Capri or Corvette?

Author
Discussion

rowanxx

95 posts

124 months

Sunday 4th May 2014
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Found this thread after looking for topics on Capris; as I am hopefully getting one at the end of this year after starting my apprenticeship! Seems these can be had for around 2 grand whilst the corvettes are at least 4/5 grand up frown

Magictrousers

268 posts

173 months

Sunday 4th May 2014
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The only sound I can ever remember hearing a Capri make, was reminiscent of a coke can being crushed when one I was next to went up the back of a Discovery.

LuS1fer

41,083 posts

244 months

Sunday 4th May 2014
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rowanxx said:
Found this thread after looking for topics on Capris; as I am hopefully getting one at the end of this year after starting my apprenticeship! Seems these can be had for around 2 grand whilst the corvettes are at least 4/5 grand up frown
It was always an odd choice. The Vette is really in a different league.

ChemicalChaos

Original Poster:

10,360 posts

159 months

Sunday 4th May 2014
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LuS1fer said:
rowanxx said:
Found this thread after looking for topics on Capris; as I am hopefully getting one at the end of this year after starting my apprenticeship! Seems these can be had for around 2 grand whilst the corvettes are at least 4/5 grand up frown
It was always an odd choice. The Vette is really in a different league.
At the time of writing, decent examples of both were hovering around the £5k mark (for a prefacelift C4, and a 2.8i Capri). Now, 'vettes and nice Capris have risen (£10k for a mint 2.8, nearly £15k for some vettes!) whilst the scruffy and/or tired Capris seem to have fallen to about £2-3k

OllieC

3,816 posts

213 months

Monday 5th May 2014
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ChemicalChaos said:
At the time of writing, decent examples of both were hovering around the £5k mark (for a prefacelift C4, and a 2.8i Capri). Now, 'vettes and nice Capris have risen (£10k for a mint 2.8, nearly £15k for some vettes!) whilst the scruffy and/or tired Capris seem to have fallen to about £2-3k
risen to 2-3k wink

LuS1fer

41,083 posts

244 months

Monday 5th May 2014
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What I really meant is that Vettes are a league ahead of Capris in terms of grunt and performance.

In terms of value, American cars are always affected by the cost of bringing them in from the US. When my Mustang came in, it was over 2 dollars to the £ and 15% VAT so they were coming in, in droves and selling cheap.

Now we're down to 1.6 to the £ and up to 20% VAT. Vettes were under-appreciated in the past and I took a big chance buying one back in 1994 but that converted me to American cars.

neutral 3

6,356 posts

169 months

Tuesday 6th May 2014
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Capri first....

I grew up around MK1 3 Litre Capris with my mum owning 2. A 1970 3000 GT in Auberghine ( VEG 97H where are you now ?? ) followed in circa 1973 by a mint Tawny Met Brown J reg 3000E Auto.
My very first road car in Jan 82 was a yellow 1972 MK1 3000GT, ( EVC 289L Where are You Now ?? ) which was probably the fastest 3 Litre Capri in East London at the time, it would pull an indicated 128 mph @ 5,800 rpm and no other 3 Litre could get near it, followed by probably 9 more MK1 3 Litre Capris. I could write a book about my 3 Litre Capri " Escapades " which included a never to be forgotten race with a 68 Shelby 500GT Mustang and then in May 82 a terrifying 100 mph " up on 2 wheels " " spin 3 times " on a certain motorway....

Then in 1985 I bought the first of 3 x 3000S Capris, which were tbh a HUGE disappointment !!
Far too heavy, ( the tailgate was like an Oil Tanker anchor ) the std fit Ghia 5.5 j alloys were just far too narrow, however the std fit power steering was nice ( power Sapper though ) and the optional Recaros were lovely.

Fast forward to 1991 and I buy the car of my dreams whilst on Holliday in Florida, a very original orig California rust free 69 Stingray, 4 speed in Daytona Yellow. I replace the blown motor with a 4 bolt main Eddelbrock equipped 350. That car was quick, very quick and I loved that car, but a bit disappointing to drive, just too heavy and unwieldy to throw around on UK roads.
I foolishly sold it in 2005 to a Horse Trader who was selling Every Stingray he could to France.

Fast forward to 2010 and I buy the first of 3 x 2.8i Capris that I have owned. I was already very familiar with them as 2 pals each bought one new In the early 1980s. But I just didn't like that gut less 2.8i Cologne engine and the weight.

Both cars will cripple you with fuel costs, but The Corvette ( a post 1987 car when the chassis was stiffened ) will by far be " A far faster, better handling / more special place to be in, so it's my choice by a long way, however they Don't take a crash at all well.



Matt Harper

6,613 posts

200 months

Tuesday 6th May 2014
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Wouldn't this thread be more aptly titled, "Fantasy over - Bus or Bicycle?"