CAPRI LASER

Wanting to get stuck into a project, Steve Green swapped a perfectly good Capri Laser for one needing work, and the end result is one even better than he could have hoped for.

Homebuilt Hero Mk3 with extra trimmings.

“ALTHOUGH THE LASER HAD AN MOT, IT WAS IN A VERY RUNDOWN STATE AND DESPERATELY NEEDED A MAKEOVER”

T here can’t be many low-mileage Capri Lasers around now, and incredibly this 33,000-mile example was being used as a daily driver when Capri fan, Steve Green first got his hands on it! Luckily, since then a full meticulous restoration has seen its duties relegated to shows and occasional rides out though inevitably that odometer is racking the miles up gradually.

Steve admits to having gained a passion for Capris, like so many of us, during the 1980s, a period when he owned various models and they were easy to come by. “When we started a family, Capris took a step back and I opted for a Cortina, being a more practical family car,” Steve recalls. “It would be many years before I decided to look for one again!”

Turn the clock forward a few decades and Steve had managed to find himself a black 1600 Mk3 Laser with a 2.1 Pinto under the bonnet along with a high-lift cam and twin Webers. “This Laser had already been restored by its previous owner and brought the Capri bug back to me straight away,” Steve laughs. “The only downside was I really fancied restoring a Capri myself and everything had already been done on this one.”

Then Steve did the unthinkable and decided to part-exchange his immaculate black Laser for a burgundy 1984 Laser in need of a lot of work. “Although this latest car had an MoT and was still road legal, it was in a very rundown state and desperately needed a makeover,” Steve smiles.

Winter warmer

A few weekends later, Steve made a start by removing the engine and gearbox in readiness for a rebuild. “Tackling these would be my winter project, so once removed the rest of the car remained under covers in my garage,” Steve explains. “I fully stripped the engine, inspected everything and made a list of parts ready to go shopping.” The block was blasted and painted, and all ancillaries powdercoated while the crankshaft was polished and new main shells fitted into place. “I honed the bores, fitted new pistons, rings and big end shells,” Steve informs us. “All the parts were standard-sized as it had never had a rebore or crank grind probably due to the mileage being so low.” A new oil pump