1986 Mercury Capri RS

[phatboysRS]

I recently purchased a 1986 Mercury Capri RS. Some people dream of owning Lamborghini's and Ferrari's. I have been wanting a Capri RS since I was in high school. My next door neighbors had one. Everytime they brought it out the garage and cranked it up. I used to sit on my porch and just admire that car. I begged my dad for one. Well he was to cheap to get me one. And I joined the Navy and gave up on getting one. After a couple of years in the Navy. I was just messing around on Ebay and I started coming across them for sale. The only problem is the owners wanted some ridiculous amount like $8,000.00 for them. So I just kept watching and waiting. Eventually the cars came down to prices I could pay cash for. One day the inevitable happened. I seen one it wasnt in the perfect condition. It needed the tranny rebuilt but the body was in good shape. No rust. The the weather seals were good. The T-tops were in good shape and it had an extra set. The tranny was already pulled out making it easier to rebuild. Well to keep a long story from getting any longer. I ended up being the winning bidder on Ebay for less than $1300. So to the question at hand. Where could I go to the original grill that said Mercury in it? The previous owner replace the grill with a factory replacement but it is just a plain old grill. Also if I remember correctly the Capri RS's had the RS symbol where the 5.0 symbol is. Where can I go to get all new emblems? Is there a place I can get the emblems online? Matter of fact any site I can go to online to get any Capri parts would be nice?

[capriman86]

Welcome to the forum!

I was watching that car too
eBay will have to be your friend on alot of the stuff your looking for.
The 5.0 badge on your 86 is correct. You may be thinking of the RS that is on the 85's in the side moldings, the 86's didn't have that.....It appears your car is missing the side moldings tho.

anyway welcome and best of luck with it!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4523174402&category=5366

http://i8.ebayimg.com/02/i/03/4c/c0/4e_3.JPG

[phatboysRS]

Hey man its a small world. You were the guy the who tried to outbid me. Man do you know I watched that car day and night. I would get up night and day and check that car to make sure I was the highest bidder. I really didnt want to get to or go over $1300. I'm glad you stopped. Well enough about that. So the '85 Capris's came with the RS side moldings not the '86 Capris's. Thanks for the info. Hey by the way theres a white '85 on Ebay looks in pretty good shape. Price is still pretty low. Thanks again for the info and not outbidding.

[negusm]

Glad you found your dream car! Extra glad its a CAPRI!

All you are missing is the "Mercury" tag on the grill. You will need to hunt one down somehow. Those tags are tough to find....and you will probably find a perfect grill attached to it.

The chrome trim on the grill (and the grill) should be painted charcoal grey....only the GS got the chrome trim.

The "RS" designation died in 1984. The car is considered a "5.0L"...although most still call them "RS" cars....hence you won't find anything that says "RS" on the car except the buck tag on the radiator support which will say "CRS".

-Mike

[Capri50]

The car looks nice. Is the hood scoop on backwards? I have never seen it like that.

I wonder if the previous owner had cooling issues in the summer with that flex fan on there and no shroud. It's something to think about if the weather gets warm and there are cooling problems.

The charcoal grills show up NOS once in a while, you have to keep an eye out.


http://www.capri50.com/temp/grill.jpg

[capriman86]

Hey man its a small world. You were the guy the who tried to outbid me. Man do you know I watched that car day and night. I would get up night and day and check that car to make sure I was the highest bidder. I really didnt want to get to or go over $1300. I'm glad you stopped. Well enough about that. So the '85 Capris's came with the RS side moldings not the '86 Capris's. Thanks for the info. Hey by the way theres a white '85 on Ebay looks in pretty good shape. Price is still pretty low. Thanks again for the info and not outbidding.

Actually....I wasn't the one that was bidding...
I was just watching the car to see what it was going for and then who knows if the price was cheap enough, seeing I would have to tow it home.
I totally forgot that the RS was on the side quarter on earlier years.....duh!

;)

[billkandi]

Actually, the 85's and 86's did have the "RS" in the body rub strip. I was a senior in high school in 85 and a guy had one new that I liked. (Wanted to beat his ass and take it, he was a :tool: ) Fast forward years later to about 1997. I was stationed with a guy that had an 86 and it also had the "RS". As for being completely original, I couldn't say, but that's what I've seen with me own eyes.

[negusm]

Actually, the 85's and 86's did have the "RS" in the body rub strip. I was a senior in high school in 85 and a guy had one new that I liked. (Wanted to beat his ass and take it, he was a :tool: ) Fast forward years later to about 1997. I was stationed with a guy that had an 86 and it also had the "RS". As for being completely original, I couldn't say, but that's what I've seen with me own eyes.

The deletion of the "RS" in the moulding was a running change in 85.

CANADIAN Capris got the RS moulded in the strip for 85-86.

So you are correct as well.

-Mikr

[capriman86]

Actually, the 85's and 86's did have the "RS" in the body rub strip. I was a senior in high school in 85 and a guy had one new that I liked. (Wanted to beat his ass and take it, he was a :tool: ) Fast forward years later to about 1997. I was stationed with a guy that had an 86 and it also had the "RS". As for being completely original, I couldn't say, but that's what I've seen with me own eyes.

The deletion of the "RS" in the moulding was a running change in 85.

CANADIAN Capris got the RS moulded in the strip for 85-86.

So you are correct as well.

-Mikr

Ya I was going to say both my 86 rub strips didn't have it....

[billkandi]

I guess the one I saw was a fluke or something. I was looking in my dealer brochure for 85 and the picture has the RS, which makes sense based on what you guys said. Oddly, it also shows the TRX wheels still an option for 85. :?:

[negusm]

I guess the one I saw was a fluke or something. I was looking in my dealer brochure for 85 and the picture has the RS, which makes sense based on what you guys said. Oddly, it also shows the TRX wheels still an option for 85. :?:

Yes, TRX was still available for the GS Automatic 5.0 cars....for 1985

-Mike

[negusm]

By 97, anything could have happened. It could have been a Canadian car, he could have swapped them on or you may have actually been looking at an 85 with an 86 bubble....as there isn't too much to really distinguish them.

-Mike

[billkandi]

Had the 86 fuelie motor, too. And the 8.8, the double crossmember, crap heads, small TB, etc, etc. Probably he put the RS's on himself We compared our cars quite a bit, mine was better, though. ;)

[Muscle_Cars_Only]

I believe I've seen the merc emblem your looking for in a junkyard around here in a trashed grille.will get it for you next time i go out there.



Dave

[phatboysRS]

Its a reverse hood scoop. I want to replace the interior with all grey stuff. I just picked it up and towed it home this weekend. The car seem pretty solid. Im not going to lie it does need some work. The engine fires rut up and all light and guages work. Just need some cosmetic work done. Inside and out. But on a scale of 1-10. Id give it a 7.

[negusm]

Its a reverse hood scoop.

No, it's a forward facing scoop put on backwards.

-Mike

[phatboysRS]

Do you know where I can get a good 85-89 interior from? Black or grey?

[v8only]

phatboy, I've got the entire grill pictured on page one for sale. It's not perfect, but its decent. Shoot me a pm and we'll talk about it.

Congrats on the capri. an 86 ttop capri? damn, it couldn't get sweeter than that.

on the interior subject, live with the interior you have for a while, it'll grow on you. In my opinion, the four eyed interior is the very definition of what an 80's muscle car interior should look like. the 87+ mustang interior is nice, but i'ts just too refined, too tempoish looking. Stick with the 86 interior, it'll grow on you, I promise :)

[negusm]

Do you know where I can get a good 85-89 interior from? Black or grey?

Junkyards or ebay....or put a want ad on this site or stangnet or corral. In any case, you're probably going to do some restoration work no matter what you decide to do.

-Mike

[svt1996cobra]

I have a used grille emblem you can have! Nice score on the car!

[phatboysRS]

I went to the junkyard to try to find a decent replacement interior. All the plastics except for the dash pad. Couldnt find one worth grabbing. Anyone know if dealerships have replacement plastics. Does anyone know if the dealerships can order brand new interior part. I would rather put an 1987 Gt interior. Especially since I know all the part are pretty much the same and it also has the t-tops.

[negusm]

I went to the junkyard to try to find a decent replacement interior. All the plastics except for the dash pad. Couldnt find one worth grabbing. Anyone know if dealerships have replacement plastics. Does anyone know if the dealerships can order brand new interior part. I would rather put an 1987 Gt interior. Especially since I know all the part are pretty much the same and it also has the t-tops.

Ford doesn't stock anything past maybe 6-10 years old. You need to either restore what you have or restore what you find in a junk yard.

-Mike

[ponch85rs]

WoW conadian cars? I never thought of that...mine is an 85, and ive been able to track all the owners since the early 90's (they all live in my town) and mine is white and grey on the outside with the RS in the moulding, like the GT's. Also on the back bubble hatch is says "Capri RS" just like an 85 GT says "Mustang GT" its kind of a thick sticker...im sure you are all falimiar. Im accually planning on getting the car painted and if anyone has any ideas on where i can get these replacment stickers...give me a heads up.

[svt1996cobra]

Theodore,

That is how my 1985 RS is too. The sides mouldings have a RS in them, and on the back it said Capri RS, like the Mustang GT. When was your car built, and what does the buck tag say? You can have the decals scanned at a trim/decal shop.

David

[cb84capri]

the RS was made in canada 85 and 86 with it in the mouldings. i know us had it but few for 85. i got a set off an 86 for my car going on when it gets painted.

cale

[phatboysRS]

Hey thanks, v8only. Trust me I love the '86 interior and that's why I have decided to keep it the original red. I also want to keep the original 85mph speedometer. I just want new plastics because the ones I have now look a little worn out. But I feel the same way you do. I told my buddy when I bought the car. I finally have my muscle car. I have a turbocharged 1998 Honda Accord. It has about 350hp at the ground. Right now it's more than my stock Capri. But you cant beat the feeling of getting behind the wheel of a rear wheel drive red blooded American push rod V8. The rumble of the exhaust. The chirp of the wheels when you snatch a gear. I even love the fact it drinks more gas than my Honda. I conned my fiance into buying all the performance parts. All I have to do is buy our wedding rings and I get a new engine and a supercharger kit. Lol. But she know how much I love my Capri and she wants to keep me happy. So she know thats going to mean getting me some parts.

[negusm]

You cannot buy new plastic interior pieces...you missed it by about 15 years.

You CAN make them look new again. Get some interior paint from metromustang or 50resto.

Here is a writeup I did for some pieces I worked on...they look brand spanking new again.

http://www.ascmclarencoupe.com/Projects/InteriorPainting/

After doing the above, and seeing the results, I for one do not understand why people scurry around for near perfect interior pieces. Painting/dyeing doesn't muddy the grain and is pretty tough to scratch.

-Mike

[phatboysRS]

What year's fox body mustang can I snatch the side door molding off. I dont have any on the car right now. And I think it would really look better if it had some. Especially after I get it painted. Also any know of any wheels with besides ROH that would fit. I am finding it hard to find wheels for the 4 lug mustangs and capri's. I don't want to change to 5 lug because I just replaced the entire braking system with new parts all the way around. I just bought some spintech mufflers, flowtech "1 5/8 shorty headers, flowmaster stainless steel pipes, and a bbk cat. It is going to roar like a lion when I'm finished with the exhaust.

[negusm]

85-86 Mustangs/Capris had that moulding.

The hard plastic corner pieces with reflectors are 85-86 Capri only.

-Mike