In the world of Fox bodies, the Mercury Capri is perhaps one of the more obscure models to emerge from the platform’s numerous offerings. The Capri has always been a favorite of mine owing to its more muscular appearance (at least from up front) and because of the rarity factory. This hasn’t lead to any measurable uptick in values for a Capri versus a Mustang, but it’s definitely the individual’s choice if you march to the beat of a different drummer. Find this Capri here on eBay with one bid to $1,500 and no reserve.
While the Capri had a muscular front end, it was the hindquarters that gave it a much more restrained look. The hatchback design with the unique taillights were two key ways to distinguish it from a Mustang of the same era. I would love to know if some sort of focus group came together to declare that the “upscale” Mercury customers would take well to a car with a hatch and recessed taillights; otherwise, how do you land on this design as a way to sell a muscle car at a Mercury dealer?
This Capri has clearly been someone’s project, with aftermarket wheels, cheesy add-ons like hood scoops and a custom grill, and Pep Boys-style “racing” seats. The shame of it is that none of this was necessary to make this Capri a looker; heck, with a 5.0 under the hood, all you need to do is add an exhaust, lower it a touch, and source those super cool reproduction TRX wheels to keep it slightly OEM+ in appearance. The good news is all of these modifications are easily reversible.
Under the hood, the Capri looks like it’s seen some updates over the years with a newer-style air element and yellow plug wires. The seller doesn’t give away much in the way of details about the level of maintenance this Capri has seen, and he notes that it runs “…under its own power” with a jump start, so this isn’t exactly a road-trip-ready car. Still, it’s no reserve and bidding doesn’t seem all that frothy at the moment – is it worth $2,500 as a project?
Based on the bubble hatch, I believe this is a 1983 which is what the ebay ad says. The car isn’t terrible but has that “used hard” look and feel to it, which fits lots of Fox Bodies of the era. To me the mods don’t help either. The verbiage in the ad doesn’t inspire much confidence. These Capris can be cool but this one is likely, as Jeff notes, a “project.”
I was barely in my mid-teens when this car was new, but I had a friend a bit older whose father had a turbo 4-cylinder model he got to take to school occasionally and for some reason thought I was cool enough to let me go cruising around with him every now and then. The turbo felt strong when it kicked in, but he said it stopped working after about a year and his pop traded it in on a new 5.0 Mustang instead. I agree Jeff, I certainly like the front end on these, kind of looks menacing!
My buddy bought an 80. Notch back 5.0 stick. Nice, quick little car. Almost too much motor for the handling. If he ran it hard the line of being out of control got real fine. Paint didn’t last and car didn’t have a.c. Went bye bye after tranny broke the 2nd time
Always preferred these to the 5.0l Stangs, maybe because there were so few around, made them special. Equally fast, cooler styling.
I had a 80 model 6 cylinder 5 speed! Much better handling and riding than my 79 mustang cobra. I agree danno! If I had the Xtra dough I’d book it in my driveway. I shouldn’t have left that go!
Jeff, I think it’s well worth $2500 as a project. After sorting out the mechanicals, and the chassis, I would give it a proper color change that includes the door jambs, probably in a shade of green to complement the brown interior. I have been told that the hatchbacks have a terrible rattle from the hatchback twisting in even moderate turns. There is an X brace you can add to the cargo area, though that has its own issues obviously.
I have a hatchback and never noticed any noise from the rear hatch. Maybe their latch is worn or not adjusted, bad gaskets?
VIN 1mebp793xdf621564 comes back as a 3.8 V6. So somewhere in the past it had a heart transplant
When I check it by the vin# it certainly does come back to a 1983 Mercury Capri 3.8 V-6
10 the digit from left to right is a “D” which definitely makes it an 83 model
Three of my best friends back in the mid 80s had these – all were 82 RS 5.0s, which was the Mustang GT equivalent. One was black with red stripes and black interior (2 friends owned that car – 1 sold it to the other), the other was white with red & yellow stripes and red interior (I’d love to have that one today). Both were manuals, I think 4 speed as the 5 speed and bubble hatch came about in 83-84. My friend’s cars had the normal hatch like the Mustang. I also liked the flared fenders and different grille, hood and taillights on the Capri better than the ubiquitous ‘Stang.
I think it was 1984 and our Mercury dealer had a Capri in the lot that was dark grey with a manual trans. My wife needed a new car so I talked her into this one. Well, a few months later she spun out on the way to work during a snow storm. Bye, bye, Capri. Hello Audi 4000! I liked that car. It sounded great.
My last new car was a 79 4 cylinder auto tranny grey with red interior Capri… Was a cool little hatchback.. Paint began to fade like a year later. Ford paint at the time… Not good in The snow til I put some radial shows on, then very capable. Didn’t have it too long though
Mom and Dad had two of these Capris. An ’80, then an ’83. Both inline 6’s. Good looking dogs.
Definitely not an original V8 car with the interior trim it has. That makes the lack of details a little scarier. Likely an 83 or 84. I think by 85 they had stopped doing these with the wood grain look and focused on the RS/GS variant. Had an 83 RS and follow several groups as I want another Capri. There are a few out there, but this one bears a PI prior to purchase for sure.
80 did not have a 302 option. 79, then 82 up. 80 and 81 was 255 only. Of course lots could have been changed as you can swap almost anytime on a Fox car.
I’d like to find one of these and give it some love. My great aunt had a 79 with a turbo diesel that my father inherited. It was slow but got great mileage and looked pretty cool.
I remain mystified why Ford didn’t transfer these handsome box-flared fenders to the Mustang for its ’87 facelift, since they were already retiring the Capri as of that year anyway.
I think Saleen may have done that with their aftermarket upgrades.
Ford of Mexico dressed their locally built Mustangs in Capri trim, with upright front end, blistered fenders and bubble hatch.
I had a 1981 Capri with the 3.3 liter inline 6/3 speed automatic and it was gutless. But I always liked the front end better than the Mustang. The back end was squared off and not sloped like this car is.
Something tells me there’s more to this car than meets the eye and although some of it is quite cheesy and definitely needs love, someone is going to get a good deal. Wish circumstances were better. GLWTS