CC Racing Developments Group 1 Ford Capri Mk III's

[BoMidge]

I also have another Group C Capri, Barry (Bo) Seton's 1980 Mk111 3.0S
This car finished 8th outright and winner of under 3.0 litre at the Bathurst 1000 in 1980.

Hi.I heard that car was found in Banalla.It was used as a rally car if I am correctly informed.Do you know how it ended up there,or the history of its used after Seton sold it?

[BoMidge]

It would've made sense to me to have bought a ready made G1 car or rolling chassis + engine and then make the necessary GrpC and latterly Grp A mods afterwards rather than building up a car from scratch in Australia. That's what some people did latterly with BMW's, Sierra's and super touring cars.

Someone will know!![/QUOTE]

I know towards the end of the Seton/Smith Capri era,they would import Mark III body shells from overseas as they did not have to pay the absurdly high import duty for a complete vehicle.Just as Barry,Bev and Glen left Sydney for Melbourne,to work for Nissan,Bo had a spare Mark III shell in the workshop at Morebank.So I guess it was actually cheaper to build one up frm a shell,in the later days,rather than bring one in complete.

[Capri Carl]

Hi BoMidge, I own the Seton/Smith 1980 Mk111 Capri, it was sold to John Craft in 1981, he raced it 'till 1987ish and sold it to a rally driver from NSW, he rallied it a few times but it was not the best car for the job, It sat idle for many years and I found it in Benalla, Vic.
Don Smith imported this car and a few others, to Australia in the late '70s throu his truck spares company, it was a brown Mk11 3.0s originally, they were all Mk11's as most Mk111's had sun roofs, and mainly front guards, bonnet,bumpers and lights to change. Bo Seton did all the engineering on the cars, his suspension ideas were very different from UK Ford Motorsport, so it doesn't suprise me that he didn't use a Group 1 Capri as a base.

[chunterer]

A link to what I've managed to upload so far of the 1981 Tricentrol season. It took 4 hours this afternoon but only allowed 14 minutes of the 45!!

Not sure how I can upload the rest without the first bit again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OIqagDLIqw

[chunterer]

Time for some new bits and pieces of interest!

The lesser spotted TWR Capri snapped at Donington, 1981 when it was entered in the Belgian G1 series round that visited. When this car was offered for sale by TWR in an Autospod ad, I seem to recall it listed as recently having fitted CC suspension? (Just to keep things relevant!)

[chunterer]

A rare shot of Mark Hales at the 1983 British GP BSCC supporter in what appears to be an ex Andy Rouse/Charles Sawyer-Hoare 1981 car.

I am also thinking this may have been the mystery Capri sold by Andy Rouse to the rally guy (Hardwick?) in 198 as originally put forward by Annauto. I suppose the possibility is that it was either a brand new G1 car built for the 1981 season for either Andy or CS-H, or as we have touched on before, possibly an ex Woodman/CC car that Rouse had acquired for that season, which was probably a good baseline to use to set up the new car? It almost certainly is not the car used by S-H and Brindley at the 1982 TT as that sported the Ebel watches livery also seen at Macau in 1983, which the car in this pic certainly does not have on its shell.

[chunterer]

Alain Semoulin's car which I think he bought to campaign in 1982. Note what looks like the indented bonnet that Mk2 Capri's had but in mk3 spec in other respects?

It could be either an ex CC Belga or even the ex Wainwright/Graham car?

The other possibility is that it was a brand new car as CC may have built as many as 25 cars, the latter ones mostly sold into Europe?

[chunterer]

A number of Capri's (including almost certainly an ex CC car?) and other interesting machinery of note, on the grid for the one-off German GP support race at Hockenheim, 1983.

[chunterer]

Belgian regular on the grid for the 1980 Spa 24. I swear I've seen a similar looking car snapped in parc ferme at Silverstone the same year.

[chunterer]

Tricentrol duel at Brands Hatch, late 70's style between Yogi Muir and Lawrie Hickman in MkII's with Vince Woodman following on 3 wheels in a MkIII!

[KA]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Time for some new bits and pieces of interest!

The lesser spotted TWR Capri snapped at Donington, 1981 when it was entered in the Belgian G1 series round that visited.

Presumably this could be the Capri which turned up at Spa the following year as a third TWR entry alongside the Jag XJSs, but didn't start, having allegedly been entered just as a ploy to get extra pit garage space...?

Originally Posted by chunterer

A number of Capri's (including almost certainly an ex CC car?) and other interesting machinery of note, on the grid for the one-off German GP support race at Hockenheim, 1983.

That's an interesting pic quite apart from the Capri content!

[chunterer]

Yes it must be the same Capri KA, and by my reckoning could have first seen action in 1976! Maybe this could be the car Alain Semoulin bought which he must've bought from the UK as it was in rhd trim?

The German shot hosts a number of ETC runners including 2 TWR Jaguars, (one out of shot to the left) Hartge 635, and the Eichberg Capris and RS2000 quite well up.

Not to mention the first Group A Rover to race in Germany, the Nickel car as discussed some time back in the Rover thread?

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Alain Semoulin's car which I think he bought to campaign in 1982. Note what looks like the indented bonnet that Mk2 Capri's had but in mk3 spec in other respects?

It could be either an ex CC Belga or even the ex Wainwright/Graham car?

It could also be my Dad and Colin Vandervells car then?

[chunterer]

Did that car go overseas then Gregor?

[GBRM]

I don't know where it went, but it was a mk2 converted to a mk3, so quite possibly. I think from our previous chats on this thread we all came to the conclusion it disappeared.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by GBRM

I don't know where it went, but it was a mk2 converted to a mk3, so quite possibly. I think from our previous chats on this thread we all came to the conclusion it disappeared.

Ah yes, another mystery!

I think we also may have thought that it ended up in Ken Dawes hands, painted red, in sports/saloons in the early 90's?

Someone seemed fairly sure that it was ex Vandervell/Gerry, for some reason, certainly a Mk11 originally because of the engine bay section, but I haven't been able to find the section of the thread!!

[guido scheiff]

hello from belgium
my cc capri 1978 cc nr07

[davyboy]

As we're closely approaching the 45th birthday of the launch of the Ford Capri, I make no apology for sharing some gratuitous Capri prod saloon racing from Mondello in 1985. This was RTE's live telecast of the Leinster Trophy meeting that year featuring a gaggle of Ford Capris [some ex-Gerry Marshall I think but Gregor might be able to confirm] together with Reg Tuthill's Dolomite Sprint.

Hope you enjoy the video here.

[guido scheiff]

spa 1978

[GBRM]

Originally Posted by davyboy

As we're closely approaching the 45th birthday of the launch of the Ford Capri, I make no apology for sharing some gratuitous Capri prod saloon racing from Mondello in 1985. This was RTE's live telecast of the Leinster Trophy meeting that year featuring a gaggle of Ford Capris [some ex-Gerry Marshall I think but Gregor might be able to confirm] together with Reg Tuthill's Dolomite Sprint.[/URL]

I think three ex-GM cars and the blue and white Capri is the car Graham Skid Scarborough now owns and was pictured in last weeks Autosport (incorrectly captioned as a Willhire winner).

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by GBRM

I think three ex-GM cars and the blue and white Capri is the car Graham Skid Scarborough now owns and was pictured in last weeks Autosport (incorrectly captioned as a Willhire winner).

Amazing ! And even more amazing that one of them's not only found it's way back across the pond and is still active now.

Just slightly off topic in relation to Capris, but was Reg Tuthill's Dolomite Sprint one of your dad's cars too ? I believe that was destroyed on a test day at Mondello some time in the mid-late 1980s.

[GBRM]

Is that the blue and white one? It looks like the ex Juliette Slaughter car, which was built by Gerry Marshall Racing (basically Roger Dowson), but without more details on it I wouldn't bet my mortgage.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by GBRM

Is that the blue and white one? It looks like the ex Juliette Slaughter car, which was built by Gerry Marshall Racing (basically Roger Dowson), but without more details on it I wouldn't bet my mortgage.

Ya the blue and white one. I'll try and find out more from some of my Irish anorak friends. What you're saying would make sense as your dad was very well connected with the Irish contingent.

[Sarnie]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Alain Semoulin's car which I think he bought to campaign in 1982. Note what looks like the indented bonnet that Mk2 Capri's had but in mk3 spec in other respects?

It could be either an ex CC Belga or even the ex Wainwright/Graham car?

The other possibility is that it was a brand new car as CC may have built as many as 25 cars, the latter ones mostly sold into Europe?

Think the bonnet is a Mk3 item, the lip is just painted white instead of the usual black.
Think as you say car could be either ex Belga or possibly Bastos looking at the same brake ducts cut into the front panel. Although the Bastos car has streamlined door mirrors.

[pec1]

I may have owned a CC Capri. The evidence is circumstantial but may at least provide a lead.
Late in 1982 with regs about to change from Gp1 to GPA I sold my GP1 Avenger rally car and looked for something different to rally. I bought a Capri from Nick Staveley who had been running it in special saloons. He said he had bought it from Harold MacMillan's grandson who also ran it in special saloons. Prior to that he said Tiff Needell had driven it and it had been sponsored by 100+ wheels possibly running in Europe. It came to me with a fresh Neil Brown GP1 engine running on the correct 42DCNF. There was also a spare Neil Brown engine. Both engines had welds on the blocks where hairline cracks had started - the mark of healthy motors! A call to Neil Brown confirmed a dyno reading of 263bhp for the fitted motor. It was a Mk2 shell and the front panels had been replaced by fibreglass so as GPA regs required steel I upgraded it to Mk3 front. It had a massive long range fuel tank which had to be replaced for rallying. Just behind the handbrake was a large brake bias adjuster. The rear drum brakes had cooling scoops in the backplates, from memory it had a rear anti roll bar - hollow? and mounted with alloy blocks. The rear dampers I would describe as rose jointed alloy Bilsteins, threaded for springs but without them fitted as the single leaf rears were retained.
At the front a very thick anti roll bar held the struts which were fitted with dropped steering arms.
Nick had said the internals of the 4 speed box were Hewland. Although the steering rack was a power unit power was not connected. It came on 100+ wheels fitted with French cantilever Dunlop wets.
It was not too difficult to put in rally trim. Obviously a second seat was needed but other than that the main work involved raising the ride height using GP4 Escort struts. I had to make a sumpguard and the complete exhaust systems from the manifolds back. In GPA spec the engine dropped to around 220bhp.
Early in 1983 I ran it at the New Brighton sprint then took it to the Manx National. The shortest cwp allowed for GPA still meant 146mph at max revs in top and it seemed to be doing that far to often. The lack of power steering was a problem and finally I clipped a rock breaking the steering arm bolts.
It was such fun to drive I went back to the Manx International and had another dnf due to a faulty brand new fuel pump. After a couple of club rallies the project was shelved, I moved house then sold the Capri to a guy who used to work for me. It did small events until around 1988 then I lost track of it.
During this time as previously mentioned Nigel Worswick bought his Capri and used it for forest rallying having a tough time to start with. When the flywheel came off his it came through the transmission tunnel and would have amputated his foot had he been pressing the clutch. He then had an engine problem and needed a piston which I was able to help him with.
Coming up to date Ade Vickers mentioned earlier (great guy) and his dad Colin, rent space in one of my workshops to prep Colin's 5 litre BMW Capri - small world!
If anyone is interested I'll try to post a couple of pics of mine in rally trim.
Tristan Dodd