LARGE, EXTRA LARGE…?
THE CAPRI’S L, X AND R PACKS
Once you’d decided on the 1.6-litre Crossflow engine for your Capri there were three option packs to choose from; L, X and R.The L-Pack for £15 0 s 4d provided identifying badges, chrome exhaust trim, bumper overriders, a locking filler cap, foot-operated wash/ wipe switch, bright metal wheel trims and side mouldings, and bright metal dummy air scoops.
Spending £32 12s 10d on the X-Pack got you reclining front bucket seats and a contoured rear seat with folding armrest. Also an extra interior light, handbrake-on warning light, twin horns, dipping rear view mirror and twin reversing lights.
The £39 3s 4d R-Pack consisted of a map light, Rostyle wheels, leather-trim steering wheel, matt black bonnet (with optional black sills and tail panel,) fogand spot-lights and, for a further £14 0s 9d, inertia reel seatbelts. A combination XL could be specified — but not XR or LR. The full XLR pack was only available with GT models.The XL would have added some £44 to our feature car’s original price and the radio added another £31.
The three types of option packs meant that at launch there were 26 different type of Capri available. But from September 1970 only L, XL or XLR were available, making Capris without option packs or even just the X, L, or R very rare.
I did have to get new drip rail chrome since they’d bent while being removed. The original glass went back in with all new rubbers. Dad had previously fitted the Capri with spotlights, but they weren’t factory original so were left off. We deliberately didn’t do a thing to the steering wheel or the gearknob — they were the parts Grandad had touched directly.”
The exhaust was another slight departure from stock. “Grandad was always having exhaust centreboxes rot out and they used to hang under the axle which looked awful. I asked around and Alpha Performance Fabrication were recommended. They handmade a stainless steel system that tucked the ’box up near the floor and I had them heat-treat it. Northampton Motorsport rolling-roaded the Capri and got 70 bhp out of it. Both companies were great and I’d now never go anywhere else.”
“I’d told Dad it would be away for a further month then surprised him with the finished Capri on his birthday on November 11.
The hard-to-find chrome trim was replated before being (very) carefully refitted.
The 1600 Crossflow was rebuilt with a mild cam installed.
It’s about 85 per cent rebuilt original parts and 15 per cent new ones. It only started as a refresh,” laughs David, “but we all really enjoyed the restoration and are planning to do some more. I had the Capri on my drive during the recent Bank Holiday with my kids helping clean and polish it, they now love the car, too. We must have had 100 people stop to tell us their Capri stories, then others turning up after being told by their friends to have a look. I got four serious offers to buy it but it’ll never be for sale — the Capri’s a member of the family. My son Hayden will inherit it, meaning four generations will own the car.”