I'm looking at rebuilding the front end on my '70 Capri and I see that different strut inserts are listed for '70-72 compared to the later cars. Does anyone know what changed? My car had already been modified so I don't know whether it has the early or late style struts.
Front strut cartridge diameter changed with the facelift on the mk1's. Laters = larger.
My '73 had been wrecked and a '72 strut was on the passenger side. I had to get the '73 strut fixed (the cartridge slides out) so that it could be used with the new strut cartridges in.
I do not know the diameter of any of this, just the general info. I think they're about 1/2 an inch in diameter different before/after the change. Everything else like the brakes and such seemed to be the same.
Thanks. Would it be beneficial to go with the later struts if I can find some?
In reply to Racingsnake :
Seeing as '73's were the most sold year of these cars for the USA (and I think rest of world as well) it might be easier to source parts for the 73-74 cars in general, struts included. I doubt that you'd notice a big improvement with the later parts though. The front suspension on these cars is not exactly optimally designed and executed. I'd like to think that finding a pair of the later struts needing rebuilding shouldn't be too hard if you know where to look but I don't know if I would bother if you can find decent inserts for the earlier cars.
It looks like there are more options available for the '73 up and I think a friend has a spare set so probably worth me getting them to rebuild. Agreed on the front suspension not being a great design, might investigate compression or tension struts and changing the sway bar mounting in the future but for now I just want to keep it simple and get it on the road.
What I wondered about is swapping the control arms side to side and running a trailing rod, which I guess would be in tension, from a point added in front of each wheel. Then creating a new swaybar setup; you can weld on the strut housing safely once the guts are removed so that simplifies things a little.
Or find a way to graft a different front subframe into the car, which has a certain ring to it as well...
Racingsnake said:It looks like there are more options available for the '73 up and I think a friend has a spare set so probably worth me getting them to rebuild. Agreed on the front suspension not being a great design, might investigate compression or tension struts and changing the sway bar mounting in the future but for now I just want to keep it simple and get it on the road.
It's the same front end as possibly the most popular rally car in the world, it has its foibles but they have all been sorted.
Something in the back of my mind says that all US-bound Capris were made in West Germany (Cologne/Köln?) while a lot of other countries got Capris made in England, and the two are different cars: different engines, standard vs metric fasteners. I wonder what that does for buying parts from overseas.
A 2000 or 2600 Capri is on my bucket list, and with a list like that I am going to live forever.
pres589 (djronnebaum) said:What I wondered about is swapping the control arms side to side and running a trailing rod, which I guess would be in tension, from a point added in front of each wheel. Then creating a new swaybar setup; you can weld on the strut housing safely once the guts are removed so that simplifies things a little.
£120 plus shipping from Compbrake.
One of a bazillion different setups for the Mk1. And I realize now that the picture is not loading and that link will be bad because they contain a backwards trocse.
I've never heard that Dagenham produced Capri's used different fasteners. The Capri mk1 was designed in England; I've never heard that they were substantially different besides engines and transmissions offered in the mk1's as well as minor trim differences (flat hoods, square-ish headlights vs. twin rounds on each side, etc).
I would also like another mk1 Capri for a project.
My '71 is modified to use a locating link at the rear, and still uses the sway bar at the front. It uses a sleeve for coil over springs, and IIRC the control arms are flipped. I honestly don't know all the details on the parts, as the car was modified when I bought it and I haven't delved into the front suspension yet, as there are other items that needed attention first.
You guys are making me jealous. I may need to roll up my sleeves and find a non-catastrophically rusted '73 Capri soon.
JoeTR6 said:You guys are making me jealous. I may need to roll up my sleeves and find a non-catastrophically rusted '73 Capri soon.
Don't, for your sanity's sake. I saw exactly one Capri for sale nationwide and they want something like $75k.
.....yeah.
Granted, it is a special edition '72, but still.
There's a couple of US Capri groups on FB, and decent cars show up there for sale periodically, and usually at reasonable prices. That said, like everything else, values are up. If you want a nice car, you're going to pay for it. One problem with Capris, is there aren't a lot of cars for sale in the large void between "project" and "fully restored".
$75k is pretty silly for a Capri that doesn't have significant racing provenance...
$75k is ludicrous money for a Capri short of historied race cars. Like cars that get rolled out once a year for Goodwood.
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