RE: The final Ford Capri: Driven
Discussion
neutral 3 said:
I was fortunate to grow up around 3 Litre Capris. My Late Dad bought my Mum VEG 97H an aubergine 3000GT in 1972. And in either 73 or 74, they changed that for an absolutely immaculate Tawny J registered 3000E auto, from a garage at Chingford Mount. By 1976, the Capri was scruffy, so she chopped it in for a lovely 73 Cortina 2000GXL Auto in that stunning Onyx green.
Fast forward to Jan 82 and with the £950 I got for my Z900, I bought EVC 289L, from a then pal. It was in the early 80s, the fastest 3 Litre Capri in East London. It was a very late 72 registered, pre facelift 3000GT in Daytona yellow.
This car already had a " Reputation " as being a very quick one, confirmed by myself the previous September, when I had a late night tear up with it, on my Z900 and @ 118mph, with the Z threatening to go into a huge tank slapper, the Capri was hanging onto my Kwackas tail piece !
We never did establish just who had " tweaked " it's engine, but it would pull an indicated 128mph @ 5,800 rpm and was Still pulling, but I had to back off, as it was diabolicaly unstable @ high speeds.
One day in Chingford, I had an epic dice with someone in a blue 69 Shelby GT500.
I can still see in my minds eye, the smoke belching off of that Mustangs rear tires and it slewing side ways as he booted it.....
Plus both of us going sideways around the first corner.
But I gave him a Huge fright in my £500 quid 3 Litre Capri.
EVC was by Far the quickest of the many Capris that I've since owned.
In 1982 a very wealthy pals Mum, bought a new X reg graphite over silver 2.8i from Gates of Woodford. We had a tear up down the Epping New rd one eve and @ 115, I was right behind him in a scruffy blue K reg 3000E that I had.
After 5 more MK1 3 litres, in late 1985, I bought a red T reg 3.0 Litre S, but I didn't like it, too heavy, under tired, shockingly poor spring and dampers, but I did love its Recaros and PAS set up. The hordes of 323is around then, used to leave it for dead.
Two more 3.0 Litre S followed.
I've also owned four 2.8i Capris, but that 2.8 engine just didn't do anything for me after the torque laden 3 Liter cars.
J4CKO said:
The Capri wasnt that Chest Wiggy really,
I used to work in a pub in Gatley and a bloke used to come in, he was a ladies hairdresser but not the stereotypical camp type, he was quite cool despite being a refugee from the seventies, he was called Dave and was sort of a Barry Gibb alike, all jewellery, coiffed hair, trimmed beard, shirt open two buttons too far and small cigars, he carried it off quite well to be fair.
He drove one of these,
I couldn't believe it was a 6.6 Turbo, that won at Top Trumps but was actually feeble by modern standards (210 bhp, had assumed nearer 350), though he did leave in a cloud of tyre smoke one night on request, it was quite impressive, especially given he had drunk quite a bit.
That was the epitome of chest wiggery, made a Capri look pretty unassuming.
Awesome looking things. The Turbo cars were the last of the line of the 2nd Gens. They were 4.9 litres and carb. Lots of torque and the HP was pretty respectable for the day. Plus plenty more available with a few mods. I used to work in a pub in Gatley and a bloke used to come in, he was a ladies hairdresser but not the stereotypical camp type, he was quite cool despite being a refugee from the seventies, he was called Dave and was sort of a Barry Gibb alike, all jewellery, coiffed hair, trimmed beard, shirt open two buttons too far and small cigars, he carried it off quite well to be fair.
He drove one of these,
I couldn't believe it was a 6.6 Turbo, that won at Top Trumps but was actually feeble by modern standards (210 bhp, had assumed nearer 350), though he did leave in a cloud of tyre smoke one night on request, it was quite impressive, especially given he had drunk quite a bit.
That was the epitome of chest wiggery, made a Capri look pretty unassuming.
ballans said:
Bibbs said:
Made till the mid 90s .. awful things.
Don’t ever remember seeing one of those. RHD as well unless they’ve flipped the picture. Guessing it must be some kind of parts bin special (Fiesta base) or using the MX5 platform from Fords tie in with Mazda.
Seems sacrilege associating this with the Capri!
From my POV quite fitting they used the name, as I never liked the UK ones either.
When I lived in the UK in the mid-late 90's, a neighbor had two in the drive. I didn't see either move. My landlord said the same, and he had the house 10 years.
300bhp/ton said:
Capri wasn't a muscle car. It was a down scaling of the popular Pony car (the early Mustang). Which was based on an economy car platform, small and compact and more about image/style than outright performance.
I loved the Capri and lament not owning one myself. But the Monaro is a much bigger and heavier car, and while it is a 2+2 coupe, I'm not really sure it sits in the same space as the Capri.
Well in the wider scheme of things it may not have been a muscle car, but a 2.8 Injection in the context of Cortinas, Sierras and Cavaliers in the UK it probably was! I loved the Capri and lament not owning one myself. But the Monaro is a much bigger and heavier car, and while it is a 2+2 coupe, I'm not really sure it sits in the same space as the Capri.
Back then you would have needed an E30 BMW 325i to beat it, and none of the early 80s hot hatches could keep up.
Mr Tidy said:
300bhp/ton said:
Capri wasn't a muscle car. It was a down scaling of the popular Pony car (the early Mustang). Which was based on an economy car platform, small and compact and more about image/style than outright performance.
I loved the Capri and lament not owning one myself. But the Monaro is a much bigger and heavier car, and while it is a 2+2 coupe, I'm not really sure it sits in the same space as the Capri.
Well in the wider scheme of things it may not have been a muscle car, but a 2.8 Injection in the context of Cortinas, Sierras and Cavaliers in the UK it probably was! I loved the Capri and lament not owning one myself. But the Monaro is a much bigger and heavier car, and while it is a 2+2 coupe, I'm not really sure it sits in the same space as the Capri.
Back then you would have needed an E30 BMW 325i to beat it, and none of the early 80s hot hatches could keep up.
Sales were poor in the USA as it didn't really offer anything that the mustang did not already.
Mr Tidy said:
Well in the wider scheme of things it may not have been a muscle car, but a 2.8 Injection in the context of Cortinas, Sierras and Cavaliers in the UK it probably was!
Back then you would have needed an E30 BMW 325i to beat it, and none of the early 80s hot hatches could keep up.
I suppose the irony here is, show a picture of a 4.0 litre Mustang (S197) on here and you'll get outcry that it isn't a muscle car, despite the 4.0 litre engine being the same engine as the Capri's, but making a lot more power and torque with the bigger displacement and in a lot faster car.Back then you would have needed an E30 BMW 325i to beat it, and none of the early 80s hot hatches could keep up.
J4CKO said:
The Capri wasnt that Chest Wiggy really,
I used to work in a pub in Gatley and a bloke used to come in, he was a ladies hairdresser but not the stereotypical camp type, he was quite cool despite being a refugee from the seventies, he was called Dave and was sort of a Barry Gibb alike, all jewellery, coiffed hair, trimmed beard, shirt open two buttons too far and small cigars, he carried it off quite well to be fair.
He drove one of these,
I couldn't believe it was a 6.6 Turbo, that won at Top Trumps but was actually feeble by modern standards (210 bhp, had assumed nearer 350), though he did leave in a cloud of tyre smoke one night on request, it was quite impressive, especially given he had drunk quite a bit.
That was the epitome of chest wiggery, made a Capri look pretty unassuming.
I have a fond memory of my Mum driving the Mustang with me and my sister in tow and we came across a Black one of these(hard top I think)and I noticed the 6.6 litre sticker on the bonnet bulge. Needless to say that we had some fun racing down the road at high speed(probably wasn't that quick in reality but it felt it at the time as a youngster!). Good memories. I used to work in a pub in Gatley and a bloke used to come in, he was a ladies hairdresser but not the stereotypical camp type, he was quite cool despite being a refugee from the seventies, he was called Dave and was sort of a Barry Gibb alike, all jewellery, coiffed hair, trimmed beard, shirt open two buttons too far and small cigars, he carried it off quite well to be fair.
He drove one of these,
I couldn't believe it was a 6.6 Turbo, that won at Top Trumps but was actually feeble by modern standards (210 bhp, had assumed nearer 350), though he did leave in a cloud of tyre smoke one night on request, it was quite impressive, especially given he had drunk quite a bit.
That was the epitome of chest wiggery, made a Capri look pretty unassuming.
It wasn’t exactly a drag race but I was sure that I could pull away easily from the little hatch sat next to me in my pristine black 2.8 at a set of dual carriageway lights in around 1988.
The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
This exact Capri will be on display at Silverstone Classic, 26-28th July, as part of Ford's 50th anniversary celebration. If you have an eligible car, you can join us in the PistonHeads club area here from just £52 for two tickets. For general tickets from £45, click here.
swisstoni said:
It wasn’t exactly a drag race but I was sure that I could pull away easily from the little hatch sat next to me in my pristine black 2.8 at a set of dual carriageway lights in around 1988.
The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Standard vs standard the Renault was a smidge quicker on paper, but it was a few tenths here and there depending on whose road test you read, on paper doesn't guarantee anything on the actual road but I wouldn't expect an R5 Turbo to clear off unless either the Capri was down on power or the Renault had been fiddled with a bit, which seems the more likely scenario as they were quite easy to fit a bleed valve or just mess with the wastegate actuator rod for a bit more power.The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
J4CKO said:
swisstoni said:
It wasn’t exactly a drag race but I was sure that I could pull away easily from the little hatch sat next to me in my pristine black 2.8 at a set of dual carriageway lights in around 1988.
The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Standard vs standard the Renault was a smidge quicker on paper, but it was a few tenths here and there depending on whose road test you read, on paper doesn't guarantee anything on the actual road but I wouldn't expect an R5 Turbo to clear off unless either the Capri was down on power or the Renault had been fiddled with a bit, which seems the more likely scenario as they were quite easy to fit a bleed valve or just mess with the wastegate actuator rod for a bit more power.The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
J4CKO said:
swisstoni said:
It wasn’t exactly a drag race but I was sure that I could pull away easily from the little hatch sat next to me in my pristine black 2.8 at a set of dual carriageway lights in around 1988.
The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Standard vs standard the Renault was a smidge quicker on paper, but it was a few tenths here and there depending on whose road test you read, on paper doesn't guarantee anything on the actual road but I wouldn't expect an R5 Turbo to clear off unless either the Capri was down on power or the Renault had been fiddled with a bit, which seems the more likely scenario as they were quite easy to fit a bleed valve or just mess with the wastegate actuator rod for a bit more power.The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
motco said:
J4CKO said:
swisstoni said:
It wasn’t exactly a drag race but I was sure that I could pull away easily from the little hatch sat next to me in my pristine black 2.8 at a set of dual carriageway lights in around 1988.
The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Standard vs standard the Renault was a smidge quicker on paper, but it was a few tenths here and there depending on whose road test you read, on paper doesn't guarantee anything on the actual road but I wouldn't expect an R5 Turbo to clear off unless either the Capri was down on power or the Renault had been fiddled with a bit, which seems the more likely scenario as they were quite easy to fit a bleed valve or just mess with the wastegate actuator rod for a bit more power.The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
swisstoni said:
It wasn’t exactly a drag race but I was sure that I could pull away easily from the little hatch sat next to me in my pristine black 2.8 at a set of dual carriageway lights in around 1988.
The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
We used to head down the Pod in the 80s and 90s with all our cars occasionally The 5 Turbo just cleared off.
When I went home I got a magazine out and started scanning 0-60 times.
When one lad got his new 1.9 205 he was keen to try it out
Remember him having head to heads with another mate in his 2.8i. Both similar power to weight
Very little in it - I think the Capri usually just pipped it but the Peugeot did win one with a great launch
The Capri had the legs on the 1.9 once speeds got a bit higher and would pull away on the high speed private roads
J4CKO said:
Standard vs standard the Renault was a smidge quicker on paper, but it was a few tenths here and there depending on whose road test you read, on paper doesn't guarantee anything on the actual road but I wouldn't expect an R5 Turbo to clear off unless either the Capri was down on power or the Renault had been fiddled with a bit, which seems the more likely scenario as they were quite easy to fit a bleed valve or just mess with the wastegate actuator rod for a bit more power.
Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
They could accelerate surprisingly fast. Followed one near spaghetti junction years ago, drew level with it, and it didn't look like any of the 4 or 5 kids inside were old enough to drive Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
My first two cars were 2.0l S's mk 2's.
Awful in the wet though, I loved both of mine, by the time I could afford the insurance on a 2.8i cossies were the be all and end all, then I shortly after got a mk 2 Astra GTE
The guy who has the black one further up all turboed and cossied out, that looks to be a mk2 going from the rear lights and detailing.
Surprised no ones mentioned the Scorpion Axle locating kit you could get, that supposedly helped the rear end a lot given as it had aye olde leaf springs from way back when and needed all the help it could get.
Awful in the wet though, I loved both of mine, by the time I could afford the insurance on a 2.8i cossies were the be all and end all, then I shortly after got a mk 2 Astra GTE
The guy who has the black one further up all turboed and cossied out, that looks to be a mk2 going from the rear lights and detailing.
Surprised no ones mentioned the Scorpion Axle locating kit you could get, that supposedly helped the rear end a lot given as it had aye olde leaf springs from way back when and needed all the help it could get.
blade7 said:
J4CKO said:
Standard vs standard the Renault was a smidge quicker on paper, but it was a few tenths here and there depending on whose road test you read, on paper doesn't guarantee anything on the actual road but I wouldn't expect an R5 Turbo to clear off unless either the Capri was down on power or the Renault had been fiddled with a bit, which seems the more likely scenario as they were quite easy to fit a bleed valve or just mess with the wastegate actuator rod for a bit more power.
Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
They could accelerate surprisingly fast. Followed one near spaghetti junction years ago, drew level with it, and it didn't look like any of the 4 or 5 kids inside were old enough to drive Easy to get another 20 bhp, maybe more, which I suspect is what you saw.
10 pages in three days - something tells me this thread is striking a chord with people! I don't know what the record is for 10 pages but that's gotta be pretty quick.
So if the Capri is, clearly, still so important to so many of us, how come more of us don't drive low slung coupes? As often mentioned, the GT86 (nearest contemporary equivalent?) actually hasn't sold that well. Why? If it had had a more flexible V6 developing the same 200 horsepower, would it have sold better?
Something tells me there are a few of us who secretly long to ditch our saloons and upright hatches and relive our youth in a simple but effective curvy sports coupe.
So if the Capri is, clearly, still so important to so many of us, how come more of us don't drive low slung coupes? As often mentioned, the GT86 (nearest contemporary equivalent?) actually hasn't sold that well. Why? If it had had a more flexible V6 developing the same 200 horsepower, would it have sold better?
Something tells me there are a few of us who secretly long to ditch our saloons and upright hatches and relive our youth in a simple but effective curvy sports coupe.
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