RE: The final Ford Capri: Driven
Discussion
Johnny5hoods said:
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?
I think it might have, I've not driven a GT86 and I think I could live with the performance but from what I've read the engine is a real weak link. The GT86 was recently on my radar, but I opted for a 370Z instead and I think that the engine in that played a big part in my decision. Chris Harris much prefers the GT86 to the 370Z though...so not everyone appreciates the old school way of doing things it seems.
cerb4.5lee said:
Johnny5hoods said:
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?
I think it might have, I've not driven a GT86 and I think I could live with the performance but from what I've read the engine is a real weak link. The GT86 was recently on my radar, but I opted for a 370Z instead and I think that the engine in that played a big part in my decision. Chris Harris much prefers the GT86 to the 370Z though...so not everyone appreciates the old school way of doing things it seems.
I like the GT86. But agree a more grungy engine would likely broaden the appeal. And compared to things like the Fiesta ST it just seems expensive. Or even the MX-5.
There was a time when they must have ben the cheapest performance available. You could pick a 3.0 up from about £500 and even a tired one would keep up with most things including the new wave of XR's and fuel injection hatchbacks. Some I've owned - a super nice and very rapid 3.0S JVF 707V £1500, RS3100 £2500, a mint pre-Special 5 speed 2.8i £3300 - which I still see around occasionally !
300bhp/ton said:
Anyone know how a Capri faired pricewise with something like an XR3i or Pug 205 GTI when new?
.
Here are some list prices from Nov 83.
Alfa GTV6 2.5 10950
Audi Coupe 2.1 9808
Datsun 280ZX 11617
Escort XR3i 6502
Capri 2.8i 8653
Porsche 924 10880
Calica Supra 2.8i 10583
Golf Gti 1.8 7156
Scirocco Gti 8137
Johnny5hoods said:
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.
Combination of factors I'd guess.It's an actual car thread rather than a dashcam/numberplate moan. It's a car that many will have had experience of ( whether it was in 1.3/1.6/2.0/2.8/3.0 engine config ) and can relate to having been in or driven rather than some new supercar onobtainium variant. Witness also the large number of comments on the 306GTi-6 driving vid at present .
Plus people seem interested in rwd, more than 4 cylinder manual box cars with no driver aids that are fun to drive at slower speeds than new stuff like DSG-equipped hot hatches - maybe that intrigues some?
People can't generally start Spotted type threads themselves on the main page as they usually get used to a Marque Specific/Car Buying forum backwater but PH guys can so anything like this tends to be focussed on much more than in years past
Further to recent posts my first 2.8 Injection in 1984 was a grey 1983 LOO 898Y ex Ford management car I bought from BCA Brighouse for £6000.
Second Injection was a blue metallic 1983 END 550Y (photo).
Third was a white 1984 Injection A707 KRE (photos) which developed a noisy diff.
Last one was a 280 Brooklands E80 ONE (I think) bought new from Quicks Ford Bury for £11k. It was actually a company car which I handed back 2 weeks later (and 2k miles later!) as I left the company. I had intended to buy the car off the company after 2 years so my father and I fully waxoyled the car after delivery which makes me think it could still be on the road now if anyone knows?
Second Injection was a blue metallic 1983 END 550Y (photo).
Third was a white 1984 Injection A707 KRE (photos) which developed a noisy diff.
Last one was a 280 Brooklands E80 ONE (I think) bought new from Quicks Ford Bury for £11k. It was actually a company car which I handed back 2 weeks later (and 2k miles later!) as I left the company. I had intended to buy the car off the company after 2 years so my father and I fully waxoyled the car after delivery which makes me think it could still be on the road now if anyone knows?
Edited by av185 on Thursday 9th May 11:50
cerb4.5lee said:
Johnny5hoods said:
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?
I think it might have, I've not driven a GT86 and I think I could live with the performance but from what I've read the engine is a real weak link. The GT86 was recently on my radar, but I opted for a 370Z instead and I think that the engine in that played a big part in my decision. Chris Harris much prefers the GT86 to the 370Z though...so not everyone appreciates the old school way of doing things it seems.
I could well be tempted by a Nissan 350z though as I reckon it’s a close as you’ll get to a modern Capri: big V6, RWD, fairly simple and brutish, good looks and a lot of car for the money.
The sensible part of me says buy one of these rather than tuning my Amazon engine… (I’ll almost certainly spunk 3-4 grand on the old lump rather than going down the modern path).
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.
A std 5 GT Turbo would climb all over a 2.8i Capri. The Phase 11 would hit 0-60 in 7.2 seconds ( the Phase 1 was quicker to 60 ) The 5 was Far lighter, had far better ( discs all round brakes ) far better steering feel / feedback, better suspension etc etc. Ive had probably 20 GT Turbos and i ran this lovely G reg one ( RIP ) for almost six years 94-99 and had many tear ups with Capris.
The very clean, silver A reg 2.8i that I had just given £100 for out of Loot, plus £40 quid delivery, is just out of shot in this summer 1995, East London photo.
Edited by neutral 3 on Thursday 9th May 14:34
neutral 3 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.
A std 5 GT Turbo would climb all over a 2.8i Capri. The Phase 11 would hit 0-60 in 7.2 seconds ( the Phase 1 was quicker to 60 ) The 5 was Far lighter, had far better ( discs all round brakes ) far better steering feel / feedback, better suspension etc etc. Ive had probably 20 GT Turbos and i ran this lovely G reg one ( RIP ) for almost six years 94-99 and had many tear ups with Capris.
The very clean, silver A reg 2.8i that I had just given £100 for out of Loot, plus £40 quid delivery, is just out of shot in this summer 1995, East London photo.
Edited by neutral 3 on Thursday 9th May 14:34
But, like I said, on paper vs in reality, you just never know.
I bought my first Capri in 1982 for £400. It was a tired Mk1 2000 GT in diamond white with the obligatory black vinyl roof. I still dream about this car now and then (deeply sad I know) and woke up last year being convinced that I still owned it and had tucked it away in a lockup and forgotten about it! Mine had the V4 engine which everyone told me was a pile of explosive poo I should ditch asap. In 25,000 miles of very abusive use the engine was bomb proof. I manged to kill the clutch, gearbox (twice) and the diff gave up twice too, but the engine never missed a beat and if it's possible to love a car, then this car was my first love.
Since then I've had various Capri's and for the last 10 years have had a 1983 2.8 injection. As others have said on here they've gone from hero to zero and back again over the past 50 years. Look back to 1969 when they launched and the motoring public had little choice other than Austin 1100/1300, the Cortina and Escort, Hillman Hunters, Vauxhall Viva/Magnum/Firenza and lots of other dull but utilitarian cars. The Capri was something different, looked good, was practical, cheap to run and came in a bewildering choice of engines and trim spec's. In the USA the Capri was for a while the top selling imported car and Europe also fell in love. Inevitably there was a long decline until Capri's had a terrible image and were worth scrap money. In fairness, production lasted far longer than ever intended and even at the end when Capri's were only built for the UK market, managed to outlive the Sierra XR4i that was supposed to replace it. It's good to see the remaining cars being appreciated again. The V6's in particular are still a lot of fun to drive with lusty engines and more than enough power to enjoy and the 2.8i's ride and handle significantly better than the early cars.
Since then I've had various Capri's and for the last 10 years have had a 1983 2.8 injection. As others have said on here they've gone from hero to zero and back again over the past 50 years. Look back to 1969 when they launched and the motoring public had little choice other than Austin 1100/1300, the Cortina and Escort, Hillman Hunters, Vauxhall Viva/Magnum/Firenza and lots of other dull but utilitarian cars. The Capri was something different, looked good, was practical, cheap to run and came in a bewildering choice of engines and trim spec's. In the USA the Capri was for a while the top selling imported car and Europe also fell in love. Inevitably there was a long decline until Capri's had a terrible image and were worth scrap money. In fairness, production lasted far longer than ever intended and even at the end when Capri's were only built for the UK market, managed to outlive the Sierra XR4i that was supposed to replace it. It's good to see the remaining cars being appreciated again. The V6's in particular are still a lot of fun to drive with lusty engines and more than enough power to enjoy and the 2.8i's ride and handle significantly better than the early cars.
j4r4lly said:
I still dream about this car now and then (deeply sad I know) and woke up last year being convinced that I still owned it and had tucked it away in a lockup and forgotten about it!
Have had a similar dream about my Mk1, still look out for it popping up on eBay, it was MOT'd until 2008, so it could have got tucked away as they were worth saving by then and if it had an MOT, it cant have been that bad by then.The dream was very vivid and it was quite nice tooling about in it, was genuinely disappointed when I realised it was a dream.
J4CKO said:
j4r4lly said:
I still dream about this car now and then (deeply sad I know) and woke up last year being convinced that I still owned it and had tucked it away in a lockup and forgotten about it!
Have had a similar dream about my Mk1, still look out for it popping up on eBay, it was MOT'd until 2008, so it could have got tucked away as they were worth saving by then and if it had an MOT, it cant have been that bad by then.The dream was very vivid and it was quite nice tooling about in it, was genuinely disappointed when I realised it was a dream.
Mine is long gone............sold it to someone who had it about 2 weeks and crashed into the back of a bus writing it off.....
j4r4lly said:
J4CKO said:
j4r4lly said:
I still dream about this car now and then (deeply sad I know) and woke up last year being convinced that I still owned it and had tucked it away in a lockup and forgotten about it!
Have had a similar dream about my Mk1, still look out for it popping up on eBay, it was MOT'd until 2008, so it could have got tucked away as they were worth saving by then and if it had an MOT, it cant have been that bad by then.The dream was very vivid and it was quite nice tooling about in it, was genuinely disappointed when I realised it was a dream.
Mine is long gone............sold it to someone who had it about 2 weeks and crashed into the back of a bus writing it off.....
Still dream of D163 YJF... (black 2.8 injection special).
J4CKO said:
Have had a similar dream about my Mk1, still look out for it popping up on eBay, it was MOT'd until 2008, so it could have got tucked away as they were worth saving by then and if it had an MOT, it cant have been that bad by then.
The dream was very vivid and it was quite nice tooling about in it, was genuinely disappointed when I realised it was a dream.
When I was at school my old man had a MK1, I think it was a GXL. He had it resprayed from gold to yellow. He's gone now, and I'd love to have his old Capri or his Stag. I'd give his Princess and Maxi a miss though.The dream was very vivid and it was quite nice tooling about in it, was genuinely disappointed when I realised it was a dream.
J4CKO said:
0-100 mph they were not far apart, 23/24 seconds, the Renault was obviously a lot lighter but the Capri had more power and torque, imagine the R5 being more agile but was thinking that Standard vs Standard, on an A road, in terms of acceleration they should be fairly evenly matched, the Renault is a few tenths quicker to sixty but loses that advantage at higher speeds based on the 0-100 mph times.
But, like I said, on paper vs in reality, you just never know.
But, like I said, on paper vs in reality, you just never know.
There was nothing wrong with the Bilstein suspension on the 2.8 Injection, and the vented discs were an improvement over the 3.0S. Add the slipper from the special and it could put the power down too. Talk of tuned sardine tins against a standard Capri isn't comparing like, I'm fairly sure a 200 bhp Capri Injection would all over some French clutter.blade7 said:
J4CKO said:
0-100 mph they were not far apart, 23/24 seconds, the Renault was obviously a lot lighter but the Capri had more power and torque, imagine the R5 being more agile but was thinking that Standard vs Standard, on an A road, in terms of acceleration they should be fairly evenly matched, the Renault is a few tenths quicker to sixty but loses that advantage at higher speeds based on the 0-100 mph times.
But, like I said, on paper vs in reality, you just never know.
But, like I said, on paper vs in reality, you just never know.
There was nothing wrong with the Bilstein suspension on the 2.8 Injection, and the vented discs were an improvement over the 3.0S. Add the slipper from the special and it could put the power down too. Talk of tuned sardine tins against a standard Capri isn't comparing like, I'm fairly sure a 200 bhp Capri Injection would all over some French clutter.cologne2792 said:
blade7 said:
J4CKO said:
0-100 mph they were not far apart, 23/24 seconds, the Renault was obviously a lot lighter but the Capri had more power and torque, imagine the R5 being more agile but was thinking that Standard vs Standard, on an A road, in terms of acceleration they should be fairly evenly matched, the Renault is a few tenths quicker to sixty but loses that advantage at higher speeds based on the 0-100 mph times.
But, like I said, on paper vs in reality, you just never know.
But, like I said, on paper vs in reality, you just never know.
There was nothing wrong with the Bilstein suspension on the 2.8 Injection, and the vented discs were an improvement over the 3.0S. Add the slipper from the special and it could put the power down too. Talk of tuned sardine tins against a standard Capri isn't comparing like, I'm fairly sure a 200 bhp Capri Injection would all over some French clutter.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff