Part 13 - The Hard Bits!

Some very helpful people.

1. AJ, a member of the Capri Club, who was very helpful with his supply of hard to get parts. Without these I would not have been able to finish the car.
2. My neighbour, KH, a retired panel beater & a font of knowledge of all things mechanical. He helped me in fitting the roof lining and gave me good advice about numerous problems.
3. The guys at Autobarn, MacGregor, who were always helpful & if they didn’t have the part would get it in very quickly, sometimes the same day.
4. Trevor from All Brake & Clutch at Rocklea. He helped me numerous times and has a great knowledge of all old brake systems. His prices are good and he is very prompt with completing jobs.
5. I must also thank my very patient wife who was somewhat deserted & neglected during several weeks. Despite this, she put up with my complaints & grumbling & encouraged me to finish the project.

Things that I either found difficult or didn’t really like doing!

1. Replacing the brake booster. You need to be an acrobat with long fingers with lights in the end of them. Also best done with all trim out, steering wheel off  & no front seats in.
2. Anything to do with the windscreen wiper mechanism.  Again, you need to be an acrobat & like working upside down under the Capri dashboard.
3. Trying to work out the wiring on this particular Capri.  As I have mentioned in my blog, this was not easy & trying to accommodate all the changes in a small area under the dash wasn’t much fun.
4. Replacing the engine welch plugs.  Not the easiest job with the engine in, but not impossible.
5. Extracting broken engine bolts.  Even though I took it very carefully, I still broke one of the inlet studs. Getting it out was not my favourite job!
6. Getting the corners of the roof lining tight.  This took a few goes to get correct but you are always worried that you might tear or piece the new lining.
7. Fitting the sun visors, interior mirror & grab handles over the new roof lining.  Again, one is always concerned about making holes in the wrong places & I am very good at doing that!
8. Repairers who don’t do a good job. I returned one particular part three times & still it wasn’t correct so I took it elsewhere & it was fixed the first time.
9. Inserting the windscreen locking strip.  Despite all the tips & advice, I always find this very difficult & my fingers are stiff for days afterwards.
10. Getting the door windows to sit on their tracks correctly. You think you have them sitting in place, wind the window up & down it slips. Again, you need skinny arms & fingers with lights on the end of them.
11. Taking out & replacing the fuel tank.  Always fun, but after doing it quite a few times, I am getting better at it & my back doesn’t suffer too much!
12. Finding holes in the transmission tunnel through several layers of underfelt & carpet.Even using all the tricks & poking things up the other way, it sometimes can be very frustrating.

But, it’s all worth it, isn’t it?