I was 21 years old when I decided that I needed a new car, I had recently crashed my Mark 3 Ford Escort and although it was still running, it had seen better days. I had just landed myself a well paid job and my other half said "get a Capri, you've always wanted one!". So I was browsing through ... Read review
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Advantages: The most fun car to drive, but you gotta love 'em! Disadvantages: Everyone takes the mickey!
...recently crashed my Mark 3 Ford Escort and although it was still running, it had seen better days. I had just landed myself a well paid job and my other half said "get a Capri, you've always wanted one!". So I was browsing through the local paper and a garage fairly local to me and would be on my way home from work had one for sale. I rang them immediately and made an appointment to see it that night.
It was a D reg, 2.0 ... ...in love with it immediately, there she was, all gleaming and shiny. It was immaculate, the previous owner had Waxoyled the underside (sealant to keep rust at bay) and hadn't done much mileage in it and had traded it in for a taller car.
When I say taller, you would understand if you had ever tried to get in and out of a Capri. You fall in and out of Capri's! They are quite low on the ground and the seats are low, so when you park your ... more
I was 21 years old when I decided that I needed a new car, I had recently crashed my Mark 3 Ford Escort and although it was still running, it had seen better days. I had just landed myself a well paid job and my other half said "get a Capri, you've always wanted one!". So I was browsing through the local paper and a garage fairly local to me and would be on my way home from work had one for sale. I rang them immediately and made an appointment to see it that night.
It was a D reg, 2.0 Laser, in Black! When I got there, I fell in love with it immediately, there she was, all gleaming and shiny. It was immaculate, the previous owner had Waxoyled the underside (sealant to keep rust at bay) and hadn't done much mileage in it and had traded it in for a taller car.
When I say taller, you would understand if you had ever tried to get in and out of a Capri. You fall in and out of Capri's! They are quite low on the ground and the seats are low, so when you park your bum, you sort of just fall backwards into the seat!
I love the seating position for driving, you sort of recline back with your hands on the small, leather bound steering wheel and your legs outstretched. It is a particularly good car if you have long legs as there is so much leg room.
Well, you can guess, I bought it there and then, it cost me £1500 at the time which was good for the condition it was in!
I joined the Capri owners club and started ordering bits for it to tidy it up and make it look lovely. It only ahd the standard seats in it but we managed to find a cheap capri with a full set of Recaro's in it (bucket seats etc) I pulled them out of that car and put them in ours, lovely! My friends used to take the mickey out of me and say "'ave you got the Ca-pri Geeeeah today?" (like on only fools on horses!) but I did love that car. It looked so sexy and sporty, it was my closest attempt at ever driving anything sporty! No one ever argued with me when trying to race it!! (The Weber Twin carbs helped!)
The main problems with Capri's are, that the back end can begin to sag after years of use and tha means that the leaf springs need replacing. I replaced mine for heavy duty springs (which were a little on the hard side but was all I could afford!). If you can afford it replace the leaf springs with single leaf springs which are much better (but more pricey!) Eventually the carburettors do tend to wear out and the car will become more sluggish, this would be something you really wouldn't tend to notice until you replaced the carbs and noticed the improvement! The worst places for rust are the front wings and rear wheel arches, also the sills underneath the bonnet where the front wings attach. You also find the front of the bonnet can get rusty too. If you were looking to buy a Capri, look for one without rust as once it has started it doesn't stop and can also suggest that there are other areas on the car that can be affected. Also check the spare wheel section as that can harbour moisture and rust too.
The dashboards always crack after years of exposure to sunlight but new ones or pattern ones can be sourced but they are damn awful to try and get them out of the car to replace them!
I had so many fun times in that car, if you push the back seats down flat you can sleep in the boot! Which we did a few times when away on weekend rallies. The car is rear wheel driven which means you can do excellent wheel spins and stuff, the only time you have to be careful though is going around bends too fast in the wet, the back end tends to slide out and then you can have great fun trying to get it back! But boy, it was so much fun to drive. Being a 2 litre it did suck petrol, but it still did about 30 mpg most of the time, so it wasn't too bad. Eventually I had to get rid of her though because the government got rid of leaded petrol and I couldn't afford to convert the engine to run on unleaded, and because I used to travel a long way to work I needed reliable transport.
I ended up selling her to a friend, so I still see it from time to time. So sad :-(, but it's still going strong having done well over 100,000 miles even in my service!
Advantages: You'll be the envy of all your freinds, and that counts for the young boy racer, the chap who has hit his mid-life crisis and the old bloke who wants to remember the good old days. Disadvantages: the back end is too light for the amount of torque the engine can produce so either put a slab in the boot or just be carefull
...car but lets not forget ford thought so much of this car, they tried to resurect it in the shape of the Probe.
But it's not all good, the Capri is a dangerously quick car and a bit to light on the rear end, so don't go to fast into the bends or you'll be looking where your going through the rear window quicker than you can blink! it's also not a run a round car the fuel consuption leaves a lot to be desired even with the smaller 1.6 lazer modles. ... ...goes down as fast as the speedo goes up.
So down to details the capri comes in a range from 1.6 up to the deadly 3.0l. The engines I'm not to sure about, but my 2.0s had a pinto engine fitted with a twin stage choke that you could realy feel.
should you be insane and feel the need to up-grade the engine there is room for a small house in the bonnet and I know of as least one lunatic who fitted his with a V8 rover engine. ...
Slylie 29.03.2001 (23.01.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Ford Capri 2.0
Advantages: Great looks, relatively fast, a cheaper Mustang Disadvantages: Rust, parts harder to find, handling problems
I have always wanted a Ford Capri and finally managed to get a 1986 Mark III Laser in reasonable condition. I was slightly worried being a young driver whether or not I would enjoy driving the car, but I have totally fallen in love with it. I was drawn to the Capri by its wonderful looks, very similar to the Ford Mustang which I have always admired. I found however that the car has so much more. It is a wonderful car to drive, so long as a) you are ... ...on power steering and other modern gadgets. I say dont be a boy racer because you will kill yourself...a 2.0L may only have around 100bhp but it is a rear wheel drive car with inferior brakes to modern cars and on wet roads the Capri's tail will flick out if the car is not driven with the respect it deserves. And i say b) because this is a big car to move around without power steering and may take some getting used to when parking etc.. however parking ...
rebelmonk 15.01.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Ford Capri 2.0
Advantages: Most Fun car to drive on the road Disadvantages: Old, requires alot of care
I love this car, and would suggest to any enthusiast to buy one.
It has to be the most fun that can be legally had on todays roads, with reasonable accelleration and top speed, your not going to be dissappointed.
I had problems with starting, as the manual choke is a bugger, like they all were in the early days, but i have since sorted this by installing a manual choke.
The car flew through it's MOT after being stood for a while, with only minor ... ...carpets in the foot wells, and infront of the rear wheels.
The body work is the biggest chore, as it requres alot of attention, and needs to be rubbed down to remove rust and resprayed. This can be a pain, and is a long and constantly on going job, however if you have the patience annd money (not alot, but bear in mind it needs more than a modern car) this car will reward you.
It has killer looks and any self respecting petrol head will appreciate ...
frogds 16.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Ford Capri 2.0
Advantages: looks the biz!! Disadvantages: only in 3 door!
...lad, my father had a Ford Capri 1.6i in red. I love these cars because they look the part no matter where they are. Capri's maybe "retro" in style but retro is the way forward today. Some say that Fords are unreliable. I say they are speaking out of there....!! The Capri is just as reliable as any other car on the road. If the owner looks after it well then they will last a good 25 years or more!!!
My advice is BUY ONE!!! So much fun that will last ...
bonkers121 24.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Ford Capri 2.0
Advantages: Cheap, easily aquireable parts fun Disadvantages: rust, poor mans sports car!
I bought a ford capri before i had even past my test. it was a 2lt laser. Inside it was very basic no electric windows or any mod-cons as to speak. There is not alot i can say about the interior its a ford and they never were very advanced. There are two seats in the back which are relatively roomey and suficiant.
The car was good fun to drive but the car i bought had a worn head so was never very past. In the end i spent more time under the bonnet ... ...i can conclude that the ford capri is an icon in lots of eyes but in mine unfortunately it was a pain in the arse and a bit of a disappointment. So if thinking of buying one first consider other similar vehicles first before deciding on a capri because there are a lot better options. ...
mechengin 24.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Ford Capri 2.0
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