A classic, blue-blooded Ford Capri

IF YOU were born in the 1960s or 70s, there’s a good chance you would remember just how cool the Ford Capri was in its heyday.

The Capri, to all intents and purposes, was the veritable GTI of yesteryear. It ruled the streets during a period which could be described as Ford’s golden era of motoring.

It was a time when the marque’s prowess on South African roads went relatively unchallenged in popularity by the likes of its German and Japanese competitors.

The Capri was seen as a sleek and unrivalled performance car of its era and, as such, one of the most desirable vehicles to own.

Today the car is even more soughtafter, with dwindling numbers of these cars forcing resale values into the stratosphere.

Jayce Pillay is a 40-year-old, selfemployed car enthusiast who lives in Phoenix, north of Durban. He enjoys restoration projects and makes a living trading in classic vehicles.

His car, this week’s featured Ford Capri, has been in his family for 30 years, half of that time parked until its long-awaited restoration began four years ago.

After spending far too long lying around, this true beast was given extra muscle in the form of an upgraded V6 Blue block, Richie Jute-flowed cylinder heads, a stage three racing cam, a set of 42 DCNF Weber carburettors (Trips), a set of Wildcat branches and a 57mm dual performance exhaust system.

The exterior features flared wheel arches customised to accommodate the made-in-the-usa customised racing wheels.

It sports Khumo 225/ 50/ 15s on 8J rims in the front and Toyo Proxy 295/ 50/ 15s mated to a pair of 10J rims at the rear.

It also has racing stripes and an eraappropriate paint job.

The car’s suspension and restored interior were left standard.

It was not disclosed how much was spent on the car’s restoration. SERVICE PROVIDERS: RS Motorsport. RS Dragstars. MGM Motorsport. Interior by Ashveer.