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Friday 13:00 - Capri 2.8i, white, A-reg, MoT, taxed, well maintained, recent new engine and rear springs, just serviced, £800 ono
I so nearly don't get to see this car, or this keyboard for that matter. On the way to Lynton on the north Devon coast I make a wrong turn and end up on the Porlock Hill toll road. Normally, I expect, quite a nice stretch, in mid-January it's treacherous. With hairpin bends and a sheer drop on one side, black ice threatens to throw us over the edge on a number of occasions (mental note to self: come back when it's dry). Arriving at the hotel where the owner of this injection, Alan Driver, works, I get out of the car visibly shaking.
Fortunately, Big Al's forthcoming with the tea and I'm soon poring over the Car-pri. 2.8is have the potential to be such great track-day cars that I'm amazed there aren't more out there. They've got all the right bits to start with, that Cologne motor puts out 150 bhp as standard, and the leaf-sprung, rear-wheel-drive chassis means you can kick the tail out at a flick of the wrist. Plus there are always plenty of cheap ones for sale.
Big Al's two-eight is typical of this price range - tired and in need of some tic, but basically all there. It's an early five-speeder with more miles than I care to mention, but the engine was replaced 6000 miles ago and sounds fine. The nearside door is an odd colour (replaced apparently because the original one's hinges seized), the rear sits a bit high and elsewhere there are one or two scabby bits, but the paint looks largely original. Peering underneath, though, I spot a hole in the chassis rail near the fuel tank.
On the plus side, there's a stack of bills to show that Al's cared for the Capri and it failed the last MoT on just a split wiper blade.
Tempting at this price, but we're not done yet.
Good
Low-miles motor
Basically solid
Cheap
Bad
Odd-coloured door
Needs welding
Rear sits too high
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