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Blog Post

Ford Capri bumper restoration and winch install

22 Feb 2019
0 Comment
Vedran Relja
Ford Capri Build Log

As you already know, everything’s a project. This is particularly true for the front of the car, especially for the bumper and the winch. I had ordered a few original Capri bumpers, but none of them was in a perfect shape, so I had to get my hands really dirty to make them look like they suppose to. I wanted them to be black, to get a nice contrast with a vibrant car color, but also to avoid re-chroming which is quite expensive.

As for the winch it was one of those things that better to have and not need to use, than don’t have when it is needed the most. My curiosity often takes me off-road and from time to time I get stuck in mud or having problems with extremely steep heal and end up getting pulled with tractors and off-road vehicles, while also stopping people to help with the pushing.  Since for my purpose I don’t really need real off-road winch, I got mill-spec Winchmax ATV 3000lbs Winch with Dyneema rope. Because Capri doesn’t have a winch mount (go figure), it needed to be done.

Ford Capri bumpers

After the laser cutting, I realized that original number plate mounts won’t work, so I cut them off.

Ford Capri bumpers

The cross beams were also marked for drilling and cutting.

Ford Capri bumpers

The desired angle achieved and ready for welding.

Ford Capri bumpers

I also rounded the edges of the original bumper mounts, just because I wanted them to be pretty as well.

Ford Capri bumpers

This round magnet was perfect for marking the grinding area.

Ford Capri bumpers

I forgot to design the hook mount in the laser-cutting blue print, so this piece of some failed idea was cut, bent and prepped for welding.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some spot welding from one side.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some welding from the underside.

Ford Capri bumpers

Welding from the top.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some grinding, sanding and hand filing later.

Ford Capri bumpers

All done. Looks like it was always there.

Ford Capri bumpers

Whenever I get some sort of help from someone, whether financially, whether with some machining, I intend to immortalize them in the build with their initials. In that fashion I engraved the initials in the winch mount itself.

Ford Capri bumpers

Base plate ready for sandblasting and powder-coating.

Ford Capri bumpers

The original mounts got this triangle of the same thickness, so I can reinforce and triangulate the crossbeam.

Ford Capri bumpers

They got welded.

Ford Capri bumpers

The welds were sanded afterwards, so the whole mount can slide in the chassis.

Ford Capri bumpers

For the fog lights I decided to make a sliding mechanism, so they are retracted behind the number plate when not in use. For that purpose I used stainless steel because of its corrosion resistance and stiffness.

Ford Capri bumpers

A printed stencil was placed and the crossbeam was marked for the drilling.

Ford Capri bumpers

I also countersink the holes, so when the strengthening insert is placed, there’s room for a stronger weld.

All the inserts ready.

And welded in place.

Aligning the inserts.

Welding.

All done.

After the grinding.

Ford Capri bumpers

Grinding and cleaning the welds.

Ford Capri bumpers

Everything is cleaned and machine brushed. Ready for sand blasting and powder-coating.

Ford Capri bumpers

A detail of a plate.

Ford Capri bumpers

Together with the bumper mount I decided to tackle the bumpers. They were fairly straight but had some issues that required my attention.

Ford Capri bumpers

After sandblasting the imperfections were obvious. See the wobbly upper line.

Ford Capri bumpers

There was also the issue of stretched and deformed metal. Probably the result of some minor accident in the past.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some more details of wobbly lines.

Ford Capri bumpers

Reparation was done in couple of different ways. The first one was heating the 2mm steel.

Ford Capri bumpers

And then hammering things in place, some on warm metal and some on cold metal.

Ford Capri bumpers

Since I did not want to pay million billion dollars for the original number plate light, I decided to plug the holes.

Ford Capri bumpers

After cutting it to size, it was hammered in curvature as close I could to with the cheapest set of metalworking tools.

Ford Capri bumpers

Close enough.

Ford Capri bumpers

Tacked in place.

Ford Capri bumpers

Fully welded.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some more hammering in place.

Ford Capri bumpers

Sanding the welds.

Ford Capri bumpers

This is the kind of sanding disc I like to use for the finish, because it doesn’t dig holes like the laminated one.

Ford Capri bumpers

Detail of the hole and surface imperfections around it.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some welding, grinding, sanding.

Ford Capri bumpers

Much nicer already.

Ford Capri bumpers

A production nick probably.

Ford Capri bumpers

Welded some material.

Ford Capri bumpers

Fixed!

Ford Capri bumpers

At some point the bumper was pulled and the material was stretched, so while hammering I could either get the bumper bent in one direction or the other. It was just too much material, so the decision was made to cut it and shrink it by 1 mm.

Ford Capri bumpers

Fully welded.

Ford Capri bumpers

Also I tackled  the issue of the sunken line that was probably imperfect from the factory press.

Ford Capri bumpers

After some grinding and sanding, I must say that I was really pleased with the result.

Ford Capri bumpers

The detail of the original tool marks from the factory press.

Ford Capri bumpers

Little grinding and sanding.

Ford Capri bumpers

Hand sanding for the final touch.

Ford Capri bumpers

Acceptable looking bumper.

Ford Capri bumpers

Other side detail.

Ford Capri bumpers

Finished bumper and ready for powder-coating.

Ford Capri bumpers

Another angle.

Ford Capri bumpers

Creating the winch hook latch was a challenge for itself, since I did not have access to the milling machine.

Ford Capri bumpers

I come to this brilliant and totally unsafe method of using the press drill like a lathe machine.

Ford Capri bumpers

While fully protected in case something goes wrong I turned the rubber cylinder in place.

Ford Capri bumpers

It worked perfectly and the mount was ready for the installment.

Ford Capri bumpers

A mock-up of the setup.

Ford Capri bumpers

All the parts that were fabricated for the winch have been powder-coated and ready for the assembly.

Ford Capri bumpers

Bunch of stuff.

Ford Capri bumpers

Mounting bolts for the fog lights were shortened to size.

Ford Capri bumpers

Holding on by a hairline.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some filing.

Ford Capri bumpers

Internal aluminum spacers.

Ford Capri bumpers

After zinc-plating the bolts and anodizing the spacers. Loctite glue, together with washers, was used to hold the mount in one place.

Ford Capri bumpers

Tightening screw was turned and the retainer was inserted to stop the thumb nut from falling off.

Ford Capri bumpers

All bolts were torque tighten together with the Loctite usage.

Ford Capri bumpers

I used rivet nuts for the plate holders.

Ford Capri bumpers

The stainless steel bolts that I decided to use for bumper montage weren’t as shiny as expected, so the decision was made to do something about that as well.

Ford Capri bumpers

They were sanded.

Ford Capri bumpers

And sanded some more.

Ford Capri bumpers

After sanding, I polished it with a help of the drill.

Ford Capri bumpers

Half way done, half way to go.

Ford Capri bumpers

While doing all the bumper and winch stuff, the winch relay mount was designed and printed on paper to double check the measurements.

Ford Capri bumpers

Some laser-cutting, bending, welding, and filing the bracket was done in the same manner as the battery mount.

Ford Capri bumpers

Test fit prior the cleaning and sandblasting.

Ford Capri bumpers

Process of wiring the fog lights.

Ford Capri bumpers

Crimped faston terminal.

Ford Capri bumpers

All done together with the shrink wrap and heat insulation.

Ford Capri bumpers

Connected.

Ford Capri bumpers

For better seal, I used round cable gator instead the original.

Ford Capri bumpers

Also, there was a zip tie placed to stop the cable from yanking out.

Ford Capri bumpers

Winch contact bolt was also tighten up with a drop of Loctite glue.

Ford Capri bumpersReady for the rubber boot.

Ford Capri bumpers

Detail of an electrical tape before I put the heat shrink to hold wires together for a cleaner look.

Ford Capri bumpers

Shrinked and ready for next step.

Ford Capri bumpers

All done and now the only thing left to do is to mount the cables with P clips.

Ford Capri bumpers

An assembled unit.

Ford Capri bumpers

Back detail of cables fastened with P clips.

Ford Capri bumpers

CG initials will be visible trough the gap between bumper and the shell.

Ford Capri bumpers

Fog lights connectors.

Ford Capri bumpers

Fog light sliding mechanism.

Ford Capri bumpers

Underside.

Ford Capri bumpers

Detail of the cables.

Ford Capri bumpers

Ford Capri bumpersFord Capri bumpers

Ford Capri bumpers

Ford Capri bumpers

Ford Capri bumpers

Ford Capri bumpers

First installment on the car.

Ford Capri bumpers

Front view.

Ford Capri bumpers

A detail of the winch hook. That’s all folks!

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