18 replies to this topic

[Wise Old Elf]

I didn't expect too many replies from a Mini forum, wow.  Very informative.

Very nice pictures, surfblue -the Mk.2 is a great looking car.
 
But i'm under the impression that a late 80's era are the ones to go for? 

 

Mk1 69-74 for me.

[M J W J]

If you do get one please do not take any tips on restoring them from this guy.

 

(apologies for the title)

 

Someone please teach this guy to weld (see later episodes).

[surfblue63]

 

I didn't expect too many replies from a Mini forum, wow.  Very informative.

Very nice pictures, surfblue -the Mk.2 is a great looking car.
 
But i'm under the impression that a late 80's era are the ones to go for? 

 

Mk1 69-74 for me.

 

 

 

Me to. The Mk1s look much better than the later cars, but are more sort after and thus more expensive to buy.

 

My other favourite is a MK3 3000 S, just like Bonehead and Foyle had in the Professionals.

 

Edited by surfblue63, 01 September 2013 - 07:41 PM.

[Cooperman]

I had a Mk.1 Capri 3000 GXL as my day-to-day car from 1974 to 1975. It was a 12 month old ex-Ford management car (YOO212L) and was very good. I did improve the steering by welding support plates on the steering rack mounting, changing the steering shaft coupling for a better type, fitting Escort competition roll bar bushes and shortening the spacer in the roll bar to track control arm joint. I also fitted escort competition spring eye bushes and Janspeed rear radius arm bushes. I also fitted Bilstein front struts and SPAX rear dampers, plus moving the strut tops inboard very slightly to give slight front neg. camber. That car had super road-holding on Goodyear Rally Special close-pattern tyres, and with DS11 brake pads it stopped as well. The handling was quite Escort-like.

The 3000 GXL was one of the last of the Mk.1's and had the Granada 3000 engine, gearbox and clutch. which were all better than the early Mk.1 3000 GT.

0 - 60 was around 8.5 seconds, max speed was about 127 mph and overall fuel consumption was 21 mpg. At the time I was rallying in the Datsun 240Z and my Capri was very similar in overall performance to a standard 'Big Z'.

All-in-all a great car, which I sold and bought a 1973 Jaguar XJ6 Auto in 1975.