LEE’S VERY LONG GAME
IT’S BEEN WORTH THE WAIT
Lee adapted the Capri 3-litre bonnet bulge to the Corsair’s bonnet to make room for the Edelbrock 600CFM carb (right).
Lee’s Corsair has appeared in these pages before, although we’d forgive you for not remembering… because that last appearance was in the Grafters slot way back in December 2011! Back then, the chassis and body were nearing a stage of completion, and the 302 motor was tentatively in situ; the aim for the finished product was clear, with Lee telling us that he wanted to shoot for a traditional ’80s-style Pro Street look – stock body, big tyres and a blower. Evidently it was more of a priority to get the job done right than done fast; almost a decade ago he was admitting he’d given up guessing when it’d be finished! But now, in 2020, it’s finally perfect — and it was worth the wait. point five years ago when Lee decided to get it done right, once and for all.
Starting over
“I actually began by ripping out most of the work I’d already completed and starting again,” he says. “The first job was to remove the entire floor and chassis from the front legs back. Having braced the shell, I fabricated a chassis using 4x2 inch main rails and Hauser Racing kick-ups. A new steel bulkhead and transmission tunnel were fabricated, with a lamppost and telegraph pole coming in handy to form the bends!”
Lee then crafted a custom CDS rollcage (bent by good friend, Guy Davenport), tied into the front chassis legs and supporting the struts as well as providing structural rigidity, and the floor was fabricated from sheet aluminium. The body was as good as you’d expect of a 1960s Ford, so there was plenty of repairing and replacing to be done, including two rear quarter panels, rear valance, both sills and the driver’s door. Interestingly though, the front panel and wings were like new, having been replaced following an accident before his dad bought the car. The only visible body mods are the shortened Capri bonnet bulge and slightly altered rear arches, and after endless hours of filling and smoothing, aided by a friend, Jeff Hawksworth, it was smooth enough for paint — laid down in the garage by another good mate, Gary Barnett.
“Although I had originally intended for the whole car to be Ford, the rear axle ended up
Suspension uses Capri and Escort parts.