The Red Capri - Introduction

This is the story behind my latest Capri restoration project.
I was asked at one of our club meetings if I was interested in assisting a person restore his Capri that had been sitting under his house for some 18 years. I had previously completed two Capri restorations on my own cars & the story of one can be seen at
http://my70fordcapri.blogspot.com/ 
Initially I was not interested & after several weeks I decided that I had time for a new project & decided to have a look. By the way, I am retired and relatively free of the normal comitments that many restorers have. 
The initial inspection did not help very much as the car was parked in a fairly dark garage and there were many parts spread over several areas. The car was the result of parts from a previously damaged Capri being transplanted onto a newly painted (many years ago) Monza Red Capri shell. The major mechanical work had been done eg. 1600 engine, gearbox & drivetrain, front & rear suspension, most exterior body trim including bumpers & side windows. 
Another person had almost completely rewired the car but had unfortunately not completed the task & had not left any instructions. The interior of the car was completely stripped apart from the GT dashboard which had been installed.
I was not really enthused and I could not really see if there was any rust in the body. There were a few minor spots on some body panels. I indicated to the owner that I would think about it for a few days.
After several days & a few discussions with my more sensible partner, I phoned the owner & indicated that I would need to see the car in better light before I could really make a decision. He agreed to moving the car out of his garage, enabling me to get a good look at it. Unfortunately in pulling the car out, the rear bumper was pulled off damaging the bumper & some rear panel work. The car had also been hosed down which made it look a little better. Surprisingly, the door pillars seemed rust free & I did not notice any major rust areas.
I then decided I would go ahead with the job provided we could agree on some conditions. I put together a simple written agreement indicating that the work would be done at my house with parts paid for by the owner & a small hourly rate be charged. Work & hours would be documented & invoiced each fortnight. Either party could terminate the agreement at any time. I also advised the owner that such projects always took longer & cost a lot more than one orginally estimated. Famous last words! He agreed & that is how it all began.