MK1 3 Litre Capris, How Many Survive ?
Discussion
How time flies! When I said "a few years ago" it was almost 40 years ago! This is from 1978 according to a hand-written note on the back of the photo. If you look closely, a previous owner had installed a Zodiac "hood ornament" which never stayed upright. Clearly I forgot to adjust it before this picture was taken. I don't remember the gear ratios or the breathing specifically but it seemed to go pretty well for cars of that time. I think I kept it for a couple of years as an everyday driver and did a couple of camping holidays around the UK. It was a good car and I enjoyed owning it. 
Fantastic period photo longnose ! Any more ?
My ageing Capri memory is struggling to recognise the color Green ? Of your old 3 Litre, but it fits well with the light tan interior which was a common ( and a nice option )
My scruffy J reg 3000E ( OPU 534K which I think Ford owned originally I believe ) and which I bought from a pal in June 1982, with front end " lamp post damage " was " Evergreen " a lovely dark Metalic green ( that faded terribly ) and had a white Vinle roof from new and a tan interior.
Your car has the Wipac ? fog and spot lamps which again ? from my poor memory were part of the XLR package. It also has the plain style of Rostyle wheels, but I remember a fair few Capris that had been fitted with the glitzy chrome 1600E Rostyles which were of a different design.
The early 3 Litre Capris had the Zodiac sourced engine, which had a poor design of inlet manifold and a lazy camshaft design and cast exhaust manifolds. They also had poor gear ratios, with a canyon sized gap between second and third. Quoted power was 128bhp and period road test cars would do aprox 113 mph.
However from around Sept 71, the uprated 3 litre arrived, with tubular exhaust manifolds, new camshaft and inlet manifold. Much more responsive, power was now a claimed 138bhp and top speed was about 122mph.
If your number plate was the cars original then it looks as if it was first registered in Buckinghamshire. I think the registration records from Bucks have survived
My ageing Capri memory is struggling to recognise the color Green ? Of your old 3 Litre, but it fits well with the light tan interior which was a common ( and a nice option )
My scruffy J reg 3000E ( OPU 534K which I think Ford owned originally I believe ) and which I bought from a pal in June 1982, with front end " lamp post damage " was " Evergreen " a lovely dark Metalic green ( that faded terribly ) and had a white Vinle roof from new and a tan interior.
Your car has the Wipac ? fog and spot lamps which again ? from my poor memory were part of the XLR package. It also has the plain style of Rostyle wheels, but I remember a fair few Capris that had been fitted with the glitzy chrome 1600E Rostyles which were of a different design.
The early 3 Litre Capris had the Zodiac sourced engine, which had a poor design of inlet manifold and a lazy camshaft design and cast exhaust manifolds. They also had poor gear ratios, with a canyon sized gap between second and third. Quoted power was 128bhp and period road test cars would do aprox 113 mph.
However from around Sept 71, the uprated 3 litre arrived, with tubular exhaust manifolds, new camshaft and inlet manifold. Much more responsive, power was now a claimed 138bhp and top speed was about 122mph.
If your number plate was the cars original then it looks as if it was first registered in Buckinghamshire. I think the registration records from Bucks have survived
The car looks to me to possibly be Pacific Blue which would be correct with tan as they only had tan and blue interiors they were also only made for a brief time and your old car seems to fall into that period also Pacific Blue was only used on GTXLR models and 3000E again as per your old car.
She has the more unusual rostyle wheels as per specials and 3000E model(ie with the smaller slots between the spokes)also has an aftermarket vinyl roof not a genuine Ford item again a common practise back then.
Absolutely mint photo brings back soooo many great memories. Thankyou.
RScapriman.
She has the more unusual rostyle wheels as per specials and 3000E model(ie with the smaller slots between the spokes)also has an aftermarket vinyl roof not a genuine Ford item again a common practise back then.
Absolutely mint photo brings back soooo many great memories. Thankyou.
RScapriman.
rscapriman said:
She has the more unusual rostyle wheels as per specials and 3000E model(ie with the smaller slots between the spokes)
My '70 3000GT had those 4-spoke Rostyles; although rare spec (no option packs), it wasn't a 'special'.Of course it may not have had them from new (it was eight years old when I bought it), but it was otherwise totally original.
No more photos I'm afraid. The colour was definitely blue, not green, and it looked very attractive to me with the tan/beige interior. I'm positive it was the original factory colour and not a re-spray because I wouldn't have bought it otherwise. I probably would have kept the car longer but I was transferred overseas with my job, so she had to go. Shame.
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/kevJ3em0[/u
This excellent little InterEurope wheel series manual is dated January 1972, it was with my Mums second 3000E, a J reg auto in Tawny, identical to the one on the front cover. Sadly we can't find the reg no or a photo of it at the moment, but she exchanged it for an Onyx green Cortina 2000GXL auto, with Ken Love, a family friend and well known Essex car dealer.
Ken Love, where are you now ?
|http://thumbsnap.com/kevJ3em0[/u This excellent little InterEurope wheel series manual is dated January 1972, it was with my Mums second 3000E, a J reg auto in Tawny, identical to the one on the front cover. Sadly we can't find the reg no or a photo of it at the moment, but she exchanged it for an Onyx green Cortina 2000GXL auto, with Ken Love, a family friend and well known Essex car dealer.
Ken Love, where are you now ?
Hi, yes the wheels are correct on longnose Capri, the problem with sales brochures is they quite often feature items that never actually made it onto the regular model I have 3000 GXL, RS2600 and RS3100 sales brochures all have items on there that deffo never made it into production.
The wheels on the gold 3000E in the brochure are the more common items and were available in 2 widths.
RScapriman.
The wheels on the gold 3000E in the brochure are the more common items and were available in 2 widths.
RScapriman.
I'm still not convinced re those wheels being a factory fit for the 3 Litre cars, my Mums first one bought at under a year old ( VEG 97H in Auberghine ) had the brochure Rostyles and the timewarp original H reg Silver one I owned had them too and many other H and J registered 3 Litre cars I saw had the brochure Rostyles as well.
All the K registered ( August 71 - August 72 ) cars I ever saw had the new " sports " type of wheel as per the InterEurope booklet
I had a pal who had a J reg 2 Litre with the other type of wheel.
All the K registered ( August 71 - August 72 ) cars I ever saw had the new " sports " type of wheel as per the InterEurope booklet
I had a pal who had a J reg 2 Litre with the other type of wheel.
Don't think this is a survivor. Old Chap who lives along the road from my mum came over to see my Capri when I parked up a few months ago. Next thing he pulls out photos of some he used to own. He owned this one when it was new - lucky chap.
He couldn't believe it when I told him what it would be worth if he'd kept it in and it was still in that condition.
image hosting free
He couldn't believe it when I told him what it would be worth if he'd kept it in and it was still in that condition.
image hosting free
Spitfire2 said:
Don't think this is a survivor. Old Chap who lives along the road from my mum came over to see my Capri when I parked up a few months ago. Next thing he pulls out photos of some he used to own. He owned this one when it was new - lucky chap.
He couldn't believe it when I told him what it would be worth if he'd kept it in and it was still in that condition.
image hosting free
Supplied new by Frew and Company Ltd of Perth I would think, going by the reg number.He couldn't believe it when I told him what it would be worth if he'd kept it in and it was still in that condition.
image hosting free
neutral 3 said:
Fantastic period photo longnose ! Any more ?
My ageing Capri memory is struggling to recognise the color Green ? Of your old 3 Litre, but it fits well with the light tan interior which was a common ( and a nice option )
My scruffy J reg 3000E ( OPU 534K which I think Ford owned originally I believe ) and which I bought from a pal in June 1982, with front end " lamp post damage " was " Evergreen " a lovely dark Metalic green ( that faded terribly ) and had a white Vinle roof from new and a tan interior.
Your car has the Wipac ? fog and spot lamps which again ? from my poor memory were part of the XLR package. It also has the plain style of Rostyle wheels, but I remember a fair few Capris that had been fitted with the glitzy chrome 1600E Rostyles which were of a different design.
The early 3 Litre Capris had the Zodiac sourced engine, which had a poor design of inlet manifold and a lazy camshaft design and cast exhaust manifolds. They also had poor gear ratios, with a canyon sized gap between second and third. Quoted power was 128bhp and period road test cars would do aprox 113 mph.
However from around Sept 71, the uprated 3 litre arrived, with tubular exhaust manifolds, new camshaft and inlet manifold. Much more responsive, power was now a claimed 138bhp and top speed was about 122mph.
If your number plate was the cars original then it looks as if it was first registered in Buckinghamshire. I think the registration records from Bucks have survived
The Capri fitted with the Essex never came with cast manifolds only tubular My ageing Capri memory is struggling to recognise the color Green ? Of your old 3 Litre, but it fits well with the light tan interior which was a common ( and a nice option )
My scruffy J reg 3000E ( OPU 534K which I think Ford owned originally I believe ) and which I bought from a pal in June 1982, with front end " lamp post damage " was " Evergreen " a lovely dark Metalic green ( that faded terribly ) and had a white Vinle roof from new and a tan interior.
Your car has the Wipac ? fog and spot lamps which again ? from my poor memory were part of the XLR package. It also has the plain style of Rostyle wheels, but I remember a fair few Capris that had been fitted with the glitzy chrome 1600E Rostyles which were of a different design.
The early 3 Litre Capris had the Zodiac sourced engine, which had a poor design of inlet manifold and a lazy camshaft design and cast exhaust manifolds. They also had poor gear ratios, with a canyon sized gap between second and third. Quoted power was 128bhp and period road test cars would do aprox 113 mph.
However from around Sept 71, the uprated 3 litre arrived, with tubular exhaust manifolds, new camshaft and inlet manifold. Much more responsive, power was now a claimed 138bhp and top speed was about 122mph.
If your number plate was the cars original then it looks as if it was first registered in Buckinghamshire. I think the registration records from Bucks have survived
the earlier engine had oval window inlet ports and the Zephyr/Zodiac cam and was reluctant to rev over 4.5 K (basically came from the MK4 as is) also that horrible side rail g/box and s
t ratio's 
where as the late 71> Essex had D shaped inlet ports and an hairier cam profile these would zip round to 5.5k + OK, who remembers the early 69 3.0 GT with the removable die cast bonnet bulge end piece I bet many don't 
off the bonnet in this shot bad pic but .. 
Edited by Sardonicus on Thursday 8th January 12:24
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff