Mercury Capri Ghia

[Terry Goode]

Hello all, I am new to this message board & to the ford products. I just purchased a 1979 Capri Ghia conv. with the 5.0L & air con. Ect. to add to my collection. I will be looking for your expert opinion from time to time but for now i would like to know where i can find the Vehicle Certification # Label. I checked the door post & under hood area's. Maybe someone could decode my vin. # 9F16F673133, also i have the Arizona Certificate of Title for this car. There is one pic. in my album & their will be more as soon as it stops raining, the weather has been like this for the last two weeks here. Thanks Terry

[fredzilla]

Whoa, this one sounds interesting ... a rare breed indeed. BUT,
I see no picture in your album. Do you know you did the conversion

Check in front of the radiator underneath the support for the v.i.d. tag.

[Terry Goode]

Sorry it's in the Public Album in 79 - 82 Capris, go to the last page, black & silver one. Yah i think there was very few of these made, i would like to comfirm this here on this board if i can.

Terry in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

[Terry Goode]

I now have the pic in my albion. I'm still tring to get the hang of this web site.

[fredzilla]

Very nice :tu:

http://www.foureyedpride.com/phpBB2/album_pic.php?pic_id=7448

[Ozzie]

WOW! That car is cool! I have never seen a conv. Ghia Capri before. Like Fred said, there should be a buck tag located on the top right of the rad. Where did you buy the car, here in Canada?

Oh, more PICS!

[negusm]

Whoa....that is a SUPER nice AHA Convertible! VERY RARE!

PLEASE send me as many LARGE pictures as you can...I will host them!

negusm@gmail.com

Here is the page of Capris I have that I will put it on:
http://www.ascmclarencoupe.com/OtherCars/Capris/index.htm

Notice, there is ONE in there at the top in baaaaad shape!

Here is your literature for these cars:
http://www.ascmclarencoupe.com/Literature/CustomerLiterature.htm

I know it says 1981, but you must have a VERY early version. AHA is a Canadian company.

Your vin:
9=1979
F=Dearborn
16=Capri
F=5.0 Engine
673133 = CUN

-Mike

[Terry Goode]

Well i found the buck tag thanks to Fred & Ozzie

CAPRI
673133 61H F 0999
1C A DF ST M
AC RA DRM S
WQM PL MOD 2 V
1 3 6 DCR

now there is some more stampings on this tag that larger than the Ford stamp & some is upside down & sideways & placed in some empty spaces.

31 14 18

There is a second tag with it for the Stone Gard & Rust Coating

[negusm]

I find it very interesting that somebody decided to repaint it with the specialty two tone option that wasn't available until 1981.

-Mike

[FoxChassis]

CAPRI = just what it says
673133 = unit number (last six of VIN)
61H = three-door hatchback
F = 5.0L V8, 2V, 140 HP
1C = Black exterior/paint
AC = air conditioning
RA = road abrasion coating
S = cruise/speed control
PL = power locks (no power windows)
MOD = manual overdrive (SROD four speed)

[75coug]

Awesome looking Capri. The two-tone paintjob is similar to the one that was available on later Capris, but there are a few differences too. Welcome to the board!

[Terry Goode]

Mike this car was driven to Canada from Lake Havasu City AZ. on 10/18/2004. The car was first reg. 12/1979, list price 005237. Make Merc. Model Capri, Body Style CV. ( = Convertable ?) Odometer reading (no tenths) 48716. This info comes from the Arizona Certificate of Title. I could be wrong but wouldn't this conversion have been done by Ghia, there logos is on my doors. It was not done in Canada.

Thanks Terry

[75coug]

Mike this car was driven to Canada from Lake Havasu City AZ. on 10/18/2004. The car was first reg. 12/1979, list price 005237. Make Merc. Model Capri, Body Style CV. ( = Convertable ?) Odometer reading (no tenths) 48716. This info comes from the Arizona Certificate of Title. I could be wrong but wouldn't this conversion have been done by Ghia, there logos is on my doors.

Ghia was a trim level on the Capri, not an aftermarket company.

[negusm]

It was not done in Canada.

How do you know? How do you know it wasn't done in Canada for a buyer in the states?

Do you have the original window sticker? What is the destination on it?

AHA would not have registered it....the end customer would have been the first to register it.

-Mike

[Terry Goode]

Well i did not know that, scratch one idea. Does anyone know of someone in Arizona who likes play with his sawsall? :D

[Terry Goode]

I guest they could have done that Mike, it just does not seem to make a lot of sence to ship it out of the country & then back to the U.S. From the title it looks like the Capri was transformed into a conv. in the year it was built. I have a scanned copy of the title that i will send to you to see what you think about the body style. This image is to big for my album.

Thanks for the input

[negusm]

I guest they could have done that Mike, it just does not seem to make a lot of sence to ship it out of the country & then back to the U.S. From the title it looks like the Capri was transformed into a conv. in the year it was built. I have a scanned copy of the title that i will send to you to see what you think about the body style. This image is to big for my album.

Thanks for the input

Well, I believe that is what they did. There were several companies that did some kind of conversion from 79-82 before Ford took it over in 1983. I don't know how AHA did it but generally they would have a deal with a dealership. The dealership would let them order a car for near factory invoice, they would get it and do their conversion, and ship it to the customer...maybe via another dealer....all the while everyone getting a bit of the markup. No need to register the car either. It was trucked here and there either with dealer plates or on a flatbed.

WHAT IS YOUR DSO CODE! Maybe your car WAS slated for CANADA (or the NW) before being shipped to AZ!

Here is a little more background about all the different conversion houses:

All of the sales brochures from all 1980-1983 aftermarket convertor
Mustang Convertibles have arrived, and I've made a study of each.
Herewith the findings:-

Each were substantially different, allthough upon a glance they all
looked very, very similiar.

Bivouac (Bivouac - P.O. Box 279 - Vandalia, Michigan 49095 (616)-476-
9794). There car was the only 2-seater of the bunch. It sported the
3-window rear top design, but the small triangular small wrap around
windows were considerably larger than what was used on the
ascMcLaren. The cars were 1981 & 1982s, from what I can tell. The
working of the roof was similiar, but different! There was a fairly
large "chest-type" of a storage container behind the front buckets
that had chrome chest-type clamp closures on top of it, near the hard
fiberglass tonneau cover, that was very, very similiar to our
ascMcLarens. The convertible top appears NOT to have the power pull-
down, but rather to snap on snaps on the tonneau cover to hold it
down. (Seems easily broken into, since thesnaps were on the
exterior)!! Overall it looks more "Back-yard made" than does the
ascMcLarens, that look more professionally designed.

automobili intermeccanica C`abrio (a.i.c.) - 18475 Bandilier Circle,
Fountain Valley, California 92708 (704)-556-1011
Factories also in: Sacramento, Calif. / Hillsdale, Michigan /
Toronto, Canada and Monterey, Mexico.
The C`abrio is easily mistaken for the Bivouac. However there are
many differences. The C`brio leaves the rear seat intact, therby
making it a 4-passenger car. The convertible roof has the large rear
center window of the Bivouac, BUT the C`abrio lacks the two corner
small triangular wrap around windows. The "C" pillar of the
convertible roof is solid vinyl, very traditional. Like the Bivouac,
the "C" pillar area features chrome snaps to snap the convertible top
down onto. This car was made between 1980 & 1982. A handfull of 1983
may have also been made. Total Production was around 1,200 units.

"The Pony Convertible" by A.H.A. (Andrew A. Hotton
AHA Manufacturing / 5309 Manigate Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 1G6
Canada (416) 625-6860.
Sad to say, compared to the high quality, factory looking stretch
sedans and limousines and Continential convertibles that were tour-de
force impeccably made by AHA, this here Pony Convertible was a mess!
It sported AHA made vent windows, but they did NOT open. The "boot"
was 10 miles long in looks and bore maybe 30 snaps. The convertible
roof (when in the "UP" posistion, also snapped onto the 30 snaps!)
In an attemp to cut down on the blind spot created by a gigantic "C"
pillar area, AHA actually placed in that area a clear plastic window
in the shape of an upside-down pyramid. The rear window was large
plastic. Being kind, the total effect of the car was "unusual and not
balanced in appearance". 1980-1983. Unknown # made.

In a prior note, I mentioned the "Swift Edition by Tomaso" as well as
an "American Pullman" Edition. Since that time, I have learned
exactly what this was. Neither company had anything to do with the
making of these cars. They were mearly middle-men or thinly
disguised vendors masquerading as manufacturers. They, (probably
along with many others that I have not found) were merely fronting
for a company called "Classic Coachworks, Inc." of Orlando
Florida. "C.C." was the actual manufacturer of this product that went
by whatever name the vendor decided to call it. Tomaso of America
(11125 Arcade / {POB # 5692} of Little Rock, Ark 72216 (501) 227-0284
was one of the dealers down south. The President at the time was a
Russell E. Swift as well his brother Tom Swift. Therefore they
called theirs the "Swift~Edition". Another vendor was a limousine
convertor in New York City, named American Pullman. A.M. was known
for their Cadillac Limousines. They too were a vendor for the C.C.
product. All orders filtered thru Sun State Ford (Owner: Bill
Krebs). Sun State Ford was at 3535 West Colonial Drive, Orlando,
Fla. They were the closest Ford dealer to C.C. and Sun State charged
C.C. $65.00 over invoice for each Mustang. The ordered cars from
dealers/customers from all around the country all went thru Sun State
Ford, and were delivered there for C.C. to pick-up.
American Pullman was located at 1700 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn,
N.Y. 11233 (212)-485-1090.
This C.C. example took a little from each of the above. The
convertible roof from the C`abrio; the rear window design from the
Bivouac and the inclusion of the rear seat, from the C.C. as well as
the C`abrio. They too were made from 1980-1982. No available #s on
total production.

Convertible tops on all of them were available in black, dark blue,
dark brown and light tan. Body paints were anything Ford offered in
any particular year. Likewise any options available were good to
go. Examples came with the 4-Cyl, the Turbo-4, the six & the V-8,
any transmissions and many different seats, from cloth to velour to
leather to Recaros. All cars began as a 2-Door Sedan. Rear
Defrosters and Vinyl Roofs and T-Top or Sun Roofs were the only items
that were taboo to order.

When Ford unveiled the 1983 "Factory made" {Yes, I know it was made
by Cars & Concepts of Brighton, Michigan) but it was touted as
Factory Made by Ford....it pretty much overshadowed all of the
herewith aforementioned products and ran them out of business,
literally overnight. No longer did a product have to take 90 days to
arrive, it could be delivered from Ford in 30 days, and be 100%
warranteed by FORD. This spelled doomsday for all of the above
companies Mustang Convertible Projects.

S A N D Y


-Mike

[Terry Goode]

Well the Ccpri Vert pass it's in spection, has been apraised, insured & is now on the road. The air con still needs to be recharged & the back tires is boarder line, i can see a problem here their are a metric size! I can get them here at $300. each but the problem is it would be hard to find a replacement if i blow one on the hyway. Would i not be better of to change the wheels to a regular 15' size 4 bolt units. It would be nice keep the originals on this rair convertable. What do you think?

[grabbergreen84]

Very nice car.
Throw some ten-holes on it, and stash the TRXs in a safe spot.
I never knew such a thing exsisted. I'd think they'd want a notch for such a conversion, but I guess if you wanted a Capri...
When I was a kid, there was a Ford dealer (Ken Borchers?) who lived in our plat, and he had a Mustang II, which had been made into a convertible. Even at 12 years of age, I suspected that the II had originally been a hatch. It just looked that way to me. It was red with a white top.

[Ozzie]

Well the Ccpri Vert pass it's in spection, has been apraised, insured & is now on the road. The air con still needs to be recharged & the back tires is boarder line, i can see a problem here their are a metric size! I can get them here at $300. each but the problem is it would be hard to find a replacement if i blow one on the hyway. Would i not be better of to change the wheels to a regular 15' size 4 bolt units. It would be nice keep the originals on this rair convertable. What do you think?


If you do alot of distance cruising, you're going to be spending alot on tires. Especially if you're taking a spare. I agree with grabbergreen84 - throw some 10 holes on it. They're a 15x7 with the correct bolt pattern. Here's a pic of the ones off mine (they even have the correct Capri centercaps too). These would work fine for you and 15" tires are dirt cheap these days.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/3/web/819000-819999/819458_41_full.jpg

On the other hand, the TRX's are sweet and compliment your car really well. If you just do your Sunday cruise thing I'd get some of the metrics and show off what you have.


Ozzie