wait these things were available with hardtops?

XR2 hardtop...?

I never knew this.

Faster than a Miata of the same year.

Faster, yeah, but not remotely in the same class. I had one of these in the 90s and it was one of the worst cars I've ever owned.

I recall a Car & Driver or Road & Track or something back in the day putting a Capri and Miata head to head. They said that Ford told them these cars weren't in the same class before they started testing, and the summary of the comparo was, yeah, these cars aren't in the same class.

Ohhh. That is staggeringly ugly. And I usually prefer hard tops to convertibles.

I'd say most I saw on the roads in Mi used to have hardtops. Not seen one running for a few years around here though.

I'd say most I saw on the roads in Mi used to have hardtops. Not seen one running for a few years around here though.

People have done AWD swaps on Escorts, Tracers etc. I'd love to see and XR2 with 323GTX running gear for winter fun.

$1K with Hardtop

I agree with Adrian. Most of them (all?) came with the hardtop up here.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I'd say most I saw on the roads in Mi used to have hardtops. Not seen one running for a few years around here though. People have done AWD swaps on Escorts, Tracers etc. I'd love to see and XR2 with 323GTX running gear for winter fun.

So a painfully ugly crap car with an unobtainium drivetrain rumored to be made of glass? Sounds like the perfect GRM project...

You know those crackhead DIY Lambos we sometimes see on Craigslist? This car looks like a crackhead DIY AW11 MR2

Grtechguy wrote: $1K with Hardtop I agree with Adrian. Most of them (all?) came with the hardtop up here.

Challenge fodder.

The Merc version of the Escort EXP, I believe. That means a Mazda BG Chassis, and BG chassis means potential for really good handling with the appropriate suspension bits and chassis bracing.

This is giving me flashbacks to when I had my convertible C4 with the factory hardtop (RPO CC2).

Someone would ask me about my Corvette, and ask if it was convertible or hardtop. I'd say it's a convertible WITH a hardtop. The result would be either their mind blown or fifteen minutes of arguing about how that's an either/or question. Or they would think that I was one of those guys who calls a targa-top a convertible (which isn't exactly right but isn't exactly wrong either).

If only I had the funds to buy an XR2...

and a crane..

and a piano

pinchvalve wrote: Faster than a Miata of the same year.

Well......in a straight line at least.

What about the drive trains is glass?

I haven't seen a running one in years. I've seen many parked in yards.

spitfirebill wrote: What about the drive trains is glass? I haven't seen a running one in years. I've seen many parked in yards.

Not the FWD versions, but the AWD in the GTX and similar. Very fragile trans and unobtanium spares. Main shafts walk and bad things happen. People have machined housings to accept larger bearings and things. Some serious rally people have adapted Mitsu Evo boxes to work. Strong AWD Mazda trans and not challenge friendly prices.

The only thing these had in common with the GTX is the engine. So making a "glass drivetrain" comment isn't really applicable. Most of them have now become GTX engine donors, however.

I'm with Joe. The Capri might have been faster in a straight line (140 hp, woo!) but that's the end of the race.

WildScotsRacing wrote: The Merc version of the Escort EXP, I believe. That means a Mazda BG Chassis, and BG chassis means potential for really good handling with the appropriate suspension bits and chassis bracing.

Don't forget about the Mercury Lynx LN7! That was Mercury's version of the EXP, just with bubble glass on the hatch like the Fox body Capris. You're right though, the Capri in question here did use a BG chassis.

I thought the EX/P and LN7 were based on the US FWD Escort, which was a bastardized Euro Escort. No Mazda in those cars I thought?

Schmidlap wrote:

WildScotsRacing wrote: The Merc version of the Escort EXP, I believe. That means a Mazda BG Chassis, and BG chassis means potential for really good handling with the appropriate suspension bits and chassis bracing.

Don't forget about the Mercury Lynx LN7! That was Mercury's version of the EXP, just with bubble glass on the hatch like the Fox body Capris. You're right though, the Capri in question here did use a BG chassis.

If you really had a wild hair about it, just swap in a G Series 5-speed with a Quaife (for more better strongness), Mega Squirt, some modern turbo bits, and a dyno session with a really sharp tuning tech, and you could blow a few minds at your next HPDE

No, a base grandparent spec CT120 in gold with 323GTR running gear.

In reply to WildScotsRacing:

A modified Evo ecu is the new budget tuning hotness for these.

When they were new, I test drove one and a new Miata the same day. All I could think about was "what was Ford thinking"? The Capri was no fun at all really, the interior looked cheap like all Fords of the era, and it didn't handle all that well. And the 140hp was enjoyed with a helping of torque steer. The Miata? Well...it was a Miata. Not fast in a straight line, but fun everywhere. I'm on Miata number 5 now and never looked at a Capri again.

I don't ever remember seeing one with a hard top. I remember reading that comparo with the Miata. They used to do Miata vs Del Sol articles as well.