My cousin had a Fox Capri (85?) she wanted to sell me when I was 16 or so. I turned my nose up at it, since I had my eye on a Mustang. Well... When I finally got my head on straight, I asked her if she still wanted to sell it to me for the original $500 asking price, and since I just saw it the week before, I thought she would go for it. Nope. She had it towed away for scrap 3 days earlier.

 

Another good find.

The reason I was so sure of the Mercury connection was(I'm dating myself here!!!) my FAVORITE car growing up was the Pantera. Around 10 years old my dad would take me to the L/M dealers(the only dealers that sold the Ford powered Italian exotic) and on the showroom floor next to my dream car was the Capri. I actually dug on the Capri's lines and remember the posters showing them on race tracks and such. The Pantera was around 10-11K and the Capri, of of course, was around 3K.

I'm thinking to myself as a 10 year old paperboy making $150 a month the Capri was actually obtainable!!!


One negative side note, and I remember this like yesterday, was the salesman offered a test drive in the Pantera............my Dad politely declined!!!

 

With all due respect, you're incorrect. The Australian imported 2 seater Capri(4 seater if you were close friends!) that was considered half heartedly a competitor to the Miata was absolutely a front wheel drive. Absolutely a horrid little car quality wise and only was sold a few years because of its issues.


Here's a link for the '90-'94 Capri FWD.

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/u...ex.cfm/id/2206

 

oh geez, i though you guys were thinking because the new retro mustang came out that mercury would revive the capri again...who knows.

 

I can guarantee the Miata was rear drive, but can be wrong on the Capri, I haven't had my hands on one since 1990, and was limited at that time. But I guarantee the Miata was rear drive, the motor sat in straight and the trans went behind, and had independant rear suspension with a drive axle. We had only the one Capri, not many were sold there...

 

Never any doubt about the Miata...........always was rear wheel drive, always will be. The quintessential sports car.

The FWD Capri on the other hand...............well, I don't want to be censored by the powers that be.

 

I wonder if a Mustang body would fit on a lifted Bronco II frame?

(Cruel, aren't I???)

 

I might add my $.02 seeing my Dad used to make the Australian Capri.
Yes it was a POS.

It was built because Ford of Australias President at the time felt that Ford Australia could not be viable if they did not export cars.
At the time Ford Australia had huge cash reserves due to 10years of market dominance, a second full production line was created, beyond the Falcon line, and smaller production lines which made F150s, Lousievilles etc.
The US market was targeted because of its HUGE sales numbers.
It was devised that a sportscar would be the most successful in the US.
Unfortunately they spent far to much time on packaging, and not enough time on engineering it...
Sadly the reverse of the brilliant MX-5 (Miata) which is probably the most successful sports car of all time.
The Capri was (rather ironically) based on Mazda 323 mechanicals at the time, and had huge quality issues (and thats a big understatement).
Fortunately Australian build quality has improved a LOT since then.

There were 2 Capris, the aforementioned Australian one, and the European one which was introduced in Europe 1969 (there was a Capri before then, but it never sold well).
It was the European equivelant to the Mustang (but not based on it at all), it was quite a bit smaller, and like the Mustang, it sold on its good looks, affordability, wide variety of options, and reasonably quick pace.

It was hugely popular, and some of the models were REALLY Quick, the Tickford Capri especially.

All European Capris sold in the US were badged as a Lincoln or a Mercury, and if there is one badged as a Ford, it would be because the owner has done that themselves, or a LHD model was privately imported to the US.

 

I figured we'd here from the land down under considering it was YOUR mistake.


Interesting link from Stevef100. It states there were no Mercury badges even though we know it was only marketed as a Mercury. I honestly don't remember any badging except the cool V6/2600 on the front fender behind the wheel.

 

Yep, we stuffed up one of the greatest nameplates in Fords history...
I have to say something that I am not all that proud about.

 

im supposed to be getting an 84 capri (3.8v6, auto, white and red interior), i just need to haul down a car to trade for it.

fox capri's were from 79 to 86 and had different hatch from 83 or so that actually helped aerodynamics, taillights, fender flares, and grill. but otherwise they were the same

 

3.8l V6???
Does it have a buick engine in it?

 

Mustangs up until 2005 had 3.8L V6's in them, I have no idea about Fox's though. Very underpowered.

 

My older sister's first new car was a '73 Capri. Cool little car. Built in Germany, imported and marketed through LM dealers. I used to have a '79 Fox-bodied Capri with a 351W. No, the factory did not equip these cars with 351's...but I did! Man would that thing GIT!!

 

Same motor as the 4.2L. used in the Windstar and F150's. Do you guys have that engine?

Useless trivia time. The very last batch of '04 Mustangs with V6's are 4.2L. I think Ford ran out of 3.8's.