Practical Classic Restoration show  March 31st - April 2nd

 

What a great show this has turned into.    We had quite a large stand to fill so arranged for  6 cars to be on show. However on the day we were down to 4 as 2 failed to make it to the show.  One owner found that his car that had run so reliably for years stopped dead and refused to start again.  He made frantic attempts to sort out the problem but had to admit defeat.  another car had a radiator core fail - it was too late to be able to replace it.

But we still had 4 interesting Capri's on show.

 

A 3000E that had been bought in 1979,  after being used as a get away car in a bank raid, has been languishing in a barn since purchase and there it had slowly got rustier and dirtier, waiting for the day it would be restored.   It was bought out for the first time since 1979.   In all those years it had not been fired up at all.  After evicting a family of mice from the engine bay the owner set to to get the car fired up, a few tweaks and turns as well as fresh fuel in the carb bought the engine to life. The owner was able to drive it into the show, it was also fired up and driven onto the trailer at the end of the show, much to the surprise of onlookers.

 

Another Capri -  an ongoing project that has been serialised in the club magazine is a 3000Lt GXL, it was on the club stand bo last year too as  a work in progress.  The body work has been extensive as the rust worm had got into everything but with many hours of hard work it is looking  pretty good now,  and is moving ever nearer to the refitting of components  -  the interesting bit.

This car was also being worked on during the show, the owner and his son undertook to rub back the body to get a smooth even finish ready for the primer coat of paint. 

 

Our totally complete and concours car was a V8 Perana muscle car built in South Africa by Basil Green Motors.

This one was possibly one of the first imported to this country back in 1982, and bought by its present owner in 1988.  the car has been well maintained and looked after in all these years.

 

 

Our final car was the Ford prepared GXL racing machine found in recent years in a bricked up in a garage.  Painted white it looked anything but what it really is.  The new owner has worked very hard to give it a sympathetic makeover bringing it back to its racing livery and restored engine.  An extremely rare beast.  Driven by HRH Prince Michael of Kent in the first Tour of Britain and being driven for fords by the famous Tom Walkinshaw.  The first person we met at the show on set up had actually worked for Tom and recognised the Capri immediately - what a lot there was to talk about.  Its little wonder we were probably the last club to leave on set up night.

 

There were several other Capri's dotted around the show halls, some Mk3's for sale and some in need of restoration.

 

We were in hall 7 on the edge of the show but we had plenty of footfall.  People seemed to be making straight for the hall to start their tour and on seeing the Capri's stopping to spend time poring over the cars. 

 

Silverstone auctions had an awful lot of cars to sell this year, it was held over two days.  Amongst the lots  was a Mk1 Capri that was painted in Gunston racing colours - orange and brown.  It was expected to make between £10000-£15000.

 

Trade stalls seemed to be very busy with plenty of people milling about, even one or two Capri bits about on looking closely

 

The show has grown so much and is so interesting with barn finds and restoration work being undertaken on club stands as well as the Pride of Ownership with pristine cars.   Well worth a visit.