Sure, you've seen us test plenty of 80s Mustangs,, but what about the Mercury version? This 1983 Mercury Capri "bubble-back" really wowed our crew back in the day.
A friends father has this exact car with 25000km sitting in his basement. It was his brothers car who years ago passed away so this car was parked and a house was literally built around it in such a fashion that you'd have to tear it down to get the car. It's a sad waste of a car in my eyes but a beautiful tribute from a man who loved his brother.
After one year of intensive restoration of my 1980 Mercury Capri, I'm near finished. Painted her Grabber Blue, shes got a 5.0 liter (4 bbl Holley, midrise intake, shorty headers, GT heads, and tow cam) with a T5 and 8.8 rear end, quadra shocks, shock tower bar, front and rear sway bars. She rides and drives like a dream.
No it's not, the muscle cars in the pre-emission days ran in the 5s and 6s - this would be more comparable to the mid-ranged cars with like a 305 or 350 - but it's not competing with the big boys of that era. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's being held back by crippling emissions and unleaded gas. Now in another year or two things change bigly, once you get to the 85 Corvette, then the Z28 and whenever the Mustang GT got it's HO engine, then you're talking times in the 6s, maybe dipping into the upper 5s. Of course with all of these cars, a few minor mods where you unchoke the engine gains you a ton of performance.
@@yaboirico5221 305's and 350's in the 60s didn't have to worry about emissions, and they used much high octane leaded fuel. Using an engine size to compare engines isn't a good way of doing so. My 1982 Corvette has a 350 in it, and so did my 1998 Corvette, one was a lot faster than the other one despite them both being 350s.
1983, that was the time I came to America and actually developed interest in Cars. I have been watching MotoWeek since 1985. Amazzing car show. Lived in Ellicott City close to Westminster where MotoWeek is produced
I saw one of these, white, being driven on the streets here in Los Angeles about a year ago. Was a bit rough but thought it would certainly make a great restoration project.
I got a 1980 for graduation from high school. Although I didn't like the bubble hatchback of later years because I thought it messed up the line, I still miss my capri even after all these years. It was a great handling car! Thanks for the memories!
I had an 80 Capri too, starting in 86', first car bought myself when I was 15 for $1500 (years of neighborhood lawn mowing). Silver with the power house 92 horse power strait six. Still loved it, had A/C, gauge package, red interior, 26mpg avg. As far as the mentioned bubble back that came along, it was horrible! I'd rather have chicken wire back there than that hideous piece of glass...not too mention they totally dicked the tail lights too.
My Dad bought an ‘84 Capri RS Turbo new. We still own it. Among the rarest of all Fox bodies, 1284 built. They are nearly impossible to find. All of them were charcoal grey. SVO-like engine w/o the intercooler. Quad shock suspension and trademark turbo whistle. Can’t beat these Mercury’s.
Love these old shows. You really get a good grasp on how far car manufacturers have come.. I got a 2.5L that's 175hp. That's 1/2 the liter with the same hp... Exciting times we live in..
Horsepower isn't everything for everyday driveability. It's about low end torque so you don't have to spin the motor up with a lot of drama just to get moving at a decent speed. This is why electric cars feel so much faster than they are, because you get slammed into the back hard even in a Nissan Leaf. Anyway, this Capri had the low end torque with its V8 so it felt quite enjoyable to drive around.
Just pull of the emissions that are choking the engine and you'd get much better performance in that 83. It wasn't that car makers forgot how to get power from engines, they were being regulated to death by the government. By the mid-80s they started to get a grip on it, and by the late-80s they were getting back to where they were in the 60s in terms of performance numbers.
I bought an '85 Capri RS when I was 16. Car was mean as hell!! Would whip awesome brodies! Got it halfway paid off and the dude sold the engine. Gave me the rest of the car for what I had already paid. Being a kid I didn't have the money to replace the engine so it sat around for a couple years until I sold it to a friend. Great memories/lessons from that car.
I'll never forget a crazy guy in one of these (of course, back in the 1980s) doing big smokey burnouts in one of these, like what you hadn't seen since late 1960s/early 1970s. It was then that performance was back. What a cool car for the time.
I saw someone doing big smokey burnouts with a Mustang II. It has little to do with the power, its just how crappy your tires are and how much they'll slip.
I owned a red '84 Capri, very much like the one in the video. Except I had the T5, and the engine got swapped to a mildly built 351W with a freegin huge Carter AFB on top of it. I made the hood scoop functional, which allowed clearance for the air filter to sit right up inside(extra height on 351) I also swapped out to some nice polished aluminum rims with 245/15 rubber, which helped with grip. With that much ft/lb's, that car just kept going and going, poor poor 85mph speed-O, I wrapped you around the bottom and back up the front again so many times. I eventually sold it because my wife was afraid of that car. Probably for the best, even with a nice brake conversion done that car had way more in the go pedal then the no-go pedal. People complain they don't handle, but I never felt that way with the car. It was all about the brakes, car went like a bat out of hell, cornered as fast as I ever wanted to on my country roads, but even a converted brake system was pretty pedestrian yet.
Cue the obligatory, annoying "my how times have changed" and "my Prius make more power than that" comments... Unfortunately all the kids who comment on here weren't around to engineer 500hp cars for us with 80's technology and emissions regulations...
Yep. Everything working against them, especially the U.S. government. That's why there were so many chickens and cobras on the hoods. Because there was nothing beneath them.
I wasnt born around this time but I love these cars, I totally get it, times were hard. Fuel and emissions were tough, but I wouldn't change these cars at all they are perfect the way they are.
I was 9 years of age when this car was released, we have come a long way. Imma tell U what though, that 27 hwy miles is impressive even for today’s standards.
Oh the 80's. You would have thought Mercury was unleashing wild tigers to the public with this 175hp car. Also, nice exposed wires from the dash to the lower center console.
Evil Craig Singhaus it was the 80s in Detroit. The 70s weren’t any better. We weren’t so concerned about the fit and finish. Also 15.9 in the quarter mile not bad for an engine choking on emissions equipment. Take all that off there and it’ll quicken a lot. Remember too a 4 speed with low gear ratios helped. It might too out at 90-100 but it made it move in the low end.
The 82 Corvette had 200hp, but this was faster since the Vette was only available with an automatic that year, and in the early 80s, automatics were still slow and got you a solid half-second or slower performance numbers. But as the other guy said, just remove some of the thing choking the engine and you'll get much better performance, on everything. Also by 1985-86, car makers were starting to figure out how to get power and meet emissions and numbers were increasing very quickly by the late 80s.
Back in the early 90s when I was shopping for a mustang I came across this car in the autotrader magazine and the guys ad was hilarious, he was talking about how this is the greatest car ever and its his baby and he cant live without it. I felt bad cuz me and my friends couldnt stop calling him and making fun of him, till he got a maestro which gave him my friends number.
So you tested an early 83 Capri with the weak 4 speed. Same transmission as my 79 Mustang Indy Pace which had a big gap in the ratio between 2nd and 3rd gear. I tried to save up money for a T-5 to put in my 79 Mustang Indy Pace Car but sold it before that could happen. The Fox body was a light car begging for improvements that was answered by the aftermarket faster than Ford was going to ever do it. I think the accountants had too much control of Ford in the 80’s. I’m finally seeing the application of try harder and refine it in the 2015+ Mustang.
They were pretty slow in stock form, but they had enormous performance potential. It already came with a 302 4 bbl/4 speed, that's a great starting point.
I miss my Fox body mustangs over my early years. 225-245hp was a big deal back then, and I remember how expensive a dyno run was to test my mods on my 93 Cobra and 89 LX notchback. I do miss the 80’s, such a simpler time. Now you can just walk onto a dealer lot and buy as much horsepower as your wallet allows lol
I wonder if the Teens will ever stop commenting on motorweek retro reviews, comparing their moms honda civic against sports cars from 30yrs ago. A friend had a 83 Capri with 3.8 (112hp I think? lots of TQ though) and a 3 speed auto, which sounds terrible but it had lots of power and was pretty fun to drive.
I've learned that you really can't judge a car until you drive it! The hatch on these things is so big! a huge slab of glass! those 5.0 make a sweet noise too! Dead steering Camry not so much )
MRT I'm a older teen, ive been watchig these forever and havn't commented anything about my moms civic being faster. I'm about to buy a clean 1985 supra which is i think slower than my uncles odyssey... ive seen a shit load of stuff on these 70s 80s cars and understand the whole hp thing. My friends on the other hand don't and yeah it bothers me.
very annoying. I don't think they realize how easy it is to get around 300-350 hp without forced induction on a lot of these older cars either. The automakers hadn't figured out how to work around EPA regulations yet so numbers were low for everyone.
I still have my 1983 Mercury Capri brochure. One of the over 3,000 automotive brochures I have collected since 1983. The 2020 Vancouver Auto Show was cancelled for the first time ever because of COVID so I did not obtain a car brochure. And my depression prevented me from going to my yearly trip to the auto dealers. So for the FIRST TIME since collecting in 1983, I have NO car brochure for an automotive model year!
I want to see a retro review of a 91-93 GT next. Those numbers for 83 were not that bad and not far off pace of the 83-84 205 hp crossfire corvettes. Those were 0-60 in about 6.7 sec and a 15.3 or so 1/4 mile.
Check out MotorWeek's review of the 86 ASC Capri after this video and compare that to the slalom of this RS. The ASC blows it out of the water in terms of suspension tuning. Incredible!
I've been driving around my 1980 Datsun wagon this weekend... Just puttering around, it had me thinking how dramatic its body movement is, compared to my 240SX and my Evo. Now I see this video and see the Mercury Capri had just as much body roll and braking dive. o.O
Man, I'm old. 1983, when I graduated from hs. My friend had a 72 FMC GT and if I remember correctly, those were built in W Germany. Interesting to hear that the 5.0 from 83 only cranked out 175hp; cars have definitely come a long way just in 34 yrs and in my lifetime.
Rob Dawg Dude! Back in 83/84 my friend's dad had an IROC Z. Bought for midlife crisis and he'd let us take it for a spin; be it just around the neighborhood. Thing was bad ass and always reminded me of a great white shark 🦈 on wheels! Good times. I think it only had a 302 CID V8 in it.
Hate to burst your bubble, but there was no such thing as an IROC Z in 83/84. The IROC wasn't introduced until '85. Must have been a Z-28. And it had a 305 in it. The hot ticket in those years was the L69 305 4 barrel with a 5 spd.
lightning95sc new models come out before the end of the calendar year, a midlife dude would probably rush out and get an iroc as soon as he was aware of it!
I remember this car quite well. My Dad bought a used '83 in '86. He let me get my license with that car. Vey strong car for that day. Always showed it's taillights to Camaros & Corvettes of that era. I'd love one of them today. Thanks so much for the upload! Any chance of a retro review of the 2003 SVT Cobra?
Man does this bring back some memories... I had an 81 Black Magic Capri. I gave the 2.3L inline 4 with a mechanical secondary 2 barrel and full length long tube header (which made that thing pull like an ox till the tach pointed at the floor) *for a 4 cyl* and gave it a yank for a '91 351w police intercepter block with a T5 behind it. I learned a lot from building that car, namely that the 9 inch rotors were worthless at any speed above 80 for stopping... and the 11 inch were good for 100 mph stops... that is 100 to 0 or 140 to 40! I ran that car against a lot of machines, only thing I lost to was some sport bike. He just flat outran me. 140-145 was all she'd do wide open. I REALLY miss that car... I have a 14 E63 AMG S Model that puts down 600 HP, but to be honest, the Capri was more fun to drive.
kleetus92 exactly. it's not just about numbers. it the experience. the smells, sounds, rattles, not needing to dive into 3 menus to disable the nannies for a simple pair of 11s down the street etc
kleetus92 just yesterday, a buddy n idrove his 65mustang hardtop about 150 miles. at a steady 85, with all the side windows lowered, and the vent windows cracked slightly, there was plenty of airflow, n you could even smoke a blunt and not get ashes all over. what happened to those days? now you let the windows down at that speed you get all sorts of noise, wind blowing everything all over. older hardtop cars are just so much cooler to cruise and raise hell in.
Loved my '87 LX 5.0 5-speed. Not that fast or powerful by today's standard (my Lincoln MKT 3.5 EcoBoost makes over 50% more HP), but back then it was a mighty car.
Back then I was driving a tow truck for the graveyard shift. Late One Saturday night I heard about a crash on my scanner and got there before the smokies. What I found was an 83 Capri wrapped around a telephone pole. The driver was a 16 year old girl who just got it the day before brand new from her dad as a birthday gift. She was the only survivor having gone through the windshield. Her boyfriend in the passenger seat was dead in the car along with three very dead kids in the backseat. The car hit the pole right at the passenger door handle and the front and rear bumpers were touching on the far side of the pole. Never looked at a Mustang (or Capri) the same again.
David Aubin You could tell traction was an issue for the Capri. TRX tires were overrated and a better set would have yielded a low 15 second 1/4 mile and 0-60 in under 7 seconds. Still not blistering fast by today's standards, but very much so for 1983z
That's $30200 in todays money, not bad at all for the performance model and just a couple grand more than a new Mustang GT. But that nose dive during braking was crazy looking! Zoinks!
Never liked the look of that bubble back, my 81 black RS had a mustang hatch with louvers, and spoiler. the t-tops leaked a bit and was annoying, I liked my car and drove till I flipped the dial a few times, it was hit by a drunk driver one night while parked and written off in the mid 90s. I did liked the hatch for quick camping as with the back seats down and the front seats forward, put camping gear in the rear foot wells to keep my head out of there and you can sleep stretched out just fine. I do miss the thing. Though a Doug Demuro score would be a 10 out of a hundred.
The 1983 5.0L Mustangs & Capris we’re faster than the Corvette or anything else made in America. The 175hp was good for 1983, but the 300ft/lb was what made it such a stand out. They were also very affordable and easy to tune and hop up.
Question about the rear suspension. At 2:11 you can see an object hanging down in front of the rear tire. What is it called and what use is it? By the way, I bought this car new in 1983 - same burgundy color. Tons of fun, but after six years and 95K miles, the interior was faded and the bumpers looked bad, so I sold it.
The forgotten Fox! Actually, better looking than its Mustang cousin, and the bubble-glass hatch really made it pop. $9K was quite a bargain even then for the package you got. I wish Lincoln-Mercury promoted the Capri better. If I had the means back then, I might have gone for the Capri RS to be different. The 5.0 in a sexier package, and tons of fun. Got even better by 1985 with true dual exhausts.
These Retro Review sure put into perspective how much of a relative term “fast” can be… despite the acceleration being recorded in objective, absolute figures.
I never quite understood why some Capris had the 'bubble' hatch lid and neat little taillights, and some had the regular Mustang style hatch and different taillights. It seems both were available in the same model years but there wasn't a designation between the two models?
My mom had a 1986 that was on the same level spec as the mustang 5.0 cop car but even a step better when it came to the exhaust including shorty headers.
Viewers, 60mph in 7 secs was fast in 1983!!!! Only A Porsche 911 or 928 could equal it or, maybe beat it by a car length .The 84 Vette was a year away. The track conditions and new, heavy clutch affected the 1/4 mile time though. But, they could easily hit sixty right after you shift into 2nd gear. The 83 Camaro Z28 took over 8 seconds btw. Many young buyers upgraded to a bigger 750cfm carb, headers , better exhaust , and 3.73 gears soon after taking delivery . Which would get you roughly 250 hp, fairly easily . Low to mid 14 second quarters were common with just a few simple mods. By 1987 Ford caught on with the tweaked up , facelifted , stock Mustang GT/ LX 5.0 with similar upgrades ,more power ,etc and the Capri disappeared....hmmm. The Fox bodies were capable fast and easy to modify , and at 3100-3200 lbs, much lighter than competitors!
Nice quarter mile test....downhill. 😂 And what's up with the blue jacket guy before he did the 1320? Was that the 'ol coach pep talk pump up before the big showing? Lol
