Got a phone call from a chap we know who runs a garage on a nearby industrial estate yesterday, said better come down as the non-ferrous specialist scrapyard guy up the road had a mint looking capri 'shell on his skip wagon!

Popped down, thinking, yea, it'll be "rust in all the usual places", and a bit of pigeon poo covering it all up...........

Err...no! Not one spot of rot anywhere, never been welded, anywhere, and no welding needed! Original ford front wings with absolutely no rot anywhere, not one bit underneath either. Doors are as-new, as it bonnet and tailgate......

Suffice to say, we bought it FAST as a big crowd and a lot of mobile phones were getting busy!!

Its now safely tucked away, while we try to decide what to do with it. Both the jacking points at the front have been dented a bit, so they need replacing, and there is a small dent in the lower front valance, but other than that there is no repair work required.

My current plan is to hold onto it for a couple of years, I think, then when time allows, get it phos-stripped, zinc phosphate dipped and e-coated, and its basically a new 'shell, at which point I think it'll be worth a fair bit (you'd spend £4k on panels to get one as good)

The other thought would be to advertise it as a basis for a project, but it would need to be a serious budget one to really justify using a 'shell this good!

I always read of this sort of thing in magazines and on forums, and given that I work with cars all day every day, did start to wonder "why does that never happen to me", and now it has!

Anyway, if anybody wants a capri building, let me know!

Is it a mk3 shell?

I am looking for a good Mk1 Capri. Might be of interest.

I take it its got enough ID on it to get another logbook ?

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Originally posted by mcerd1
I take it its got enough ID on it to get another logbook ?

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Its a mk3

It has the VIN on it still, and I have the address of the chap who the scrap dealer got it off. He's not your usual "travelling" scrap merchant, and he reckons he has collected a rather good car in the past from the same chap. The capri shell is probably 75% prepped for paint. Last time the reason for scrapping was birth of first child and too many projects on the go. This time I reckon, reading between the lines, that it was a "me or the car" statement from his mrs!

I won't be applying for a logbook, unless a prospective buyer wants me to, as it will most likely be used for a future re-shell of something, say a Brooklands or Tickford, for example.

(PS it has not got the v6 body reinforcements, but again the 'shell would be built to required spec before dipping.)

I'd apply for the logbook anyway Nat just in case it grabs a 'scratch-builders' eye.

Then again if you was to whack a whole chunk of Focus/Mondeo parts underneath wouldn't you be eligable for a new reg?

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Originally posted by Ninehigh
Then again if you was to whack a whole chunk of Focus/Mondeo parts underneath wouldn't you be eligable for a new reg?

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I think for the minute it can sit in storage...safer investment than a bank lol!!!

pics!!!

When I get chance will get some, but it's tucked in the corner of a unit now and tricky to get around for photos of the bits that actually matter!

Sounds awesome and look forward to seeing the pics.

Sadly you cant legally use it to reshell a car, as youd have to use the ID of the monocoque. You also cant get it on a new reg.

How the law stands on hypothetically separating the new shell into "donor panels" and then replacing every panel on a rusty shell one by one to leave just the ID, no one can say for sure