And now I don’t.
For the first time since I was 20… I’m Capriless !!!
(Please, Can you leave me for a little while… I need to be alone…
)
My 1971 1600GT Engine/gearbox/rear axle and brakes has almost completed 17,000 miles. It’s a delight to still have a carbie & dizzy & no electronics. 
Three of them, 1st was a lovely 1979 2.0 litre S in white with a red & black check interior, twin 40 Webbers, went like stink, looked great, birds loved it, had to take battery off to stop Mancunians trying to steal it! ah the good old days. Swapped it for a Triumph Spitfire as I wanted a convertible. Had two more 1.6 cheapies one of which came at £220 with T&T, peeling paint etc. My girlfriend, now wife, sat in it and as we drove up the M60 she suddenly said “This is the worst car you’ve ever had” I knew then that it had to go. Doddle to fix though, good fun down the scrappies looking for bits. Great fun in the wet, boot it as came out of a roundabout and weyhey!!!
Many years ago, when i was young, i went out with the intention of buying a XR3, and came back with a fantastic mk3 red, black vinyl roof, 3.0. litre S with a tasty looking black S along the side.
This was in 1982 and the car was on a 1979 T reg plate, back then it was so advanced and it did shift mind you so did the petrol, black check sport seats and i think it had two big dials and three small ones.
I’m sure Bodie and doyle copied me.
I had the best of 2 worlds, a Mk1 3.0 with a 5.0 Mustang engine transplanted… awesome!! Unfortunately it was on pretty much standard suspension / brakes, so in the corners it was a bit scary and I sold it…big mistake!!
Russell.
I had a 2-litre S for a few years in the '80s. It was white, almost a replica of the one Dennis Waterman drove in Minder, except mine didn’t have the vinyl roof.
Capri thread on Pistonheads:
http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=874696&mid=167198&i=0&nmt=Capri 2.0 S&mid=167198
My first car in 1991 was an 82Y 1.6 Calypso in two tone silver and met Titan blue. Loved that car and had it for three years.
Great engine but everything else fell apart - dropping door pins, leaked through the bonnet catch, rusty front valance and tailgate, fuel flap fell off, collapsed seat, interior blower fan gave up and the gear lever had a nasty habit of coming away in your hand - not good when changing down on a motorway!
Started with a couple of 1.6 L models both blue , went on to 1.6 then 2.0 Laser in white, ended with 280 Brooklands ex directors car direct from Ford where i used to work!!!
Absolutely loved it!!! Quicker than any police car in the area!!!
Sadly had to go when couldnt get pram in the boot along with shopping Still brings tear to my eye thinking about it!!
Well not me personally, but my other half until about a month ago was the very proud owner of a 2.8i special:
I’ll admit that I used to rip it out of him for owning a Crapi (as I affectionately called it), but it was really good fun to drive. He had it for about two and a half years but we decided to part with it as we’ve just finished another classic car and the work needed to run both that and the Capri was getting a bit much.
I did however say that it was my turn to have a fun car, and that’s why I’ll be getting my Eunos very soon 
Amy.
A white 16L laser 5 years and a E reg 280 Brooklands 8 years wanted an MG but found a eunos roadster 9 years ago, a natural progression as you say.
(just fitted dual exhaust ) still a kid at heart.
.
vinnygas
Bought as a 25th birthday present to myself too many years ago to admit, my first decent car. A secondhand 1.6L Mk1 (1973 or thereabouts) white with black vinyl roof and black interior, beautiful! Had it 3 months and lost the back end on a slippery bend, rolled it over a concrete sign post and ended up perched at 45 degrees with the front on top of a hedge. Fortunately no serious injury but guess what it was a write off. That was my first “fun” car and I’ve waited until 2 months ago to get my second, MX5 Berkeley. Loving the MX5 but everytime I see a Capri there’s a little tug at the heart strings.
Just for a bit of balance, i thought the Capri was the worst thing that ford ever made,
i had many escorts, mk 1 and 2 , from 1300xl through mexicos to rs2000’s, i rallied quite a few of them,
i thought the capri was interesting looking, until i saw that huge empty space under the bonnet, where an engine should have been, (only the 2.8i brooklands even got close)
My dad bought a bright red1.6l one year, and on an unfortunate night when my car was in bits, he offered to loan me it,
i drove about 15 miles, before turning around bringing it back, and deciding that i would rather walk or use a taxi than ever lower myself to drive something that bad unles at gunpoint,
i had friends who had a few different models over the years, but never understood why such a comprimised vehicle could ever be so popular,
still hate them to this day, and now just laugh when i see someone in one, as they probably paid double what a decent car would have cost them.
Balance restored.
^ ^ ^
"It’s better to remain quiet "…end of
OK, The 2.0 and 1600 Pintos always looked a little lost in there, But both of the V6’s (2.8 and the 3.0) had a reasonably full engine bay. The worst one though was a friend’s, He had a very rare 1.3 Kent engined Mk3 as his first car (About 65 BHP per ton and 0 to 60 in just under 17 seconds… I think it’s still the slowest accelerating car I’ve ever been in !!!). That things engine looked ridicules when you opened the bonnet… Though he didn’t need to be double jointed just to change the bloody oil filter !
My last one was a 2.8 “Special” with an all together more acceptable 128 BHP per ton and 163.0 ft-lbs of torque, Though this was slow compared to my 2.0 Laser (Well, 2.1 Laser when I finished with it). That was putting out around 150 BHP and had minimal interior. I learnt a lot about steering with the throttle with that car. 
Scotty B
Never had one myself - in fact the only Ford I ever owned was a 1965 1500cc Mk1 Cortina Estate.
The girl next door had a 1300L Capri though and although she liked it I was thoroughly underwhelmed.
Fortunately the last straw was when the fuel tank literally dropped off and dragged along the ground when the mounting straps rusted through!
Essex Boy 3ltr V6’s were said to be 128BHP.
Cologne 2.8i’s were rated ex works at 160bhp due to mainly FInjection ( clearly) and to better breathing manifolds/exhausts.
No torque though…you really had to cane it.
Early 2.8i “Pepper Pots” 4 speeds were a bit quicker in practice than the later 5 speeders, Ate 5th gear though which is why I put a Sierra T5 in mine.
A good 2.8i did around 7.5secs.
South Africa
popped in small block Ford V8’s in theirs. Where were ours?
Big engined Capri’s rocked.
Got to laugh at folk who pan them. Some probably never even drove a properly “sorted” (read my earlier spec) Cologne car.
The mk1 essex did have 128 bhp as it was lifted from the mk4 zodiac, the mk2’s & 3’s had 138 bhp as the engine was modified for installation into the mk1 Consul / Granada better breathing and exhusts
Also don’t forget the Tickford Turbo i think that had around 200bhp and four wheel disk brakes and the german rs2800 turbo
I was just putting a differing opinion out there, with 30 years in motorsport, i would say that driving a “properly sorted car” was my job for many years, but hey, you sound like a true “expert”
As far as being “clever” with my sig,
My comment was an opinion, everyone has differing thoughts, but some of the rubbish you have just written, points exactely at the kind of people Confusius/Lincoln were refering to , Congrats
"I was just putting a differing opinion out there, with 30 years in motorsport, i would say that driving a “properly sorted car” was my job for many years, but hey, you sound like a true “expert”
As far as being “clever” with my sig,
My comment was an opinion, everyone has differing thoughts, but some of the rubbish you have just written, points exactely at the kind of people Confusius/Lincoln were refering to , Congrats"
No doubt you are very experienced, otherwise you would not claim to be so. Having spent many years with various Capri models I was able to tap into resources over many years to turn a basic Cologne car into something very different. You did’nt like…like as not. If you care to PM me with what you consider “rubbish” please feel free.
The last car I purchased had been expertly developed by a retired RAF flight engineer. Confusius may have quietly pointed out to you that extended track experience across a variety of vehicles (congrats…) does not mean you have intimate knowledge of one particular marque, which clearly you have no time for.I’ve spent 35 years watching people at track events…some cut it…some don’t…some bring spanner men because they don’t have a clue.
Doubtless you are a much more accomplished driver than I am but it does not follow you know everything there is to know about every marque and of all people you ought to know that a bodyshell is nowt more than a skin…it’s what lies beneath that counts. All you really achieved was to pop up “ad hoc” into this forum, post your 20th or so post and rubbish a marque that clearly has a loyal following and you despise with a venom. Balance? If you say so. Small engined Capris were pretty horrid in my view as well…I’ll agree 100%. Sorted V6’s of any era are completely different animals.
Simple marque questions? Which mass produced UK vehicle was commonly used to donate it’s front calipers to improve 2.8i front rotors’ performance, and what odd habit did the single leaf rear springs have in extremis. and how was it cured?
Nope? Each to their own then.