1983 Black Magic

[smac61]

Hey guys, new to this board but not new to the game.
I have a friend who has a bubble back black magic that he purchased new, and I just learned that he may want to get it out of his yard. The car has been sitting a while but has been started ocassionaly and was a daily driver when it was parked. Definitely needs a paint job, cleaning of the engine bay, dash pad. The upholstery is not the worst I have seen...could probably get by with a good cleaning and replacement of one of the black panels on the drivers seat. I've known this guy for years and I am confident that the car was not abused. It is completely stock (the stock wheels are not currently on the car but he has them).

I'm kicking around the idea of bringing it back to life myself, but will most likely resell it if I could get it cheap enough, or just help him find a buyer. I don't know how low he is willing to go yet. I know that the production numbers for this car are low, but I have been unable to find any good info on the value of the car. I would appreciate any insite from the capri experts. Like I said, it needs some TLC and I would imagine that the engine could stand a freshen up as it has just under 200,000 miles (no known problems other than an infrequent squeal from the smog pump pulley).

Also, if there are any potential interested buyers on the board lets talk.

I've always driven mustangs but am developing a renewed fondness for the capris. But I have learned after much regret from selling my 79 pace car that you don't let a low production car sit there and rot.

[negusm]

That is a very rare car. Only 469 Black Magic cars were made with bubble backs. In mid 1983 the car was dropped to make way for the Crimson Cat.

-Mike

[tlennyrs]

I have a question about this.
True the '83 is very rear.
But I have seen Crimson cats for the whole year of '83.
I was looking at a '83 Crimson Cat that was made in the first part of the year and it had an SROD tranny.
The last half of the year the Crimson Cat got the T-5 Tranny
My Cat was built in the last half of the year so it got the T-5.
The one out in Iowa was all original and it had the SROD and built in the first half of the year.
So What tranny does this Black magic have.

TLennyRS

[75coug]

I would love to see some pics.

Which engine does it have?

Sadly, even though it is a hard-to-find car, there are not a whole lot of us who appreciate that fact, and even fewer who are willing to pay a premium over what a regular Capri would bring.

If you decide not to fix it up yourself, I hope that you find a good buyer. I certainly appreciate your efforts to keep such a rare find from rotting in a field somewhere.

[evlgt85]

True, rare though it may be, I hope you/the owner aren't seeing $$$$ in front of your eyes with thoughts of flipping it because they just aren't being sought out at a rate that increases their value at this time. The only ones that go for decent, not yet spectacular, money are the ones that are PRISTINE, UNMOLESTED, perfect examples, and there really haven't been enough of them on the market to even give an accurate valuation or trend, IMO.

Regardless, if it's been sitting outside and needs work, it is unlikely it will pull any more money than any other Capri of similar condition.

Pictures are always helpful when determining something like this. Without pics, there's little to nothing to go on.

Good luck.

[FoxChassis]

I was looking at a '83 Crimson Cat that was made in the first part of the year and it had an SROD tranny. The last half of the year the Crimson Cat got the T-5 Tranny. My Cat was built in the last half of the year so it got the T-5. The one out in Iowa was all original and it had the SROD and built in the first half of the year.
When the T5 was introduced to the Mustang and Capri lines in December of '82 (early '83 model year) it did not total replace the SROD. The T5 merely became the standard manual-shift transmission behind the 5.0L engine and the SROD transmission was optional.

You can't say that because a Crimson Cat had an SROD that is could only have been produced in early '83 (model year). Have to verify the build date, or the unit number in the VIN, etc.

[negusm]

The only thing I really know is that the orders for the Black Magic stopped when the orders for the CC started. There may have been some kind of overlap in their builds. The 83 Black Magic was a VERY short order time frame...like 1 month I think. This would put pretty much all of them very very early in the production year (fall of 1982). And the Crimson Cat would probably have been built for late 82 and all of 83.

Plus like Foxchassis says, you really need to check the build date or vin. The transmission is not a guarantee.

-Mike

[83rsturbo]

Hell I have a rare car and paid $800 for it. nobody cares around here how rare they are

[smac61]

That's sad. But one way or another, I'll try to keep it from going to waste. I've got some pics that I will upload, maybe this weekend. Just haven't had time. Some of the ones on here sure have made me think about getting it for myself. I'll talk to the guy again next week and see if his price is right. If I don't get it maybe I can hook somebody on the board up. Thanks for the replies.

[~FrankenStang~]

I wish I could find a Black Magic.