My Best Upgrades

Ford Capri MkIII

THE STORY SO FAR Total mileage 76,000 Why is it special? Every aspect of this Capri has been considered and improved, yet it still looks just as it came out of the factory.

SWAP THE DIFF’ £1000

The standard 3.77:1 differential provides long-legged cruising and good fuel economy, but John’s Capri covers relatively few miles, so he wanted something that offered a bit more acceleration. As such he switched to Capri 2.0 innards with a 3.45:1 ratio, which usefully improves performance.

FIT A SUITABLE FUEL TANK £210

The original fuel tank had corroded inside, but replacements are available. Different tanks are needed, depending on whether the car is injected or on carbs (the former has a swirl pot), so John switched to a 2.0-litre tank. The fuel gauge doesn’t work, but it’s probably just a duff voltage stabiliser.

STIFFEN THE SUSPENSION £1500

John has revamped the Capri’s suspension with new springs and dampers all round along with polyurethane bushes. He has also fitted an anti-tramp kit to help put the power down and so far it’s all working well. Intriguingly, the the lighter engine means that new front springs haven’t been needed.

FIT BETTER BRAKES £300

John had forgotten how poor the original brakes are when he was given his Capri, so the first thing he did was to fit Princess calipers up front and a Land Rover master cylinder. The 13inch wheels have rather limited his options for now, but he’ll probably fit bigger wheels and a big-brake kit in the near future.

IMPROVE THE SECURITY £500

The problem with Fords is that they’re very easy to steal. This car came with an outdated security system that was getting unreliable; it tended to flatten the battery and John could never be sure that it wouldn’t lock him out. So he invested in a tracking system in a bid to ensure that his car doesn’t get spirited away.

KEEP IT COOL £220

The original V6’s viscous fan was replaced by an electric replacement; John has stuck with an electric fan since the Zetec powerplant went in but has also fitted an alloy radiator to stave off overheating. The engine can apparently still run hot in traffic, but hasn’t overheated yet.

IMPROVE THE ELECTRICS £400

John has incorporated a raft of electrical improvements to his Capri, including an extra fusebox and a set of air horns in place of the weedy original. He has also fitted a high-level brake light, uprated the headlight bulbs and fitted a pair of high- and lowlevel spotlamps to provide even more light.