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This Classic Mercury Capri Has More Mustang DNA Than the Mach-E

These days, Ford is very fickle about what vehicles they brand with their iconic Mustang name, or at least they were until they decided to stick it on an electric crossover SUV that has nothing at all to do with the iconic car. Unlike the Mustang Mach-E, the Mercury Capri of the late 70s and early 80s had all the underpinnings of a real Mustang.
Mercury Capri 9 photos
Photo: Classic Car Deals LLC
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Given the Mercury badge to signify its higher level of luxury over the Mustang, but also to differentiate it from the European exclusive Ford Capri, this high-end pony car was produced from 1979 until 1986. Even still, most muscle car fans today would likely just pass it off as another Mustang.

This example of the Capri we’ve found for you today is undoubtedly a little beaten up, to say the least. But very few of these Capri’s survived into the 21st century. Making this far rarer than any car left to rot in the elements deserves to be. The paint on the roof and the top of the trunk compartment seem to have fared the worst over the years.

A wide array of engines and transmissions found their way under the hood of the Capri, most of them carried over from parts already found in the Mustang. These ranged from turbocharged and non-turbocharged four cylinders, overhead-valve V6s, and all the way up to the mighty 5.0-liter Ford V8.

It appears the engine in this Capri is the non-turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine most commonly found in the Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr, as well as the Mustang, of course. A choice of three or four-speed automatic and four or five-speed manual transmissions were on offer for the Capri. This example sports one form of the two manuals on offer.

Even with just under 80,000 miles on the dash, many years of sitting in the elements have made it hard to determine whether the car is salvageable or not. According to the official listing, the Capri started but is likely to have engine issues that need to be fixed before it can drive again.

Think this is the right project for you? Classic Car Deals of Cadillac, Michigan, will happily stick this little piece of late 70s Americana for just $6,495 of your hard-earned money. Better get that ratchet set you got last Christmas ready.
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