ITS STILL ALIVE

Just some video to let everyone know that the Capri is still alive and kickin'

CRANK IT UP!!!

My first attempt at uploading a video. Since my family doubts my Holley addition, I must resort to video proof, much like Bigfoot, to prove that it does exist.LATER...

DOUBLE PUMPER

There it is in all its glory. The Holley 650 double pumper.
I have spent the last several hours placing a new carburetor to help deliver a bit more fuel down the cylinders of the old Capri. Let me tell you...WOW... I need to get to the track, as I can feel the extra power it has given the Capri. I spent about an hour fixing all of the leaks that the damn thing had. I think I have it adjusted pretty good. It may take some time, but this thing really could add some speed down the track. Now if I can fix the brakes. LATER...

STILL WANNA SEE MY REAR???

It has been some time since I've taken the time to post about the Capri. The back is doing much better, but I still haven't been working on the car. I did realize that I never finished explaining the new item that is in the photo above. The suspense can now end for all of you hanging on the edge of your couch waiting to know what the hell is Paul doing now. What we have is what will soon go under the Capri and help me move down the track a little quicker. It is a 8.8 Ford differential loaded with 4.10 gears, Moser 31 spline axles, Moroso exrta-long wheel studs, and a Detroit Locker unit to finish it all up. Now the big task will be to drop out the old one and get the new one in. If you remember what a task it was to get the lower control arms out, this should be a SUPER FUN experience. LATER...

WILL IT EVER END???

It's been almost a year to the date since I was confined to my bed with a herniated disk. Guess what? Its happening again and its really making me mad. It has been acting up and its actually causing pain in my right leg this time, along with the lower back. When will it end? I'm just posting to keep everyone informed and included a picture of the Capri to tide you over. Who knows when I will get back to work on the car. I might just give up and forget the car stuff all together. I'M FRUSTRATED!!! I HATE PAIN!!!
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WARMING THINGS UP

Old man winter has arrived and I am behind the 8-ball, but I was able to get the shop a little warmer yesterday. I managed to put insulation in the pockets of the garage door. Its amazing the difference that made. You can put your hand on the doors and not feel the outside weather. My little propane heater raised the temp in the garage by 12 degrees on the low setting. When I get done doing some additional weatherproofing, I'm going to put that thing on high and see what it will do. It cranks out 80,000 BTU on the high setting. I won't get the ceiling complete, so I know lots of that heat is setting up in the rafters, but it stayed a comfortable 55 degrees. I'm thinking if I can keep a nice 50-60 degrees in the shop, I'll be getting several things done this winter.
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WORK SPACE ADDITION

What garage is complete without the "fridge?" Well, I have got mine now. It will continue to get decorated and more nostalgic as the years pass. Feel free to donate some beverages for the fridge. It could use some :)
I have been working on the Capri's brakes over the last several weeks. I'm converting over to manual brakes. I'm not sure if this is going to fix my braking issues, but its worth a try and it also helps lose 6 pounds with the removal of the power booster. I'll post more about that later.
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RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB

It's amazing what you can accomplish with the right tools. I managed to get the drivers side spring and shock done in a few hours vs. the 3 days spent on the passenger side. A BIG thanks to Wes from work who let me borrow his spring compressor. Mine sucked. Its now in the trash!!! The engineers at Ford still suck, but thanks to having a better spring compressor life was easier and my hands don't look like ground meat. I will now get the brakes converted to a manual set-up and see if anything falls off :)

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ANOTHER CLUE..CAN YOU SEE IT???

Just a quick post to keep the clues coming. You can enlarge the photo to get a better look. Have you put it all together yet?

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GEAR HEAD

Another clue before I take a break for several days. I am heading to Nashville for some training. So this is the last hint you'll get for about a week. LATER

A BIG HINT

Oh yeah! Are you starting to figure it out yet? I still have a ways to go and a few more hints to drop you, but I think these photos will give you a big hint. I remember when I was a young man and would attempt to "clean" things up. I basically would grab spray paint and start shooting. How wrong was I? It definitely pays to prep your stuff before painting. Clean it, scuff it, clean it again, prime it, tack it, and then shoot your color. It really doesn't take that much more time and you really get a better look.

SNEEK PEEK

Two posts in a row. I must be going crazy. I've got the bug again and I've been working late into the night working on the Capri. I figured over the next several weeks, I'll tease everyone with small photos of what will help launch the Capri down the track next season. The "M" in the center of the photo is a hint, as well as the extra long wheel studs. Those folks that know drag racing parts have already figured it out I'm sure. LATER...

ENGINEERS ARE DUMB

Yeah, I said it. The designers at Ford/Mercury are a bunch of retards. It takes a spring compressor, cutting wheel, breaker bar, pry bar, and a human body who's hands resemble ground chuck. Are you serious? I never ever want to change the front springs in a fox-body ever again and I'm not done. That was just one side. I will tackle the other side soon. I need to recover first. Well, I better get the performance that is claimed or I am going to be pissed!!! I installed drag springs, drag shocks (90/10) and new brake lines. The purpose of the springs and shocks are to transfer the weight to the rear of the car at "take-off" and the settle the front end back down quickly, so that you can boogie your way down the track more efficiently. Claims are .2 to .4. we shall see. LATER...

GOT THE BUG AGAIN

Its been a crazy time at work and I have had little or no time for myself. With that being said, I took the entire day off and went to the races. Just being there and watching the burn outs and smelling the race gas got me fired up to make sure I am getting this Capri back on schedule. LATER...

JUST A LITTLE MORE!!!

I've been working hard at work and not spending much time working on the car, but I've had time to sneak in the garage here and there. I have managed to remove another 6 pounds off the car. That's 721 pounds off the car now!!! I did this by taking off the wiper motor and the assembly. In doing this I noticed a crack in the windshield. HMMMM? I guess a lexan windshield replacement is coming, now that will be some weight savings. It looks like the Capri is getting closer and closer to becoming a full out drag car. LATER...

SOMEBODY STOP ME...PLEASE

Just a quick post. I have been busy at work with the new position and have not had much time to even relax. Anyway, here is a new hauler for the Capri. Its a 1996 Chevy Silverado C3500. It has the 454 BIG BLOCK and 4L80E transmission. Its has a lowered suspension with Air Ride "air bags". I spent about 8 hours scrubbing the trucks interior. I have changed the tranny fluid,oil and spark plugs. It runs great now, but there is a small "tick" in the motor and its driving me crazy trying to figure out what it is. My wife is going to shoot me soon if I don't empty out the driveway. It was cheap I couldn't pass it up. The only thing it needs is some good LOUD exhaust. Hey, that could drowned out the "tick" I have? LATER...

HAULER GETS OLD/NEW SHOES

In case you don't know your urban slang. "Shoes" means rims/tires. There are only several people than can appreciate this photo. I spent today polishing the old rims I had bought for the truck about 3 years ago. Where? On Ebay. Cheap!! Cheap!! I went and got new center caps and lug nuts to finish them off. Not bad looking I must say. I am going to stick with 275/60 15 for the tire size. The old 454ss trucks had those for tires and since I am doing a 350ss look, its only natural that I use some of the same parts the 454ss used. Just a quick update on things. LATER...
P.S. If you super size the photo, you can see me in the center cap. I love this new camera!!!

HAULER UPDATE

Now that I have the Capri mostly together. I figured of would give some time to the old pick-up that hauls it to the track. I have had the truck for about a year now and I have done nothing other than some bodywork. Well, this evening I received boxes of parts from Jegs and Summit Racing. The parts included a set of Rapid Fire AC Delco spark plugs, Hypertech distributor cap & rotor, Hypertech performance coil, Hypertech power charger, intake tube, and a K&N filter. Wow!!! What a difference. The truck starts immediately and the throttle really snaps on the old truck. The single 3" exhaust I did sounds much better now. The old rotor cap looked like a coral reef inside(very crusty). The truck will probably get much better gas mileage too. I also added a MONSTER TACH to the truck, so I can watch the RPM's when towing. It looks cool. It was dark, so I'll take a picture at a later date. Oh, I also added some tunes to the truck, so that I can have something to listen to on the way to the track. The pictures give you an idea. LATER...

CUTTING THE WEIGHT

Ok, I almost lost track of the weight loss so far with the Capri. Believe it or not the "bubble" hatch weighed less than the Mustang hatch. I have not updated the weight loss since I switched out to an electric fan. Based on my calculations, I have lost about 715 pounds off the Capri. Most Capri's and Mustangs weighed about 3500 pounds from the factory. That should put the Capri at about 2785. I think KCIR might have a scale. I need to check that out. LATER...

STOP CALLING IT A MUSTANG!!!

I had some help today and man I wish I had help like this all of the time. Thanks to Mitch (nephew in-law) and his brother Joey, we managed to get the "bubble" on. I included some pictures. Oh, and for you out there in weight savings land. The bubble hatch is lighter!!! I'll post a weight loss total soon.