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News Archive 2019

Latest News April 2019

So the clocks have changed and it is time to get the Capri out from her Winter resting place.  The car has been wiped down and buffed and looks great in the spring sunshine.  With the trickle charger on all over winter she started up after a few turns of the key to get some fuel into the carb.  So far so good everything seems to be working fine.

I have noticed that one of my headlamp bulbs has blown - I thought it was a bit dark driving home the other night.  So I’ve got some on order.  The offside repeater isn’t flashing either but this is a regular problem requiring just a bit of cleaning on the contacts.

The only other issue  I’ve noticed is one of the clock bulbs isn’t working - again this is most likely just a clean up job to get her working again.

The Capri has been extensively photographed for the insurance agreed valuation - something I have to do every year.  The MOT isn’t due until mid May so now it is just a case of enjoying driving here again.

I think I might removed the expansion tank and try to get it clean as it is full of brown stains.  Apparently you need some marbles or gravel to swill around and get into all the nooks and crannies.  I’ll have to have a think about that.

Latest News July 2019

The radiator expansion tank was removed of the Capri and  I managed to clean it using a combination of ceramic beads, dishwasher tablet and a baby bottle brush.  It actually came up looking as good as new and really improves the look of the engine bay now.

The clock bulb was replaced - I got it in Halfords and was told that it was the last one they had in the entire Company and was now obsolete.  It is a very small bulb!

After several weeks of spring driving I suddenly experienced a problem with the brakes.  Whilst at walking pace I touched the brakes and there was a nasty hiss and the peddle dropped about an inch under my foot.  The brakes were still coming on and were still sharp but there was clearly something wrong.  The other thing was that it was affecting the engine tick-over as well.  I know exactly what the problem was - the vacuum servo on the brakes had either failed or had sprung a vacuum leak.  This was allowing air to get into the engine manifold and was disrupting the mixture.

As this is not really a home mechanic service part I called a company called Contract Auto Engineering Ltd who specialise in this work.  They told me that as long as the Bakelite piston was in good condition it would be serviced.  It seems these are no longer manufactured and are causing concern as stocks vanish.  Sounds prefect for someone to produce them by 3D printing?

The brake servo has been fully rebuilt and tested and has just arrived back here ready for refitting to the car.  It is important they are adjusted by someone who knows what they are doing - the position of the pin in relation to the back of the piston on the master cylinder is important otherwise you risk running around with your brakes permanently on slightly!  So I will let you know the outcome!

Latest News September 2019

The newly refurbished brake servo has been fitted and the brakes are working really well again. Happy days.

I have just attended the Classic Affair Car show held at Hemmingford Grey Pavilion on the 31st August.  This was organised by hazel and Paul Quest of Quest Brothers who restored the Capri.  Stared just four years ago the event has grown into a 200 car show.  Lots of amazing vehicles to look at but I was the only Capri surprisingly.  The Laser was all cleaned and polished and looked really good in the Autumn sunshine.  Thankfully the weather was mostly nice all day and it only started to rain just a everyone was leaving late in the afternoon.

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Latest News December 2019

With the short days and long nights arriving it was time to once again get the Capri ready for Winter storage.  Before this I decided to get the wheels balanced as I had noticed a bit of steering wheel wobble at 60mph.  However with the new A14 road mess around us this year it is practically impossible to go at this speed anywhere nearby for the time being!  The balancing revealed that one of the alloys was slightly buckled and wouldn’t balance properly.  I’m not sure how this happened and there isn’t any visible damage but for the time being, that wheel has been moved to the rear where it is not noticeable.  Something to take a look at in the New Year.

The other issue to be addressed was a continuous dampness in the rear foot wells - mainly on the driver’s side.  After a bit of investigation I decided the cause was the old door seal, so I’ve bought a new one from East Kent trim supply which seems to fit nicely although the door is now a bugger to close properly without a firm slam shut.  I have got the door shut tight in storage so we’ll see if that has flattened the seal a bit in the New Year.  I have to say though that the damp carpet is a thing of the past.  So impressed in fact that I’ve just ordered another seal for the nearside door as well.  Although not as wet as my side it is now clear that one side is bone dry and one is slightly moist.  That has already arrived and will be fitted in January.

So the car is now in a nice warm winter garage until the days get warmer again.  Normally she will stay under cover until the clocks change in the spring.  I use a trickle charger on the battery to keep the car in good shape and she has her cover on to keep the dust away.  I think she will need a bit of a professional polish in the new year as after four years the new paint has lost a bit of its sparkle.

I just got my insurance renewal from Lancaster which has gone up from £112.97 to £185.47 so when I protested they reduced it to £120 which is more like it.  For that  get 3000 miles fully comprehensive and it includes breakdown cover and an agreed value of £12K subject to photos being submitted annually.  Note that a lot of people will get a renewal for £185.47 because as they explained to me it is their “policy minimum” that I automatically applied so it is definitely worth calling and arguing with them.  Lancaster’s headquarters are actually just over a mile from my house so I can visit them in person!

All that remains s to wish everyone a Happy New decade!