MK1 3 Litre Capris, How Many Survive ?
Discussion
Hi areopilot, have been looking back through paperwork your correct 1991 Dean was Registrar and owned PFR its been through at least 3 other owners since then dont think its been used for a while, Re NHK have a suspicion that the old girl may well have re-shelled twice see it often now.
You would not believe how much more popular they appear to be now going back to approx 1990 when I attended both AVO and RSOC National days 3 cars max now every first sat in July the Swindon and Bristol groups of the RSOC hold their Regional DaY at Castle Combe Racing Circuit and I organise a gathering of RS Capri's I cannot remeber getting less than 18 cars there and on year had 37 31 RS3100's and 6 RS2600's now that was some sight.
RScapriman.
You would not believe how much more popular they appear to be now going back to approx 1990 when I attended both AVO and RSOC National days 3 cars max now every first sat in July the Swindon and Bristol groups of the RSOC hold their Regional DaY at Castle Combe Racing Circuit and I organise a gathering of RS Capri's I cannot remeber getting less than 18 cars there and on year had 37 31 RS3100's and 6 RS2600's now that was some sight.
RScapriman.
Back in the 80s I had two RS3100s, a Sebring Red and an Olympic Blue. I then had a white supercharged GXL with an LSD and then a beige production saloon V6, with 3.44 LSD, rose jointed LEDA suspension, vented discs and full cage.
No photos or numberplates of the RS
The supercharged ran mid 14 sec 1/4s at Santa Pod, when it was working the prod saloon low 14s. I then sold the blown engine and fitted a 3.2 with Swaymar heads, torquey cam, Janspeed etc and also with NOS. I competed in the old Street Racer championship up in Yorkshire, with a best of 13.99 using only about 30bhp of nitrous. The normally aspirated engines were at about 200bhp, with lots of torque. At one rolling road session, they complained it was trying to climb off the rollers 
They were a bit of a handful in the wet with the LSDs, despite decent tyres.
This was my friend's X Pack with full Swaymar lump, tripple Webbers, NOS, suspension, brakes etc.
There was a bit of rivalry between us all and there was a tea hut on the North Circ where the Tesco is now in North london. After proving my prod saloon was faster than my mates tuned RS3100, he went to Burton and bought their best heads, which I even helped him fit. Then they bought a 289 Windsor engined GXL in white, then a Superspeed GXL with a 351 Cleveland engine. The guy with the Cleveland Capri then fitted a Keith Black alloy block 8.4 litre V8 out of a drag racer, which he still has and uses on the road. I think I have a photo of the Superspeed in an old magazine, as he also competed in the Street Racer championship.
Jim
No photos or numberplates of the RS
The supercharged ran mid 14 sec 1/4s at Santa Pod, when it was working
the prod saloon low 14s. I then sold the blown engine and fitted a 3.2 with Swaymar heads, torquey cam, Janspeed etc and also with NOS. I competed in the old Street Racer championship up in Yorkshire, with a best of 13.99 using only about 30bhp of nitrous. The normally aspirated engines were at about 200bhp, with lots of torque. At one rolling road session, they complained it was trying to climb off the rollers They were a bit of a handful in the wet with the LSDs, despite decent tyres.
This was my friend's X Pack with full Swaymar lump, tripple Webbers, NOS, suspension, brakes etc.
There was a bit of rivalry between us all and there was a tea hut on the North Circ where the Tesco is now in North london. After proving my prod saloon was faster than my mates tuned RS3100, he went to Burton and bought their best heads, which I even helped him fit. Then they bought a 289 Windsor engined GXL in white, then a Superspeed GXL with a 351 Cleveland engine. The guy with the Cleveland Capri then fitted a Keith Black alloy block 8.4 litre V8 out of a drag racer, which he still has and uses on the road. I think I have a photo of the Superspeed in an old magazine, as he also competed in the Street Racer championship.
Jim
Edited by SlimJim16v on Thursday 7th June 20:22
rscapriman said:
Re NHK have a suspicion that the old girl may well have re-shelled twice see it often now.
Blimey, re-shelled again....! A real Trigger's Broom then now.
I seem to remember, that the fuel filler cap was the only panel that was retrieved from the original shell after it was wrecked in 83/84 not long after Mick Lower sold it. I can remember the photos of the wreck being passed around at the North London AVO OC monthly meet..... it was like a big yellow banana shape rather than a 31!!!
rscapriman said:
I cannot remeber getting less than 18 cars there and on year had 37 31 RS3100's and 6 RS2600's now that was some sight.
I remember one mid 80's AVO national day when we got somewhere into the teens with the number of RS31's plus 1 x RS26.
I don't think Cos went to High Beach and it would've been more like the mid 80s.
Yes, I know Cos, Photi, Nick and Chris. Cos had around 30 Mk1 V6 Capris, several being RS. George also, who had Mr 6, a Mk1 Escort with a 3.1 V6 and NOS, which used to do the 1/4 in low 13s. It had a welded diff, so was, er, interesting in the wet
Photi's has 1,200 or 1,400 bhp on nitrous, can't remember which. Cos' Superspeed wasn't fast enough either, so he had a cam fitted and NOS. I think we may even have fitted the 3.44 diff out of mine.
Nick or George may have photos, I'll ask.
Yes, I know Cos, Photi, Nick and Chris. Cos had around 30 Mk1 V6 Capris, several being RS. George also, who had Mr 6, a Mk1 Escort with a 3.1 V6 and NOS, which used to do the 1/4 in low 13s. It had a welded diff, so was, er, interesting in the wet
Photi's has 1,200 or 1,400 bhp on nitrous, can't remember which. Cos' Superspeed wasn't fast enough either, so he had a cam fitted and NOS. I think we may even have fitted the 3.44 diff out of mine.
Nick or George may have photos, I'll ask.
Three pics I took at a Capri meeting in Avon, late 80s I think.
A well known RS with a highly tuned engine
Green RS
I think this was a V6 Mike (Cos' brother) restored, who I went up with? It was stolen shortly after.
I can't think of any other reason I would take a photo of a normal Capri
A well known RS with a highly tuned engine
Green RS
I think this was a V6 Mike (Cos' brother) restored, who I went up with? It was stolen shortly after.
I can't think of any other reason I would take a photo of a normal Capri
Spooky......
I'm pretty sure it was a mate of Cos that bought NHK off of Mike Lower and subsequently wrote it off a short while later.
It was Cos that brought the photos of it in it's post crash banana state up to the AVO North London meet that used to be held at the Kings Arms at Stirling Corner on the A1.
He seemed like he'd turn up at every meet with a different RS31
I'm pretty sure it was a mate of Cos that bought NHK off of Mike Lower and subsequently wrote it off a short while later.
It was Cos that brought the photos of it in it's post crash banana state up to the AVO North London meet that used to be held at the Kings Arms at Stirling Corner on the A1.
He seemed like he'd turn up at every meet with a different RS31
Some great stories and some fantastic pictures. As an aside, Lee went to look at a mk1 pre face lift 3 litre Capri last Saturday. Apparently the car has been partially restored and has been for sale for the past 9 months with very little interest. They did not get to drive the car as it had gear selection problems. Something in the back of my mind tells me that the early cars had some sort of remote gear linkage whilst the face lift cars had the gearstick bolted straight into the gearbox. Is my mind playing tricks or is my memory correct.
graemel said:
Some great stories and some fantastic pictures. As an aside, Lee went to look at a mk1 pre face lift 3 litre Capri last Saturday. Apparently the car has been partially restored and has been for sale for the past 9 months with very little interest. They did not get to drive the car as it had gear selection problems. Something in the back of my mind tells me that the early cars had some sort of remote gear linkage whilst the face lift cars had the gearstick bolted straight into the gearbox. Is my mind playing tricks or is my memory correct.
72 to 82 2.0s had the external gear rod box, the type F not the the 3.0 they came with the type 5, basicly H/D version of the 2000E box.Obv pre 72 did though
Edited by NHK244V on Saturday 9th June 21:48
Hi Graemel, your mind is not playing tricks pre facelift 3000 Capri's had external linkage definitely up to Oct 1971 when several changes were made inc engine uprating, rear axle ratio and gear ratio's but they possibly kept the external linkage up to facelift, I had at least 5 pre facelift 3 litres but none of them as late as Oct 1971.
RScapriman
RScapriman
rscapriman said:
pre facelift 3000 Capri's had external linkage definitely up to Oct 1971
My first 3-litre was an early one ('70/H). It replaced a 1600GTxlr, and I remember being disappointed at the rather cumbersome long-throw nature of the gear-change - compared to that of the four-cylinder car.liner33 said:
3.0l gearboxes were not a strong point , i used to break mine and the 2.8i 4 speeds on a regular basis
Never did a gearbox on my 3.0, managed to snap an engine mount clean off the side of the block doing a massive burnout tho' not funny at the time, but makes for a good tale,Bladeloon said:
liner33 said:
3.0l gearboxes were not a strong point , i used to break mine and the 2.8i 4 speeds on a regular basis
Never did a gearbox on my 3.0, managed to snap an engine mount clean off the side of the block doing a massive burnout tho' not funny at the time, but makes for a good tale,Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff