GRAFTERS: Federal Capri
US-spec Mk1 gets reborn in Luxembourg.
When your stepdad has five Capris parked on the drive, sooner or later you’re going to find yourself lusting after one of your own, and for Luxembourg-based Matilda Malmkvist, that came sooner when she took on her first project at the age of 16.
It nearly didn’t happen that way, though. Being brought up in Dubai, Matilda found herself surrounded by modern supercars and 4x4s and always dreamed of her own Hummer for blasting across the desert. But once back in Europe, the draw of something classic and Capri-shaped proved too strong, and she was soon on the hunt for her own restoration project.
And as first projects go, it’s fair to say that Matilda has struck gold — for this is no ordinary Capri. A Federal version, the Cologne 2.6-litre was brought over from the US by an American serviceman while on a tour of duty in neighbouring Belgium, and he was kind enough to leave the car there when he returned home — albeit in need of some heavy-duty TLC.
Now the Mk1 is well on the way to hitting the Autobunn once more — and thankfully without those US-spec bumpers. Read on to find out how Matilda is getting on with the project.
Where did you find the car?
We found it in Belgium — it’s an original US Capri left behind by a GI back in the 1980s.The first thing we did was to remove that hideous US-spec front bumper!
How bad was the bodywork?
It looked OK, but after having the car acid stripped in a bath, a considerable number of areas came to the fore as a result of years of corrosion — the usual weak areas on the Capri like the wing rails, lower sills and rear wheelarches had to be replaced as well as both A pillars.
Are you planning on making any changes?
Not really. We first planned out how we wanted to restore the car and I was interested in making it more of a race car, but after hours of drawing out sketches, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to keep it as original as possible. So the car will be original, right down to the interior, although the suspension has been upgraded to full 2.8i spec — including the brakes.
Are you changing the colour?
Yes, and deciding on which shade has been the hardest part of the rebuild so far. The car left the factory in Fox Brown, but was repainted in the 1990s in British Racing Green. Now it will shine in its new coats of Byron Blue — a Range Rover colour.
What about the engine?
The 2.6 Cologne has gone through a full rebuild, including lead-free heads, a fast road cam and a fully rebuilt Solex 35 carburettor.
When do you hope to have it finished?
I’d love to have it ready for the next show season in 2021 — fingers’ crossed!
I’ve been lucky enough to be around some supportive people with this project, including my stepfather, Patrick — working alongside him in the garage is always great fun, and he’s been incredibly patient and tolerant of my indecisiveness. Also my second family, Capri Friends Luxembourg (www.caprilux.eu) for their immense support and for welcoming me into the family, especially to Denis Welu and Pascale Gengler-Fischbach. Lastly, I’d like to thank my wonderful mother for enduring the countless hours of noise coming from the garage every day!
“THE COLOGNE V6 HAS GONE THROUGH A FULL REBUILD INCLUDING LEAD-FREE HEADS AND A FAST ROAD CAM”