Capri V8 project

so i thought i would document my build, its a good way to network and get feedback from others.
So the car is a 1984 MK3 Capri Janspeed turbo, plan is a full on resto mod so the purists best leave now lol, what i am trying to achieve, is, old school capri looks, with modern car performance and luxury, spots car performance, muscle car power and engine bay.
i have applied for certification and all going through i will be fitting a aluminium Windsor V8 (couldn't get a coyote past with this stupid 180kw/ton rule), will go EFI with ITBs on E85 and flex fuel, im chasing 400-500 hp although the dyno sheet that the engineer gets wont be the full on one lol.
going manual T5 tranny with a G force gear set, this is so i dont have to cut the trans tunnel.
Diff will be a fully independent rear suspension set up from a skyline and front end will be S14 or 15 Silvia which looks to be a close match and has been done a few times by the looks of things so there is a bit of info out there. ill be going Brembo brakes, 17inch rims and an X-pack body kit to cover the wheels with the extra track, if not the Xpack then something similar but unless i can find someone here in Oz that can replicate it ill probably get one from England . . . the freight is the killer!
will be going full electric, windows, mirrors, heated leather seats, i am looking for the Recaros from the RS turbo focus, ill also be installing air conditioning, the vintage air system with the Dakota Digital climate controller.
ill be wiring it all from a Racepak PDM and hiding all the engine bay wiring.
basically there wont be to much of this thing left that is Capri other than the shell which will be wider and cooler!
i am not sure all the tasks i will do myself, i will definitely do all the wiring and detailing, i will do the engine and gear box fitting and i will probably do al the fabrication for the new suspension and all the chassis strengthening, i wont do the panel work, i will do some of the interior like the fabrication of the structural stuff but will leave the restitching and any fibre glassing our moulding to the experts.
first job while i wait for cert;
mount collapsible steering column, this has come from an EF falcon just need to check the legality of using this as it can=me factory with an airbag as well which i have removed so just need to make sure there is no stupid rules about retaining the airbag which of course i cant, i should be right but i just want to be sure.
i am also ordering the air con tomorrow and climate control, this will be a bit of a mission to get in because i want to recess it up in to the original hear location which will involve cutting out the old heater box and fabricating a new one to get it up out of the way, i may need to remove the scuttle panel yet to get to the other side but will see
i am also re-manufacturing the platic panels below the dash out of aluminium and will get them upholstered, i no longer have heater cables so all that goes and extra vents go in as well as climate control, new switches and a double Din head unit.
i will also replace the plastic gauge cluster cover, i am going to make one from 8mm aluminium as i am using all new gauges from Dakota Digital that mount through the panel, i think ill anodise this, shouldn't be to bad just mounting the plate will be a bit fiddly and i first need to work out all the controls in the new steering column so i can then work out what buttons need to go on the dash as they are mounted through that gauge cluster panel on the original set up so ill keep similar.
that's about it for now other than i am picking up the r33 rear end next week, and the guy is giving me the left over body for a hundy so ill make a jig up of the suspension mounting points off that then ill cut out all the usable mounts and strut towers and scrap the rest.
ill also post some footage on youtube search Jack De Reeper, there will also be some footage going up there soon of my 1051WHP NOS sequential BFOT RS evo4 hitting the quarter.

Someone's going to be a busy boy........ Looking forward to see how it all comes together!  Len

I’m doing a v8 conversion- mk3 - exactly the same colour as yours 😁
302, 5 speed and falcon diff

So update time, Aircon is fitted, ignore the tek screws ill weld that in, they were just there to hold it, plus i had the engineer come and look at the car so i thought i would wait till he sees it before welding it, i also want to speak to the painter first before welding any of that in permanently.
So its a vintage air AC system and its getting a Dakota Digital climate control, none of the wiring or pipe is done yet, that's down on the list and that's an easy job so the wiring will be last, its getting a Haltec ECU and A FULL PDM.
Also i have welded in a support for the strut brace to fix back to the firewall/AC cover panel as with the 8 throttle bodies on the V8 i dont want it going straight across . . . i have both options now.

spud15
I’m doing a v8 conversion- mk3 - exactly the same colour as yours 😁
302, 5 speed and falcon diff

where are you based mate? i would be keen to see some pics :)

starting on the diff now, had the engineer around have a plan, balls deep in to it now.
I need to put the car on a machine to measure the chassis rigidity once i finish, i am sure it will be way stronger than factory when im done!
ill get some more photos soon as i have done quote a bit more than the photo suggests.
quite a bit of work in it though, i think about 40-50 hours and i am not making the strut towers, ill make templates and get a friend who has a sheet metal shop to fold that stuff up.
i ordered the Tein coil overs, so they will be here soon, ill need those to check the clearance for the strut towers, the final position is actually within 10mm of the factory Capri position but given the Capri only had the shock load on that point now it has the shock and spring i need to add some reinforcement here, plus the coil over is physically bigger.
I have all the adjustable arms for it so i am sure i can get it all lined up correct, the hieght is the big thing, this will be more an issue at the front.
i think ill tack everything together then start on the front and do the front, then i can take the car off the jig to check the ride heights and suspension arm angles are correct before fully welding, and of course getting the engineer out again.
I may have the final seats lined up i just need to have a measure when i get home that they will fit so will post some pics up, they are cool thought, heated leather :).

Nice, very similar build indeed, i thought about putting the vintage aiir unit there but looks like you give up the glove box??
 
i see you have an Xpack on there, i want to do that too, actually i need to now with the extra track, did you get that from England? was it difficult to fit?
 
is yours running yet? what sort of power re you making?
 
did you modify the trans tunnel to fit the supra box? which box is it? the R158? i was thinking about one of these, i hear they are bringing out a new version of the TKO500 which has a smaller body for older car and smoother gear changing at revs, iver heard the supra boxs is a bit agricultural on the shifting.
 
i am chasing 500hp NA but think i might struggle to get there with only a 5l, i am going 8 throttle bodies and flex fuel but still might be a big ask, will see.
 
 

Nice, any plans to get back into it?