Mk1 Ford Capri

New rear arches, reshaping the rear panels and repainting a Mk1 Ford Capri.

What Needed Fixing

This car was bought to us in need of new rear arches, reshaping of the rear panels and repainting. 

The Ford Capri Mk1 is an iconic car with an instantly recognisable look, and our job was to return an ageing paint job to the beauty of its youth, with a respray in Miami blue.

While we were refinishing the entire body of the car, we took the time to add new rear arches and panels as well, to create a smoother, completed finish that would really last.

How We Prepared

We started by stripping the car down completely to a bare shell. The doors, bonnet, boot lid, front wings and all the glass were removed, the engine bay emptied and the interior stripped to bare metal.

Refreshing the paintwork of a car can feel like a cosmetic repair, but it’s actually more than that. Damaged paintwork can leave a car at risk of rust if water gets in. This means you need to get a completely sealed finish.

This is why we took apart the body of the car, allowing us to finish each piece individually, across both the interior and exterior of the car. We even removed the suspension and axles.

How We Made The Repairs

Rather than using bolt on covers, we welded the new arches onto the bodywork with a continuous weld bead. This creates a more secure join which lasts longer and is a stronger defence against mixture.

We cut the rear panel of the car all the way back to bare metal before reshaping it through grinding, welding and filling in. Rear arches are a common weak spot in Capri’s, and bolt-on covers often mask the problem rather than fixing it or protecting the bodywork long term.

As part of the respray, we used primer, sealer, colour  and final layer of clear lacquer to create the highest quality finish. We painted both the interior and exterior of the car all in the new colour, to create a completely cohesive, and sleek look.