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  1. #1
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Default '83 Capri L @ Indy 500

    My '83 Capri L ,(76000mi) is a non air car 5.0-4spd with no power options except steering. It has a leather steering wheel. It is Black with red cloth interior and has a factory installed front air dam. You can see where the original front valance was cut to install this air dam. I know it was done by Ford because I've known the car since it was new,( I'm the second owner) and it still has the orig paint. Last year I talked to the owner of the dealership in my town that sold the car new. He has owned this dealership since the early 60's. He told me he took delivery on this particular car from Ford during Speed Week of the 1983 Indy 500 and drove it himself back from Indianapolis to his dealership (160mi.). He also said this car was used by Ford at the Indy 500 for something. He did not know exactly for what Ford used the car. Just that they had used it during Speed Week. It was sold off the lot the day he got home! Does anyone know anything about cars like this that Ford has used at Indy??
    Last edited by wgt500; 01-04-2008 at 11:27 PM.
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  2. #2
    FEP Member JH96GT's Avatar
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  3. #3

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    PICTURES!

    Yes, some cars were used for the Motrosport circuit in 83/84 it seems. I have never seen any of them.

    The air dam is technically not "factory". Now hang on...bear with me a minute...the air dam wouldn't have come on the car off the original assembly line. It is going to be the ascMcLaren air dam without the foglight cutouts. ascMcLaren had a sports package in 1983 before they started making the full package coupes for 84-86 with the air dams that had the foglight cutouts.

    However, if your story holds true, you could still call it "factory" since the air dam would have been installed at Ford or at some Motorsport garage or some place.

    Here is a picture of possibly a car that looks like yours:
    http://www.ascmclarencoupe.com/Liter...TheNeed_08.jpg

    Got a sunroof?

    Here is another (note it is missing the front air dam):
    http://www.autolit.net/Graphics/0707/I1208c.jpg

    -Mike

  4. #4

  5. #5

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    And I swear, if I you don't give us some pictures, I will hunt you down.

    I need the door tag info as well! That is not a "request" either!

    -Mike

  6. #6

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    Mike, I will be almost to you this week. Got to go to Greenville, SC for a trade show.
    83RS
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    www.LastV8.com

  7. #7
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    You are right on the money Mike. Yes, my car looks like the pics of cars you posted and mine does have a sunroof. My air dam is tthe same one and it doesn't have a place for fog lights. My car does have the rubber rr. spoiler. Just an interesting note. The orig owner hit a dog with the air dam and it couldn't be repaired. The dealership told her they couldn't get another air dam like she had and they would have to put on another style. She fought with them until they finally ended up getting the exact part. She said it took forever for it to come in. As I first posted before, it is a bare bones car. I will try to get pics in the next couple weeks. Right now I'm installing GT40p heads and I have the hood off. Thanks for all your help and the pics!
    Last edited by wgt500; 01-06-2008 at 09:40 PM.
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  8. #8

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    So why are you modifying it?

    It's possibly one of the rarest of the rare Capris out there with probably some good racing history to back it up!

    Seriously, think twice about what you are going to do to the car!

    -Mike

  9. #9
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Mike, I had no idea of what I had before I started some mods. Good news is, I'm a perfectionistic nut with my cars. Last year I restored the interior dead stock. I detailed the floor pan and engine compartment as far as even replacing the original decals. I bought this car to hot rod because I can no longer afford to drive my 67 GT500. Now I am going to have major problems with any changes to this car! I don't modify bodies and the car has the orig block so that's good. I will get the door tag info in a few minutes. My door tag is very faded and the only info I can read is the build date (5/83) and weight ratings. Will the vin# or buck tag tell you anything?
    Last edited by wgt500; 01-06-2008 at 10:01 PM.
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  10. #10

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    The buck tag might have some interesting info.

    The vin # will tell us what we already know.

    The door tag might have the DSO that we need. The DSO should be for a district sales office....and not a dealer. That will give you a big heads up that this car is something special.

    I would love to get my hands on one of those "circuit" cars along with all the stickers and so forth. These are totally unknown cars. I'm guessing total made were maybe less than 10. They probably were all built differently as we can see by the different pictures in the brochures.

    The next step would be to research the VIN, go back thru old owners. Contact Ford, contact the Indianapolis Speedway, hound as many people as you can for info, etc. The holy grail would be to find a speedway picture that has your car in it!

    Awesome find if the story holds up. It may be the only car left. Probably most were stripped of their decals and sold as normal Capris.

    -Mike

  11. #11
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Mike, I just got into all the orig. records for the car and I found the info from asc Mclaren on how to install the replacement air dam. I also have the orig window sticker if that info would help. The window sticker has the car being shipped to Dellen Lincoln Mercury in Indianapolis and sold to Don Thompson Lincoln mercury,(the dealership in my town). It has the method of transportation as convoy. One additional note. This is a non a/c car. I even have the insurance report from when the dog was hit 02/85. I am the second owner. This car is totally unmolested!
    Last edited by wgt500; 01-06-2008 at 10:58 PM.
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  12. #12
    FEP Power Member 86REDGT's Avatar
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    any pix?
    86 GT vert - Bright Red/Grey Black top
    89 GT hatch - Bright Regatta Blue/Grey
    90 5.0 vert - Light Titanium/Red No top
    90 GT vert - Light Titanium/Black Black top
    91 5.0 notch - Medium Titanium/Black (wife)
    91 5.0 notch - White/Red soon to be black int

  13. #13
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    I will get pics in the next day or so. I have to figure out how to post them!
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  14. #14

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    Interesting. I wonder what the DSO is on the car.

    I wonder what they actually used the car for or was it a car the local dealership used for display or something. Either way the story would be interesting. You should see if the dealership is still there and call them.

    If it was one of the NHRA cars like in the brochure, I would think Ford would have ordered them internally and the DSO would reflect that. The fact that this car appears to have been shipped to a local dealer seems to make me think the car was more for display to drum up business for the dealer. The local dealer would have had access to the ascMcLaren Sports Package too and could have slapped that on that car very easily.

    Of course this is all conjecture on my part.

    With the 1985 GP4s they used some as track cars and other as just kind of display cars and then there were Cougars I think which were press cars or something. I wonder what the DSO is on those cars?

    Post as much info as you can! The window sticker would be awesome to see!

    Does anyone know what the 1983 Indianapppolis Pace Car was that year?

    -Mike

  15. #15
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Like I posted earlier. The older gentleman who drove the car to our town and who owns the local dealership said the car was used during speedweek for "something". He just doesn't know what it was used for. It's just interesting that it looks exactly like the circuit cars and has never been altered since new(all orig paint) in any way. I will be calling Dellen Lincoln Mercury in Indianapolis tomorrow. They are still in business. One more interesting point. The car has a factory leather sport steering wheel. Were those Mcclaren also?
    Last edited by wgt500; 01-06-2008 at 11:35 PM.
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  16. #16

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    83 Capris had a leather option. I am not aware that ascMcLaren had a steering wheel in 1983.

    Pics?

  17. #17

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    When you call the dealership, you might need to try and "chit chat" a bit....maybe see if you can talk to the older employees...or somebody.

    Best thing would be to ask if they had any pictures of the car at the Indianapolis 500...boy if you could get that plus a signed letter or something, that might be cool.

    -Mike

  18. #18
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    I talked to the founder of the dealership's son, (the current GM) today . He is going to have his dad call me tomorrow. My car definitely has the asc Mclaren sport package for 1983 along with the special value package. From talking to the local dealership and knowing what I do about the circuit cars, (info. provided by negusm) I would speculate that my car was modified by Ford, (Dellen Lincoln Mercury) to be of the same appearance as the circuit cars for the parade and speedweek events in 1983. At this point I have found a clip of the 1983 Indy 500 parade. I am trying to get the full parade video to see if any Capris like mine are in the parade. I've emailed negusm to see if he can post my pics. of the car, (about 20 pics.). I just can't figure out how to do it. But I know how to email them. I know the car is totally legit and unmolested and it's a very interesting journey finding out why, and for what this car was created.
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  19. #19
    FEP Member cobrstang's Avatar
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    Patiently waiting for the pics!

  20. #20
    FEP Power Member plumkrazy's Avatar
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  21. #21

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    I sent you my email addresses...lmk if you have problems sending pics...

    Very cool that you are going to get the lowdown on this car.

    See if you can't convince the founder to write you up a letter with his signature and all. Ask him about any photos he might have and if you could get a copy.

    -Mike

  22. #22
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    Pics should be there this afternoon. Thanks for your help! Dick
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

  23. #23

  24. #24
    FEP Super Member Blainer's Avatar
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    Pictures????
    -Currently Searching for "The One"

  25. #25
    FEP Power Member wgt500's Avatar
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    If you click on negusm's "79-86 Mercury Capri online resource", then click on "asc literature", scroll down to asc brochures(sports package), the middle brochure with the black Capri is the exact car I own!
    '67 Shelby GT500 428 4spd. (owned for 32yrs. SOLD 11/26/2011. A sad day $$$$. Pics in my album!

    '83 Capri 5.0 4spd. ASC McLaren Sport Pkg.(1983 Indy 500 Speed Week Motorcraft sponsored parade car) Original paint. Pics in my album! (SOLD 11/11/2017)

    '79 Capri RS 5.0 52,000mi. Total molestation! (1300 man/hrs.) Build Pics in 3 albums!

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