RE: Ford Capri V8 | The Brave Pill

RE: Ford Capri V8 | The Brave Pill

Author
Discussion

Sparky137

869 posts

183 months

Tuesday 4th July 2023
quotequote all
r5kdt said:
wondered how long it would take before the "my mate put a bag of cement /paving stone in the boot" comment came up... not long obviously!
Many years ago I had a 3.0 JPS. All this garbage about bags of cement etc in the boot just stems from people that can't drive properly. Sure, you could easily provoke the tail to come out if you wanted to but it was very predictable and easily controlable with the throttle. If you drive like a moron and keep your foot planted into the carpet in all conditions then you probably will spin it. I cant help thinking that today one of these would make a superb drift car. .

DodgyGeezer

40,946 posts

192 months

Tuesday 4th July 2023
quotequote all
Sparky137 said:
r5kdt said:
wondered how long it would take before the "my mate put a bag of cement /paving stone in the boot" comment came up... not long obviously!
Many years ago I had a 3.0 JPS. All this garbage about bags of cement etc in the boot just stems from people that can't drive properly. Sure, you could easily provoke the tail to come out if you wanted to but it was very predictable and easily controlable with the throttle. If you drive like a moron and keep your foot planted into the carpet in all conditions then you probably will spin it. I cant help thinking that today one of these would make a superb drift car. .
IIRC BMW's of this era were very well known for their tail-happiness - but that's ok as they're the "...ultimate driving machine..." hehe

Biker's Nemesis

39,084 posts

210 months

Tuesday 4th July 2023
quotequote all
gt40steve said:
The writer needs to watch some Minder reruns.
Terry's Capri's were never 'bangers '.
The 2.0S in the opening credits wasn't even due a MOT when the series started in October 1979.

PS
The Capri was Corsair based, it has a longer wheelbase than a Cortina Mk2.
However as the Corsair was an enlarged Cortina Mk1 floor pan we'll let that slip.
The Minder Capri is still on the road, there was a YouTube mini series a couple of years ago documenting its refurb after it caught fire.

ukkid35

6,220 posts

175 months

Wednesday 5th July 2023
quotequote all
Clive and Angus at Tickover used to build V8 Capris, they helped maintain my 2.8i over the ten years that I owned it

They also did a four pot brake conversion using Ambassador calipers, as the standard brakes were truly awful, I wish I'd been able to afford that

They also used to do a mod to help pin the rear axle, again outside my meagre means

I wish I'd known about Tickover when I had my first car, a 3L S Capri, which blew up because I wasn't servicing the engine adequately

I still managed to get through the Alps and to the South of France in it, even though it needed the track control arm bushes replaced en-route, they never lasted more than a few thousand miles

The problem with the Capri was that although it was very practical, with great load carrying ability, it was actually a very poor 'sports' car

One dubious benefit was that it prepared me for later cars I owned that had similarly poor fuel consumption at about 20mpg


V8covin

7,460 posts

195 months

Wednesday 5th July 2023
quotequote all
ukkid35 said:
Clive and Angus at Tickover used to build V8 Capris, they helped maintain my 2.8i over the ten years that I owned it

They also did a four pot brake conversion using Ambassador calipers, as the standard brakes were truly awful, I wish I'd been able to afford that

They also used to do a mod to help pin the rear axle, again outside my meagre means

I wish I'd known about Tickover when I had my first car, a 3L S Capri, which blew up because I wasn't servicing the engine adequately

I still managed to get through the Alps and to the South of France in it, even though it needed the track control arm bushes replaced en-route, they never lasted more than a few thousand miles

The problem with the Capri was that although it was very practical, with great load carrying ability, it was actually a very poor 'sports' car

One dubious benefit was that it prepared me for later cars I owned that had similarly poor fuel consumption at about 20mpg

I put Ambassador 4-pots on my 3 litre in about 1990 as it was the done thing back then.
It turns out they're less effective than the standard calipers

s m

23,347 posts

205 months

Wednesday 5th July 2023
quotequote all
DodgyGeezer said:
Sparky137 said:
r5kdt said:
wondered how long it would take before the "my mate put a bag of cement /paving stone in the boot" comment came up... not long obviously!
Many years ago I had a 3.0 JPS. All this garbage about bags of cement etc in the boot just stems from people that can't drive properly. Sure, you could easily provoke the tail to come out if you wanted to but it was very predictable and easily controlable with the throttle. If you drive like a moron and keep your foot planted into the carpet in all conditions then you probably will spin it. I cant help thinking that today one of these would make a superb drift car. .
IIRC BMW's of this era were very well known for their tail-happiness - but that's ok as they're the "...ultimate driving machine..." hehe
Even the rally loving Swedes banned the contemporary BMW 323i from sale for being ‘too dangerous’ hehe


radovich

147 posts

99 months

Wednesday 5th July 2023
quotequote all
s m said:
DodgyGeezer said:
Sparky137 said:
r5kdt said:
wondered how long it would take before the "my mate put a bag of cement /paving stone in the boot" comment came up... not long obviously!
Many years ago I had a 3.0 JPS. All this garbage about bags of cement etc in the boot just stems from people that can't drive properly. Sure, you could easily provoke the tail to come out if you wanted to but it was very predictable and easily controlable with the throttle. If you drive like a moron and keep your foot planted into the carpet in all conditions then you probably will spin it. I cant help thinking that today one of these would make a superb drift car. .
IIRC BMW's of this era were very well known for their tail-happiness - but that's ok as they're the "...ultimate driving machine..." hehe
Even the rally loving Swedes banned the contemporary BMW 323i from sale for being ‘too dangerous’ hehe
In that period a 3 series was generally quoted by motoring journo’s as ‘the car you’re most likely to leave the road in’.

Wacky Racer

38,384 posts

249 months

Thursday 6th July 2023
quotequote all
Invoice for my brand new 3.0S.







jamespink

1,218 posts

206 months

Thursday 6th July 2023
quotequote all
FakeTaxi said:
Old Fords and their prices rofl
You and me both! I ran a sports car site for many years with a steady through put of AVO Mexicos, droop snoot Firenzas, 3 litre Mk1, Mk1 face lift GT & E Capris, Mk1 & 2 Cortina GTs, Es, all around £400/£1000. I see they are slightly more than that now...

jamespink

1,218 posts

206 months

Thursday 6th July 2023
quotequote all
Sparky137 said:
r5kdt said:
wondered how long it would take before the "my mate put a bag of cement /paving stone in the boot" comment came up... not long obviously!
Many years ago I had a 3.0 JPS. All this garbage about bags of cement etc in the boot just stems from people that can't drive properly. Sure, you could easily provoke the tail to come out if you wanted to but it was very predictable and easily controlable with the throttle. If you drive like a moron and keep your foot planted into the carpet in all conditions then you probably will spin it. I cant help thinking that today one of these would make a superb drift car. .
I had several 3 litre Capris, a Mk1 facelift with the twin headlights was my favourite. Bought for £250 as an MOT fail, it was easily and cheaply put back on the road after the obligatory pattern £15 front wings, repaint in black with triple gold lines and restitching the seperated upholstry panels that had all parted company as the sun had rotted the thread... Sideways fun all day long!

alscar

4,425 posts

215 months

Thursday 6th July 2023
quotequote all
Wacky Racer said:
Invoice for my brand new 3.0S.






I like seeing these old invoices - well done for that 10% discount.
At least the under seal option meant it only rusted from the top !
Mine was a very similar spec but new in 79 and I bought in 84.
Tennis racquet recaros always looked the part.
I bought mine after a test drive in the snow - sideways up the A41.

Gary C

12,684 posts

181 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
s m said:
Even the rally loving Swedes banned the contemporary BMW 323i from sale for being ‘too dangerous’ hehe
You could visibly see the camber change on the rear wheels if following one over bumps !



Edited by Gary C on Friday 7th July 09:01

sixor8

6,348 posts

270 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
Wacky Racer said:
Invoice for my brand new 3.0S.



To show perspective, my initial thought was that £4365 in 1978 was over a year's wages.

Using an inflation calculator, that would be £33,490 in today's money. Capris were not cheap!

DodgyGeezer

40,946 posts

192 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
sixor8 said:
To show perspective, my initial thought was that £4365 in 1978 was over a year's wages.

Using an inflation calculator, that would be £33,490 in today's money. Capris were not cheap!
the obvious Q is what is the 'spiritual equivalent' of the 3.0S today?

Agent57

1,700 posts

156 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
DodgyGeezer said:
sixor8 said:
To show perspective, my initial thought was that £4365 in 1978 was over a year's wages.

Using an inflation calculator, that would be £33,490 in today's money. Capris were not cheap!
the obvious Q is what is the 'spiritual equivalent' of the 3.0S today?
£33K does not buy much new nowadays.

Toyota GT86 could be a modern equivalent to a Capri. Maybe

bigothunter

11,486 posts

62 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
sixor8 said:
To show perspective, my initial thought was that £4365 in 1978 was over a year's wages.

Using an inflation calculator, that would be £33,490 in today's money. Capris were not cheap!

DodgyGeezer

40,946 posts

192 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
Agent57 said:
DodgyGeezer said:
sixor8 said:
To show perspective, my initial thought was that £4365 in 1978 was over a year's wages.

Using an inflation calculator, that would be £33,490 in today's money. Capris were not cheap!
the obvious Q is what is the 'spiritual equivalent' of the 3.0S today?
£33K does not buy much new nowadays.

Toyota GT86 could be a modern equivalent to a Capri. Maybe
just looked it up and certainly dimensions and performance are both very similar

sixor8

6,348 posts

270 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
bigothunter said:
sixor8 said:
To show perspective, my initial thought was that £4365 in 1978 was over a year's wages.

Using an inflation calculator, that would be £33,490 in today's money. Capris were not cheap!
I used Hargreaves Lansdowne, who suggest it is from savings rates:

https://www.hl.co.uk/tools/calculators/inflation-c...

The B of E one may be using different data, and then there's CPI or RPI and others. I'm sure there are others too.....

Edited by sixor8 on Friday 7th July 22:39

cerb4.5lee

31,233 posts

182 months

Friday 7th July 2023
quotequote all
DodgyGeezer said:
Agent57 said:
DodgyGeezer said:
sixor8 said:
To show perspective, my initial thought was that £4365 in 1978 was over a year's wages.

Using an inflation calculator, that would be £33,490 in today's money. Capris were not cheap!
the obvious Q is what is the 'spiritual equivalent' of the 3.0S today?
£33K does not buy much new nowadays.

Toyota GT86 could be a modern equivalent to a Capri. Maybe
just looked it up and certainly dimensions and performance are both very similar
I've always seen the more recent Nissan Z cars as a bit of a modern day V6 Capri, because they have a V6/RWD/LSD and a manual gearbox.

GhiaInjection

96 posts

56 months

Sunday 6th August 2023
quotequote all
coppice said:
BogleDog64 said:
I think I understand the appeal of the Capri model, given when it was launched in the UK during the 1960’s there were very few competitors. I often read references about the Capri to the US Mustang but I’m not informed enough to know if a 1.3, 1.6 or even 2.0 L engine was offered in the Mustang.
Did the parent company think the UK market couldn’t handle more power and torque?
I had a half hearted look at buying a 2.8 injection which was only a couple of years old but was instantly put off when the drivers door dropped in my hand on opening. Not a patch on VW build quality in the day.
A guy at work needed to put a 3’x2’ paving stone in his boot during the winter to try to keep the wheels from sliding out.
Form over function I’d say.


It made a huge impact when it was launched. Britain was a very different country then - it wasn't all mini-skirted dollybirds and Beatles songs - and we didn't really do frivolity , especially on the road. Lots of folk modified their cars but most buyers of standard models were serious , earnest folk who bought dull as ditch water, sensible cars like Hillman Hunters and Austin 1100s . Even the much vaunted Lotus Cortina not only sold in tiny numbers but was nearly indistinguishable from a standard car , But the Capri was sexy, absurdly long bonnet nodding to an E -Type, reclining driving position, sexy Rostyle wheels and lots of dials. It sold by the shedload - the car equivalent of flared trousers, Jason King cool over John Mills sobriety
The Capri was coming to the end of it's life as I got interested in cars around the 80's Hot Hatch era. There was still a lot of respect for the 2.8i Capri though. I remember seeing a 3.0 & 2.8i have a little "duel" when I was on my paper round !

I remember watching this episode of "The Cars the Stars" and being amazed at the "competition" at launch. Basically there wasn't any ! No wonder it was a run away success!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7A6C-e-6cQ&t=...

Looking back, the common Ford Policy of the time in squeezing every last drop of profitability from the Mk3 Cortina platform is evident, which means it was a bit off the pace by the end of its life. But even with these modest ingredients, it appears to perform well in contemporary road tests.

Plus, this also means it can be priced for maximum accessibility, something the "premium" marques are not able to or interested in. This clearly explains the price of current good examples. With this many fans and a dwindling supply of good examples, the price is only going to go one way....