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1986 Mercury Capri 5.0 Survivor!

If you want a Fox-body but don’t want to drive a Mustang, the Mercury Capri is the answer you’re looking for. Available with the venerable 5.0L V8 and a manual gearbox but with slightly revised exterior styling, it’s certainly obscure enough that you’ll feel like you’re driving a different car. The seller of this example is the father of the owner, who notes his son purchased it and then lost interest. It’s a shame because it looks quite nice and is the sort of quality that’s impossible to find here in the northeast. Find the Capri listed here on craigslist for $7,500 in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

The Capri came with a modified nose and the hatch-style rear-end treatment you see here. The taillights were changed, too, and recessed into the body. The wheels are familiar, same as any other LX-trim Mustang, so Mercury didn’t go overboard creating their own version. The bodywork is clean and looking shockingly rust-free for a car found in Massachusetts. The seller claims there are just 91,000 miles on the clock and that his son bought it off of a collector a few years ago, so perhaps the Capri was stored in a collection for some time. There are no modifications, either.

The interior is standard-issue GT trim, with the deep-bolstered bucket seats, three-spoke steering wheel, and preferred manual gearbox, all right out of the Mustang GT playbook. What’s important to note here is just how clean this Capri remains, as a lot can go wrong in 91K miles. This example was clearly loved for quite some time, as there’s no evidence of corners being cut or other cheap fixes that often plague desirable but not-valuable cars like this. The seller notes that it will come with an extra set of “Cyclone” wheels that are seen in two of the photos in the listing.

Supposedly, “…everything works” except for the fan switch, which the seller is including a replacement part for. The Capri is in need of a good detailing, as the engine bay lets the rest of the car down. There’s some surface rust in places along with the front cowl, which makes me curious as to what the underside looks like – I’m sure there’s some surface contamination there, which our readers in the sunbelt states will likely recoil in fear at. If the Capri 5.0 captures your interest, get there before the seller’s son changes his mind.

Comments

  1. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    Not a bad looking Capri. An underhood detailing would be time well spent. The upholstery looks like a 91k mile car, new upholstery would spice up the interior. I do like the aftermarket wheels which are part of the deal. Overall this would be a fun car for not a ton of money.

    Like 4
  2. Avatar Troy s

    Never liked that rear glass on these, gave it an awkward appearance. The interior and those wheels are just like my old ’86 Mustang GT and yes the site of that engine bay is grimy.
    Lots of potential with this 5.0 if anyone still plays around with theses.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Motorcityman

    Pretty stock, pretty clean, low mileage, rarer than a Mustang, less than 10K and manual…..I like it!
    Wish I had some extra cash!!
    Ive owned in the past a Black 85 Mustang GT, a Red 87 GT Convertible and a Black 86 GT. The 2 black ones were manual

    Like 2
  4. Avatar Motorcityman

    Stock wheels r MUCH better looking than those aftermarket ones!!

    Like 0
  5. Avatar man ' war

    “(+oNE of the shots (photo) , the oil pressure is reading high. The phone dial wheels’ center pieces are from a Mercury Cougar probably XR7 same era.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Motorcityman

      Maybe it was just started and really cold?

      Like 0
  6. Avatar Howard Kerr

    Not a bad deal for someone in the market for a Mustang that isn’t quite a Mustang.

    BTW, unless you swap this over to 5 lug wheel centers, the choices for aftermarket wheels at this point are very slim and disappearing rapidly. But then, you want the 5 lug conversion for the better brakes.

    Like 4
  7. Avatar Todd Zuercher

    Too bad it doesn’t have air conditioning.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar chrlsful

    i’ll buy the waggy (Marquis, not grand marquis)
    just put the at aol on my name

    Like 0
  9. Avatar JimL

    Looks like a nice project but I wonder what’s hiding under the repaint. The hood bumpers show evidence of overspray so work was done at some time in the past.

    Like 0

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