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  1. #1
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Default 1981 Black Magic Capri

    I'm gathering as much info about my Black Magic as I can to help me decide what I will do with it. So here is my Vehicle Certification Label and Bat Tag.




    Thanks for the help.
    Dave

    If common sense was common wouldn't it just be sense?

    1983 Capri L T top 5.0 efi aod
    1983 Capri RS Turbo
    1981 Black Magic 400 c6
    93 F-250 351 5sp 4x4

  2. #2

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    Can you type out the code on the Buck Tag. Not only are some of them hard to read but it's a San Jose Assembly build, and I'm not used to the tag so I can't guess what the codes would be. Thanks.
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  3. #3
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Default

    P67BR606787 IIC 8
    BW A(I beleive) H (looks like a backwards R stamped through) T 4

    FW D B 67DE

    MOON B CAT Y
    Dave

    If common sense was common wouldn't it just be sense?

    1983 Capri L T top 5.0 efi aod
    1983 Capri RS Turbo
    1981 Black Magic 400 c6
    93 F-250 351 5sp 4x4

  4. #4
    FEP Senior Member blackmagicman's Avatar
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    Default

    show us some pics of the beast
    current stable:1981 blackmagic capri gt40 crate engine 5spd 12.7@109mph.150 shot nos gt40 heads 3.55 gears
    1981 blackmagic capri 2.3 liter 5spd project car goin turbo , daily driver 2004 chevy silverado 4x4

  5. #5
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Default

    Here's a link to my album.
    http://s831.photobucket.com/albums/z...0Magic%20Pics/

    Feel free to enjoy.
    Dave

    If common sense was common wouldn't it just be sense?

    1983 Capri L T top 5.0 efi aod
    1983 Capri RS Turbo
    1981 Black Magic 400 c6
    93 F-250 351 5sp 4x4

  6. #6

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    Can you tell me if the car has or had.....

    power locks?
    power windows?
    power steering?
    front license plate bracket?
    floor console?
    rear defrost?
    tinted glass? (factory, not aftermarket)
    light in glovebox, underhood, and in front ashtray?
    rear louvers?
    lower bodyside protection (rough textured paint along the bottom of the body)?
    premium sound ("AMP PULL" switch under dash on driver-side of the radio)?
    cruise control?
    tilt steering wheel?
    leather-wrapped steering wheel?
    interval delay windshield wipers?
    rear window wiper/washer?
    engine block heater?
    tinted windshield?

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Power Locks = yes
    Power Windows = Yes
    Power Steering = Yes
    Front Liscence Plate Brkt = Yes
    Floor Console = Yes
    Rear Defrost = Yes
    Tinted Glass = Yes
    Light in glovebox = No
    Light Underhood = Unknown
    Light in ashtray = yes
    Rear Louvers = No
    Lower Body Protection = No
    Premium Sound = Unknown - No stereo, Not listed on dash, No Pull switch
    Cruise = Yes
    Leather wrapped wheel = Yes
    Interval Wipers = Yes
    Engine Block Heater = Unknown - No Engine
    Tinted Windshield = Yes

    The car was a rolling chassis when I bought it. Engine and trans were pulled along with some of the interior parts. What I've listed is as close as I can get for now.
    Last edited by mustangxtreme; 10-05-2009 at 05:32 PM. Reason: Update Info
    Dave

    If common sense was common wouldn't it just be sense?

    1983 Capri L T top 5.0 efi aod
    1983 Capri RS Turbo
    1981 Black Magic 400 c6
    93 F-250 351 5sp 4x4

  8. #8
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Default

    I was able to verify there is a light underhood also.
    Dave

    If common sense was common wouldn't it just be sense?

    1983 Capri L T top 5.0 efi aod
    1983 Capri RS Turbo
    1981 Black Magic 400 c6
    93 F-250 351 5sp 4x4

  9. #9

    Default

    VIN
    1ME = USA, Mercury
    B = manual seatbelts, no airbags
    P = passenger car
    67 = Capri three-door hatchback
    B = 3.3L I-6 engine
    2 = VIN check digit
    B = 1981 model year
    R = San Jose Assembly
    607878 = 7,878th '81 Capri assigned a VIN at San Jose Assembly

    VC Label
    DATE - 04/81 = April 1981 scheduled build date
    EXTERIOR PAINT COLORS - 1C = Black
    DSO - 54 = Seattle district sales office
    BODY - 61D = Capri three-door hatchback
    VR - [blank] = no vinyl or carriage roof
    MLDG. - [blank] = no insert tape in moulding
    INT.TRIM - YA = low-back cloth and vinyl bucket seats, Black with Gold insert
    A/C - A = factory air conditioning
    R - 7 = AM/FM cassette stereo
    S - C = removable sunroof
    AX - M = 2.73:1 axle ratio with Traction-Lok differential
    TR - W = C4 automatic transmission
    RR = D9BZ-5310-R front coil springs
    NN = D9BZ-5560-R rear coil springs

    Buck Tag
    P67 BR606787 = partial VIN
    11C = Black exterior paint color
    8
    BW
    A
    H
    T
    4
    FW
    D
    B
    67D
    E
    MOON = moonroof (sunroof)
    B
    CAT = Black Magic option
    Y

  10. #10
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Default

    Thanks FoxChassis
    Dave

    If common sense was common wouldn't it just be sense?

    1983 Capri L T top 5.0 efi aod
    1983 Capri RS Turbo
    1981 Black Magic 400 c6
    93 F-250 351 5sp 4x4

  11. #11
    FEP Super Member mustangxtreme's Avatar
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    Default

    Fox, add tilt wheel to mine in the database.
    Dave

    If common sense was common wouldn't it just be sense?

    1983 Capri L T top 5.0 efi aod
    1983 Capri RS Turbo
    1981 Black Magic 400 c6
    93 F-250 351 5sp 4x4

  12. #12

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    Tilt added to options list for BR606878. Thanks for the update.
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  13. #13
    FEP Super Member xctasy's Avatar
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    Default

    Oh team, nicely done! I hope I can contain myself, without post hogging, cause I'm a real Black Magic and Mercury fan. Espeically the I6's, because they were so darn weird. But I have had a lot of experience with the 335 engines, especially the 400 which fixed everything wrong about the thin walls Henries.

    The I6 was never a performance engine, and the whole idea of them selling it so frequently when the 4.2 was probably more econmical and, um, faster (but not fast) was kind of illogical. Especially since the 1980 to 1981 performance Foxes, the Mercury especially, looked so bitchin'ly H-O-T. To have a 91 hp 3.3 engine where a 140 hp 5.0 should have been, well, that was just wrong. The only cars that should have ever gotton a Traction Lock were the 79 5.0's and any of the 2.3 Turbos , not the 3.3 in line six. It was an engine that wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding...

    Your lucky, mustangxtreme, it took me a week to find the frame horn tags, the buck code, and then another 8 months to formally fully identify them with my eyes , when I took my passenger side indicator lights and charchol canister out to eyeball it. Paint and Photoshop and my Canon Power Shot a495 were my only help when a car is assembled and in service.

    FoxChassis, I am indebted to your for your sensational information. There's a very important question below.


    Your axle info is another "release the hounds special"

    Our great Aussie member terrymwalsh has a White Black Magic. (Its not Black like Barry White, but White like Frank Black is)


    My 81 is also San Jose built, with a very odd JDM market past with a strange asortment of JPN apointments which I've seen periodically on other European and Spanish imports as some may remember (Thunderd/Cougar fold back side view mirrors, two 5-5/16 by 6-5/8"Amber lamps cut and shut into the rear tailights). I've done a lot of research due to the oddball non v8, non turbo drive train our 81 3.3's had. That influences the transmission, which was often, but not always, French C3, US C4 or Mexican SROD, with engines which could be Blue high mount or Grey low mount, and quoted axle ratios which on the SROD's, were actually 3.08:1, but listed in the options with the overall final drive ratio as "2.49 Axle" (3.08 X 0.81, the 6 cylinders having the lower top 0.81:1 gear and wide ratio lower gears, not the same as the 0.70:1 82 GT SROD).

    Since the Traction lock was a very important inclusion (It took Ford 3 years to cater for Foxes driven in frozen Canadian and US winter states and territories, but for 1981, the long awaited traction lock option, unable to be had with any Fox previous, became the 3.08 7.5" axle).


    The question is: Is there really a valid 2.73 ratio 7.5 traction lock, or does your expert database need minor tweeking?.

    You have told us to inform if anything doesn't seam exact, or maybee needs updating.

    Quote Originally Posted by FoxChassis View Post
    1981 3.3L w/ 4-speed manual = 2.47:1 (Traction-Lok optional exc w/ high altitude emission system)

    1981 3.3L w/ automatic = 2.73:1 (Traction-Lok optional)
    Q2. Doesn't that mean, by my understanding, that you got stuck with the 3.08" 7.5" axle when you ticked the Traction Lok option.


    Quote Originally Posted by FoxChassis View Post
    The 2.29:1 ratio is actually 2.26:1. (Standard with the Capri/Mustang 4.2L in '80 and '81, unsure about other models.)

    There is also a 2.47:1 ratio. (Standard with 5.0L/C4 Capri/Mustang in '79, unsure about other models.)

    The 2.26:1 and 2.47:1 ratios were "open", at least in the Capri/Mustang. Traction-Lok wasn't available in the C/M until the '81 model year, and not available with the 2.26:1 ratio anyway. If you wanted T-L with the 4.2L in '81 you had to get the 3.08:1 ratio.

    Q3. Doesn't that mean that an I6 3.3 got a 3.08:1 7.5" axle when the Traction Lok option was ticked?

    AX - M = 2.73:1 axle ratio with Traction-Lok differential should probably be yet another 6.7 " Sterling axle tagged like this.

    On my 6.7 corporate diff, the code was:-

    WGG-C 0G24
    2 73 6 7 S258C


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    The normal way

    These and the 3.08:1 7.5" axles were the only axles offered with the short wheel base Fox two and three doors.

    With Traction Lock, I think you were stuck with the 3.08.

  14. #14

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    Before this thread popped up, I would have said a 1981 Capri or Mustang with 2.73:1 Traction-Lok was a unicorn. I had never seen a 1981 M-code axle until this one, and I have almost six dozen confirmed axle ratios in the 1981 C/M databases.

    I am going to guess that the axle under mustangxtreme's BM is a 6.75". I haven't seen the tag to confirm that though. I wonder if a pic of it could be posted here?

    I could not say whether the M code is valid only for the 6.75", or only for the the 7.5", or for both. The factory literature does drill down that deep. It only says what is and is not available according to engine and transmission combinations, and/or location. Of course we know that we should not rely on factory literature as the final word, as it can be and sometimes is not accurate, or it was accurate at the time but info/parts availability was updated after the literature was printed. Peering into Ford's production database would be the final word, as that would show you what was actually built. Peering into my database is a distant second, as I do not have data on every car.

    Here is the available powertrain combos from the 1/81 printing of the Ford Cars Facts Organizer (courtesy of FEP member negusm's excellent site ascmclarencoupe.com): http://www.ascmclarencoupe.com/Liter...Book%20018.jpg

    What is not listed in that chart is the 2.3 turbo, which was still available in Canada.

    I have so far confirmed the following powertrain combos, via door tags, owner cards, build sheets, or Marti reports. The parts in bold do not match the factory literature.

    2.3L
    4-speed 3.08
    5-speed 3.45
    automatic 3.08

    2.3L turbo
    5-speed 3.45

    3.3L
    4-speed 2.47
    4-speed 3.08
    automatic 2.73
    automatic 2.73 Traction-Lok

    4.2L
    automatic 2.26
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  15. #15
    FEP Super Member xctasy's Avatar
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    LOL, I knew you'd be acting on the best information. As all of us Ford guys know, there's the records, and then what actually took place.


    I'd love to see mustangxtrems axle tag...


    My thoughts based on my limited research.

    There was a lot of odd exclusively strange I6 stuff about that era, which was probably more simple miss-information than anything.

    Read the historical info from FEP's great resources

    In this March 1981 Motor Trend...

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    Never seen a 2-bbl RS Capri with Holley W 2 Barrel, and engine with 97.5 bhp, or a 2.49:1 axle ratio?

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    Nor Have I. The info was most likely wrong, because there was never a factory 2-BBL 3.3 in US Foxes


    I personally haven't seen evidence of an I6 2.47 axle, either, but I totally trust youir info.

    Ford in Australia had a very strong 106-114 1-bbl and 120 to 123 hp 2-bbl 3.3 six from 1977 to 1992, and they refused to put axle gears taller than 2.92 in with a stick shift 2.95:1 first, as any taller made a car too tall to get off line when it has an 8:1 overall first gear. When they put a 2.54 axle ratio in it, it came with a 3.24:1 1 st gear, no taller than 8:1 overall. The 216 hp 351C 4V had a 2.46 Ist gear with a 3.00 axle, but it had 316 lb-ft of torque. That is a 7.38:1 overall first gear.


    Using the following ratios

    "RUG EA D*** ***** XXXX are 6cyl Ratio #1: 3.29 1st, 1.84 2nd, 1.00 3rd, 0.81 4th, and 3.29 Rev.
    RUG EM DC17 E2ZRAA 2914 is V8 Ratio #2: 3.07 1st, 1.72 2nd, 1.00 3rd, 0.70 4th, and 3.07 Rev.
    "

    Overall 1 st is 8.16:1 with 2.47 axle seasm too tall for even a 5.0 V8 manual

    With a 3.08 axle, overall top was 2.49:1

    This was the maliase era, where Ford was closing down SAP, and probably, anything to get rid of its inventory was oan okay thing.

    I personally believed before this, based on Fords automotive historians and what I knew about Fords policy on overall first gear ratios with manuals those years, the SRODs should or would have had 3.08 gears and the T4 2.73's. Maybee a 2.73 with an overall first gear of 9:1 was possiable.


    Anyway, mustangxtrems car was a high mount blue 3.3 withC4 and 2.73:1 Traction lok. Proof is above.

    Well done guys.

  16. #16

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    The "W" is actually VV, as is variable Venturi, but yeah, the factory lit says the 3.3L had a 1V carb.

    Here are some examples of a 3.3L with 2.47 (AX code "B"):

    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?115847
    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?146253
    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?157558
    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?164245
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  17. #17
    FEP Super Member xctasy's Avatar
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    It all make sense now.

    1. I'm with you on the Holley VV. The day Holley makes a VV carb, it will become Skinner Uniion.

    (There was a 1-bbl FoMoCo VV replacment for the US designed Autolite 1250 Belfast carb found on so many Kent 1600 imports, but you Americans can be thankfull you were too busy with the 2700 and 7200 2-bbls to be bothered with this item on our 75 and 90 hp Pinto 1600 and 200 engines).

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    2. Thanks for suffering a stick shift transmission interlude, very accomodating. I can only conclude that Ford must have been pretty desperate to flog off a lot of I6 engines with the bewildering range of manual and automatic gearboxes with 2.47 axles and 2.73 axles.


    This all relates to mustangxtermes car in that Ford almost always loaded the automatic cars up with a 10 to 15% taller 9numerically lower) axle ratio, but with Daves C4 auto, it was down 10% on the very tall 2.47 moon shoot gearing.

    That ratio change from the 79 six cylinder standard falls into place with why the SROD was not a common 1981 fitment....Fords engieers made exactly the same ratios with the T4 as the earlier SROD when the axle was changed. Ford didn't have to recertify the engine with a T4 gearbox, because the overall gear ratios with a 2.47 7 .5 inch axle were the same as a 3.08 axle SROD I6! gearbox. THat would have saved a million bucks!

    If the non overdrive top T4 Borg Warner was used with 2.47 axle gears, it most likely the wide ratio 4 cylinder first gear of 3.97, making an easy 10:1 first gear.

    Makes great sense now. The RUG Tremec Code 5 gearbox must have been reserved for the 3.08 according to the Consumer Guides Ford 1903 to 1984 book, te actual published detail from pages 338, 339. I know the transmission to have been a wider spaced intermediate, and lower over drive top.


    And yet, no T5 option for the 3.3, truely strange. Even with a set of 3.45 gears, the T5 put another 5 miles per gallon on the 2.3 4 speed.

  18. #18

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    Tremec 4-speed (SROD) was code "5" only in 1979. It changed to "4" in 1980. The 1981-82 Borg Warner 5-speed was not a "T-5". The code on the door tag/owner card was "5". The 1983+ Borg Warner 5-speed (T-5) was code "2".

    1981 3.3L axle/trans combos (and codes) currently in my database:

    2.47 and BW 4-sp (B/6)
    2.73 and C-3 auto (8/V)
    2.73 and C-4 auto (8/W)
    2.73 Traction-Lok and C-4 auto (M/W)
    3.08 and Tremec 4-sp (Y/4)
    3.08 and Hummer 4-sp (Y/7)

    Your conclusion that the Tremec 4-sp (SROD) was reserved for the 3.08 gear seems, so far, to be true. Although the 3.08 gear was also behind the Hummer 4-sp in the 2.3L (non-turbo) 4-cyl.
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