Car lover spends seven years turning 1969 MK1 Ford Capri into collectible worth £14,000

A car enthusiast has dedicated seven years of his life to restoring the unassuming Ford Capri he brought almost 30 years ago – and it’s now one of the oldest of its kind.

Chris Taylor, 48, bought the now-vintage model in 1990, when he was just 20 and intended to just use it as a daily ‘runner’ car.

The mk1 Ford Capri 2000 GT XL spent almost a decade unused, sitting first in a garage and then left in a field for five years.

Chris Taylor (pictured with his mk1 Ford Capri 2000 GT XL), 48, bought the now-vintage model in 1990, when he was just 20 and intended to just use it as a daily ‘runner’ car. But now, almost 30 years ago he has restored the vehicle and it’s worth £14,000

Mr Taylor's 'pre-facelift' model - the mk1 Ford Capri 2000 GT XL - is much rarer and harder to come by than the more popular 'facelift' mk2 and mk3 Capris that Ford manufactured in the 1970s

Mr Taylor’s ‘pre-facelift’ model – the mk1 Ford Capri 2000 GT XL – is much rarer and harder to come by than the more popular ‘facelift’ mk2 and mk3 Capris that Ford manufactured in the 1970s

The work has taken Mr Taylor and his friend, classic car enthusiast Lee Reynolds, seven years to complete. A new vinyl roof has been added, the engine (pictured) totally remade and the upholstery redone

The work has taken Mr Taylor and his friend, classic car enthusiast Lee Reynolds, seven years to complete. A new vinyl roof has been added, the engine (pictured) totally remade and the upholstery redone

When Mr Taylor and Mr Reynolds first started restoring the car it was basically a shell and so they had to go through a lot of boxes and find all the pieces. Mr Taylor recalled that many were also in tins - and although most of them were labelled, some had worn of

When Mr Taylor and Mr Reynolds first started restoring the car it was basically a shell and so they had to go through a lot of boxes and find all the pieces. Mr Taylor recalled that many were also in tins – and although most of them were labelled, some had worn of

But now, the 1969 model is approaching its big 50th anniversary next year – making it one of the oldest in the UK.

Mr Taylor’s ‘pre-facelift’ mk1 model is much rarer and harder to come by than the more popular ‘facelift’ mk2 and mk3 Capris that Ford manufactured in the 1970s.

He has fully restored the light-blue Ford vehicle, complete with original clocks, dashboard and central console, in time for the anniversary.

The work has taken Mr Taylor and his friend, classic car enthusiast Lee Reynolds, seven years to complete.

Mr Taylor, from Camerton, Somerset, said: ‘It has been a task. We tried to keep her as original as possible and most bits are. The seats are the original but have just been reupholstered.

‘The dashboard, all the central console, the clocks are all orignal. I even managed to find a guy that had a 1969 radio.

‘She’s certainly been through it. Once you start you have committed and you have to keep going,’ he added.

But Chris certainly never intended his Ford Capri to be a flashy collectible when he first brought it in 1990.

He said: ‘I bought it 28 years ago just as a runner. I just used it as a daily car and after a while the MOT was due and it needed some bits doing.

‘I put it in the garage out of the way for a while. I moved from house to house and got divorced and it got stuck in the garage for a very long time.

‘Eventually I moved to Camerton where I am now and it got left in a garage for a few years and then unfortunately it just got left in a field for five or six years.’

Mr Taylor certainly never intended his Ford Capri to be a flashy collectible when he first brought it in 1990. When he first had the vehicle he used it as a daily car, but when its MOT came around it needed too much work doing

Mr Taylor certainly never intended his Ford Capri to be a flashy collectible when he first brought it in 1990. When he first had the vehicle he used it as a daily car, but when its MOT came around it needed too much work doing

Mr Taylor has fully restored the light-blue Ford vehicle, complete with original clocks, dashboard and central console, in time for the anniversary

Mr Taylor has fully restored the light-blue Ford vehicle, complete with original clocks, dashboard and central console, in time for the anniversary

Mr Reynolds, a classic car enthusiast, has worked on a number of vintage vehicles - but as he had never taken this model apart before he also found the project difficult 

Mr Reynolds, a classic car enthusiast, has worked on a number of vintage vehicles – but as he had never taken this model apart before he also found the project difficult 

The original Capri was first made in Germany in 1968 and was brought to the UK a year later. Mr Taylor's car is a 1969 model, making it one of the oldest in the UK as the big anniversary approaches

The original Capri was first made in Germany in 1968 and was brought to the UK a year later. Mr Taylor’s car is a 1969 model, making it one of the oldest in the UK as the big anniversary approaches

He continued: ‘About seven years ago, I knew the anniversary was creeping up and I thought I better start doing some work on it.

‘It spurred me along to get it done and thought I had loads of time. We got it to a point where it was totally sprayed – but then it just stood in here for another 12 months.’

That was when Mr Reynolds stepped in – and helped Mr Taylor completely take apart the car and then put it back together.

Mr Taylor said: ‘All the pieces were in tins and most of them were labelled but some had worn of. It was a bit of a guessing job.

‘We’ve had a new vinyl roof, the engine totally remade, the upholstery redone. It’s a really rare model.’

And Mr Reynolds, who has worked on a range of classic cars, added: ‘It is very difficult to put a car back together that you haven’t taken apart.

‘I came over here in February and it was basically a shell, so we had to go through loads of boxes and find all the pieces.

‘There’s a couple of big car meets that we’re looking to get to with the anniversary coming up.’

Ford began making mk2 version in 1974 and mk3 versions in 1978. Mr Taylor also has a mk3 Capri, and is desperate to get his hands on a mk2 to complete the set

Ford began making mk2 version in 1974 and mk3 versions in 1978. Mr Taylor also has a mk3 Capri, and is desperate to get his hands on a mk2 to complete the set

The car (pictured) can reach 60mph in 10.6 seconds, has a top speed of 106mph and has a classic cars magazine price guide of £2,500-£14,000

The car (pictured) can reach 60mph in 10.6 seconds, has a top speed of 106mph and has a classic cars magazine price guide of £2,500-£14,000

Mr Taylor doesn't get out in the car much at the moment, but he and Mr Reynolds have had a great day out at a racetrack in Surrey as part of a photo shoot for Classic Cars magazine

Mr Taylor doesn’t get out in the car much at the moment, but he and Mr Reynolds have had a great day out at a racetrack in Surrey as part of a photo shoot for Classic Cars magazine

The original Capri was first made in Germany in 1968 and was brought to the UK a year later.

Mr Taylor’s car is a 1969 model, making it one of the oldest in the UK as the big anniversary approaches.

Ford began making mk2 version in 1974 and mk3 versions in 1978. Mr Taylor also has a mk3 Capri, and is desperate to get his hands on a mk2 to complete the set.

The car can reach 60mph in 10.6 seconds, has a top speed of 106mph and has a classic cars magazine price guide of £2,500-£14,000.

Mr Taylor doesn’t get out in the car much at the moment, but he and Mr Reynolds have had a great day out at a racetrack in Surrey as part of a photo shoot for Classic Cars magazine.

He said: ‘We took her to a test track in August. We took her up on a trailer because it was a long way to go but that was very good.

‘We got on the front cover of classic car magazine. Other than that it was just a run-around car.’

Mr Taylor added: ‘When I bought it I didn’t think I’d still have the car now.

‘Would I have done it if I had known it had been this much work? Parts of me say yes I would and parts of me say no.

‘You don’t really know what you’re taking on, you just do it. Stripping every bit of paintwork off was the hardest job we’ve done.’ 

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