Classic Ford Capri left forgotten in garage for more than 40 YEARS rediscovered… hidden by old mattresses
A CLASSIC Ford Capri has been re-discovered in a garage in London – having sat forgotten for some 40 years.
The much-loved model, which is a firm favourite among nostalgic petrolheads, was produced by the Blue Oval from 1968 until 1986 – selling nearly 1.9 million units in that period.
Naturally, classic Capris are hot property among collectors these days, and can sell for huge prices at specialist car auctions.
According to the How Rare is My Car website, there are still over 2,000 Capri models on the road in the UK.
But there are surely many stored away in garages or barns or left to the elements on drivewats – long forgotten and rotting away.
That includes a Capri recently unearthed by former Fifth Gear presenter Jonny Smith for his YouTube channel The Late Brake Show.
In the video, Jonny is joined by motorhead Panos Skordi, who’s owned a Capri 1600 since the mid-1980s but has kept it stored away in a garage ever since.
Panos revealed the motor was purchased new by his godmother in 1972, and he later acquired it from her in 1983.
Going into more detail, he reveals that he also owned a Triumph Stag as his “weekend car” alongside a Ford Sierra, and no longer needed to drive the aging Capri.
As a result, the motor was kept locked away in his garage for four decades – but has remained in surprisingly good condition albeit a bit of dust and a tower of old mattresses stored on its roof.
Finished in a gorgeous dark green colour and boasting classic tan interior, the Capri still looks the part.
But the main issues with the car run deeper, as the retro set of wheels has issues with its ignition.
Before attempting to fire up the classic after years of neglect, Jonny said: “I’m always a bit nervous and excited at this moment where we’ve got no idea if the engine is dead, the wiring is dead, it’s going to be seized.
“There are all kinds of variations to this experiment.
“I always disconnect the fuel line before I go for an initial turnover because what you desperately don’t want to do is drag old, sludgy fuel through the whole system, because once you do that you’ve opened a complete can of worms then.”
Despite Jonny’s best efforts, the Capri refuses to start and it’s concluded that it needs a few new components before it can run again.
However, having finally made its way out of the garage, the incredible motor is well on its way to hitting the road once again.
What’s more, as its in London, the classic motor is tax, MOT and ULEZ exempt.
This comes as the Capri model is all set for its grand revival – with Ford lining up a brand new model with its global unveiling happening tomorrow.
Ford have already kicked off their bizarre ad-campaign with former footballer Eric Cantona front-and-centre.
This came just days after the brand teased petrolheads with some first images.