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  1. #1
    New User
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    Oct 2019
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    New Brunswick, Canada
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    Default 1981 Capri (First Fox)

    Hey everyone!

    Figured i'd finally get around to registering and posting here after using the site for some info to help sort out my new to me Capri! Its my first foxbody and first real venture into the muscle car scene. Before this i mostly had a bunch of old datsuns, a 1971 510, 1974 620, and a 1970 240z,Had the typical 240sx, rx-7 aswell at some point too. The 510 was my baby had it for 7 years and went through a few different changes, every nut and bolt besides cosmetics was done to it with a bored and stroked 2.1L running dual weber side draft carbs, a 530/306 isky cam, and almost 12:1 compression.







    Eventually just hit my limit of how fast i could make it, how expensive performance datsun stuff was and wanted to get into the V8 game. Sold it and picked up a 1982 Datsun 280zx with a 6.0 LSX swapped in. Only had the car for 4 months before trading it for the capri, it was fun but really half assed put together and the more i dug into it the more i found.

    How it looked when i first got it



    and after some wheels/tires, suspension changes and a quick spray can job to cover the peeling white



    Eventually put up an add asking for trade offers and had the Capri fall into my lap. Shes a 1981 originally a 2.3 NA according to the vin decoder here, (previous owner swore it was a 2.3 turbo but whatever) that has at some point had a carburated 5.0 and t5 swapped in with an 8.8 posi with 4.11 gears.



    Gas tank had been split while being towed home so needed to trailer it, rear quarters needed replacing behind the wheels and thats all i THOUGHT had to be completed haha.

    Engine has a bit done to it, Edelbrock intake, Crane cam of unknown specs (nothing crazy), hei distributor, gt40 heads and an unknown bottom end (125psi across all cylinders so nothing crazy again i assume)



    Got home and tried to swap the tank, turns out the new tank wasn't the correct one so ended up throwing a 10 gallon fuel cell in the trunk. Hooked a jerry can up to the carb to take it for a quick drive and the 600 motocraft carb inlet was stripped out and dumping gas. That was rectified with a 750 holley (yes i know its big) after getting that dialed in i'm pretty happy with the car! definitely getting some more parts thrown at it though.

    Lots of little odds and ends to fix, itll be getting a paintjob possibly before the winter but we'll see



    Recently tackled the drivers quarter

    Section from a spare quarter welded in and mid bodywork



    Just a quick spray can touch up since paint is in its future



    Now the question is what to do engine wise. Could throw a set of heads and a bigger cam at the 302 but also have a bare 351 windsor block sitting around that would love to be turned into a 393 or 408, decisions decisions.

    And how its currently sitting, much better then when i first got it home i think!



    Wheels are definitely in the future aswell, just need to decide what exact ones i want

  2. #2
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Apr 2010
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    Portland, Oregon
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    Default

    Nice!

    And welcome!

    Mike

  3. #3

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    She looks like she will be a fun project.

    Welcome
    Brant

  4. #4
    FEP Senior Member BMW Rider's Avatar
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    Oct 2014
    Location
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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    Nice. I cut my teeth on Datsun 510s too. I had three different ones back in my teens and early twenties (a very long time ago). First was a 68 that had been crashed into and was given to me by family friends just to tinker on and learn to drive when I was 13. Shortly after that I bought a 70 with a blown motor and swapped the 1300 from the 68 into it - later I rebuilt the 1600 and put it back in. That car got rearended when I was in grade 12, and I replaced it with a 73 that had a built up 1600 with a DelOrto side draft. Eventually I swapped in a 2000cc engine from a truck. Those 510s really were fun little cars to flog on the backroads. I ended my Datsun years with a 72 521 pickup. It was traded in for a new 85 Ford Ranger truck when I started earning good money and my 79 Mustang entered the scene as my project soon after
    Last edited by BMW Rider; 10-15-2019 at 01:25 PM.

  5. #5

    Default

    Welcome fellow NB-er! Sweet Capri... making me miss my '80 Capri all over again, lol
    Mike
    1986 Mustang convertible ---> BUILD THREAD
    Past Fox-chassis "four eyes":
    1983 Mercury Cougar LS
    1986 Ford Thunderbird ELAN
    1980 Capri RS Turbo

    Work in progress website ---> http://carb-rebuilds-plus.boards.net/

  6. #6
    New User
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    Oct 2019
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    New Brunswick, Canada
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    Default

    Thanks for the welcome everyone!

    The Datsun's were definitely fun, but i am loving the cost of american parts compared to vintage japanese stuff haha

    Didn't get up to too much with the car lately, the daily needed some work and mostly had a bunch of small stuff to pick away at. Lots of annoying little wiring things to complete with it now, horn doesnt work but while i was under the dash doing some other wiring it kept going off randomly, signal light bulbs are just dangling under the front since theres no bumper support under the nose cone (thankfully the car came with 2, one aluminum and one steel), and went to wire up the antenna and noticed there isnt one on the car haha

    Still chasing a lean partial throttle issue with the carb, ordered a different size powervalve that will hopefully sure that!

  7. #7
    FEP Senior Member
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    Great work so far. These cars have a way of draining your salary pretty quickly eh?

  8. #8
    FEP Supporter
    82GTforME's Avatar
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    Feb 2013
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    Great work. That'll be a fun car to drive once it's completed!

  9. #9
    FEP Power Member craigerSS's Avatar
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    nova scotia
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    Looks like another saved, and hello from Richibucto, dont live in n.s. anymore
    here's to the freakin' weekend,I'll drink to that

  10. #10
    FEP Senior Member
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    Nov 2011
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    Great build, keep up the good work. When it’s done you may find you enjoy driving it more than the Harley.

  11. #11

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    Do not share any more pics of, or discuss, the current engine in this Capri. This site neither condones nor allows show-and-tell of non-Ford engines in vehicles within the scope of this site.

  12. #12
    FEP Member
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    Dec 2002
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    New Boston, MI
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    Quote Originally Posted by FoxChassis View Post
    Do not share any more pics of, or discuss, the current engine in this Capri. This site neither condones nor allows show-and-tell of non-Ford engines in vehicles within the scope of this site.
    It’s a small block ford…


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by 86lx View Post
    It’s a small block ford…
    Look again.
    83 TC "Clone"
    85 Marquis LTS
    86 LTD Wagon

  14. #14
    FEP Member
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    Dec 2002
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck W View Post
    Look again.
    Every time I look it’s still a sbf.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  15. #15

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by 86lx View Post
    Every time I look it’s still a sbf.

    Looks like I'm seeing stuff that you're not (Moderated). FoxChassis' post above just about covers it though.
    83 TC "Clone"
    85 Marquis LTS
    86 LTD Wagon

  16. #16
    New User
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    Oct 2019
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    New Brunswick, Canada
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    Default

    QUOTE=FoxChassis;1943666]Do not share any more pics of, or discuss, the current engine in this Capri. This site neither condones nor allows show-and-tell of non-Ford engines in vehicles within the scope of this site.[/QUOTE]


    Are you for real? Going to delete my post and not allow me to share my build/show my car with other people because there’s not a Ford engine in the bay? No wonder this site is dead lol.

  17. #17
    FEP Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck W View Post
    Looks like I'm seeing stuff that you're not (Moderated). FoxChassis' post above just about covers it though.
    Then please enlighten me. The only thing I see is a sbf with a GM HEI style distributor.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  18. #18

    Default

    I believe the pics and discussion in question have already been deleted. As members of FEP, we may not agree with “all “ the rules but as members we are to respect and follow “all” the rules.

  19. #19

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by CanadianFox View Post
    QUOTE=FoxChassis;1943666]Do not share any more pics of, or discuss, the current engine in this Capri. This site neither condones nor allows show-and-tell of non-Ford engines in vehicles within the scope of this site.
    Are you for real? Going to delete my post and not allow me to share my build/show my car with other people because there’s not a Ford engine in the bay? No wonder this site is dead lol.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

    Yes, I am for real. You agreed to abide by the tenets of this site when you signed up. That includes not posting pics of non-Ford engines in these cars.

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