The Scuttle Panel
Anyone who owns an old Capri will know that the scuttle panel corners are very prone to rust because the windscreen seal slowly hardens and fails over time, allowing rain water to penetrate the metal of the scuttle below. The scuttle panel that runs across the bottom of the screen is a complicated shaped piece of metal. Mine was rotten in both corners and it was decided that the best option was to try and obtain a second hand one in good condition that could be used as a repair. As it happened I spotted one for sale on Ebay and it turned out it was owned by Alan Jarvis of AJS Capri spares. Alan has been selling and breaking Capri's and parts for as long as I’ve owned one.
After a few conversations it was agreed that I would drive up to Nottingham to visit Alan. He has an Aladdin’s Cave of very rare and beautiful Capris, including a low mileage 280, a rare MK2 3Lt, several 2.8 Injections and a couple of MK1s. His pride and joy is a completely original MK1 3L GXL resplendent in orange and chrome. I’d hate to guess how much they are all worth; a truly magnificent collection which I feel privileged to have seen.
Alan had a completely rust free scuttle panel still on the firewall in metallic blue. It was huge and very heavy and only just fitted in the back of the A6. So after a cup of tea and a bit of a chat I was on my way back to St Ives to show Dennis my purchase.
The plan was to cut away only the end sections and keep the middle part on the car as it was in good condition. Then cut repair sections off the new panel and weld them in to place. Turned out to be a slow tricky job as the metal underneath was also badly corroded but it looked great after a lot of welding, grinding and fettling….
Front wheel arches rot so make sure inner protective guards are in place
Front wheel arches rot so make sure inner protective guards are in place
This 
web page is owned
and operated by Mark Swetnam
Keeping 'The Legend Alive' on the World Wide Web since 1995!
Careful alignment and gentle tack welding is required to get a repair that is undistorted
After fettling and smoothing, etch primer and undercoat is applied and the repair is completely seamless
Repair section welded in place (aligned using the wings fitted) and blended in with the original metal using a skim of filler
Top skin removed revealed even more rot that required cutting and welding followed by Waxoyl injection
Both sides of the scuttle were badly corroded and a repair in situ is very tricky. These have been patched many times before!
My new scuttle panel in metallic blue and more importantly completely rust free
