The 2nd Gen Mercury Capri - Mercury’s Muscle for the 80’s 

Love the old commercials. They take me back to the day. Thanks for taking the time to me these. Great job!

I had the 1981 model in light blue with the 5.0 V8 stick shift. It was a fun car to drive. Some lady driving a Honda Accord was a jerk and wouldn't let me merge into the lane and thought she could outrun me. I showed her, lol! I later got the 85 Mustang GT in the same color.

Thank you for this video!! I owned an '84 Capri RS 5.0 5spd, no a/c, no power windows or door locks. My first car out of high school. I LOVED IT!! Got rear-ended by a FORD F250, bent the frame and Allstate totaled the car. Hindsight is 20/20... I should have done the salvage title, had the frame straightened, and I would still be driving that Capri, to this day!! Your reporting of the declining production numbers, year to year, is eye-opening!! It shows how ridiculously rare, these cars really are... Particularly, the rear bubble-hatch models, which I am very partial too. My advice is to find any of these cars, NOW, before the collector car market learns about them!!!!

Another great story ! Those 87 , 88 Mercury Cougars mentioned at th end were fantastic cars. My mom has an 88 5.0.... thing was a sleeper, was pretty sporty amd could lay rubber with those wire wheels and white wall tires 😉

The 1982 with the special black package and the big V8. Nice...

I would definitely take a second generation 5.0 L Capri over an 5.0 Mustang any day of the week !!

Congrats on the big 5 digit achievement! I’m a particular fan of the 1983~ Capris

The Capri was a little bit of a sleeper because many didnt realize dispite looking similar that the RS was basically a Mustang GT and shared all the parts. Also i personally think the fenders on the capri were much better looking than the mustang with the bulge they had a much tougher look above the mustangs soft flairs. Another thing not to forget is McLaren customized some of these to make them just a little cooler while mustang had the saleen

Loved the Capri. Wishing that I could find one of these beauty's today.

Before the end of the 1979 model year Ford ran out of 2.8 V6’s and started installing 3.3 (200) inline six. So I believe that 1979 Foxbody’s were built with: 2.3 4 cylinder base, 2.3 4 cylinder Turbo, 2.8 V6, 3.3 inline 6, 5.0 V8.

When I was a kid one of my friends dads had a 5.0 one of these. Always thought it was cool. Always enjoy these videos of forgotten or lesser known cars! Glad you add the commercials too, the way the made 80s commercials was awesome, lol.

The 2.3L NA is actually a 2bbl engine, using an Holley 5200, a Weber 32/36 made under license.

Seen someone driving the 5.0 with rear bubble window not too long ago. Always thought the Mercs were pretty cool. Thx Tony!👍

If Ford had test mules, mock ups or drawings of never built 1987 SVO and Capris I’d love to see them.

I had two fox body capris back in the day. In 1989, I bought a 1984 2.3 very slow.. I didn't know much about cars back then but I'm pretty sure it did not have the turbo because I could barely make it up a hill if the air conditioner was on.. LOL And then I bought a 1980 Capri with a 5.0. I lived in the rust belt at the time and I bought the car in '93. It had dual exhaust coming out the sides. And they fell off and then I had to get a regular exhaust put on because it was illegal I guess lol.. The prior owner had painted the dash with high gloss paint and on sunny days I could not see a thing. But ultimately I did not pay attention to the oil gauge and then I wound up having a nice little milkshake in the engine and then I sold the car and the guy converted it into a nice mustang looking car with new everything... But I wish I still had one.

1982 Capri RS was my favorite of all 80s Capris.

Ford Capri Germany is a fast car for sure.

Nice review and to date the best representation of Mercury Capri. Thank You

my father had the black magic capri when he came to the US from europe.

My buddy I grew up with owns the 1982 Black Magic Capri his parents bought new. Lets just say we got real lucky one night when we were teenagers and that car is still in beautiful original condition. 😂

I had an 81. Fairly base, 2.3L. Had a weird German 5 speed where 5th gear was over and back rather than over and up like all others. I loved that car and drove it until it just wouldn't go anymore.

Great Video and information! I still have my 1984 Mercury Capri RS with a V8 that I got from my father, and he bought the car new in 1983. It still has the factory oxford white paint with the tri-color stripe kit. I lowered the stance of mine but unfortunately because the original factory 5.0 motor broke the crank and block, I ended up having to use a newer style roller block from a later model Mustang that was stroked to 347. I liked the increased HP but was bummed that the factory motor was no longer in the car. I put wide Centerline Scorpion rims on it because the factory TRX tires were WAY too much money to the toon of $400+ each! Plus, I think it looks way better with the aftermarket rims. You NEVER see these cars now a days and I get stopped in mine all the time when I take it out by people who have either never seen one and want to know what it is or people who haven't seen one in decades and they all say the same thing, "I don't remember these cars looking this cool!" LOL. Most people don't realize there was only a very limited number of these produced with the last 4 years 83-86 being the lowest production years. In 1984 they only produced just over 3,600 of the RS 5.0 V8 cars and just over 1,500 RS Turbo 4-cylinder cars. You just don't see these cars anymore!

A friends son worked for Ford Parts Service and got one of these (@86). Took me for a ride one time. I was already completely indoctrinated to all things Fox. That ride didn’t help LOL. It was a white over grey 1986. I had a 1983 Mustang L 4-speed 2.3 at that time. All 88bhp…

I had an '83 5.0 5-speed car around the year 2000. It was substantially quicker than my '83 Mustang so some previous owner must have done some work ito it. Fun car.

Good video. I'm surprised you didn't mention the Capri ASC McLaren coupe and convertible versions. A friend of mine claims he bought a convertible ASC over a Buick GNX and he owned the car a short period of time before it go away from him and he wrapped it around a utility pole!😮 So like the Mustang of the era, they were no joke.

Had a 1981 capri black magic 5.0 also a 1982 gs capri 5.0 and a 1985 capri bubble back 5.0 definitely my favorite cars

I got a 1981 Mustang with the 2.3 Lima engine in 1988 (high school). My god, that thing was a dog. I always liked the look of the bubble window Capris, but at the time, the Mustang, even a dog slow one like mine, was perceived as the cooler car.

I remember when Ford considered the 1987 Mustang to be a Mazda built, FWD car. Boy did they get a LOT of hate mail on that one!!!! Started seeing the spy shots of the revised front, rear and interior of the new 87 Mustang and we were all excited. Ordered a new triple black 87 GT with T-tops, leather, 5 speed and optional 3.08 traction lock rear end. What a beautiful car when it showed up and my local dealership.

I always liked the Capri's but couldn't justify having one when I always had at least one Mustang in the stable already.

I wish they had saved Mercury, anotyer great video Tony. Thanks for sharing sir!

My uncle had a 1980 Capri with a 200 straight 6

Great video ! Hard to find good information on these cars. My first car was a 1981 Capri, with the 3.3L Inline 6. I would by a restored one in a heartbeat. But almost impossible to find.

Bought a new 84 RS in white...long live box flares....traded it in 88 for a stang GT

One reason for sales drop was 1980 recession, high interest rates kept many out of new cars. By mid 80's Mustang was enough for Ford corporate as their 'Pony car'. L-M dealers wanted to sell more Cougars and bigger cars.

As I said in the previous Capri video, I had a 1985 Capri bought new in 1985. It was the GS 5.0 with a 4 speed and it was a beast. When I bought it I wavered between it and a Cougar, I don't remember why I went with the Capri but I enjoyed it for the 3 - 4 years I had it.

I thought it was a significant change that they moved the interior door handles from the bottom of the door ( Mersedes inspired?) to the top in 1980 on both Mustang and Capri . Anyone remember the bottom handle cars?

The Capri didn't have "wider fenders & smaller fender flares". The fenders/quarters have "bulges" around the wheel openings & they do not gave any "flare" around the edge of the wheel opening at all. The taillights weren't "dark tinted". They were red like any other taillight but had black ribs/fins.

I remember the Capris, when I was I college in the 80s was not uncommon a long with the Fox Mustang. Most were 4 or 6 cylinders. Regardless, they didn’t get much respect and got abused just as bad as the 5.0s and from neglect.

Had one converted to drag car .

3,3 inline6. The v6 was aftr

i was a sad day when Ford dropped the 302 for teh 255, That engine made the RS mean Real shitty. When ford made the 302 Ho available in 1982 it brought back a car that was long missed.

I knew they didn't sell very well, but those are some grim numbers.

You accidentally said 3.3L V6. Ford installed 3.3L inline 6 cylinders from mid 1979 to 1982. A 3.8L V6 replaced the 3.3L I6 in 1983.

@4:16 that's not a 3.3L v-6 it's a inline 6. Supposedly it was available since late 1979. They could not keep up with v-6 production. It was also the standard engine in other fox based cars. I actually want to buy an inline 6 Capri because I am weird that way.

Hi hope you can help i bought a 1982 capri the outside color is blue the seats or blue the interior paint and door panels or. Brown is this correct

Always liked the fox body capri, never realized the production numbers were so low, or that it was killed after 1986. The 2.3 engine, it’s not named after Lima Peru… rather Lima Ohio where it was built. Except, in true American style, we butchered the word up. It’s pronounced with a hard i… Lima, as in Lima bean. I spent a couple years there, and it’s a pretty crappy place to be.

Hey, it's the third gen, if you count the Capri II in 1976, which was a pretty significant redesign :)

There never was a Capri SVO, which is such a shame.

It's unfortunately easy to see why they killed it off after 86 seeing how the sales figures started strong in 79 and were dismal at best by 86. You used my crimson cat engine pic and interior pic presumably from my bat auction listing, I enjoy your accuracy in content/fact delivery.

Gr8 synopsis of the demise of THIS CATS 9LIVES...mazfa#probe#MERCOR...

They only made 415 83 RS Turbos and I have one

Very comprehensive upload ! That wiz track was amusing too ! Those 15.3 wheels Probably 1 reason the capri dissapeared.

Too bad the Capri wasn't a great seller... Actually a pretty sharp car...

Interesting = I always thought mercury was dublicates of fords; just more luxury = Jacksonville beach Florida

The 86 capri 5.0 was a cool car. It had a good look and the 5.0 5 speed with the Recaro seats. Very sharp

head light doors?

Ford Seria XF4i lol

Mercury Capri had a meaner looking front end and nicer tailights

i had one and so many problems i cant spend the time to name them. after three years of suffering i sold to never buy another ford product. i went to toyota .

You completely ignored the ASC/McLaren Capris

200 I6. (3.3L) Not a V6!!