I grew up on Jeremy Sinek Motor, English encylopedias of the Motor Car, and lots of other car mags from three continets. The rest is all BS!
I'm repectfully laughing out loud! I have relatives, expat Kiwis, who tell me all the time about lack of real estate space, and ettiquite, and the tenacious ways English people have to opperate with just to get there car projects done. I'm am convinced the obstacles make you guys some of the best Classic and Custom car builders in the world. You either organise yourself, or die!
If I had a landlord, he'd evict me as the Tenant From Hell in 5 seconds. Thank goodness I have a garage!
I used to read Classic Cars, a UK monthly on modern classics. Some of the stories of how the people had to work through lack of space, or weather, or salt on roads, or neighbours, or eight kids and no enlotment. One guy painted his P6 Rover 3500 in 17 steps...one panel at a time. When the flys got stuck in the enamel, he just marked the spot with a post it, and cut it out later with compound.
Hang in there! The link from Dave, the Capri man, hasn't rematerialised, has it? It has a big fat 250 Chev in it. I don't have a copy. Thats the one to look at! You could rip out the throgh flow ventilation plenumb, and make up a glove box heater/demister unit using a Jap or Korean heater unit from a small car in the 1.0 to 1.6 litre catagory. You don't need to cut the front radiator support panel too much. That 250 should be an LDI (Lets Drop In) special.
Make a fake 250 cube 'dolly' out of low grade boxing or ply wood, MDF or some such, and find a breaker yard with your proposed Capri, minus the engine, and take photos. This allows you the ablility to plan the job with out commiting to lugging 500 pounds of Yank Iron around. The sump and engine mounts can bolt on to the dolly. I call it a parameter jig, and it sorts out a lot of issues fast. Make a removeable juction 4 inches from the front and back, so you can fit it in any engine bay. This is a great way of getting your ideas sorted for a minimal disturbance egngine swap.
Over in NZ and Aussie, we are wild Colonial beggars, and we just gas axe anything in the way. In England, you gotta be a bit more circumspect about things. Decorum rules, OK?
Hang in there!