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1983 Mercury Capri RetroFox Is an Ode to Mustang’s Lesser Sibling

The Mustang Week event is a gathering like no other for the world of car lovers. Essentially dedicated to the iconic pony car by the same name, the event is the place where all the wacky ideas of custom builders, be them Mustang-related or not, come together to impress or terrify.
1983 Mercury Capri 12 photos
Photo: SINIS Built/Facebook
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During last year’s shortened event (shortened because of the arrival of hurricane Irma), a very special build was on site at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina: a 1983 Mercury Capri, restored to honor this unsung hero of the auto world and designed to be reminiscent of the Mercury pace cars of the mid-1980s.

The vehicle, which you can view in detail in the gallery above, is the work of a guy named Tom Clark, owner of SINIS Built and a fan of everything Fox.

The Fox-body was a very successful car platform ran by Ford starting with 1978. It was used to underpin a wide variety of cars, from the flag-bearer Mustang to the Fairmont or the Thunderbird. For Mercury, the Fox meant the birth of the Zephyr (Fairmont's sibling) and the Capri.

Sharing the platform with that time’s Mustang meant the Capri was Mercury’s first foray into the world of pony cars in more than a decade.

This particular one was produced for the 1983 model year, and it had 39,000 miles on the odometer when it was rescued by Clark. A lot of hard work went into restoring it and giving it a retro-looking edge.

Officially called RetroFox, the build is based on a Capri with a rounded rear hatch glass, and has been upgraded with new upholstery inside, Cobra brakes, Mustang GT/LX sway bars, and 18-inch wheels.

The RetroFox in its current guise was completed late last year, but a few more changes are in the pipeline. For now, the car is not for sale. Throughout the year, its owners plan to take it at auto shows across the country for all to enjoy.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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