Excellent review. I love the Capri. I had a Mk3 3.0S in 80/81 and while it is nowhere near the best car that I've owned over the years it remains to this day my absolute favourite. What memories! What a car!
Another fantastic video! We here in the US got this Capri around 1975 as a 1976 Capri sold through Lincoln-Mercury. 2.3 litre 4 or 2.8 litre V6 was optional, as well as SelectShift automatic. Ghia was top line, only the two model ranges. Air conditioning was an optional add-on, not integrated with the climate control, and a sunroof. Of course, we had those bumpers. I don't believe I have ever ridden in one, a shame as these are very rare here. And I believe these were possibly imported for two model years, then came the Mercury Capri which was a Mustang clone for 1979 MY.
I've owned two different US market Capri IIs, both had integrated A/C into the factory dash. The radio was relocated to where the normal non-A/C model's heater controls are and the A/C vents took up the radio's normal location, while a different lower dash assembly housed the HVAC controls. I believe late USA Mark 1 Capris(1974) started using this integrated A/C unit.
I wonder what an earth those people who put thumbs down on these marvelous videos of Ed's think. If one doesn't like the car in question, fine, but let's still value and appreciate his very thorough effort. Do better if you can, don't put him down. I think so. Thank you, sir, so much.
This GL has Ghia seats fitted to it. My first two cars were MK3 Capris, I still think to this day the Capri has the best overall driving position and most driver orientated feeling cockpit I’ve ever experienced. There is something about sitting in a Capri that just feels right.
It looks as though at some stage it has had a complète Ghia interior because I'm sure the door cards on the L and GL didn't have the chrome trims. Whilst I agree with you about the driving position I was always a snug fit being just over 6ft, now forty years on and a couple of stone heavier it's not a car that I'd want now as a daily driver. I was lucky enough to drive a MK3 3.0S about four years ago and it felt a lot more snug than the three I owned back in the day. Still a great car along with the Escort RS2000 and Mexico. I know we have quick affordable cars today but compared to the quick Fords Vauxhalls/Opels, Rootes Group cars and dare I say even the Dolomite Sprint they are soulless by comparison.
Phil Newstead the door cards did indeed have chrome trims on the GL. The Ghia door cards were padded the same as what was on all of the late MK3 models. Being only 5’6” myself and slim build, I found the Capri to be very comfortable. However I may have rose tinted specs. It’s a long time since I sat in one, but my memories are good ones.
Michael B I think we're all guilty of the rose tinted specs thing I had three Capris all V6s Mk2 Ghia Mk3 3.0S and a 2.8i and I loved every one of them probably the 3.0S was the best but I was only in my early twenties and a lot more nimble, for at least twenty years I've been driving Jags and Volvos which by comparison are much easier to enter and exit. I also think on a subconscious level we compare them to modern cars which is unfair because there is a lot more science goes into the design of the seats now than there was back then. We were having a conversation at out motor club the other day and were saying wouldn't it be lovely if we could buy these cars today with modern underpinnings and corrosion treatments.
It's quite amazing how many little bits of that Capri are exactly the same as bits in my grandfather's 1980 Escort MkII; the vents, window winders, clock, gear lever, wheels, to name a few. Ford were definitely the masters of parts sharing back in those days. Definitely good back good memories of growing up in a late 70's Ford.
I think that this is where Ford won over BL. Ford did stylish cars that were very basic in their technology: iron block & head engine (pushrod apart from Pinto) 4-speed manuals, RWD, basic suspension. BL were doing all alloy V8s & V12s, 4 valves/cylinder, fuel injection, overdrive manuals, FWD, hydogas suspension in cars that were often very dubious in their styling. I think people would rather have had an Escort Mk1 on their drive than an Allegro, regardless of technology content.
@@svtthunder1784 I agree but many DID have technology that Ford never ventured into with their mainstream cars. Not one Ford (mainstream) in the '70s or before had overdrive, fuel injection*, 4 valves/cylinder or aluminium alloy block. *OK, Mk2 Granada did.
BMC and later BL ahead of the game with technology through the 60s and 70s but never managed to persuade the buying public party due to horrible styling in some cases, poor quality control and poor reliability, perceived or otherwise. Blame poor management decisions and poor industrial relations.
@@essexpeter6116 I think Ford did a better job of making a car that people wanted. Fiesta, Escort, Cortina. Very easy range to understand with 1 brand and consistent trim level badging
The higher models in ‘Ghia’ trim of the Cortina, Capri, Granada did have real wood veneer dashes. The lower trims had imitation wood and the lowest entry level ones just had black vinyl.
@@TwinCam if I remember correctly the crusader which was a run out model after the Sierra had started production had some real wood in it but it wasn't burr walnut,more like something a school desk would have been made of.Still a nice motor though,much nicer interior than early base model Sierra.
I had a Mk2 3ltr Ghia manual which was the first Ford I ever bought but I much preferred the two Mk3s I had later on. I don't believe the Cortina dashes were real wood but the door cappings most certainly were quite a substantial piece of lumber. The now iconic bonnet bulge was only introduced when they fitted the V6 to the Mk1 as the biggest engine at launch was a 2.0 and they had to modify the bonnet to accommodate the air filter. If you look at the early MK1 cars they didn't have the bonnet bulge. Great video brought back some great memories, when I was about 21 all my mates and I had some sort of fast Ford, mainly 3ltr Capris or Escort RS 2000s or Mexicos, happy days.
My first car was a 1974 Mk1 Capri 1.6GT - white with an obligatory black vinyl roof! In 1982, as an 18 year old, the insurance was just £80 from the AA - don't tell today's teenagers! I basically learned to drive properly in that car, spending a year going up and down the A1 from Cambridge to Newcastle. Mods included a stereo, sunroof, tiny steering wheel, and rear fog lights. I also added a tow-bar for towing a punt in and out of the river annually! I remember vividly the clutch cable snapped once mid-drive. I managed to get it home by starting it in 1st on the starter motor and using the synchromesh and balanced revs to change gear. Happy days!
Always loved the Ford Capri....One of my first cars was a Mk1 Capri 1300 XL and later i went on to get a Mk2 1600 GT in that gorgeous purple velvet..what a lovely 1970`s colour!
Ed, another fine presentation! You bring out the car nerd, I’ve always been! Keep up the good work, it would great that it would financially keep you doing it! TV producers a Twin Cam & idriveaclassic tv show! How about it!
That would be ace, you could have Hubnut, FuriousDriver and BigCar doing their own sections. I'd watch it all day long, I'd see it as the antidote to Top Gear and that dogshit bastion of BL hate The Grand Tour.
I had a Mk1 1.6, which I loved. But when I developed a back problem the first thing my doctor asked me was "What car do you drive?" When I told him he told me to get rid of it or learn to live with the bad back. It's the only car I've ever owned that I still miss. The far end of the bonnet felt like it was in a different postal code region to the rest of the car and it lived up to Douglas Adams's famous quote: "Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow." But it was awesome.
This car is as old as I am. The Capri II is the nicest looking imo. I recognise some of the shared parts from my parents' 1976 Granada 2000L: the door handles, eyeball vents, Quartz clock, handbrake and 4 Speen gearbox. Both built in Germany iirc.
Great video, Ed, and an interesting look at a car we did get here in Canada, both the notchback and hatchback bodies. I did love the look of them, but by the time I was ready to buy a car most of these were either scrapped because of rust or were about to be scrapped. I always wanted a Ghia with the 2.8 litre V6 and overdrive. Distances here make overdrive very desirable. Back in the day, I would do the equivalent of Lands End to John O'Groats and back for a long weekend away visiting friends. With some of the grades along the route, the V6 was pretty much a must have. Here, they were badged as a Mercury, because the Ford dealers were selling the Mustang II, based on the Pinto, so very similar in size and capability, but not style or substance. Capri always looked and felt a bit more up market and refined. That example is gorgeous. No mistake there. Love the proportions. You might mention to the owner that it is time to give the heads some attention. The valve seals are starting to let oil into the combustion chambers, as evidenced by the faint blue to the exhaust on throttle lift off. They might consider rebuilding the head, and getting hardened valve seats while they are at it. That would eliminate the need for the lead replacement. I know hardened seats are available because North American examples had to be compatible with no lead petrol starting in 1972, so the examples here had the hardened seats.
Capri was heavily based on the Cortina Mk2, rather than the later Cortina Mk3,4,5. (Different suspension design) Mk1 Capri and Mk1 Escort shared the same rear light cluster. But Capri 2 & 3 shared the same door handles as Cortina Mk3, Granada Mk1 and Escort Mk2!
Great video. I had one of these exactly like this one....an S reg 1.6GL but in Ral Orange with no vinyl roof. Man, I loved that car and it broke my heart to sell it but I needed the money for a deposit on our first house. I remember taking it to have a glass sun roof fitted and was almost in tears when the fella took a grinder to it and started cutting the roof, but it all turned out well in the end lol. I laughed when you said "somewhere for your phone" ha ha. If only we had mobile phones back then when I was driving over Brough in the snow from Yorkshire to Glasgow every week. The heater wasn't too bad actually :-) Thanks for stirring some great memories mate :-)
Great vid. Thanks for posting. Took me down memory lane.. My second ever car was an S-reg Mark II 1.6L. White, black vinyl roof...go faster dotted black coach line. The boys thought it was a copy of one in 'The Professionals'? I didn't care; I was in love with the huge... HUGE, push back Brittax Sun-roof!! And the hatchback was so practical. Seats down I remember it was great for slinging in all my student gear heading for college.... Like I said: memory lane. Great to see one still soldiering on... Thanks!
My 2nd ever car was an early Mk3 2.0GL with orange coachwork & brown interior with a webasto vinyl sunroof. Was in love until a mechanic I later used told me it had previously been in a front end crash & needed rejigging. So that's why it steered like a shopping trolley!
Had. Marke 3 1.6 ls and how I loved that car. True they weren’t quick but not to bad when you got them rolling but just made you feel good when you were driving it. Loved my Capri and I still lust after 2.8 injection!
Oh this video brings back memories. My boyhood best friend's dad had a black mk2 Capri. I really liked that car. I seem to remember him having a red mk4 Cortina estate too. Ford man through and through I think.
Brought back a lot of memories from growing up my uncles and cousin had capris mk1 2 and 3 out of all of them my uncle still has his mk3 capri 2.0GL he bought new in 1983 so broadly equivalent to this one! Always remember the long bonnet and sitting in the back in those big squashy seats that was 30 years ago or so now lol great video Ed
wow amazing mate love the video like the way your coulor coordinated haha i love the mk2 theres one in my area all done up not so nice lovely example i can see melvin in the backround :)
Brilliant video. I'm a Hubnut fan, but now also a Twin Cam fan! I see you filmed that in Shrewsbury and I reconised the car. Im collecting my Manta GT/E early next year from its 3 year restoration if you would be interested in reviewing that.
My first car was a Mk2 Capri 1300 base. I drove it from Surrey to Scotland. With a long run up, it just about made an indicated 88 mph, but could not maintain it uphill. I took 3 friends in it to the South of France. There was not a spare square inch, with 4 X 18 yr olds + luggage.
The clip in black,brown plastic insert trim from the window winder is missing. But it does have the genuine Capri dashboard crack. I had a 1979 Mark 3 back in the late 80’s as a first car (I liked it so much I kept it for 9 years) it cost £100 more to insure than the equivalent Cortina at the time. I always had to ensure that the tyres were good etc as It was like a magnet to the police, I used to get pulled over so regularly whilst driving it, twice in one night once. But it was still the most fun car I’ve owned and I really wish it was still produced in perhaps a MK20 version by now. It also came off much better than the other cars, where on two occasions someone drove into me. But the MK3 steering wheel did always concern me, a huge chunk of uncovered metal to hit you in the even of a head on accident.
Great stuff looking forward to next week as I knew a guy who had a 2.8 fuel injection Capri back in the early 1980's apparently it drank like a fish but gave a good deal of street credit back.
I had a 2.0 MkII Ghia Auto, two 1.6L MkIIIs and a 2.8i Special. My favourite by far was the MkII Ghia. No question. Sometimes it's not about performance. Having said that I did drive a MkII and MkIII 3 litre and they were lovely. Effortless. Strong. Urgent. Not fast.
Good to see this one on your reviews, I had two Capris a Mk1 2.0GT V4 Met blue and a Mk2 3.0 Ghia auto same colour as this one but with a light grey velour interior, they were a nightmare to drive on slippery roads I had to put a bag of ballast in the 3.0 boot during winter just to make progress 😂 and they rusted through like crazy. The GXL with twin headlights was the better looking of the Mk2’s.
I remember seeing a Ford Capri in 1970 when I was a clerk in a garage in Holland. I recall the mismatch of a small 4V-engine under an enormous bonnet, I think it was the same engine as in the German Ford Taunus. I also believe that the Ford Capri, sold in the Netherlands was manufactured in Germany. I love your videos, so much knowledge of cars and their history at your age. By the way, did you know that "M.G." stands for "Morris Garage"? Kind regards , Toon from Rotterdam.
Yeah, Capri. Not a fan myself but I did have a friend who had a MkII 3.0 Ghia for a while. Well, untill he got bored with being called minder! He sold that and bought back the rather nicer MkI Granada 3.0 Ghia he sold before buying the Capri. A case of the grass being greener maybe? Apparntley it wasn't in this case. If you put the heater distribution lever to the "up" setting and then pull it out you will get a fair old gale out of the dash vents. Notta lotta people know that!
I had never been a huge Capri fan, mainly because of the stereotypes and that people just seem to drool over them. This one won me over though, much more than the Mk3 that I've also done.
Great vid Ed! Lovely old Capri and in this lower form so much more interesting than the top of the range sporty ones. (Although looking forward to your review of the 2.8i!)
Nice job on the video. The MkII was certainly of its decade, though I prefer the looks of the MkI...is that because I am an American, I wonder? The avalanche-ing trend of the 70s with domestic cars here, nearly burying the muscle cars, was the personal luxury car. It seems like the Capri MkII went upscale to capture the personal luxury car trend. Great video as always! I really support this channel and recommend you to my friends.
Thanks so much mate ☺️ The Mk1 is a more aggressive, sporting car. The Mk2 is simpler and more restrained. I like that kind of styling, though I completely see why the Mk1 is more desirable to most people!
I had the Mk2 for four years and it was to me like a 'sports car' that was affordable. Unlike a lot of real sports cars. It was the 'in car' on the telly back then, with shows like 'the professionals' zooming around in one doing hand brake turns LOL, so a lot of drivers wanted one. There were three downsides to the MK2, one was the pinto engine, that required a new camshaft every year if you forgot to change the oil very regularly. The problem was a design fault where the overhead cam oil pipe seized up from dirty oil and then oil did not drip onto the cam, and you got camshaft noise. Ford made a fortune out of this pinto engine and ended up making a camshaft kit of parts for the DIY'er, or it cost of around £100 to get it fitted by car mechanics, and that was costly back then. I had to get it fixed once. The second fault was the metal knife door handles that totally seized up in the winter with ice, no deicer would work on them, so side doors would not open, so you had to crawl in through the rear hatchback door, climb over the seats, to drive. The third and most notorious FORD fault that was standard on most fords at the time, was damp in the ignition, and the car would cut out at junctions and the traffic lights, until the car engine heated up. (It was the first start stop tech system, he he). On the plus side by folding down the rear seats, I could carry my ski's lengthwise inside the cabin. Overall the car looked good, was cheap for the DIY'er on repairs, I liked it.
Pinto OHC engines weren't exactly the last word in refinement, but they did take modification really well. Electronic ignition hugely improved winter starting, and fuel injection on the 2.0 engines liberated a very useful amount of power and torque. Much in demand for kit car makers a few years back. I don't think being normal or naff was the Capri's downfall. The MGB, Manta, Capri etc all died around the same time - the market had just moved on from coupes and into true hatchbacks - XR4i, XR3/i, XR2/i, Golf GTi, Pug 205, Renault 5/turbo (and many others) and then into the Cosworth era (which shares a certain amount of Capri ethos). I suppose you could make the argument that the market continued with TVRs, Porsche 924 and so on, but this wasn't going to be profitable for big mainstream manufacturing.
Absolutely - I discuss this in the video coming out this Sunday where I look at the Mk3 Capri! It seems that a huge number of people get flashbacks to the 70s and 80s when they hear a Pinto engine!
Had a GL and a Ghia. Both brilliant cars and superb looking in every way, but was very tail happy if you tried to take a bend to fast, had a way of making you slow down.
i really like the mk 2, much prefer it to the mk 3 which everyone seems to go mad for, my favourite is the mk1 but the mk2 is very nice, great video as usual
Fantastic video as always Ed very informative and a good wealth of knowledge. That's a lovely Mk2 Capri I believe the colour is called Lipstick Red, the GL was a good trim model as well. I love the Brown Ghia seats someone's put in it, I was very tempted by a gorgeous White 1978 Mk3 Capri 3.0 Ghia last year with those same seats in it. I'm looking forward to the next video on a Capri 2.8i sounds interesting. ;)
Capri. The car I always promised myself. But never had! 🙁 MkII purchase fell through as couldn't afford the payments. Mk III deal almost complete when my boss said could have a company car but would have to change order to Cortina. That's how I got my Mk5 and never got a Capri. In those days company car was gold as there was no income tax implications.
Fabulous car, I’m no expert but sure those seats are Ghia seats...suspension is shared with the RWD escort not Cortina... I’m a Capri fan so nice to see one in good condition 😊
Not bad for an old Ford. There were many like this with the 1.6L or GL around when I was a young kid. 1.8 and 2.0 were a bit more upmarket. Later surpassed by the newer Capri with the optional 2.8i….but by then the Capri was looking rather old….and was trying to compete with Golf GTi and similar…..and those cars won.
Borrowed a mates back in day and managed to put a nice "V" in the bumper after misjudging that huge bonnet on a fence post at work. Always a car I promised never to buy.
I hope you are saving up to take the Advance Driving course. It will drop insurance costs and help you when you can do some road (and track) testing in the future. I drove a (company) Capri II JPS 2.0S a few times. I can only describe it as uncomfortable, in traffic but it went okay in a straight line. (BL were the only UK FWD maker in '74 I think)
Another top video Ed. I had a Mk 1 in that odd greeny/blue colour, but I loved it. Getting the hang of your sense of humour when you were doing the interior, when you said “from in here the bulge looks huge, which is good”. I was waiting for you to say, “there’s nothing like a huge bulge” 🤗 I found the colour of mine so bland it put me off, traded it in for a Ford Corsair, vinyl roof, and I bought some Rostyle wheels but, I could only afford 2 so put them both on the NS so parked at the curb, looked the bees 😂😂🤪 Great vid Ed 👍
Had same year same colour 2.0 GL Capri and it would regularly wipe the floor with Opel Ascona and Manta until the Later Sri Astras and cavalier's came along
15:12 Yes, 'a bit naff' I remember that for many years, these were seen as very embarrassing cars to own or be seen in. They had a Medallion Man image.
Many things go through this phase; Capris, Abba, Tom Jones... You get the idea. First they are really cool, then get really popular, eventually people get a bit bored, and the next generation sees them as stuff their parents like, so inherently uncool. Then 20 years or so later, another generation comes along who never knew them as uncool (or because their parents hate them, are inherently themselves attracted to them) sees they are really rather good, and makes them cool/popular again.
Jesus watched your very first videos when you first started, you are now very good at this , well done for your 12 k subscribers, you are going from strength to strength 👍👍👍👍👍
First car review of year 2 of Twin Cam and what a great edition! Definitely your best presented video so far. It's definitely true that my friends and family thought that the Capri was naff, not because of the actual car but because of the type of men that usually drove them! I was hoping Ed would have dressed in the period costume of the time in a wide collared denim shirt buttoned only at the waist, a moustache, platform shoes and flared jeans. ( Maybe the chest hair was an issue 🤣) My friend's dad had a yellow MK2 with black vinyl seats which I remember going in during the Summer of 76. Hot and sticky!
I'm going to be an anorak now but the Professionals did have a mk2 Capri in it's earlier episodes but the Mk3 was the one extensively used in the later series.
@@levelcrossing150, the Mk2 Capris driven by the main cast featured only in the first series in episodes filmed after mid October 1977 (the first being Close Quarters), replacing the earlier British Leyland cars such as the Triumph Dolomite and Triumph TR7 which had proven unreliable. Bodie had a gold Capri 3.0 Ghia with a vinyl roof and Doyle a silver 3.0 S with the X Pack bodykit, which was in fact Ford's X Pack demonstrator. The second series of The Professionals started filming in June 1978, and Bodie had a very early Strato Silver MkIII 3.0S, which was replaced three further times with almost identical models for the next three series. Doyle had the RS2000 from the beginning of filming on the second series in June 1978 until the end of filming on the third series in late 1979. The RS2000 was sent back to Ford as the MkIII Escort was about to be launched, and it would have made it look a bit dated, so for the final two series, Doyle drove two Solar Gold (I believe that is the right colour) 3.0S models. The series was often broadcast out of order, so it is often the case that earlier cars would sometimes crop up in later episodes, if you see what I mean.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Many thanks for taking the trouble to give me this info. I have to add that I am a great fan of the Professionals, I've studied the website and I have the box set so I can watch it when I want and even in order of release if I fancy, but more often than not I go straight for the episodes with the RS2000 featured in them as it was my favourite and influenced me to buy one in the late 70's. The RS was already a 1977 model made to look like a later "T" reg model complete with reg plates for that era. When it was sold on it reverted to the original 77 plates again.
@@levelcrossing150, yes, absolutely! The Escort was on an R plate, so was already a little old to be a press car when filming started in June 1978, and unlike with the silver Capri and the red Granada, they didn't replace it for the third series for some reason. Runner has a great sequence with the RS2000. I have a couple of podcasts on my channel dedicated to the cars used in The Professionals (not that they are particularly interesting) and I also attended the Capri 50th Birthday celebration at Brooklands a year ago, specifically looking for cars like the ones used in The Professionals. That video is surprisingly popular for some reason... Edward Hunter, whom I met at a Professionals fan event in London a couple of years ago, also has some excellent reviews of the first two series on his channel. Just waiting to do a review of a Mark III Capri on mine, I have been offered an immaculate 1987 2.0 Laser. Ed from Twin Cam got there first, though, as he has a Mark III coming up soon already!
Excellent review. I love the Capri. I had a Mk3 3.0S in 80/81 and while it is nowhere near the best car that I've owned over the years it remains to this day my absolute favourite. What memories! What a car!
Thanks Mark :)
Brilliant educational review as always. Your set up is looking a lot more professional too 👍
Thanks Matty! :)
Another fantastic video!
We here in the US got this Capri around 1975 as a 1976 Capri sold through Lincoln-Mercury. 2.3 litre 4 or 2.8 litre V6 was optional, as well as SelectShift automatic. Ghia was top line, only the two model ranges.
Air conditioning was an optional add-on, not integrated with the climate control, and a sunroof.
Of course, we had those bumpers.
I don't believe I have ever ridden in one, a shame as these are very rare here.
And I believe these were possibly imported for two model years, then came the Mercury Capri which was a Mustang clone for 1979 MY.
Thanks again mate :)
I've owned two different US market Capri IIs, both had integrated A/C into the factory dash. The radio was relocated to where the normal non-A/C model's heater controls are and the A/C vents took up the radio's normal location, while a different lower dash assembly housed the HVAC controls. I believe late USA Mark 1 Capris(1974) started using this integrated A/C unit.
Advertised in the US as sexy European style. =)
Those comfy seats were actually Ghia seats someone had fitted to the GL, plus the arm rest/cubby was from a mk3 capri.
I wonder what an earth those people who put thumbs down on these marvelous videos of Ed's think. If one doesn't like the car in question, fine, but let's still value and appreciate his very thorough effort. Do better if you can, don't put him down. I think so. Thank you, sir, so much.
This GL has Ghia seats fitted to it.
My first two cars were MK3 Capris, I still think to this day the Capri has the best overall driving position and most driver orientated feeling cockpit I’ve ever experienced.
There is something about sitting in a Capri that just feels right.
You beat me to it,thought I recognised ghia seats.
It looks as though at some stage it has had a complète Ghia interior because I'm sure the door cards on the L and GL didn't have the chrome trims. Whilst I agree with you about the driving position I was always a snug fit being just over 6ft, now forty years on and a couple of stone heavier it's not a car that I'd want now as a daily driver. I was lucky enough to drive a MK3 3.0S about four years ago and it felt a lot more snug than the three I owned back in the day. Still a great car along with the Escort RS2000 and Mexico. I know we have quick affordable cars today but compared to the quick Fords Vauxhalls/Opels, Rootes Group cars and dare I say even the Dolomite Sprint they are soulless by comparison.
Phil Newstead the door cards did indeed have chrome trims on the GL. The Ghia door cards were padded the same as what was on all of the late MK3 models. Being only 5’6” myself and slim build, I found the Capri to be very comfortable. However I may have rose tinted specs. It’s a long time since I sat in one, but my memories are good ones.
Michael B I think we're all guilty of the rose tinted specs thing I had three Capris all V6s Mk2 Ghia Mk3 3.0S and a 2.8i and I loved every one of them probably the 3.0S was the best but I was only in my early twenties and a lot more nimble, for at least twenty years I've been driving Jags and Volvos which by comparison are much easier to enter and exit. I also think on a subconscious level we compare them to modern cars which is unfair because there is a lot more science goes into the design of the seats now than there was back then. We were having a conversation at out motor club the other day and were saying wouldn't it be lovely if we could buy these cars today with modern underpinnings and corrosion treatments.
Phil Newstead it would indeed be fantastic to have new versions of these old classics. Keep the looks and the soul, but modern refinements too 👍
It's quite amazing how many little bits of that Capri are exactly the same as bits in my grandfather's 1980 Escort MkII; the vents, window winders, clock, gear lever, wheels, to name a few. Ford were definitely the masters of parts sharing back in those days. Definitely good back good memories of growing up in a late 70's Ford.
I think that this is where Ford won over BL.
Ford did stylish cars that were very basic in their technology: iron block & head engine (pushrod apart from Pinto) 4-speed manuals, RWD, basic suspension.
BL were doing all alloy V8s & V12s, 4 valves/cylinder, fuel injection, overdrive manuals, FWD, hydogas suspension in cars that were often very dubious in their styling.
I think people would rather have had an Escort Mk1 on their drive than an Allegro, regardless of technology content.
A lot of BL cars were dubious in their styling and quality...
@@svtthunder1784
I agree but many DID have technology that Ford never ventured into with their mainstream cars.
Not one Ford (mainstream) in the '70s or before had overdrive, fuel injection*, 4 valves/cylinder or aluminium alloy block.
*OK, Mk2 Granada did.
BMC and later BL ahead of the game with technology through the 60s and 70s but never managed to persuade the buying public party due to horrible styling in some cases, poor quality control and poor reliability, perceived or otherwise. Blame poor management decisions and poor industrial relations.
@@essexpeter6116
Mini & ADO16 (Austin 1100/1300) sold very well and that had FWD with hydragas suspension.
Don't know how good profits were though.
@@essexpeter6116
I think Ford did a better job of making a car that people wanted.
Fiesta, Escort, Cortina. Very easy range to understand with 1 brand and consistent trim level badging
The higher models in ‘Ghia’ trim of the Cortina, Capri, Granada did have real wood veneer dashes. The lower trims had imitation wood and the lowest entry level ones just had black vinyl.
Would a Mk5 Cortina GL have had real wood?
@@TwinCam if I remember correctly the crusader which was a run out model after the Sierra had started production had some real wood in it but it wasn't burr walnut,more like something a school desk would have been made of.Still a nice motor though,much nicer interior than early base model Sierra.
My 1975 3.0 Ghia auto didn’t have wood trim, it was all leather.
@@TwinCam no a GL didn't. I even had GXL that didn't have wood it was imitation.
@@stevenmoran4060 yes I had one with Wood and one with leather.
I had a Mk2 3ltr Ghia manual which was the first Ford I ever bought but I much preferred the two Mk3s I had later on. I don't believe the Cortina dashes were real wood but the door cappings most certainly were quite a substantial piece of lumber. The now iconic bonnet bulge was only introduced when they fitted the V6 to the Mk1 as the biggest engine at launch was a 2.0 and they had to modify the bonnet to accommodate the air filter. If you look at the early MK1 cars they didn't have the bonnet bulge. Great video brought back some great memories, when I was about 21 all my mates and I had some sort of fast Ford, mainly 3ltr Capris or Escort RS 2000s or Mexicos, happy days.
Thanks Phil :)
I'd forgotten that early Mk1s didn't have the bulge!
My first car was a 1974 Mk1 Capri 1.6GT - white with an obligatory black vinyl roof! In 1982, as an 18 year old, the insurance was just £80 from the AA - don't tell today's teenagers! I basically learned to drive properly in that car, spending a year going up and down the A1 from Cambridge to Newcastle. Mods included a stereo, sunroof, tiny steering wheel, and rear fog lights. I also added a tow-bar for towing a punt in and out of the river annually! I remember vividly the clutch cable snapped once mid-drive. I managed to get it home by starting it in 1st on the starter motor and using the synchromesh and balanced revs to change gear. Happy days!
I actually owned this exact car WRW 489S in the very early 80s. At the time i was i think the second owner. I loved this car.
Always loved the Ford Capri....One of my first cars was a Mk1 Capri 1300 XL and later i went on to get a Mk2 1600 GT in that gorgeous purple velvet..what a lovely 1970`s colour!
Ed, another fine presentation! You bring out the car nerd, I’ve always been! Keep up the good work, it would great that it would financially keep you doing it! TV producers a Twin Cam & idriveaclassic tv show! How about it!
Thanks mate, that means a lot :)
That would be ace, you could have Hubnut, FuriousDriver and BigCar doing their own sections. I'd watch it all day long, I'd see it as the antidote to Top Gear and that dogshit bastion of BL hate The Grand Tour.
Just give all of those mentioned their own channel, I'd be glued to the TV for weeks!
You are such a pro these days Ed 👌👌
Hahaha thanks Adam :)
I'm getting there!
I had a Mk1 1.6, which I loved. But when I developed a back problem the first thing my doctor asked me was "What car do you drive?" When I told him he told me to get rid of it or learn to live with the bad back. It's the only car I've ever owned that I still miss. The far end of the bonnet felt like it was in a different postal code region to the rest of the car and it lived up to Douglas Adams's famous quote: "Looks like a fish, moves like a fish, steers like a cow." But it was awesome.
I adore that interior
Beautifully shot and narrated as usual
Thanks Dan :)
My 1st car was a MK3 Capri..GTL269T
what a car it was
Great video Ed. Glad to see you back on the road again. Take care mate. Steve.
Thanks again Steve :)
This car is as old as I am. The Capri II is the nicest looking imo.
I recognise some of the shared parts from my parents' 1976 Granada 2000L: the door handles, eyeball vents, Quartz clock, handbrake and 4 Speen gearbox. Both built in Germany iirc.
Great video, Ed, and an interesting look at a car we did get here in Canada, both the notchback and hatchback bodies. I did love the look of them, but by the time I was ready to buy a car most of these were either scrapped because of rust or were about to be scrapped. I always wanted a Ghia with the 2.8 litre V6 and overdrive. Distances here make overdrive very desirable. Back in the day, I would do the equivalent of Lands End to John O'Groats and back for a long weekend away visiting friends. With some of the grades along the route, the V6 was pretty much a must have. Here, they were badged as a Mercury, because the Ford dealers were selling the Mustang II, based on the Pinto, so very similar in size and capability, but not style or substance. Capri always looked and felt a bit more up market and refined.
That example is gorgeous. No mistake there. Love the proportions. You might mention to the owner that it is time to give the heads some attention. The valve seals are starting to let oil into the combustion chambers, as evidenced by the faint blue to the exhaust on throttle lift off. They might consider rebuilding the head, and getting hardened valve seats while they are at it. That would eliminate the need for the lead replacement. I know hardened seats are available because North American examples had to be compatible with no lead petrol starting in 1972, so the examples here had the hardened seats.
Thanks Michael :)
My father had a '74 MK2 2.0 GT in blue.. very pokey.. happy times!
That looks a great example!
Great video Mate.
Thanks mate :)
Great video! My brothers owned this particular model. It was metallic brown (very 1970s) with black vinyl roof. Happy days!
Thanks Richard ☺️
Capri was heavily based on the Cortina Mk2, rather than the later Cortina Mk3,4,5. (Different suspension design) Mk1 Capri and Mk1 Escort shared the same rear light cluster. But Capri 2 & 3 shared the same door handles as Cortina Mk3, Granada Mk1 and Escort Mk2!
Absolutely, the Mk3 Cortina hadn't been launched when the Capri was launched.
See my Mk5 Cortina video if you're interested :)
Twin-Cam I’ve already seen it!
Great video. I had one of these exactly like this one....an S reg 1.6GL but in Ral Orange with no vinyl roof. Man, I loved that car and it broke my heart to sell it but I needed the money for a deposit on our first house. I remember taking it to have a glass sun roof fitted and was almost in tears when the fella took a grinder to it and started cutting the roof, but it all turned out well in the end lol. I laughed when you said "somewhere for your phone" ha ha. If only we had mobile phones back then when I was driving over Brough in the snow from Yorkshire to Glasgow every week. The heater wasn't too bad actually :-) Thanks for stirring some great memories mate :-)
Thanks mate 🙂
Really enjoyed this trip down memory lane.
Great vid. Thanks for posting. Took me down memory lane.. My second ever car was an S-reg Mark II 1.6L.
White, black vinyl roof...go faster dotted black coach line. The boys thought it was a copy of one in 'The Professionals'? I didn't care; I was in love with the huge... HUGE, push back Brittax Sun-roof!!
And the hatchback was so practical. Seats down I remember it was great for slinging in all my student gear heading for college.... Like I said: memory lane.
Great to see one still soldiering on... Thanks!
Thanks Helena :)
My dad had a base yellow 1300 mk2 Capri in the late 1970s that contrasted with a neighbour's metallic green 3000 with twin exhausts and vinyl roof.
My 2nd ever car was an early Mk3 2.0GL with orange coachwork & brown interior with a webasto vinyl sunroof. Was in love until a mechanic I later used told me it had previously been in a front end crash & needed rejigging. So that's why it steered like a shopping trolley!
Had. Marke 3 1.6 ls and how I loved that car. True they weren’t quick but not to bad when you got them rolling but just made you feel good when you were driving it. Loved my Capri and I still lust after 2.8 injection!
Fantastic presentation, they always felt sporty because of the driving position.
Oh this video brings back memories. My boyhood best friend's dad had a black mk2 Capri. I really liked that car. I seem to remember him having a red mk4 Cortina estate too. Ford man through and through I think.
Brought back a lot of memories from growing up my uncles and cousin had capris mk1 2 and 3 out of all of them my uncle still has his mk3 capri 2.0GL he bought new in 1983 so broadly equivalent to this one! Always remember the long bonnet and sitting in the back in those big squashy seats that was 30 years ago or so now lol great video Ed
Fab!
Thanks Daniel :)
wow amazing mate love the video like the way your coulor coordinated haha i love the mk2 theres one in my area all done up not so nice lovely example i can see melvin in the backround :)
Really enjoyed this one. Back in the day, my brother had a 2.0S in 'John Player Special' livery. Always loved that car.
Thanks John ☺️
Brilliant video. I'm a Hubnut fan, but now also a Twin Cam fan! I see you filmed that in Shrewsbury and I reconised the car. Im collecting my Manta GT/E early next year from its 3 year restoration if you would be interested in reviewing that.
Thank you Stephen! That's very kind :)
It would be a pleasure to video your Manta. Is there any chance you could email me?
twincamcars@gmail.com
My first car was a Mk2 Capri 1300 base. I drove it from Surrey to Scotland. With a long run up, it just about made an indicated 88 mph, but could not maintain it uphill. I took 3 friends in it to the South of France. There was not a spare square inch, with 4 X 18 yr olds + luggage.
Well researched lad , I think it makes a change that you don't drive these cars , It gets boring just watching someone drive
Thanks for your comments Mike :)
Well done Ed.. as always a great video.
The clip in black,brown plastic insert trim from the window winder is missing. But it does have the genuine Capri dashboard crack. I had a 1979 Mark 3 back in the late 80’s as a first car (I liked it so much I kept it for 9 years) it cost £100 more to insure than the equivalent Cortina at the time. I always had to ensure that the tyres were good etc as It was like a magnet to the police, I used to get pulled over so regularly whilst driving it, twice in one night once. But it was still the most fun car I’ve owned and I really wish it was still produced in perhaps a MK20 version by now. It also came off much better than the other cars, where on two occasions someone drove into me. But the MK3 steering wheel did always concern me, a huge chunk of uncovered metal to hit you in the even of a head on accident.
Great stuff looking forward to next week as I knew a guy who had a 2.8 fuel injection Capri back in the early 1980's apparently it drank like a fish but gave a good deal of street credit back.
I had a 2.0 MkII Ghia Auto, two 1.6L MkIIIs and a 2.8i Special.
My favourite by far was the MkII Ghia.
No question.
Sometimes it's not about performance.
Having said that I did drive a MkII and MkIII 3 litre and they were lovely.
Effortless. Strong. Urgent. Not fast.
Good to see this one on your reviews, I had two Capris a Mk1 2.0GT V4 Met blue and a Mk2 3.0 Ghia auto same colour as this one but with a light grey velour interior, they were a nightmare to drive on slippery roads I had to put a bag of ballast in the 3.0 boot during winter just to make progress 😂 and they rusted through like crazy. The GXL with twin headlights was the better looking of the Mk2’s.
Thanks Michael :)
I have to say, my preferred Capri is the Mk2!
Melvin lurking in the background. The black vinyl roof makes this Capri.
Fabulous Sir, another well presented, well produced 👌 and enjoyable video ... nothing ' Brown ' about this ! , looking forward to the next one 😀
Thanks, that means a lot! :)
When I was your age in the early 80's, Ed, we had a not very polite term for the drivers of second hand Capris
Excellent video as usual, very informative. Thanks Ed
Thanks mate :)
Never liked the MK2 myself. it lost all the handsome features of the MK1. The Mk3 however got it all back again! good review!
Fantastic video Ed! Love it!
Thanks mate, of course it's the car that makes it ;)
I remember seeing a Ford Capri in 1970 when I was a clerk in a garage in Holland. I recall the mismatch of a small 4V-engine under an enormous bonnet, I think it was the same engine as in the German Ford Taunus. I also believe that the Ford Capri, sold in the Netherlands was manufactured in Germany. I love your videos, so much knowledge of cars and their history at your age. By the way, did you know that "M.G." stands for "Morris Garage"? Kind regards , Toon from Rotterdam.
Yeah, Capri. Not a fan myself but I did have a friend who had a MkII 3.0 Ghia for a while. Well, untill he got bored with being called minder! He sold that and bought back the rather nicer MkI Granada 3.0 Ghia he sold before buying the Capri. A case of the grass being greener maybe? Apparntley it wasn't in this case.
If you put the heater distribution lever to the "up" setting and then pull it out you will get a fair old gale out of the dash vents. Notta lotta people know that!
Yes never forgot that with the heater from my uncles 2.0GL Capri Ford heaters have always been really good
I had never been a huge Capri fan, mainly because of the stereotypes and that people just seem to drool over them. This one won me over though, much more than the Mk3 that I've also done.
Great review Ed particularly as, here in Australia, we only got the MKI Capri.
Thanks Paul :)
I'd love to find a Mk1 Capri to video, as that would of course be the most interesting!
Great vid Ed! Lovely old Capri and in this lower form so much more interesting than the top of the range sporty ones. (Although looking forward to your review of the 2.8i!)
Thanks again Robert :)
Great show - keep up the good work! Any plans to do a feature on the MK1 & MK2 Escort?
Great show Ed. Pete 🇬🇧
Thanks Pete :)
Nice job on the video. The MkII was certainly of its decade, though I prefer the looks of the MkI...is that because I am an American, I wonder?
The avalanche-ing trend of the 70s with domestic cars here, nearly burying the muscle cars, was the personal luxury car. It seems like the Capri MkII went upscale to capture the personal luxury car trend.
Great video as always! I really support this channel and recommend you to my friends.
Thanks so much mate ☺️
The Mk1 is a more aggressive, sporting car. The Mk2 is simpler and more restrained. I like that kind of styling, though I completely see why the Mk1 is more desirable to most people!
I had the Mk2 for four years and it was to me like a 'sports car' that was affordable. Unlike a lot of real sports cars. It was the 'in car' on the telly back then, with shows like 'the professionals' zooming around in one doing hand brake turns LOL, so a lot of drivers wanted one. There were three downsides to the MK2, one was the pinto engine, that required a new camshaft every year if you forgot to change the oil very regularly. The problem was a design fault where the overhead cam oil pipe seized up from dirty oil and then oil did not drip onto the cam, and you got camshaft noise. Ford made a fortune out of this pinto engine and ended up making a camshaft kit of parts for the DIY'er, or it cost of around £100 to get it fitted by car mechanics, and that was costly back then. I had to get it fixed once. The second fault was the metal knife door handles that totally seized up in the winter with ice, no deicer would work on them, so side doors would not open, so you had to crawl in through the rear hatchback door, climb over the seats, to drive. The third and most notorious FORD fault that was standard on most fords at the time, was damp in the ignition, and the car would cut out at junctions and the traffic lights, until the car engine heated up. (It was the first start stop tech system, he he). On the plus side by folding down the rear seats, I could carry my ski's lengthwise inside the cabin. Overall the car looked good, was cheap for the DIY'er on repairs, I liked it.
Cool video, you manage to catch the essence of this car very well and that whilst it is from an era before you where born.
Thanks mate :)
Great video, can’t beat brown vinyl 😂
Pinto OHC engines weren't exactly the last word in refinement, but they did take modification really well. Electronic ignition hugely improved winter starting, and fuel injection on the 2.0 engines liberated a very useful amount of power and torque. Much in demand for kit car makers a few years back. I don't think being normal or naff was the Capri's downfall. The MGB, Manta, Capri etc all died around the same time - the market had just moved on from coupes and into true hatchbacks - XR4i, XR3/i, XR2/i, Golf GTi, Pug 205, Renault 5/turbo (and many others) and then into the Cosworth era (which shares a certain amount of Capri ethos). I suppose you could make the argument that the market continued with TVRs, Porsche 924 and so on, but this wasn't going to be profitable for big mainstream manufacturing.
Absolutely - I discuss this in the video coming out this Sunday where I look at the Mk3 Capri!
It seems that a huge number of people get flashbacks to the 70s and 80s when they hear a Pinto engine!
That is Gorgeous, great video Twin Cam. Best wishes.
Thank you mate ☺️
Had a GL and a Ghia. Both brilliant cars and superb looking in every way, but was very tail happy if you tried to take a bend to fast, had a way of making you slow down.
My dad had a 2.0GL R reg, looked very similar to that one but it was more of a sunburst red.
I had two of these from new, a gutless 1.3L followed by a much better 1.6GL. Great for inadvertent 360s on icy roads.
i really like the mk 2, much prefer it to the mk 3 which everyone seems to go mad for, my favourite is the mk1 but the mk2 is very nice, great video as usual
I had a Mk II Capri JPS in White many many years ago. it was barely 10 years old and rotten as a pear on a hot day :D
Fantastic video as always Ed very informative and a good wealth of knowledge. That's a lovely Mk2 Capri I believe the colour is called Lipstick Red, the GL was a good trim model as well. I love the Brown Ghia seats someone's put in it, I was very tempted by a gorgeous White 1978 Mk3 Capri 3.0 Ghia last year with those same seats in it. I'm looking forward to the next video on a Capri 2.8i sounds interesting. ;)
Thanks Dan, I’m sure it will be 😉😂
Sleek speech as well. Gotta love those Capri's.
Thanks Philippe :)
Capri. The car I always promised myself.
But never had! 🙁
MkII purchase fell through as couldn't afford the payments.
Mk III deal almost complete when my boss said could have a company car but would have to change order to Cortina.
That's how I got my Mk5 and never got a Capri.
In those days company car was gold as there was no income tax implications.
Fabulous car, I’m no expert but sure those seats are Ghia seats...suspension is shared with the RWD escort not Cortina... I’m a Capri fan so nice to see one in good condition 😊
Ray Hunt
Had a Mk.3 Capri Ghia 2.0 auto in metallic light blue it looked stunning!
Had to sell it for a deposit on a house was gutted.
Not bad for an old Ford.
There were many like this with the 1.6L or GL around when I was a young kid. 1.8 and 2.0 were a bit more upmarket.
Later surpassed by the newer Capri with the optional 2.8i….but by then the Capri was looking rather old….and was trying to compete with Golf GTi and similar…..and those cars won.
Borrowed a mates back in day and managed to put a nice "V" in the bumper after misjudging that huge bonnet on a fence post at work.
Always a car I promised never to buy.
"The German mustang" was the nickname in Germany for the carbri
I hope you are saving up to take the Advance Driving course. It will drop insurance costs and help you when you can do some road (and track) testing in the future. I drove a (company) Capri II JPS 2.0S a few times. I can only describe it as uncomfortable, in traffic but it went okay in a straight line. (BL were the only UK FWD maker in '74 I think)
My uncle used to have Ford Capris back in the late 70s to mid 80s We all thought he was flash!
Oh yes I love these. Almost as much as the mk3 Cortina.
Another top video Ed. I had a Mk 1 in that odd greeny/blue colour, but I loved it.
Getting the hang of your sense of humour when you were doing the interior, when you said “from in here the bulge looks huge, which is good”. I was waiting for you to say, “there’s nothing like a huge bulge” 🤗
I found the colour of mine so bland it put me off, traded it in for a Ford Corsair, vinyl roof, and I bought some Rostyle wheels but, I could only afford 2 so put them both on the NS so parked at the curb, looked the bees 😂😂🤪
Great vid Ed 👍
Thanks again mate 🙂
Great video, and a great example of the car. That ashtray tho!
Thanks Joshua :)
Had same year same colour 2.0 GL Capri and it would regularly wipe the floor with Opel Ascona and Manta until the Later Sri Astras and cavalier's came along
The mk2 had the best looking seats overall a lovely car 👍👌
Always liked the mk1 with the boot, had a mark 3 with a 2ltr from a Cortina 2.0s
Hi Ed
Excellent, once again. Brings back many memories ....
Mike
Thanks Mike :)
Loved Capri's had 9 of them .
15:12
Yes, 'a bit naff'
I remember that for many years, these were seen as very embarrassing cars to own or be seen in. They had a Medallion Man image.
Many things go through this phase; Capris, Abba, Tom Jones... You get the idea. First they are really cool, then get really popular, eventually people get a bit bored, and the next generation sees them as stuff their parents like, so inherently uncool. Then 20 years or so later, another generation comes along who never knew them as uncool (or because their parents hate them, are inherently themselves attracted to them) sees they are really rather good, and makes them cool/popular again.
Nothing embarrassing when you pulled up in a 3.0s
I have Cortina Mk.5 Ghia and that wood on dash is fake but is genuine on door trim. I guess it is simpler to make planks 😆
Jesus watched your very first videos when you first started, you are now very good at this , well done for your 12 k subscribers, you are going from strength to strength 👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Ste! :)
The dash board was real wood on t the mk5 Cortina and the Mk4 ghia I have owned a few of them great car
My first car was a Mk II 1976 2L ghia , bought it in 1989
The Ghia seats present in this 1.6 do have headrests - the top section of the seat pulls upward a fair distance. Think of them as stealth headrests.
Ooh that’s a neat way of doing it!
I wouldn’t have even imagined they would move. They look like an integral part of the seats!
@@TwinCam I did enjoy your video though, well done! I had six Capris and sold the last one three years ago.
Thanks mate :)
First car review of year 2 of Twin Cam and what a great edition! Definitely your best presented video so far. It's definitely true that my friends and family thought that the Capri was naff, not because of the actual car but because of the type of men that usually drove them!
I was hoping Ed would have dressed in the period costume of the time in a wide collared denim shirt buttoned only at the waist, a moustache, platform shoes and flared jeans. ( Maybe the chest hair was an issue 🤣)
My friend's dad had a yellow MK2 with black vinyl seats which I remember going in during the Summer of 76. Hot and sticky!
Thanks Phillip! :)
Is that burning oil? The exhaust smoke seems quite blue
Looks like the valve seals need some attention.
@@michaeltutty1540 That's what I was thinking
Pinto engine, the valve seals wear at 100-120k+ miles. Not a massive job to fix as things go.
It’s certainly on my to-do list, just need a day off in the coming couple of weeks and she’s getting some needed attention.
The valve seals do go hard with age and need to be replaced..
Excellent video. 👍
Thanks mate ☺️
My Ford Escort 1.3L Saloon 1980V mk2 had the same wheels as this Capri.
This kind of video is great. Really love your presentation and subject matter. Keep up the good work and best of luck for year two!
Thanks Stephen! :)
Ed I'd love to see you review Pete C's Bramble mk3 cortina if he let's you. That would be fantastic.
I'd love to, but of course I don't want to invade on someone's business!
What I do know is that he only lives 15/20 minutes away from me ;)
@@TwinCam I could ask for you?
That’s very kind of you, but I don’t want to be cheeky!
@@TwinCam Hi Ed, I spoke with Pete today and he is more than happy for you to make a film on Bramble. No problem he said 👍
Good video ed . But is it better than Stephs ? 😀😂😂
I can hear the theme tunes to Minder and The Professionals (both of which featured MkII Capris heavily in their earlier years) right now!
Wokawikawokawika... bardap bap, bardap a dardardap, bardap dap.. ~air guitar~
RS2000 too.
I'm going to be an anorak now but the Professionals did have a mk2 Capri in it's earlier episodes but the Mk3 was the one extensively used in the later series.
@@levelcrossing150, the Mk2 Capris driven by the main cast featured only in the first series in episodes filmed after mid October 1977 (the first being Close Quarters), replacing the earlier British Leyland cars such as the Triumph Dolomite and Triumph TR7 which had proven unreliable. Bodie had a gold Capri 3.0 Ghia with a vinyl roof and Doyle a silver 3.0 S with the X Pack bodykit, which was in fact Ford's X Pack demonstrator. The second series of The Professionals started filming in June 1978, and Bodie had a very early Strato Silver MkIII 3.0S, which was replaced three further times with almost identical models for the next three series. Doyle had the RS2000 from the beginning of filming on the second series in June 1978 until the end of filming on the third series in late 1979. The RS2000 was sent back to Ford as the MkIII Escort was about to be launched, and it would have made it look a bit dated, so for the final two series, Doyle drove two Solar Gold (I believe that is the right colour) 3.0S models. The series was often broadcast out of order, so it is often the case that earlier cars would sometimes crop up in later episodes, if you see what I mean.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Many thanks for taking the trouble to give me this info. I have to add that I am a great fan of the Professionals, I've studied the website and I have the box set so I can watch it when I want and even in order of release if I fancy, but more often than not I go straight for the episodes with the RS2000 featured in them as it was my favourite and influenced me to buy one in the late 70's. The RS was already a 1977 model made to look like a later "T" reg model complete with reg plates for that era. When it was sold on it reverted to the original 77 plates again.
@@levelcrossing150, yes, absolutely! The Escort was on an R plate, so was already a little old to be a press car when filming started in June 1978, and unlike with the silver Capri and the red Granada, they didn't replace it for the third series for some reason. Runner has a great sequence with the RS2000. I have a couple of podcasts on my channel dedicated to the cars used in The Professionals (not that they are particularly interesting) and I also attended the Capri 50th Birthday celebration at Brooklands a year ago, specifically looking for cars like the ones used in The Professionals. That video is surprisingly popular for some reason... Edward Hunter, whom I met at a Professionals fan event in London a couple of years ago, also has some excellent reviews of the first two series on his channel. Just waiting to do a review of a Mark III Capri on mine, I have been offered an immaculate 1987 2.0 Laser. Ed from Twin Cam got there first, though, as he has a Mark III coming up soon already!