was only 17 years old and I had previously passed my driving test the same year.  It would have been awkward for me if I didn’t pass my test as I was employed as an apprentice car Mechanic! This car cost me £600 to buy an equivalent MK1 Escort now will fetch £10,000! wow how time passing effects used car prices.

Please excuse the picture quality these pictures are quite old now. This is a 1974 MKII Ford Capri 1.6GL. It was the second car I owned.  The vehicle had just come back from the body-shop (Paint shop for Americans) it had been bare metal re spayed and the bumpers had been removed and the mounting fixtures welded over to give that smooth effect that was popular at the time.  As my mechanical apprenticeship progressed so did my ability to tune cars.

For those of you that are mechanically inclined, the cylinder head was removed and gas flowed to stage 1 specs.  A high lift Camshaft was fitted and a twin choke 32/36 Webber Carburettor was fitted and jetted correctly.  The Capri had a standard 4-speed manual gearbox and was capable of 111mph not bad for a heavy car with only a 1.6LT engine. Being just 18 years old I unfortunately learned a valuable life lesson when I wrote the vehicle off in a nasty car accident.  I learned that speed and youth are a bad mix!  The vehicle cost £1,000 to buy in 1983 and similar model Capri’s are selling for £5,000 today without modifications. Oh for a time machine!

Once again please excuse the poor quality pictures.  The car is a 1971 Ford Capri MK1 1.6GT in Datona yellow. It was my late father’s pride and joy.  The occasion was my sisters wedding and I had volunteered to drive all day as a small wedding present, hence the suit.  My father was an engineer all his life and we shared a passion for sporty cars hence the endless supply of Ford Capri’s in my photograph collection.  My father owned this Capri for 8 years until finally the body work succumbed to rust which is the early Capri’s Nemesis!  I don’t recall how much my father paid for the Capri however this model is a rare example and would fetch well over £10,000 today.

Above is my 3rd car I owned and guess what its a Ford Capri! and 1975 MK II 2.0GL in Strato silver with a black vinyl roof.  When the picture was taken I had just purchased it from the 1st owner who was a lady school teacher the Capri had only covered 30,000 miles in 9 years.  The Capri was given the royal treatment as it deserved.  The Capri had a bare metal re spray in the latest silver Ford used.  A high lift Camshaft was fitted as well as a free-flow exhaust system with electronic ignition as per the new Ford Sierra.  The car was fast enough for me at the time and I had learned my lesson with speed (almost!).  I owned the Capri for 18 months and sold it on to a good owner as I was saving up to get engaged.  Cars remind me of special events in my life more than most people perhaps because of my trade.

In a moment of desperation I brought this 1978 Volkswagen Sirocco Storm. It was a pretty enough car and was quite fast around town but to me at the time there was no beating a Capri, I sold the VW after my Fiance learned to drive in the Sirocco. I owned it all of 2 months

A picture showing the sports interior of the last Capri I owned which was a 1983 2.8 Injection MK III Capri.

To me the 2.8I Capri was fast enough with a top speed of 129mph! All I did on this vehicle was to refurbish the alloy wheels due to a previous owner kerbing the Pepper-pot alloy wheels. I had the vehicle for 3 years and I covered approximately 30,000 mls in her.  I sold the vehicle due to having a company car for only £400 as I wanted a quick sale and the Capri market had really bottomed out by 1994.  An identical Capri to this one in every detail, which had been restored to concourse condition just sold for £14,000! where is that time machine of mine? my miserly £400 could be turned into £14,000 if I had stored the car for 16 years who is to know indeed?

Over the years I had owned 7 or more Capri’s I just do not have photographs of them all.  I have owned not just Capri’s. To be honest I can’t for the life of me remember all the different makes and models I am typical of motor mechanics world wide they are constantly changing their cars.  I hope you have enjoyed a trip down memory lane for a few minutes. I have been asked to write a book on the Ford Capri giving full technical specs and repair procedures.  I may do one day, I hope the book could be worth as much as the cars.

Lord Banks