Engines Wheels Metal and Speed
Pictures and updates of my Capri
After having black wheels on the Capri since I pretty much first got it, I thought it was time for a change, try and brighten things up a bit and mainly to stop hiding all the lovely dish that you couldn’t really see because it was all black and shadows.
In my typically pikey way out came the spray cans (a lovely shade of ‘dark grey steel wheel paint’) and now I present for the first time in about 5 years my POS with silver wheels!
It is taking some getting used to I can tell you that!
The other day I was lucky enough to have a few pictures taken of my POS by ace snapper dude Tom Edge (who I have talked about before). We did a bit of driving on some awesome roads, we then did a bit of driving on some not so awesome and bumpy roads and I also thought I was in Halfords car park for a minute when I decided to do a bit of a burnout…
It was pretty sweet times and it was done for his FMP Project, hence the one of me in it looking stupid. They have all been posted up on the SWDubs blog first but seeming as though it is my car I thought I’d also put them up here as well. I am literally counting the days to the first show of the summer season now, bring on camping, BBQ’s and cars!
Anyway pictures… Enjoy!
So after a week or so of the whole country having snow we finally have some down here in the South West! So obviously that means I have to do the mandatory snowy car pictures…
We still haven’t actually got that much but it does mean people can’t drive already. I watched as a Passat skidded all the way down my hill while I just cringed he didn’t hit my car. I think when I get home from work I shall be moving it!
The kids have already started scraping it off. Good job I don’t have nice paint I don’t want to be scratched!
Oh how I wish I wasn’t in work right now and I could go play!
So this weekend me and a few mates set off on our annual trip to Santa Pod to watch some awesome drag racing and check out the Retro Show. The actual Show was on the Sunday (18th July) but the Saturday is also a normal RWYB day and they have a camping ground open for people on the Saturday night so we went for the weekend.
We left on the 200+ mile trip at around 10am on the Saturday and had a little convoy of 3 cars between the six of us that went up. Unfortunately (a rather comical) rally look Skoda Felicia decided it didn’t much like its gearbox any more a few days prior to the show and this meant the convoy consisted of a new Suzuki Swift as well as a Mk3 Capri and A Mk1 Golf.
MK3 Capri
MK1 Golf
I'm in your mirror, stalking you!
Caravans - The bane of Motorway driving!
The road to Santa Pod was a bit of a...
After a loud but fun journey that consisted of a whole load of waves and thumbs up from passers by we rolled into the lanes getting into Santa Pod. Ah the lanes to Santa Pod… Oh how we have our fun, the last time I drove on them a couple years ago in my car, I Somehow managed to do a lovely pirouette and end up sat facing a Merc who was originally driving behind me. I’m still not sure how I managed that, I was just at cruising speed following traffic! It really doesn’t say much for a Capri’s handling capabilities… Well anyway this year my car handles a lot better and I had no such trouble with random spins but it is now sufficiently low and stiff enough that I did smash my exhaust into the floor on more than a few occasions. I wonder what will happen next year? My engine will probably fall out or catch fire.
Setting up our tents in the camping field was a relatively simple affair, the amount I camp these days means the usual camping shenanigans are mostly passed over and I can just leave it down to my radiator deciding it wants to spray a load of my water on the floor or having a mk1 Golfs door get caught by the wind and giving my car a little cuddle to keep me entertained instead. Good times.
Heading over to set up a nice little drinking station on the hill beside the strip we watched some very fast RWYB car’s competing and even saw a few EPC cars getting a little bit of practice in. Some very fast Corsa’s shocked me into not dismissing them all as the local McDonald’s car park crew in the future! The 4wd Mk1 Golf was very, very cool and we made sure we had a very good look around it in the pits that evening… “Work of Art” is the only way to describe it!
Then it was back to the tents for a little bit more drinking, a bit of BBQ-ing and a little bit of frisbee before more drinks and finally trying to get some shut eye for the days show ahead.
The Sunday morning rolled around and campers started appearing from their tents bleary eyed and heavy headed, a quick stroll over to the pit area to use the toilets and get a hot cuppa from one of the food vans and its time to start another BBQ and get some bacon rolls on the go! After all the delicious bacon it was time to go and find our way onto the Retro Rides stand and park up for the day.
The RR stand was a very cool collection of some very different cars ranging from a Granada on air to a hardslammed Hillman Minx Estate (that I have drooled over on here before!) and even full drag spec V8 Firenza! A massive thanks to forum member “Hardcore” for organising the stand and for letting us park up with the RR crew!
'That' Minx
Mean looking Firenza
Slammed Jetta on the RR stand
Very cool Arched 4dr Nova on the RR stand
After parking up and taking our first quick look around we decided to sit up on the grandstand for a bit and watch some more racing. The EPC boys were doing knock out stages, with first past the line wins rules, that made for some brilliant racing and some shocking upsets! The RWYB didn’t disappoint either with the most eclectic mix of cars racing you will ever see!
Morris Minor... Doing a wheelie!
Motor Psycho!
Tyres gripping hard!
Very quick Hot Rod
Escort V Capri
The Santa Pod jet car was there as usual and put on an amazing show with all the loud bangs and flames you could ever want but there was also a rather special Pro Mod Zephyr that managed to get a bit out of shape with a mental wheelie that left only one wheel on the ground! Luckily no major damage was done and the team behind it seemed happy to have at least given everyone a bit of a special show.
Up, Up and Away!
Don't think I want their job...
A jet powered car... The fools!
For the first time since I’ve been going to Santa Pod, I also managed to see a Top Fuel Funny Car do a little run up the strip and even though it was only a couple half pass ‘practice’ runs, the noise, speed and fury of a Top Fueler is astonishing and it has made me really want to go to watch a proper competitive top fuel event.
This was VERY loud!
Off the track there was still loads to see with some amazing stands including one of my favourites the Old Skool Ford stand, which has some amazingly well turned out cars and a show & shine area that had over 60 entries. The overall show & shine winner was Lee Proctor in a simply stunning Mk1 Escort that had a slightly different Vauxhall engine in. I did find there seemed to be a distinct lack of vans at the show this year with hardly a VW camper in sight, although the Toyota Hiace on our stand looked pretty sweet!
Show and Shine winning Mk1 Escort
Normal bikes will just not cut the mustard in the retro scene!
clean Alpina next to the A Team van
Retro Cars Magazine's Mk1 Polo
Rayvern hydraulics sunny wagon that was for sale
Very clean Nova saloon
Low Mk2 Escort on Turbos
I also managed to catch a little drift demo by the awesome retro drift team Morleysport. Seeing three Mk2 Escorts and two mk1 Starlets drifting in perfect harmony and just as well as any modern high power high money Japanese car really put a smile on my face and then when I saw that two of the cars still had Pinto’s in it got me very excited indeed.
MorleySport Drift Team
Pinto engined Starlet
So after we had exhausted our eyes and ears with the sights and sounds that Santa Pod had to offer we packed up our tents and began the journey home. This included more waves and even a guy following us for ages and pulling into a services after us to have a look and say nice car!
Exhausted and on the way home
What motorways should look like!
So overall it was an amazing weekend as usual and it just makes me sad that I’m not at Santa Pod every weekend! Bring on next year!
Massive thanks to everyone who took the stunning pictures, I wanted to put them all up but I had to just choose a few so look through all the galleries by people in the links below!
Main photos via David Tapp’s Flickr
Zephyr, Jet Car and Shockwave pics via Seth on RR
Firenza, show winning mk1 escort and Minx pictures Via Octagonpaul on RR
Drifting Pictures Via Mick The Cabbie on OSF
Tags: Auto racing, Camping, Drag racing, Motorsports, Santa Pod Raceway, Suzuki Swift
Just because my car is in such a sorry state at the moment, needing a new cylinder head and more lows, I thought I would show you the car’s Before and After pictures from the years I have had it.
BEFORE
AFTER
Still so much to do….
(BTW you can follow more recent updates on my Capri by going to ‘The Rust N Bones Capri‘ category)
This weekend is the Retro Rides gathering for 2009. I missed last years gathering at the Heritage Motor Centre, which I was absolutely gutted about, because the first ever RR show in 2007 at Mallory Park was such a great weekend. I havent managed to get my car to any of them yet so this year was going to be a big show for me.
My cars been missfiring for ages now and over the last couple of weeks I along with a good friend, have been desperately trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with it! Its now 3 days before the show and we have come to the conclusion that the many years of killing my valve seats with unleaded petrol my head has finally said ‘nah mate, you can stop feeding me that shite petrol right now!’
Looks like I wont be going in my own car then 
I was tempted to get weekend van hire and make my car a show queen. I mean I would be gutted if I had to drive my car on the dirty roads! Its far to clean and shiny for that…..
Anyway have a picture of my car looking sorry for itself
1972 Ford Capri RS 2600
Compton
(via Hot Rods Barn fresh A…)
