• January 2009 - Capri Mk1 Buyers Guide in Classic Ford February 2009 issue
  It's amazing how far a couple of photoshoots will go!  The Club's southwest based owner, Doug, has his maize yellow car featured yet again in a national magazine.  This time it's the February 2009 issue of Classic Ford and is for a Buyers Guide feature.  He knew nothing about it and was amazed when he was told to check out the magazine.  There are some nice photos if you want to check it out for yourself - towards the back of the magazine.
   
• January 2009 - Another Club member heavily featured in TWO national magazines
  Happy New Year to Club members and readers everywhere.
  Apologies for not much changing here at the website in recent weeks.  Despite it being the "closed" season as far as shows are concerned, it's nevertheless a fairly hectic time for our Club with planning in preparation for the 40th celebrations.
  That said, we can report that our members - or one in particular - are yet again featuring in national magazines.  This time not just one but two.  Simon, who owns a sebring red 1600XL facelift, has a six page spread in the February 2009 issue of Retro Ford (on the shelves now) and also an extensive article on his diecast models in the February 2009 edition of Model Collector - again already on the newsagents shelves.  Our next quarterly Club magazine has a memorabilia article from Simon so you'll be able to feast yourselves on childhood nostalgia.
  Incidentally, there's also a nice piece on the Surrey Capri Club's Ace Cafe event in Retro Ford, so it must be worth capri fans buying.
             
   
• December 2008 - A new television documentary to watch out for
  Some Club members may recall, earlier this year, a plea from a TV production company, based in Bristol, who were planning to produce a documentary style programme recounting people's association with and memories of the Ford car brand.  Several members volunteered there childhood stories of old family Fords.  Regrettably though none were taken up.  However, out of the blue a few weeks ago one of our Club members was contacted to provide a car for filming.  He got to do all the driving whilst they spent well over an hour filming from various outside vantage points and even sitting next to him in the car.  As well as the Capri, six other classic Fords were filmed on the day.  The programme is scheduled to air on BBC4 around 20th January next year.
  It'll be interesting to see how much footage makes it to the screen but fingers crossed that the Capri gets a fair share of the limelight in its 40th anniversary year.  Members of the Capri Mk1 Owners' Club will be able to read the behind the scenes story of the filming in February's edition of "Colt" the club's magazine.
   
• November 2008 - Member's Cars in Retro Ford magazine
  Hot in the wheel tracks of southwest based Club member Doug, it's now the turn of northwest based Glyn to have a couple of his cars featured in a national magazine.  This time the publication in question is Retro Ford and the December 2008 dated issue.  The cars featured are both Turbo Broadspeed Bullits and most prominently, Glyn's "new" left hand drive example.  Club members will know from the new edition of Colt that Glyn is something of an expert on Broadspeeds.  The illustrations below are just to whet your appetite, I suggest you buy a copy as the pictures are well worth having and the article is interesting too.
       
   
• November 2008 - Club magazine launched
  Having launched the Owners' Club back in March with the promise of a Club magazine, we're very pleased to be able to announce the launch of that magazine - with a copy winging its way to current club members right now.
  Entitled Colt - the code name for the Capri at its conception - the first full colour 20 page edition includes the story of a member's car that has been 14 years in restoration; the story of a car photoshoot for one of the national magazines; a brief history and background of Broadspeed; a useful guide to some common service parts and the manufacturers code numbers; and much more.  The magazine will be published quarterly and will be included in a new revised annual membership fee of £15.
  
   
• October 2008 - Member's Cars in Classic Ford magazine
  Doug from the southwest has had his cars featured for a second time within weeks in a national magazine.  This time it's the November 2008 issue of Classic Ford.  The photoshoot and article tells of his son Tim's enthusiasm for the marque and how, inspired by Tim, Doug ended up buying a car for himself.  Since the article was researched in April, Tim has moved on to a more practical vehicle for his needs and so Doug has a Mk1 surplus to requirements.  If you're interested you'll find details in the "For Sale & Wanted" section.  The magazine is on newsagents shelves now.
  
   
• October 2008 - Restoration Project - Part Twenty
  The car is very near completion now.  Those beautifully restored wheels have been kitted out with some new 185x70x13 rubber of the correct speed rating and a brand new stainless steel exhaust system has been sourced and fitted.  With all the work performed on the car it is, of course, important to check and adjust the tracking.  Just a few minor trim parts need to be fitted for the car to be "complete".
                               
                    ................. Part Twenty One to follow.
   
• October 2008 - Member's Car in national magazine
  The first of three appearances by members' cars in national magazines hit the shelves last week.  Classic Car Mart's November 2008 issue features a comprehensive Buyers Guide to the Ford Capri Mk1 and features the car prominently on the cover.  Southwest based Club Member, Doug, provided the car for the photographs with the Club helping out on the editorial featured.  Check it out at your newsagents.
  
   
• October 2008 - Restoration Project - Part Nineteen
  As promised, this set of pictures show you the restoration of the rare slotted rostyles that this particular 3000E was fitted with.  In many ways, nice wheels can make or break the look of a car so here we show you, picture by picture, exactly how the wheels are brought back to "as new" condition.  These wheels weren't in a bad state to start with but often wheels are, in which case a visit to the grit blaster is well worthwhile.  The key is to work out the order in which to re-apply the paint and to mask well.  The blue tape is a special type which, when applied correctly, will give you a really sharp edge between the black and the silver.  There's not too much to do now for the car to be complete but - as you have witnessed through this restoration story - it has taken longer than originally planned.
                                     
                                     
            .......watch out for Part Twenty
   
• September 2008 - Restoration Project - Part Eighteen
  Just a brief update this time.  The lip of the boot is smothered in grease to allow the easy fitment  - and weather protection - of a brand new trim strip along with the hockey sticks.  Up next will be sorting those wheels out.
                 ..... Part Nineteen soon
   
• September 2008 - Left hand drive Broadspeed Turbo Bullit makes its UK show debut
  The All Ford Show at Blackpool on Sunday 14th saw the show debut of a very rare Mk1 model.  The pictures below show the beautiful left hand drive Broadspeed Turbo Bullit - the only survivor of two converted for export to Spain back in 1973 - now back in the UK, restored by a Club member.
       
   
• September 2008 - Restoration Project - Part Seventeen
  It's been a while since we looked at Michael's 3000E restoration project car.  Well the good news is that it's progressing.  As you can see from these pictures, the interior of the car is now virtually finished.  Not sure about those wheels though?
                               
            .....look out for Part Eighteen
   
• September 2008 - Capri Mk1 Owners' Day at Mountnessing, Essex (Sunday 7th September)
  Giles Ford-Crush's biennial get together for Mk1 owners was yet another potentially superb event ruined by the threat of bad weather.  As he has a knack of doing, Giles found a location well placed for many southern based Mk1 owners with a superb setting on the village green at Mountnessing, just five minutes up the A12 from the M25 junction 28.  With the back drop of a working windmill and three or four pubs within a ten minute walk, all that was needed was for the British summer to relent and dish up a sunny dry day.  In the end Sunday in this part of Essex did turn out dry and in the afternoon the sun managed to show its face however, heavy overnight rain and a threatening sky in the morning persuaded all but the very hardy - or very foolish! - to venture out.  Nonetheless ten fine examples were on display and, as always seems to happen at such events, one really special example created great interest.  A Broadspeed Bullit, unseen by most for a long time, made its show bow.  Thanks to Giles for staging the event and lets hope he'll put another show on here soon.  Finally, my apologies to Andy and James.  You arrived after I had put my stills camera away!
                               
                         
   
• September 2008 - Ace Cafe Capri Meet (Saturday 6th September)
  Despite the appalling British summer, the second Ace Cafe Capri Show organised by Kevin Blows and the Surrey Capri Club once again attracted an array of spectacular examples of all marques of our favourite Ford.  Thanks to Gary for the Mk1 pictures below.
  Kevin and the Surrey boys have got a great day in the planning for 2009 at Brooklands to celebrate the Capri's 40th birthday - more news on that soon.
                         
                         
   
• September 2008 - A European Photo Treat
  Back in August one of the Club's members visited the Rosenheim Capri Meeting at Ubersee in southern Germany.  The first gallery of the Mk1 Capri pictures he took are located in the Germany 2008 gallery in the Picture Galleries area.  Alternatively click here to get straight to them.
   
• August 2008 - Hampshire Pageant of Motoring, Romsey, Hants. (Sunday 24th August)
  With the Southwest region's outing to Fairford cancelled the previous week due to the wet conditions, it was a determined crew who set out for Romsey.  Kevin, who organised the Club stand, had a nightmare journey.  Rain, local road flooding and then car problems caused him to arrive over an hour later than fellow Club members.
  The day started off overcast and damp.  The Show filled up quickly with other cars and clubs.  There was a lot going on during the day including a Stunt rider jumping over a lorry with his motor bike and quad bike and doing other tricks.  There was also a team of children doing a display on motorcross bikes.  For aviation enthusiasts, there was even a fly past by three World War Two planes from the Battle of Britain Memorial flight.
  
             
   
• August 2008 - Knebworth Classic Car Show, Knebworth, Herts. (Sunday 24th August)
  The last Southeast Club stand of the outdoor season saw the weather in one day encapsulate the entire summer.  We travelled in a torrential downpour, arrived in light drizzle, got soaked during the morning setting up and walking across the grass field to the autojumble and then slowly dried out to enjoy a glorious English summer afternoon.  Once again the Herts Branch of the CCI joined us to ensure a display of the entire range of Capris for the paying public.  We had six Mk1s on display and a scout around the private exhibitors discovered a further four.
  
  Another reminder - particularly those of you based in the southeast - of the Capri Mk1 Owners Day at Mountnessing on Sunday 7th September.  An independently organised event, it's a must for the Mk1 enthusiast.  Details can be found at www.fordcapri.co.uk
  
                               
   
• August 2008 - Classic Ford Day at Battlesbridge, Essex. (Sunday 17th August)
  Once again, in this weather spoilt British summer, heavy rain threatened to ruin one of the souths best Ford shows.  However, despite heavy overnight and early morning rain in the area, the show went ahead and, apart from a little drizzle early on, the day blossomed into brilliant sunshine.  As usual the Essex and surrounding blue oval enthusiasts brought their finest out in large numbers - not least Mk1 Capris.  No fewer than thirteen were on display.
  A little reminder to you all that Sunday 7th September sees another of Giles Ford-Crush's Mk1 days - this time at Mountnessing in Essex.  Last time no fewer than 28 (or was it 29) Mk1s were in attendance.  If you'd like more details pop over to Giles' excellent website at www.fordcapri.co.uk
  
                                     
                                     
   
• August 2008 - Restoration Project - Part Sixteen
  Time for those all important lights and brightwork parts to be added. New headlight and indicator units are being fitted to the front and rear.  The fog and spot lights along with their associated brackets have to be removed from the front grill and will be restored before being refitted.  Brand new old stock bumpers are being fitted both front and rear.  New chromes are being fitted to the headlight surrounds.
                                     
  Part Seventeen to come........
   
• August 2008 - Woburn Classic Vehicle Rally, Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire (Sunday 10th August)
  The club's southeast based members turned out to the very picturesque - if somewhat windswept - Woburn Abbey Park for the 17th staging of this enthusiasts run Classic Vehicle Rally.  Unfortunately, although Sunday remained dry and even sunny at times, Saturday had not been and so one had to tread very carefully through the park land which is also home to a large deer herd!  Once again the organisers were well supported by the local classic car, truck, bus, tractor and bike fraternity.  An new introduction this year was the feature club stand. This celebrated a milestone in the history of the Model T Ford.  The Event Organisers have kindly invited us to provide the feature stand next year to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Capri.
             
   
• August 2008 - Wroughton Classic Car Show, Wroughton, Wilts (Saturday & Sunday 2nd & 3rd August)
  Despite the rather changeable weather around the country, Wroughton managed to serve up two relatively dry if not particularly sunny days for its Classic Car Show.  The club stand featured an RS3100, a low mileage one owner 3000GXL, a 3000E, 1600GT XLR, 1600XL and a 1300XL.  Something to whet the appetite of every visitor and that they did, attracting many admirers.  Indeed the maize yellow 1600GT XLR is for sale and on its own had several visitors studying their piggy banks carefully to see if they could afford this fine example of the top spec. pre-facelift 1600.
                                     
   
• August 2008 - Classic Car Racing at Castle Combe (Saturday 2nd August)
  Saturday 2nd August and a great day of racing at Castle Combe.  Could not have gone any better as after a very wet practice the Capri was struggling to get the power down compared to a couple of very quick Escorts.  By race time (20mins before the start!) it dried up and the team (Swindon Racing Engines) put the car on slicks.  With perfect conditions, Dan Cox went out for the first stint and by driver change was 2 laps in front.  Vince (Woodman) took over just needing to bring the car home which he did with one lap 3 seconds to spare.  As you can see from the pictures there were some fantastic cars on the grid for this race including a very well prepared Camero and a BMW Bat Mobile.
                   
   
• July 2008 - Restoration Project - Part Fifteen
  Inevitably the summer months - with other distractions - have slowed the rebuild down.  It's also far more time consuming cleaning and refreshing all those trim pieces to put back on the car compared to removing them.  Most of the dashboard is now re-installed and on the exterior the clips are in place for the side trims.  The dummy vents are on now too.
                          Part Sixteen to follow.....
   
• July 2008 - Barleylands, Billericay Show (Sunday 13th July)
  After four weeks without a "club" show and following a decidedly dodgy week of British summer weather, how great it was to get out and about again at the Barleylands complex on the edge of Billericay in Essex.  We can't claim to have had brilliant sunshine all day but we did have some and more importantly it stayed dry all day.  What a turnout for the club too.  I had, as little as a week before, only expected to see three Capris - along with Simon's Mk3 Cortina.  In the event, we had to fit in seven Mk1s plus the Tina. The display certainly attracted a lot of attention from the Essex public - not surprising I guess since we were only a few miles from Ford's Dunton Centre.  It made for an interesting period comparison with the Mk3 Cortina alongside the Mk1 Capris - and Simon certainly has a superb example. Shame he doesn't like it being compared to the "Life on Mars" car - purists will realise the differences.  Gene Hunt was nowhere to be seen otherwise we could put him right too!
                         
   
• June 2008 - Restoration Project - Part Fourteen
  The time has finally come to reinstall the engine and gear box.  This is a difficult job with the weight of the combined lump, the manoeuvring needed and the obvious desire not the mark that beautiful new engine bay paintwork.  To achieve the latter large quantities of old bedding were spread out around the entire engine bay.  All went well and the next task was to renovate the radiator and the infill plate.
                               
                               
  Part Fifteen will follow soon.........
   
• June 2008 - Capri Club Nederland International Meeting Pictures
  Back at the start of June one of our Club members ventured over the Channel to the Capri Club Nederland International Meeting at Beekes Bergen in Holland.  Located only around an hours drive from either Rotterdam or the Hook of Holland, this is an event you might want to consider taking in next year.  All his capri pictures from the event can be found in the Picture Galleries area under the pages Holland 2008 and Holland 2008 Pt2.
   
• June 2008 - First 40 Year Celebration Event Announced
  Castle Combe have released a press statement in conjunction with the Capri Mk1 Owners' Club which reads:
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  Saturday 13th June* 2009 - Celebrate 40 Years of the Ford Capri
  Working in conjunction with Capri Mk1 Owners' Club, Castle Combe Circuit's 2009 Retro & Sportscar Action Day will feature 40 years of the Capri.
  With a build up period of 12 months, the Club and the circuit in conjunction with other partners will work to make this a very special event in this iconic car's history.
  Possibly the most famous of all Capri's, the Broadspeed/Cologne car of Vince Woodman has been invited and Vince himself will be the guest of honour. Invitations will be going out to other famous Capri owners to put on a special lunchtime display.
  Many other attractions will be planned.
  Further details of this exciting new event and milestone will be announced in due course.
  ISSUED BY CASTLE COMBE CIRCUIT 14th JUNE 2008
  *Date subject to confirmation.
  
  So folks, you read it here first - contact us at the Club if you are interested in attending this event and make sure you keep a space free in your diary so as you can join us in the celebration of the Capri's 40th year...
   
• June 2008 - Fathers' Day Classic at Knebworth (Sunday 15th June)
  Continuing a busy weekend for the club, the weather held in the southeast too for members to enjoy a day out at Knebworth.  As with Saturday, six Mk1s were on display attracting admiring looks from the public.  The club invited the Capri Mk2 Register and Herts branch of the CCI to join them to give the public the full array of capris to feast their envious eyes on.
  Keith, Gary, Peter and Eddie joined Doreen and myself with their Mk1s whilst Geoff travelled up to sample our southeast hospitality and to enjoy a dry but sometimes cool day out at this historic venue.
             
   
• June 2008 - Castle Combe Retro & Sportscar Action Day (Saturday 14th June)
  With the BBC Weather doom-and-gloom forecasters predicting rain I was hoping for a good day for our first outdoor event in the South West. We have already had one show cancelled this year due to flooding but the day at Castle Combe racetrack turned out to be gloriously sunny. We had six cars on display; my 1300XL, Doug's 1600XL and 1600GTXLR, Kevin's RS3100, Simon's 3000GT and Brian's 3000GXL. Three of the cars took place in the lunchtime parade and provided an impressive sight touring around the track. I was interviewed by the Castle Combe roving reporter which was quite an embarrassing experience but it did give me chance to talk even more about our favourite car to a wider audience...
                                     
                       More pictures are available at our sister site just click.
   
• June 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Thirteen
  It's always the fiddly bits that take the time.  New brake pipes have to be specially made and shaped for the car.  Perhaps the toughest of the trim jobs to get right is the headlining. Today's models come with preformed panelling that just slots in.  In the capri's day though it was made of fabric and suspended from a series of hangers that span across the inside of the roof of the car.  It was "finished" by being glued to the sides of the car.  To get the tension right and to ensure no ripples or snags can be a testing task.
                               
  Part Fourteen next up.....
   
• June 2008 - Luton Festival of Transport, Stockwood Park, Luton (Sunday 8th June)
  Whilst one club member is off in Holland visiting a capri show we were fortunate enough to be joined by a visitor from Holland for the Luton Festival of Transport.  What a special visitor too, a 1972 facelift RS2600 - quite rare on these shores.  For a change the British weather was glorious and our display which also included five Mk2s and four Mk3s (thanks to the Capri Mk2 Register and the Herts Branch of the CCI) provided a major attraction for show visitors.
  Followers of the Restoration Project, don't worry, more will follow soon.  Hopefully we'll also have some pictures from Holland for you.  In the meantime here's the club stand at Luton and some close-ups of that glorious RS2600.
                                     
   
• May 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Twelve
  A few weeks ago the loom was tidied up and re-installed in the engine bay.  Now the time has come to work on connecting things up inside the passenger cabin and to re-install the dashboard.  One of the reasons the car was taken off the road in the first place was that there had been a problem with the wiper motor.  With this unit thoroughly overhauled it has to be the first item put back inside the passenger compartment.  The car will also have a period radio and associated mast.  Like everything else, in order for the car to be as near perfect as possible, these have to either be overhauled and cleaned or new period parts sourced.  At the business end of the loom new headlight and indicators are being fitted to the front of the car.  Inside, a slight imperfection on the dashboard fascia means that a brand new old stock part will be used.  Just look at those E-spec. black padded vinyl inserts.
                         
                               Part Thirteen to follow......
   
• May 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Eleven
  As well as ensuring that all the bodywork and ancillaries look "as new", the engine needed a touch of tender loving care on its outside and a thorough checking over internally to make sure that it works as well as the finished car will look i.e. great.
                         
                               Part Twelve coming soon......
   
• May 2008 - CCI National, Badgers Hill, Worcs (Sunday 11th May)
  The glorious early summer weather attracted a multitude of capris out to the Capri Club International's National meeting.  Amongst the cars on show were a host of Mk1s.  Click here to link to a gallery of the Mk1s on show.
   
• May 2008 - Bedfordshire Classic Car Show, Old Warden near Biggleswade (Sunday 4th May)
  As the Mayday Bank Holiday weekend arrived, the new club made its first appearance at a classic car outdoor event at Old Warden in Bedfordshire.  The five examples on display created a lot of interest amongst the visitors as they were the only Mk1s present.  The day remained relatively dry and warm - a change from the norm for this event.  Members enjoyed the display of "classic" aircraft flying from the Shuttleworth Collection adjoining the show field.  A great start for the outdoor show season - fingers crossed for more dry sunny weather to come.
             
   
• May 2008 - Popham Airfield Show Cancelled
  Just in (2nd May) is news that the Popham Airfield Show has been cancelled due to the venue being waterlogged.
   
• April 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Ten
  With virtually everything prepared for re-installation, the time has come to actually start put the car back together again.  One of the first items that has to be installed is the wiring loom.  Now it's a matter of hoping that those sketches drawn up at the time of removal are understandable - months later - as Michael starts to put the loom back in place.  Even his dog doesn't seem to be too interested in the mass of "spaghetti" on the floor!  The genuine Ford Workshop Manual helps but you need your wits about you to perform this part of a restoration.
                               
  Part Eleven coming up ........
   
• April 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Nine
  Work carries on apace now as the long but rewarding task of "renewing" the suspension, mechanical parts and ancillaries continues.  In case you're wondering why a bright yellow primer is being used, this has been found to be one of the best products on the market and is in fact a combined filler and primer.  So all those pitted cast parts will look as good as new when the top coats go on.
                                     
  Part Ten to follow........
   
• April 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Eight
  With the paint dry, it's back home with the car and now down to preparing all the ancillaries.  The mechanical parts too are to be treated to an external re-spray.  First up are the back axle and brake drums.  Compare the pictures here with those for the pre-restored axle in Part 4 - quite a transformation.
                               
                   Part Nine to follow soon.......
   
• April 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Seven
  After many hours of hard graft the stripped body shell is clear of all its old paintwork and the process of respraying can commence.  From now on it's a matter of reaping the rewards of all that preparation work as the car is rebuilt - hopefully ending up with, if not the best then, one of the best examples of its type in existence.
                                     
  Part Eight to follow.....
  
  April 2008 - Techno Classica Show, Essen, Germany
  The last weekend in March saw the showpiece indoor event in Europe for the classic car enthusiast, the Techno-Classica Show held in Essen, Germany.  Those of you who have been to the Classic Motor Show at the NEC  might be surprised to know that it's not the biggest event of its kind in Europe - the Techno-Classica is.  In show hall area it seems to cover approaching twice the area of the NEC event and as the pictures below show it lacks nothing in terms of style and variety.  Indeed the German motor industry seems to have an opinion somewhat different to its UK counterparts with the manufacturers footing the cost of the stands.  This has the knock-on effect of the feel of the show being much more polished and professional.  The down side is that the car companies also, to a great extent, man the stands and so it can be difficult getting the information and advice - so readily available at the NEC - on your particular model and marque.  Perhaps the "perfect" indoor show would fall somewhere between the two events.
  As you can see, the Capri Mk1 was represented at the show with three superb examples.  Next year, with the fortieth anniversary of our marque, promises to be an even better show for capri enthusiasts so if you're wondering whether to take a long weekend in Germany next spring have a look at the rest of the pictures to help you decide whether it might be your sort of thing.  The picture of the hall plan indicates the scale of the show - all the halls are given over to the event.
                                     
                                     
                                     
   
• March 2008 - Introducing the new Capri Mk1 Owners' Club
  Two years after the launch of this website to represent the Capri Mk1 Register in the south of England the time has come to move on.  To achieve this a new club has been launched - the Capri Mk1 Owners' Club - and this website becomes the focal point for the new club.  You'll notice a few changes - not least the new titling - but don't worry, all the features that have made this website your favourite for the Ford Capri Mk1 will remain and, hopefully, grow and develop.  The Restoration story will be continuing and next week we hope to bring you news (and photos) of the Techno Classica Show in Essen, Germany.
  For the time being, we'll be remaining at our old domain name but, in time, we'll move to a more appropriate location.  Don't worry though, we'll give you plenty of warning of our move and will also provide links when the time comes.
   
• March 2008 - Vince Woodman testing at Castle Combe
  As promised, here are some shots of Vince Woodman in his Broadspeed Capri Mk1 testing at Castle Combe on 20th March.  The car had an "unsuccessful" trip to the same venue last year when it was damaged by another out of control car.
                               
   
• March 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Six
  The long and hard process of stripping the car of its old paint continues.  All the old paintwork had to come off.  An imperfections had to be sorted out so that the re-spray would, right from the base metal of the car, be perfect.  All is in the preparation and, when you are attempting to create perhaps the best "standard" Mk1 Capri to be still in existence then you have to ensure that ALL the preparation is done and done correctly.
                         
                         
  Part Seven to follow......
   
• March 2008 - Race Retro 2008 at Stoneleigh
  This week saw the annual show for the race car enthusiasts, the Race Retro Show at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.  Not normally an event to spot Mk1 Capris, this year though an absolute beauty was wowing the crowds.  Back in October 2007 Retro Ford magazine did a large feature on a restored Broadspeed racer owned and driven by race legend Vince Woodman.  To ensure maximum attention for their stand the magazine invited Vince to display his car and he duly obliged.  The car is due to run at Castle Combe in the near future when hopefully we'll have some shots of it on the move for you.
             
   
• March 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Five
  As mentioned in Part Four, the intention was to strip the car down to the bare shell and components and then acid dip them to remove everything down to the bare pure metal.  Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - a test of the process on the bootlid proved to be a disaster.  The acid not only removed paint and surface rust but also the filler material between the framework and the outer skin.  It also, through this, caused the skin to ripple.  Michael had a new spare bootlid so the experiment, whilst costly, wasn't catastrophic.  With the quick and easy method ruled out, it was back to basic hard graft to remove the old paint, imperfections and surface rust, rubbing it down!  The pictures here show the car part way through the process.  They also show just how good even the underside of the car was.
                         
  Part Six to come soon.......
   
• March 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Four
  With the intention being to have the body acid stripped before respraying, the dismantling continued.  The removal of the engine and ancillaries was straightforward and the front and rear suspension came out remarkably easily.  You will note from the pictures that the rear cart springs appear to be either heavily corroded or very well coated in mud and road debris. In reality neither was the case.  Rather, they had been wrapped in a kind of oil skin coating which had largely prevented rusting.  The shock absorbers had been replaced not long before the car had been stored and so were also in very good condition.
                               
            Part Five to follow soon.......
   
• February 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Three
  Having determined that the car ran okay and that all the electrics worked it was time to start stripping the car out.  As the pictures below show, the interior of the bodyshell was in near perfect condition.  Just a few very minor pieces of surface rust were found and it was also clear that the body had never been welded or repaired and that all the panels were original.  Once full stripped the intention was to have it acid dipped to remove all the old paintwork in preparation for a full respray.  However, testing of this process on a bootlid forced Michael to change his plans.
                               
            Part Four to follow soon.......
   
• February 2008 - Bristol Classic Car Show at the Royal Bath & West Showground Sat 16th & Sun 17th February
  The club's southwest presence continues to grow as four cars proudly represented the marque at this the most prestigious indoor show in the region. A late call from the organisers meant that Geoff - our area events organiser - had to hastily add two vehicles to fill space left vacant by autojumblers.  Sadly the "stand" was divided by a pedestrian gangway but nonetheless the exhibits caught the eye.  Pre-facelift and facelift vehicles were equally represented as was every engine size.  From an award winning blue RS3100, through a sebring red 2000GT, on to a recently restored red 1600XL to Geoff's own ermine white 1300XL example.  The 1600XL created a lot of interest with its father-son ownership and the intriguing tale of its restoration, including the "find" of a beer can embedded in the wing/sill area to patch it up!  Hopefully the show organisers will reward local members efforts and afford the club a large more practically sized stand for next years event which will also see the Mk1 celebrating 40 years.
                               
   
• February 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part Two
  With the winter of 2007/08 approaching, after a further three years in dry storage, Michael finally had the time available to start the restoration of EYF.  Giving the car a wash down revealed a vehicle fit to show as it stood.  Whilst there were a few minor areas of surface rust and the engine bay and ancillaries showed the evidence of a quarter of a century's lack of attention, in general the car cleaned up well.  Would it start though?  The oil was drained with flushing oil and fresh oil add, the points change, the plugs removed and cleaned.  Over the years the fuel lines had become blocked but these were blown clean and some new fuel put in the tank. Despite a new battery nothing happened at the turn of the key.  A dead condenser was diagnoses and with a new one fitted the engine cranked and sprang to life.  Whilst the engine ran smoothly and without smoke, the strange sight of it running but without the fan going round was spotted.  This time a dead waterpump and seized alternator were to blame.  With the faults rectified, the car was taken for a drive around to test for other mechanical defects.  It ran well with gearbox, propshaft and back axle displaying no adverse effects.  Indeed not only did all the electrics work but the wipers functioned too - despite being the cause of the car's removal from the road in the first place.  Later it would be found to be substantially burned out inside though and a replacement will be fitted.
                                     
                                     
  Part Three - To follow soon......
   
• February 2008 - The Restoration Project - Part One
  If it's ever interested you to see and understand the work that goes into creating a truly concours classic car then this on-going story is one you'll want to read.
  If you've ever wanted to possess your own concours Capri Mk1 3000E then once again, this is an item for you since, at the end of the story the car featured will be available for you to buy - the restoration is happening now!  The current owner anticipates that the vehicle will be complete by the beginning of the summer, so you could be enjoying the outdoor classic show season in your very own stunning classic!
  
  So, on with the story.  Current owner Michael saw a Capri 3000E advertised in our club magazine, Capri Style, back in 2004.  The car, on its third owner, had been dry stored in a garage for over 25 years.  Michael made the trip from his Northwest home to Buckinghamshire unsure what he'd find.  When he got there the car itself was covered in a tarpaulin and had then been pilled high with the usual collection of "junk" we all choose to house in our garages.  Once cleared and with the tarp removed he couldn't believe the car that was revealed.  Despite the length period of storage, apart from a liberal coating of dust and some mould, the vehicle itself was in remarkably good condition.  It had been taken off the road because........ the windscreen wipers had stopped working!  The owner had started the complicated and time consuming process of removing the dashboard to get at the wiper motor and mechanism but had simply given up.
  First registered in March 1971 the car has aubergine paint work and a black vinyl interior.  It had covered a little over 50,000 miles when it was taken off the road - an incredibly low mileage for a vehicle now nearing 37 years old.  Michael decided to buy the car and to restore it to concours condition as it was perhaps the best example he'd come across in his many years as a Mk1 enthusiast.  He did the deal with the owner and then arranged to collect the car and trailer it back to the Northwest.  Remarkably, the car still had the old style logbook which listed the previous owners along with the dates it has changed hands.
                               
  Part Two  - To follow next week.
   
• December 2007 - A post Christmas visit to the Haynes Motor Museum
  Here's a place you may be interested in if you're looking for somewhere to visit during the winter to satiate your appetite for classic cars, the Haynes Motor Museum just off the A303 at Sparkford - between Yeovil and Wincanton - in Somerset.  It's open from 10am to 4.30pm in the winter and entry is £7.50 per adult.  Yours truly visited just after Christmas and discovered that the museum houses a facelift 2000GT example of the Capri Mk1.
  It'll take you a good two to three hours to look at all the exhibits which are well maintained and presented.
  Not expecting to find a capri sadly I didn't have my camera with me. I'm indebted to Kevin McDonnell for allowing me to display this photo he took on a previous occasion. 
  
   
• November 2007 - Autumn and a storage suggestion
  Summer now seems a long way off with autumn now well set and winter just around the corner.  Many of you - like me - will be fair weather users of your precious Mk1 and so if it isn't already, soon your car will be going into "hibernation".  The trouble is that even in the best of garages, the vehicle will not necessarily be in perfect storage conditions.  The ambient air tends to be quite damp and lack of use of the vehicle will mean the danger of mechanical parts seizing up and the trim suffering damp and mould.  A number of products exist on the market to "encapsulate" your car - perhaps the most well known being the Carcoon - however the one I use, and can recommend, is the Permabag.  This fully encloses the car in an air tight bag and by the use of drying canisters reduces the moisture within the bag to a level at which you should not suffer from corrosion, damp and mould.  I have three cars stored in these bags and have used them since the late 1990s.  I can thoroughly recommend them and, although expensive to buy at around £350, provided you take care of them they should last forever.  The drying canisters, which absorb the moisture in the air in the bag, are regenerated by baking in an oven but are more than capable of doing their job over the six month storage period (say October to April) without being disturbed.  The beauty of this system is that you do not need any power to use it - a godsend if your car is in a lock-up or barn.  Come the warmer weather of spring, you simply unzip the bag, put the battery back in and start up - the car will be ready to use.
  Here are some pictures of one of my cars going into storage for the winter.  Note that the bag comes with a meter to display the temperature and relative humidity within the bag.  A guide is provided showing the permitted level of humidity at different temperatures in order for the system to work.  Provided you do not unzip the bag then the system is full capable of working over a complete autumn and winter without problems.
                         
   
• October 2007 - Local Capri Spotting - and the CCI Octofest (Sat 13th & Sun 14th October)
  It's not often that you see a Mk1 Capri these days and its even rarer for those of us who are fanatics to see one we haven't spotted before.  Imagine my joy at seeing this example in Hitchin.  Unfortunately the owner wasn't in sight but if he reads this then hopefully he'll drop us a line and tell us about his car.
       
  The following day was the Capri Club International's Octofest.  Despite the fact that it was a warm dry Sunday not too many Mk1s ventured out to this event which was primarily a spares day.  As so often, there were very few Mk1 parts to be had but the show did attract the following cars which aren't seen out too often.
                   
  The final yellow car features in a programme called "Wreck Rescue" which goes out on Discovery Real Time in October.
   

• September 2007 - Ace Cafe, North London (Saturday 1st September)
  This event organised by the Surrey Capri Club was blessed with good weather and seems to have had a good turn out of all capri marks and models.  Southeast based Capri Mk1 enthusiast, Gary, supplied the following shots of just a few of the Mk1s on show.
                   
   
• August 2007 - Knebworth Classic Car Show, Knebworth Park, Herts. (Monday 27th August)
  For those of us based in the southeast the finale to the outdoor season - at least as far as club stand representation is concerned -  arrived with the Knebworth show.  As on the previous day at Little Gransden, the weather was kind to us and we had a dry - if not always warm and sunny - day.  The number of exhibitors overall and the number of visitors appeared to both be up on recent years.  This may well have been a reflection on the generally miserable summer we've had - weatherwise - with people determined to enjoy the Bank Holiday.  Five cars graced the Mk1 Register stand and I think I'm right in saying that everyone enjoyed their day.  The general feeling was one of disappointment that the season was over.  We finally managed to do a photo shoot on Karen's aquatic jade 1600GT auto and that will be added to the "Members Cars" area soon.
  
   
• August 2007 - Little Gransden Air Show and Classic Car Day, Cambs. (Sunday 26th August)
  Isn't it amazing how summer arrives just as it's ending!  This show got the Bank Holiday off to a superb start.  Although the club doesn't have an "official" stand, several members regularly attend an event which combines classic cars with a tremendous air display and all in aid of Children in Need.  Five club members attended this year and were rewarded with a glorious day.  Normally I restrict my pictures here to Mk1s but I make no apology for including a couple of shots of a wonderful Mustang.  You thought I meant the car!
                         
   
• August 2007 - Classic Ford Show, Battlesbridge, Essex. (Sunday 19th August)
  What happened to summer 2007?  Yet again we were plagued by poor weather.  Despite the miserable, wet, drive over to Essex, the show ground was actually dry when we arrived at 9.30 and the trip was definitely worthwhile given the number of exhibits in attendance - especially Mk1s.  A light drizzle though turned to heavy rain around 11.30 and by half past midday, despite the fact the rain was easing, we decided it was time to go.
  Check out the Battlesbridge 2007 pictures in the Picture Galleries area to see some of the great Mk1s on display - including TWO Broadspeed Turbo Bullits and three additions to The List.
   
• August 2007 - Woburn Rally, Woburn Abbey, Beds. (Sunday 12th August)
  After last year's rain affected event and the scare a week previous due to the latest foot and mouth outbreak, it was a relief to find this event not only on but blessed with sunshine.  Set in the parkland adjacent to the abbey, whilst not the largest event on the calendar, it is a show which offers tremendous variety in an extremely picturesque setting.  With perhaps 500 to 600 exhibits the event seemed fuller than in recent years and the Capri Mk1 Register added its contribution with a display of six cars - five pre-facelifts and one facelift.  Green dominated the display - four out of six - with, amazingly, two aquatic jade cars on show.  Hopefully Karen's 1600GT XLR auto will feature in the "Members Cars" in the near future.  This cracker first appeared at Knebworth earlier in the season.  The other jade example, belonging to Brian and Linda, is now featured in the "Members Cars" area - so you can check it out in closer detail.  Meanwhile Eddie has added a period addition to his interior mirror - and in yellow too so they match the body colour  -  his car not his own!
       
   
• August 2007 - Wroughton Classic Car Show, Wroughton Airfield, Wilts. (Saturday & Sunday 4th & 5th August)
  After the recent rain and floods I was hoping that we would finally get to see some decent Summer weather for the weekend especially as we were camping for Friday and Saturday night - tents and rain don't seem to go together very well. In fact my wife thinks that camping and any weather don't go together very well and was telling me all along that she was going to book into a local B+B and we could do whatever we wanted. Luckily for us all we had a fantastic weekend.
  Well Friday arrived - a bit windy but bright and clear. We arrived at the campsite at around 5.00pm - set up the tent - normally a once a year struggle that ends up with a few curses, and this year was no different! (sorry Tara) We settled in, had our tea and prepared for the 2 day show.
  Saturday
  Saturday morning started grey and cool. We could see it was raining in the distance but no rain fell at all on the show. We had just two cars on display during the day - my 1300XL and Kevin's RS3100 - I was quite disappointed about this as we had space for up to ten cars and, as  I had advertised the show on various website forums and in the Club newsletter, I was hoping for many more vehicles from the South West to attend. If you are reading this and would like to join us in 2008 at any of the shows we attend please drop me a line at: geoffackling@yahoo.co.uk  - I will be compiling a list over the next few months of shows we will be attending and can easily email it out to people. If the Club is to survive it needs support from the membership, without your help we may not be able to attend some of the larger shows in the future.
  As Wroughton is part of the Science Museum one of the main hangars was open and we took time to look round the various exhibits, a Constellation dominated one end of the hangar and a DC3 the other. There were also several other aircraft and cars displayed as well as German WW11 engines in crates. For further details of the items displayed there have a look at: www.aeroflight.co.uk/mus/uk/u-z/wroughton.htm
  There was also a Slot Car Racing track there which my youngest daughter was very interested in - she paid her £1 (my £1!) and entered into a race - amazingly she managed to beat three older boys which wasn't bad for a five year old. She even managed to get on the fastest lap board for the day - now where did all my old Scalextric stuff go.
  By about 2.00pm the sun was out which, with the strong breeze, made the day quite pleasant. We watched the filming of Channel 4's 'Scrap Heap Challenge' which was interesting. Eight hours of filming for a 20 minute slot in a 45 minute show. It seemed very drawn out but I'm sure it will look very slick by the time it's all edited together.
  Saturday night Kevin and Sally joined us on the camp site - we spent the evening listening to the 'Live' entertainment. Live was a bit of an overstatement as it was one man singing to a backing track - still it made it more enjoyable whilst eating our 'Burger and Chips' - our two girls loved this as there was no broccoli, cabbage or peas in sight.
  Sunday
  Sunday was a beautiful day - clear blue skies and quite a strong breeze. We ended up with five cars on the stand - my 1300XL, two RS3100s and two 3000Es - big thanks go to Kevin (Norris), Len, Terry and Mike for taking the time to come along and support us on the day. Thanks also to Kevin (Folds), Doreen and Michael for coming down and joining us on the stand. With all of us under the gazebo there was a lot of 'lively' debate and a good time was had by all.
  It was all over too quickly really. Pictures were taken and goodbyes were said. We dismantled the tent at about 5.00pm and made the short trip back to Trowbridge. I can honestly say that we had a great time. Even my wife thought the camping wasn't too bad.
  
  I have already booked a stand for this event next year - so please keep a space in your diary for 2nd and 3rd August 2008.
  
  Below are pictures of the club stand plus a 2000GT V4 facelift which was amongst the private entries.
                                       
   
• July 2007 - Herts Capri Club's Sutton Run (Tuesday 17th July)
  As a site dedicated to the Capri Mk1 the later marques don't often feature here.  However, I had the opportunity to join the Herts Branch of the CCI on their run from Hooks Cross (near Stevenage) to Sutton (near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire) on Tuesday evening.  It was an opportunity to enjoy driving the car, in company with eight other Capri enthusiasts, through many of the small and picturesque villages of North Herts and Mid Beds.  We were fortunate enough to avoid the rain and even had some late evening sunshine.  I'm not sure how far we drove but I would guess around 50 miles as we certainly didn't plot the straight A to B route.  Along the way we had plenty of admiring glances and we finished up with a buffet and drink at a lovely country pub - now that's what I call a perfect English summers evening!  I don't suppose you'll often see a scene like this in a pub car park these days either.  Many thanks to Richard and the boys of the Herts CCI for their invitation and organisation.
  
   
• July 2007 - Southwest Festival of Motoring, Taunton (Sunday 15th July)
  As the alarm went off I was dreading looking out the window. When I did , and to my amazement, the roads were drying even though it had been raining over night. It was then a mad rush to get sandwiches made, the kids ready and the car packed. The Taunton Show was being held at Taunton Racecourse and was about 1 1/2 hours drive for us. The journey down was easy and even the M5 was deserted. We had several heavy storms on the way but this didn't stop us getting there on time.
  The show itself was pretty quiet. There was a mixture of modern and old, modified and standard which made for an interesting mix to view. The Club stand, as always, drew a lot of attention. With my 1300XL, a 2.0GT Automatic (freshly restored) and an RS3100 on show there was a good variety for people to see. We had people recounting the days when they owned a Capri to people just asking general questions about the three cars on show. It's always a pleasure to share memories and experiences with people about the Capri and although the weather wasn't fantastic everybody seemed to make  the most of the day. The show ended with a wing walking exhibition by the 'Guinot Skincare Wingwalking Team' which was pretty amazing considering how low they had to fly to keep under the cloud-cover.
  The journey home was wet but uneventful. I ended up cleaning the car off when we got home and then running a fan under the car overnight to dry it out properly. Hopefully we will make it back again next year and maybe have a few more cars on show.
             
   
• July 2007 - Hoddesdon Classic Car Show (Saturday 14th July)
  Although this event is relatively small in classic car terms, it did attract a handful of capris including several of the Mk1 variety.  Should anybody be in doubt as to the lasting attraction of the capri Mk1, I'm sure Simon Ellis' pictures will dispel your concern.  When the cars were new in the late sixties and early seventies, Ford (along with other manufacturers) used glamorous girls to "sell" the cars to their red blooded male customers.  Thirty-five plus years on and I'm sure you'll agree that pretty girls and capris still go together rather well.
       
   
• July 2007 - Essex Motor Show at Barleylands, Billericay (Sunday 15th July)
  A brand new show on the calendar set in the heart of capri country.  The organisers were rather brave making it a two day show with Saturday being the opening day.  Many people don't want to exhibit at or visit classic car shows on Saturdays and I recall one organisation near bankrupting itself by trying the two day format over a "standard" weekend.
  I believe they did reasonably well on the Saturday but Sunday - our visit day - was very busy.  Set in the outer grounds of a popular craft centre with a farm open to visitors the organisers must have been pleased by the turn out of both exhibitors and spectators.  Despite the ominous weather forecast the whole day was dry with the sun even making occasional appearances.
  As you would expect of a show in Essex there were large numbers of the Ford marque in evidence.  Not so expected though was the absence of Mk2 and 3 capris - just one beautiful Brooklands arrived mid way through the day.  As time went by we grew from four to a stand of six Mk1s and we even spotted another club member in amongst the private entries.
       
   
• June 2007 - Knebworth Fathers Day Classic (Sunday 17th June)
  This show is growing year by year at a great venue which has loads of space for the cars, good facilities and superb access - straight off the A1(M).  Now in its third year, once again it was blessed with good weather prompting a good turnout of both exhibits and spectators.  The two previous events had seen the club attempt to stage a "Southern National" with limited success.  This time it was a case of turn up if you'd like to and I'm pleased to say that seven Mk1s did.  Further cementing our good relationship in the area with the Capri Mk2 Register and the Herts branch of the CCI, we were joined by two Mk2s and four Mk3s to provide the public with the full history of the capri from 1969 to 1986.  Indeed capris were probably the most plentiful model on display as another of the CCI branches were in attendance along with a couple of private exhibitors.
  Mike from North London provided the surprise of the day arriving in an aquatic jade 1600GT XLR automatic with just two previous owners and 27,000 miles on the clock.  Not only that but it was a car not on "The List".
  The icing on the cake - although none was needed - was a Club Stand of the Show award from show organiser Andrew Greenwood.  And I always thought he wasn't keen on capris!
             
   
• June 2007 - Classic and Sportscar Action Day, Castle Combe Racetrack (Saturday 9 June)
  Well what a day this turned out to be. After the last attempt at getting the Capri out for a washed out Gaydon I was praying for good weather for the first outdoor show for the South West area members this year, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The day started warm and just got better and with a five car line-up including an RS3100 and a 3000GT on display there was certainly something for the crowds to drool over.
  This event was a first for South West members with the option of track time for those who wanted it, although no Club members took up the option this year. We did all go out on track at lunch-time for a two-lap cruise which was certainly exciting for my five-year-old daughter who was convinced we were in a race. I'm sure the sight of five Mk1s touring around together must have looked pretty good to the crowds too. If anybody did attend this event and has any pictures of the cars on track I'd love to see them.
  I had a quick look around the rest of the show to admire the beautifully turned out cars that were present. There seemed to be everything from Ferraris to Minis and most cars in between. The track time seemed popular as well although I did see a few cars returning to their parking areas with damage caused on track. The day ended all too quickly and with the car packed we finally headed for home at around 5.00pm.
  I'd just like to say thanks to Kevin, John, Simon, and Russel (and their partners) for taking the time to come and support the Club on the day. Hopefully we will be allowed to go back next year and if we do it would be great to have a few more Mk1s on show.
       
   
• June 2007 - Luton Festival of Transport (Sunday 10th June)
  At last a Sunday with warm sunshine and a cool breeze.  The club combined with the Mk2 Register and the Herts branch of the CCI to put on a display of seven capris nicely spanning the era and production range of the mark.  A Mk1; a facelift; two Mk2s - including a JPS; and three Mk3s - including a 280 Brooklands gave the classic car enthusiasts of Luton and Bedfordshire a history lesson of the car from 1969 to 1986.
  This show has to be one of the best in the southeast with free admission to exhibitors and at just £3 for the paying public it boasts around 1,000 exhibits including trucks, buses and military vehicles.
   
• May 2007 - COMING SOON A CAPRI 3000E FOR SALE.
  Well Mk1 fans, you don't very often these days get the opportunity to buy a near concours low mileage 3000E.  Check out the For Sale and Wanted page to see pictures of one that is about to come up for sale from a club member.
   
• May 2007 - Bedfordshire Classic Car Show at Old Warden near Biggleswade (Sunday 6th May)
  Wouldn't you just believe it!  After nearly a month of dry sunny weather, the Mayday Bank Holiday comes around and we get a forecast of cooler overcast days with the probability of rain.  The Old Warden show is a two day event and I'm pleased to report that we picked the best day (Sunday) to attend.  It was largely overcast and a bit cooler than we've been used to in the weeks leading up to it but mercifully it stayed dry.  The Capri Mk1 Register stand sported five cars - including a newcomer.  Henry, a member from Essex, drove his freshly restored evergreen 3 litre GXL to the show to give all us Mk1 nuts a fresh "fix".  He still has a few small bits he'd like to change - anybody got some facelift rearlights they don't want? - but when you see the pictorial history of the cars restoration you realise the incredible amount of work that's gone into the car to bring it back to its original glory.  Check out the "Members Cars" page for more pictures and words about the car.
  Back to the show and it seemed a little down on exhibitor attendance, perhaps influenced by the weather forecast.  Its a pleasant setting though with the Shuttleworth College as a backdrop and the Shuttleworth Aircraft Museum just around the corner.  This year we were treated to a "free" airshow - as the collection have a flying day on the first Sunday of the month.  The blustery wind somewhat reduced the number of pre WW2 aircraft that took to the air though.
             
   
• March 2007 - "The List" Updated and pictures added
  Finally got around to updating "The List" which can be found under the Register page.  The cars which have come to the club's attention during 2006 have been added in alphabetical order in the list and now more that 250 pictures have been added.
  If we have a photograph of a car listed, if you click on the registration number then a small picture of the vehicle will be shown.
   
• March 2007 - The Ally Pally Classic Car Show (Report and pictures from Simon Ellis - Southeast based member.)
  “What do you reckon Si? One more bag of sand?”  I pondered the question raised by my partner-in-crime Mr. Eddie Hughes.  It was 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon inside Alexander Palace in north London.  Tomorrow would be the start of two exciting days exhibiting our Mark One’s to over ten thousand visitors to the London Classic Car Show.  I was soaked in sweat, and starting to ache having lugged sixteen bags of sand and shingle from Eddy’s Astra estate to form part of our long-planned and ultimately well received ‘Capri’s at the seaside’ theme stand.  We had been there since 08:00 that morning and I had not even given my car a polish as yet!  It dawned on me that Isabel had not mentioned anything about these shows involving becoming a labourer when I joined the register a couple of years back!  It was however a thoroughly enjoyable three days and I hope you enjoy reading my resume of it.
  Eddie had first floated (no pun intended) to me the idea of a beach theme for the show late last year.  I listened considerately to his outline of the display he had in mind and despite me wondering what drugs he’d been on, I accepted his invite to join him and with Isabel’s backing, we (well Eddie) threw himself into it.  Four months later, we had a floor plan drawn up and had collected a varied assortment of props and were ready to go!
  On the Friday set-up day, we left Eddie’s home in Hertfordshire, collected his car from its garage and made the relatively short journey to the Ally Pally in convoy.  It was great to get the usual thumbs-up and toots from other drivers en route and we arrived nice and early to the historic venue.  Each exhibitor was accorded an entry time, however we reckoned we could chance our arm and try to get in early.  Those of you who know Eddie will know that he can talk for England and he wore the security guy on the gate sufficiently to let us in early.  We were amongst the very first exhibitors to arrive.  We found our position and began the construction of our stand.  Inside the outer wooden frame, we used blue tarpaulin to create the sea, with rows of sand and then shingle leading up to the two cars.  Isabel and Roy arrived shortly after us and Roy kindly provided us with their windbreaker, which was perfect for covering the rear of the stand.  We positioned our cars diagonally and placed a small block under two wheels of each to give the effect of the cars coming in on the waves (picture probably shows this better than I am describing it!).  Some of our accompanying props would have rivalled the set of a major BBC series.  Amongst these were two authentic seaside deckchairs (colour coded to co-ordinate with the cars) fishing nets, lilo, beachballs and real shells and seaweed (courtesy of Clacton) and the obligatory bucket and spade.  Eddie’s brother Peter had discovered an LP of seaside sounds at a recent record fair and had transferred this onto a continuous tape, which added a really great effect.  Eddie had gone to town in creating two remarkably lifelike seagulls, a breakwater, plus sourcing driftwood and a pair of blue Speedo’s (clearly not his own judging by their modest waist size).
  Isabel and Roy’s register stand was positioned alongside the beach and provided its own Hawaiian impact with an exotic floral display and cane frontage to the stand offering details about the club and merchandise.
  The Mk One register stand was positioned on a popular corner of the main hall and benefited from being directly opposite a catering booth.  This was hugely welcomed as not only did plenty of visitors mingle there viewing our stand, but also meant coffee and bacon rolls (despite the fact that four of each cost about the same as a weekend away to the coast itself) were only a seashell throw away.  Our neighbouring stand was the Fiat 500 club, one of whose members parked so close to us that his best option for exiting his car was from the roof.  Turned out he was Italian, which explained much about his parking ‘skills’.  The shows’ organiser, Andrew Greenwood, visited us in the afternoon and welcomed us to the show and we also met up with our friends Kevin and Mike from the Surrey Capri Club who were also exhibiting.  We finally packed up around 8:00pm weary but all very proud of how the stand looked.
  The visitors arrived at a pace during Saturday and the day flew by.  The seaside theme (especially the continuous sound tape) certainly caught the attention and it was poignant to see the smiles and look of imagination on some of the children looking at the stand.  At the end of the day’s proceedings, Eddie, Roy, Isabel and I took ourselves off for a meal in Muswell Hill and enjoyed a wonderfully entertaining evening.
  Sunday seemed even busier in visitor numbers and the stand again received much favourable comment from the public.  Late in the afternoon, the judges announced their decisions on the best club stand at the show, with first prize going to the Chiltern Preservation Society for their well thought out 1957 garage design and focus on the petrol shortage crisis at that time.
  I thought the Ally Pally did their usual splendid job in hosting the show, with the one criticism being that they didn’t open any side doors for ventilation when the vehicles were departing.  You can imagine the fumes created by a whole host of vintage and classic cars that haven’t been started for three days!  It didn’t help that I read the next day in Men’s Health magazine that soot particles from exhausts are the chief culprits in 9,000 fatal heart attacks a year!
  The show over and the four of us disassembled our stand and said our goodbyes.  It had been three fun-packed days and I know the next day we all felt slight jaded and flat now it was over.  Was I disappointed to not win the Best Stand prize? Not really, the memories of visitors coming up to me during the show and saying “great stand, brilliant idea” and “lovely couple of cars you’ve got there” and three days of fun with friends meant far more than a trophy.  I also remembered a little lad’s excited face looking at the seaside scene and pointing out features of it to his dad.  That’ll do for me.
       
   
• February 2007 - The 28th Footman James Bristol Classic Car Show (Report and pictures from Geoff Ackling - Southwest Rep.)
  What a fantastic weekend this turned out to be and, even though I only had one weeks notice that we had a stand available to us, we managed to display two fantastic cars that drew a lot of attention over the two days of the show.
  I had asked Stuart and Neil Reed from Yeovil if they would be interested in attending if we could get a space and, fortunately, they were still able to make it.  Stuart has a Diamond White 1600GT Face-lift and Neil a Daytona Yellow 1600GT Face-lift (formerly owned by Stuart). Both cars are absolutely stunning and are a real credit to their owners.
  I don't think any of us were prepared for the sheer amount of people that came through the doors on both of the days. There were a few grumbles about the length of the queues to get in but it obviously hadn't put people off. I think the general opinion from the people that I spoke to was that this was the best show so far since it moved from the Bristol Docklands. The show's organiser, Nigel Coulson-Stevens,  had pulled out all the stops with promoting the event and had even provided extra heaters to keep us all warm. I believe for next year there are plans to make the show even bigger with a further temporary structure and space for 8 – 10 extra Club stands and an extra 100 autojumble stalls.
  The weekend ended with Neil's Daytona Yellow car being awarded a 'Highly Recommended' ribbon - I certainly wouldn't have wanted to choose between these two particular Capris as they really are so good.
  Let's hope that we get invited again next year and , with a bit more notice, have a bigger and better stand and enjoy an even better show than we did this year.
                          
   
• February 2007   NEWSFLASH!!!
  The Club has just secured a stand space at the Footman James 28th Bristol Classic Car Show at the Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset.  The shows on Saturday and Sunday 17th and 18th February from 10am to 5.00pm each day.  This is the first time our club has exhibited at the show and a first for us in the southwest.  Geoff our South West Area Representative has lined up two wonderful locally based examples of our favourite mark so why not venture out and see them?
   
• January 2007   A cure to wobbly pedals.  After 30 plus years of use the plastic bearing bushes on which your cars clutch and brake pedals pivot will normally have badly worn if not disintegrated completely.  This then allows sideways movement of the pedals which is annoying if not dangerous.  Parts are not interchangeable with the Mk2 and Mk3 models and supplies of the original Ford bushes disappeared years ago.  We've now found an alternative - made out of a similarly resilient material and fitting perfectly on the pedal rod.  A supply is now in stock and available at £2 per bush (you'll need four to replace your old set) plus £1 postage and packing.   More details on the "For Sale and Wanted" Page.
   
• January 2007   A New Year underway and to go with it the Club has a new structure.  After seven years of toiling away on her own - well with Roy's help of course - our Club Secretary, Isabel Fairbrother, has decided that its time to get more people "onboard" to relieve her of some of the burden and to carry the club forward.  A meeting was held in the Midlands in late November - following our very successful appearance at the NEC Classic Motor Show a month earlier - where it was decided to appoint Regional Representatives to provide local points of contact and assistance to members and to officially carry the Club's "torch" at localised events.
  The Representatives are as follows:-
  
  Northern Area - Michael Webster - e-mail Michael@doberman.freeserve.co.uk
  
  Southeast Area - Kevin Folds - e-mail CapriMk1South@aol.com
  
  Southwest Area - Geoff Ackling - e-mail Geoffackling@yahoo.co.uk
  
  Northern Ireland Area - Alan Gourley - e-mail Alan.gourley@aero.bombardier.com
  
  The Midlands Area will be covered by Isabel (e-mail emailus@fordcapriclub.freeserve.co.uk ) who remains, of course, our Club Secretary.
  
  As well as regional events, it is hoped to develop a policy for the generation of spares and to get more "silent" members involved and feeling a part of our Club.
  Any of the above may be contacted for help and advise and we hope that the network of knowledge within the Club will be useful to everyone as they attempt to keep our Mark running over thirty-three years after production ceased.
  
  This site will be used by Geoff and Kevin to keep those based in the south informed of events and happenings within the Club and in particular within our geographic area.
  
  Happy New Year to everyone as we look forward to an exciting year ahead and meeting many of you around and about over the coming months.
  
   
• November 2006   The Classic Motor Show at the NEC Birmingham once again provided the club with a show case to a wide audience.  With the Club Secretary providing her car for a special feature in Hall 1 charting the "Icons of their Era" presented by Mike Brewer and Mark Evans, the club stand in Hall 3A featured two beauties - as you can see.
  
  Now that got your attention didn't it!
  These gorgeous models are brunette, Geraldine Neale and blonde, Sarah Bull who were working on one of the many trade stands at the show and kindly agreed to pose with our car display.
  The cars we had on show were a cherry red 3000E with less than 13,000 miles on the clock and a white 1300XL which has covered around 22,000 miles from new.  Both attracted much attention - but never more so than when the girls were posing with them!
  Click the link below to see more pictures of the cars and Sarah and Geraldine.
  NEC Classic Car Show 2006.  Thanks to Geoff for the pictures - and keeping his camera steady!
   
• October 2006   Great news for the Capri Mk1 Register - we've been approved for a stand again at the country's leading indoor classic car event, the Classic Motor Show at the NEC Birmingham from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th October inclusive.
  There'll be one "Southerner", one car from the Midlands and one from the Northwest for members and the general public to drool over.  Its an expensive event but certainly worth a visit if you can spare a day.
  We've even got a fourth car playing its part as an icon of its era so do try and visit.
   
• September 2006   Sunday 24th September and the All Ford Rally at Abingdon.  One of the last outdoor shows of the season, the All Ford Rally caters for pre 1965 Ford vehicles.  As its staged on the airfield at Dalton Barracks just outside Abingdon it doesn't matter whether the weather is good or bad since all the exhibits are on hard-standing.  This year the weather was good although the number of vehicles and auto-jumblers seemed reduced - but then that's nothing new.  Although there's nothing as modern as a Mk1 Capri on show, the auto-jumblers will often have odd parts for our cars.  Sadly this year little was available - a few minor parts, a sill, a few bumpers, second hand rear lights etc  Nothing to get excited about.  One item did catch the eye though.  It was reported to have been a 1600GT MK1 of 1972 vintage and was listed as "a possible donor car", with an asking price of £165.  I could not see much to salvage but take a look for yourself!  I was amazed that it had made it in one piece on its trailer since a close look at the underside revealed it to be considerably worse than top side!  All that was missing was the "Easy Restoration Project" sign.
       
   
• August 2006   Monday 28th August and the Knebworth Classic Car Show.  The end of the outdoor season for us soft southerners as the weather starts to deteriorate!  And it certainly deteriorated at Knebworth.  Showers early on gave way to gale force gusting winds which by mid afternoon did for our heavy duty gazebo.  Thanks to Gary, Eddie and co. for helping to dismantle it fully before it could damage the cars.  Let's hope that next years Knebworth Bank Holiday show is blessed with better weather as it seemed well down on cars, auto-jumblers and visitors compared to its heyday a few years back.
  On a positive note, my thanks to Sun-Leisure Limited of Cheshire - makers of the gazebo.  Their friendly and efficient service ensured that the gazebo is fully repaired and ready for summer 2007 - and at a very reasonable cost!
   
• August 2006   Sunday 27th August and the Little Gransden Air & Classic Car Show at Little Gransden, Cambridgeshire.  This "small local event" is always a superb day out - especially for those with an interest in aircraft.  Exhibitors get in free but are asked to contribute towards the Children in Need charity which the event is in aid of.  Four Mk1 capris attended the event - two expected and two unexpected.  Good to see midlands based club members Margaret and Dave with their evergreen 1600L.  Also good to spot an aquatic jade 3000GT with tan interior and just 21,000 miles on the clock!
       
   
• August 2006   Sunday 20th August and the Classic Ford Show at Battlesbridge, Essex.  For those who love Fords from the fifties, sixties and seventies, this is a show you need to add to your calendar.  Year by year it seems to be growing (having started in just one field behind the museum and craft centre and now spread to two).  As usual for the Capri Mk1 lover there were ten or twelve on display.  In addition to the usual suspects, a couple caught my eye as first time visitors.  A sebring red 3000GT of the facelift variety was making its show debut having only passed its MOT the day before!  Also in attendance - although not on the show field itself - was a white barn find 3000E.  The owner again just getting it back onto the road in time for the show.  Finally, it was good to see local member James bring his tawny 1600GT XLR out - this hasn't been seen at shows for a couple of years.  Watch out in coming weeks for James' cars being added to the Members Cars section.
             
   
• August 2006   Sunday 13th August and the Woburn Rally at Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire. Unfortunately all that dry weather came to an abrupt end.  A pity as it's a nice venue and on a sunny day a lovely "old-fashioned" show with a large contingent of trucks, buses and tractors in addition to the cars.  It was pouring with rain when we set off though and got heavier as we arrived at the venue around 9.00am.  It took us until 10.30 to decide to stay and we did get a few sunny intervals and a surprising number of vehicles turned up.  Although on a field, the grass held up well.  As you can see though - we certainly did have that strangest of phenomenon this summer - rain!
             
   
• August 2006   Sunday 6th August and the Ford Capri Mk1 Day, organised by Giles Ford-Crush - who staged a similar event at Popham Airfield in 2003 - took place at Langford near Maldon in Essex.  A total of 28 Mk1s turned up beating the number present in 2003.  The venue was straightforward to find and provided a lawn like field with toilet facilities and - for those needing more entertainment than just the cars - a Museum of Power.  The capris on show were of a high standard and most of the range available was represented along with a few modified variants.  Check out the Langford 2006 gallery to see shots of the cars present not previously featured on this site.
   
• August 2006   Back in late April / early May - Michael and Ina (whom we visited Essen with) ventured into Europe again.  This time their destination was the Ford Capri Club of Holland's get together just a few miles from the Hook of Holland sea port.  If you've ever considered making the trip to one of the European club shows then the Holland 2006 and Holland 2006 Part 2 galleries should give you a pictorial idea of what cars you can expect to see.  If you'd like more details - or have any specific questions about the cars shown - then drop us an e-mail and we'll forward your correspondence on to Michael.
   
• July 2006   A show often supported by southern area members is the British Airways Classic Vehicle Show staged at their sports and social club in Cranford, Middlesex.  Sadly this year's event on the 2nd of the month looks like being the last as the Vehicle Club appear to have lost the support of both the company and main club.  They are having to dispose of five classic BA vehicles due to a lack of dry storage and despite the success of their annual car show cannot derive much needed funds from it.
   
• June 2006   Capri Mk1 Register "National" at Knebworth Park - Sunday 18th June.
  Ideal weather saw unlucky 13 Capri Mk1s gather at Knebworth Park for the Capri Mk1 Register's unofficial "National" for 2006. The furthest travelled was from St Helens Lancashire whilst Gary from Essex brought over three examples from his "collection".  The unlucky 13th to arrive was at the end of a tow rope having shredded not one but two distributors en-route from the Heathrow area of Middlesex.  To see all the cars on display go to the Picture Galleries page and click on the Knebworth 2006 icon.
   
• June 2006   Luton Festival of Transport at Stockwood Park - Sunday 11th June.
  A complete turnabout from the weather in May.  We managed a display of five Mk1s and were joined by two Capri Mk2 Register cars plus two Hertfordshire based Mk3s.  A good day out although the counter attractions nearby coupled with the World Cup and the extremely hot weather saw the spectator attendance somewhat down on normal.  Nevertheless this is a good local show with free admission to exhibitors and a huge array of cars, bikes, commercials and buses on display.
           
   
• May 2006   What a dreadful month weather-wise!
  The rain did manage to stay away for the Bedfordshire Classic Car Show at Old Walden near Biggleswade at the beginning of the month.  This is quite a large show - I would guess around 1,000 exhibits - in a lovely setting.  The "bonus" - although not available this year - is that those attending on the Sunday are treated to a "free" vintage air display from the Shuttleworth collection which adjoins the show field.  So for the aircraft enthusiasts amongst you, one to consider for next year.
   
• May 2006  Bet you didn't know Mk1 Capris can still be seen on the race tracks of the UK.
  The car pictured below is a 3000E raced by Nigel Barnett and was spotted at Brands Hatch earlier this month in the British Classic Car series.
  
   
• May 2006  The Enfield Pageant - one of the larger shows in the London area - was badly affected by the wet weather.  Three of us made the trek as visitors rather than exhibitors to a show which traditionally has an excellent autojumble content.  True to form there was quite a lot available - although its clear that parts for our mark are diminishing.  The car content though was severely reduced by the conditions both under foot and over head.  That said one member did make a significant purchase!  More news of this hopefully in a few weeks.

• April 2006   I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the Classic Car Show at the NEC Birmingham in the Autumn.  If you have then you’ll know that it’s a pretty big event in the classic car calendar and the biggest indoor event by far in the UK.

  Those of you a little more adventurous may have travelled further a-field and may have visited a show called the Techno Classica staged in Essen, Germany in early April each year.

  When Ina and Michael from Wigan invited Doreen, Michael and myself to join then on a trip to the show in April this year we decided to take up the opportunity of having a look.

  It was to be a motoring trip with ferry crossing from Dover to Calais.  For Ina and Michael it was a very early start on Friday morning – up and 4.00am and arriving in Stevenage to pick us up before 9.00am.  Traffic was kind and we arrived early at Dover and hence were able to catch the 11.45am ferry.  At this point fate intervened.  We were not the only vehicle to get to Dover early and to catch an earlier ferry.  On our arrival we had spotted a newly painted London Transport red double-decker routemaster bus.  This managed to get in at the back of the deck we were on and, in the process of trying to disembark, managed to remove our drivers door mirror.  With names and addresses plus insurance details exchanged we both set off on our European adventures.  The bus was to become a mobile fish and chip shop in the south of France with the driver setting out on a “new life”.  We, on the other hand, had a 250 mile journey across France, Belgium, Holland and final Germany ahead of us.  This we negotiated without further mishap, arriving at our hotel at 7.30pm local time.

  The following morning we were all up moderately bright and fairly early keenly, anticipating the first of two busy days looking around the show.  The first impression was of the ease of entry.  Once parked, which took a few minutes, we walked the short distance to one of three entrances and didn’t have to wait even a minute to pay our 20 Euro entry fee and start looking around the first of seventeen halls housing the exhibits and jumble.  The second impression – as you may have guessed – was the sheer size of the show.  Seventeen halls which I would estimate must cover two or three times the floor space used at the NEC.  Whilst the autojumble and memorabilia stands were similarly spaced to those in the UK, the car displays had much more space and an open and bright feel.  Another big difference was the support of the car manufacturers.  In the hall where all the Ford cars were we were told that the company had invested 18,000 Euros in the stand and display.  This stand covered all the company’s models on display and typically only one vehicle of each model was on display.  The Capri Club of Germany chose a Capri Café backdrop with a Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 “parked” in the car park outside.  Although the café was only a façade, they had got tables and chairs positioned outside and were serving soft drinks and ice creams to visitors.  Sadly, despite Ford’s cash injection, not all the Ford clubs had made the same amount of effort to theme their displays.

  The overall feel of the show was of a very polished – no pun intended – and professional show run with the expected Germany efficiency.  For me, I think both the UK and German organisers have lessons to learn from each other.  The UK indoor events are very “home spun” and lack the cash required to put together a really professional event.  They are also very cramped with the clubs and organisers cramming as much as they possibly can into the available space.  However, on the positive side, the stands are run by the enthusiasts who are always ready and able to discuss the finer points of their particular marks and models.  In Germany this did not appear to be the case with many of the stands largely populated by manufacturers’ personnel – the Capri stand being an exception.  Not unreasonably, with the injection of their cash the companies want to make sure they are professionally represented.  However, this gives the show a modern motor show feel with little in-depth knowledge available just “perfect” cars perfectly displayed to the eye.  Overall I enjoyed the experience – despite being very leg weary after all that walking around – and would recommend car enthusiast to visit the show.  It’s not – for me at least – the kind of show I’d visit year after year but maybe I will go back one day.  The disappointments – again for me – were that only one Mk1 was on display, but I hadn’t expected many more, and that there was virtually no autojumble available to fit a Mk1 – but then again I should be used to that from the UK.  We did discover a pair of pattern front wings which we were told we could have for 550 Euros (around £390) – not a bargain, but then again at least they were there.

  We set off for home at 4.00pm on Sunday and apart from one road works hold up had a smooth journey back to the ferry port at Calais in pleasant spring sunshine.  Imagine our surprise when within 30 minutes of leaving Dover we found ourselves driving through a snow storm with slush on the road and signs indicating that “gritting” was in progress.  Yes, we were definitely back in England!     Kevin

                          

   

   

• March 2006    Not only did the club have a two car stand at the London Classic Car & Bike Show at the Alexandra Palace but a North London based member was given a space to show his daytona yellow 1600GT XLR which has been used in a TV advertisement for Nobby's Nuts, a brand of snacks being promoted using 70s glam rock band Slade's front man, Noddy Holder.
                

• March 2006    The Capri Mk1 Register's Quarterly Newsletter has been revamped under the title "Capri Style".

• November 2005    The Capri Mk1 Register are back at the NEC Birmingham's three day Classic Motor Show extravaganza after a three year absence.
  The club's stand featured a former Ford works spec. rally car of 1969 vintage and a standard spec. 1972 facelift 1600XL.
    

• August 2005    A busy month in the south east with a club stand at Woburn (Sunday 14th) and Knebworth (Monday 29th).  In addition members from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex met up at Battlesbridge (Sunday 21st) to provide the very rare site these days of six Mk1s in line - captured on for the cover of the club's March 2006 magazine.
  On Sunday 28th two members attended the Charity Car Show and Air Display at Little Gransden, Cambridgeshire. 
   

     Last Updated: 20 December 2009