Tips for the Body

Antenna

If your orginal stock antenna is missing, don't despair! A pretty-good replacement is available at your local Radio Shack. They market what they call a Universal 8-ball Antenna which looks remarkably like the stock Capri piece. The Radio Shack version is a little bigger, but it fits right in, and only a very sharp eye could spot the difference. The Radio Shack Catalog number of this antenna is: 12-1306

To contact the owner of this information E-Mail D. Wells

Cheap Wheels

You want something bigger than the stock 13 x 5s, but you don't want to spend the big bucks for BBS or MOMO or some other hi-tech aluminum wheel? Here is a cheap solution: Get four steel 14" wheels from a low end Mustang or other Fox platform car. The bolt pattern is exactly the same. Use lug nuts for the standard "Rostyle" 13 x 5 wheels. With 195/60 14 tires, the wheel diameter is exactly the same as the original 13" wheels with 185/70 13s, so your speedometer will still be correct. Add whatever wheel covers you like, to taste. Is it elegant? Not really. Does it work? Yes! The best part is that I paid top-dollar for the steel rims, and they still only cost me $80. Can't get one good aluminum rim for that..

To contact the owner of this information E-Mail D. Wells

1970-72 front strut cartridge substitution

Owners of 1970-72 Capris are no doubt painfully aware of the lack of good replacement front strut cartridges for these cars. There are several suppliers of cartridges for the 1973-77 Capri, but the later cartridges are different. It is possible to substitute the later strut cartridge, but there are several pitfalls that must be avoided. The most obvious problem is that the rod at the top of the later cartridges is larger in diameter, and it will not fit through the hole in the top strut mount. The easiest way around this problem is to substitute top mounts from a later Capri (I recommend substituting the later cranked retainers as well). The thread at the top of the rod is also different (Metric instead of English), but this is generally not a problem since new cartridges usually come with the proper nuts. The second potential pitfall is that the later strut cartridges may have a different length than the earlier ones. This can be avoided by using Bilstein cartridges. They have a wider range of travel, and can accommodate the slightly different length of the early strut tubes. Bilsteins are available from Team Blitz (see the Suppliers section). Unfortunately these cartridges are no longer in production, so when existing supplies are exhausted, that's it. I have heard Koni strut cartridges have a spacer at the bottom that can be inserted or removed as necessary to fit either early or late strut tubes, but I have no firsthand knowledge. KYB also produces a good cartridge for the 1973-77 Capri, but I do not know if it can be used in earlier struts. I would appreciate e-mail from anyone who has used either of these struts in a 1970-72 Capri. A final word: When you put everything back together MAKE SURE THE CRANKED RETAINERS ARE ORIENTED SO THEY FACE THE ENGINE, AS SHOWN IN THE SHOP MANUAL!!! If you do not do this, you WILL have all manner of weird and difficult to solve handling problems!

To contact the owner of this information E-Mail L. Wells

Front strut assembly modification

If you are changing struts cartridges, you may wish to add a large flat washer and some grease between the top spring plate and the top mount. This will reduce friction when the steering is turned. I had washers made from Nylatron (Nylon with molybdenum disulfide lubricant). Mine are 2-1/8" (55mm) in diameter (in hindsight a bit larger would probably have been better), with a 5/8" (16mm) center hole to clear the 1973-77 strut cartridge top rod; a 1/2" (13mm) center hole will work with 1970-72 strut cartridges. Thickness is about 0.040" (1mm). I used a bit of Silicone lube with these washers. Wheel bearing grease would probably be a better choice if metal washers are used. Steering effort was noticeably reduced after the washers were added. A final word: When you put everything back together MAKE SURE THE CRANKED RETAINERS AT THE TOP OF THE STRUTS ARE ORIENTED SO THEY FACE THE ENGINE, AS SHOWN IN THE SHOP MANUAL!!! If you do not do this, you WILL have all manner of weird and difficult to solve handling problems!

To contact the owner of this information E-Mail L. Wells

Bilstein Struts/Shocks

Although new Bilstein struts/shocks for the Capri are difficult to find, it usually is possible to rebuild old ones. The old ones must be returned to Bilstein first for inspection, and they will rebuild them if possible. They charge for the replacement of the seals, etc and the rod if the rod is damaged and requires replacement. You can contact Bilstein at:

Bilstein
Track Department
8845 Rechco Road
San Diego, CA 92121 USA
Phone No. 619-453-7723