The readers digest of my life is that I used to spend a fair amount of time in Europe for work, and as a car enthusiast like the rest of you, I fell in love with many unique cars, very few, or possible none more than the MK1 Capri (and the later RS2000s) fast forward to about a month ago, and while sipping coffee one morning, I was particularly unmotivated, so what better to do than open Facebook Marketplace and what did the algorithm offer me?
A 1974 Mercury Capri MK1 located 15 minutes up the street from the office in Carson, CA. I am already pretty deeply invested in parts collecting for a BMW 2002 and technically on a one project car at a time vow I was asked to give on my wedding day but alas, my wife knows who she married. After a quick eye roll and a question of "How much of a deposit did you already give the guy?" I was on my way to scoop this thing up.
The Skinny:
Its registered, runs and drives (painfully slow Pinto 2.0/4-Speed) and was pretty solid for something that was resuced from a vacant lot in the San Gabriel Valley by the guy I got it from. My first order of business is to get some more comfortable seats in it, start putting some stuff back together, and take a few things apart to upgrade/see where I'm at with sheet metal repairs/50 years of hack electrical repairs. After that, I need to figure out wheel/tires/stance and build the car around it. No plans in stone for a drivetrain swap (yet)
As someone who has owned a few mid-70s cars, one of the things that ruined them aesthetically was the US-spec crash bumpers (We die like real men in this household) plus Im told removing the front/rears on these cars shaves nearly 175 lbs off an already light vehicle.
I've loved these cars since the 70s!
I would make up some light simple bumpers out of some steel tubing. Aircraft spruce has a great selection of tubing. That original engine has lots of potential, but of course a v 6 would also fit.
Looks like a fun project, enjoy and keep us updated.
TED_fiestaHP said:
I would make up some light simple bumpers out of some steel tubing. Aircraft spruce has a great selection of tubing. That original engine has lots of potential, but of course a v 6 would also fit.
Looks like a fun project, enjoy and keep us updated.
Thank you! I'm actually pretty torn with doing a mild hot rod of the pinto motor, or going with a 302 (i have a T5 laying aorund already and they do make the mounts) I think I could run the 2BBL Holley Sniper setup really easily and make the car much more fun to drive.
Almost done stripping the interior, this thing was NASTY inside, i dont have the pictures but the dude i bought it from showed me. I wanted to get an idea of what I was working with rust wise and it looks like im going to throw some floor pans at it, the trunk is about as bad (common on these cars)
For those wondering, I ordered the replacement sheet metal from Ex-Pressed Steel in the UK, long lead time (I likely will not see them until Thanksgiving) but they are high quality stampings approved by FoMoCo from my understanding. In the mean time, I think I will throw a painless harness at the car (rats made their home in the car for some time while it sat, and I dont want any surprises later)
I would love to another Capri!
I hear windshields are a challenge?
TurboFource said:
I would love to another Capri!
I hear windshields are a challenge?
they are! thankfully i have all the glass for this car but winshields can be hard to come by. I know of a great start of one located in the Greater Los Angeles area, almost identical to mine, possibly a little cleaner. hit my private messages if youre interested and ill put you in touch with the owner, hes got an old Lancia he's trying to finish.
In reply to donttellmywiferacing
Timing is not good until I finish my Lotus project....
donttellmywiferacing
Thank you! I'm actually pretty torn with doing a mild hot rod of the pinto motor, or going with a 302 (i have a T5 laying aorund already and they do make the mounts) I think I could run the 2BBL Holley Sniper setup really easily and make the car much more fun to drive.
I vote for 302. V8 Capris are cool. I do have a friend with a bunch of Pinto stuff in So Cal who may be able to help if you do keep the 2.0L
I was going to put a 302 into my '71 back in the late '80s ...should have kept it ... thought I needed a Mustang ...
Perana did it! They were hot little cars!
Racingsnake said:
donttellmywiferacing
Thank you! I'm actually pretty torn with doing a mild hot rod of the pinto motor, or going with a 302 (i have a T5 laying aorund already and they do make the mounts) I think I could run the 2BBL Holley Sniper setup really easily and make the car much more fun to drive.
I vote for 302. V8 Capris are cool. I do have a friend with a bunch of Pinto stuff in So Cal who may be able to help if you do keep the 2.0L
put me in touch, im out of anaheim and work in long beach, the little 2.o does run pretty well, i bet it would run really well with the 2 bbl holley sniper kit on it. 302 is probably going to be the goal though. cant hurt to chat with your buddy though.
The 2.0L in the Capri is a German SOHC that was the basis of the 2.0/2.3/2.5L Lima 4 Cyl. Very few parts interchange.
Since you didn't ask, I vote for keeping the 2.0, but with some kind of IR intake & a better cam, let the engine rev to 7000 the way that head can.
Sez the guy who had Carpi(s), 2.0 and 2.6 variants back in the day.
FJ40Jim said:
The 2.0L in the Capri is a German SOHC that was the basis of the 2.0/2.3/2.5L Lima 4 Cyl. Very few parts interchange.
Since you didn't ask, I vote for keeping the 2.0, but with some kind of IR intake & a better cam, let the engine rev to 7000 the way that head can.
Sez the guy who had Carpi(s), 2.0 and 2.6 variants back in the day.
The engines have some cool nostalgic sound to them, I've seen that there are still people building them in the UK, looks like Racer Walsh is probably the only US source for these motors. I would like another gear on my transmission however and EFI. Right with you on cam/head/intake/exhaust if I did keep the 2.0.
It does run really well actually.
I bet Burton Power has lots of stuff for the original engine, shipping from England isn't to bad.
Nice to see another Mk1 being saved. I'm enjoying the process on mine.
