Cars of Our Parents: Dad's 1973 Ford Capri

We can't go drive very far, so let's reminisce instead! My parents found a bunch of old car paperwork so it's time to talk about "cars of our parents." Jake's dad bought a 1973 Ford Capri (sold in the U.S. as a Mercury, kind of). We'll run through a brief history of the car, his purchase price and financing terms from 1975, and discuss a modern option given what he paid, adjusted for inflation.
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[@savedtwice7925]

I owned a 1973 Ford Capri 2.6L V6 with a 4 speed stick shift and a factory sunroof . Incredible memories in that car with my gorgeous girlfriend ;) I have regretted selling my Capri since the day I sold it . And that gorgeous girlfriend ... well she has been my wife for almost 30 years now and to ( sort of )answer your question ... I traded my AWSUM Ford Capri for a diamond ring for her . All good ... it was well worth it . Maybe one day she will buy me another one ..... IF she can find one . She also LOVED that car ........ and YES ...... she's still " GORGEOUS ! "

[@emersonescobar4705]

Harv Peter wow very nice

[@savedtwice7925]

@ Emerson Escobar ..... Thx ... Yes it was & yes she is :)

[@bethwishitwereviolet5938]

I had the very same car as you. Mine was the light green. Love your story. Hope you find another one someday. One of the most fun cars I ever had.

[@savedtwice7925]

Yes ... It was my favorite car . We loved it , and one day she might by me another one (LoL)and we can cruise the back roads and maybe relive some old memories ;)

[@05gtdriver]

@@savedtwice7925 I lost the gorgeous girlfriend and my Capri simultaneously in 1987 :-( Although it worked out well in the end, I now have a gorgeous wife(different lady) and an awesome Mustang GT(which she pretty much took away from me hahaha). Still looking for a MK I Capri to restore, but man they're getting pricey when you can find one! I never paid more than a $1000 for any Capri I owned(last one in 2005), now those cars in same condition are pushing $8,000-$15,000! SMH

[@richernandez9628]

My 1st and 4th cars in 1986 and 1991 were both 1973 Mercury Capri 2.6L V6 4-spd with the 2600 GT badges. Yes, I owned two of them: one in High School and the other one when I got out of the Army. The 1st one was factory Canary Yellow. The 2nd one was a factory Gray color. Both were in poor condition when I bought them, especially the yellow one. I spent considerable time restoring them by myself. I spent alot of time combing through auto junkyards to get missing parts, good seats, windows, headliners, engine parts, dashboards, upgraded Ford parts etc. The cars were easy to work on, had high quality factory installed German components: Bosch electrical, Hella lighting, VDO gauges etc, were fast and fun to drive. I regret not having kept them longer after having put so much effort in resurrecting them. The 1973 versions I owned were the best in my opinion. The 1973 model had chrome bumpers that extended out a bit further from the body than the '72 and older versions; and, they also had a rubber/plastic cowling (or strip) filling in that gap between body and front chrome bumper. The 1974 models had full plastic bumpers that matched the body color. The Capris you show in your video appear to be 1972, or older, versions based on that front bumper alone being so close to the body. At 4:58, it looks like a 1972 based on the taillights. The 1973 version had the bigger taillights. Also the clock in the center console in front of the stick shift on the one you show does not match the clock of 1973 V6 models I owned. One last detail I notice is that the RPM gauge is not as detailed as the '73 V6 versions I owned. The example you show could be a 4 cylinder or a '72 or older version or both. Based on Wikipedia info, the stock '73 Capri V6 had 123 HP and 151 ft/lb torque. You could make modifications to increase that HP. My yellow Capri had some upgrades that increased power: Electric radiator fans (belt driven fan removed) electric fuel pump (removed mechanically driven pump), turbo mufflers on shortened exhaust pipes that came out under the sides of the car just in front of the back wheels, lighter American Racing Aluminum Mag Wheels and a homemade shackle lift on the back end for an aggressive appearance. The second Gray Capri I restored to stock condition with only original Stock or Ford upgrade parts I took off from Capris in the junkyard like OEM Ford badged sport/racing steering wheel. On both my 1973's I replaced the rear pop out windows for the 1974 ones because the 73's had the hardware glued to the window and could and did fly off. The 1974 pop out windows had secure hardware going through the glass. The other German made cars I've owned were a 1979 Ford Fiesta, 1992 VW GTI and a 2000 VW Passat - all stick shift. The GTI was right up there with the Capri in being fast and fun to drive. Don't know If I'll get into a sporty car again. If I ever do, I would desire a small 2 door coupe or convertible with a small V6, rear wheel drive and a manual transmission. Those Capri cars left quite an impression on me. Its just that you don't see too many cars configured in the same manner.

[@OutMotorsports]

Thanks for the detailed commentary and ownership stories! Awesome info to see here. Unfortunately, we didn't have photos from Jake's dad to make this video, so we had to go with what Google decided were images of a 1973 model... and tagging may not be 100% correct. Have you driven a new GTI with a manual? They're very, very good. If you liked your old Capris and '92 GTI, it might be worth a look.

[@richernandez9628]

@@OutMotorsports In the spirit of earlier GTI's, the new GTI looks like a fun car to drive. The body and styling just does not grab my attention. I did enjoy driving a 2019 Challenger R/T V8 Hemi rental for about 3 weeks while I had insurance work done on my daily driver. The Challenger was fast and responsive but way too much power, too long of a body (4-door) and not the best road handling. It was a traffic ticket just waiting to happen. I had CHP shadowing me on the freeway on one or two occasions waiting to see if I would punch it. I also got pulled over by a cop car travelling away from me when he heard me peel out from an intersection. My excuse was that it was an unfamiliar rental, but not true. I just couldn't help myself. Just a few weeks ago, I rented a 2020 Challenger 2 door for about a week. To my disappointment it was only a V6 engine and offered lackluster performance. The engine-transmission combo was not responsive enough. I was however impressed at how well it handled on curvy roads, almost as if it were straightening out the curves. I like you would like to try out the BRZ/FRS and even the roomier 4-door/4-passenger WRX, which I've previously considered. They are stylish and seem like they would be very fun cars to drive.

[@tracebalin6579]

I was doing TV commercials pitching the Capri for a Lincoln Mercury dealership in Ft Smith Ark. I fell in love with the car. I bought a 73 brown one with tan interior. Had it for years. It was a blast to drive and I never had any mechanical issues. I cried when I had to let it go.

[@pintopunteruksmallford1035]

I own a 1971 Mk1 Capri 3.0 "Essex" V6. It's an Australian production but I now live in the UK so I imported it back with me because these cars are incredible rare and highly sort after in the UK. There is less than 50 cars (of this particular model) left on the DVLA records in existence. I bought the Capri in 2002 for (ironically) $3500 AUD about the same price it was new. Restored examples are worth approx 10x that value today. As for power, the Essex V6 puts out about 120bhp at the flywheel. Not a lot but as stated the weight is not a lot over a tonne so keeping up with motorway traffic in the UK is not a problem. Will sit on 70mph all day long and I have done several 4-500 mile trips in the Capri over the 18 years I've owned it. Thanks for making the video.

[@bgrzesiak5996]

I had a yellow '73 Capri. My 1st car. New in August of '73 from Midland, MI dealer. The one you show is a '72. The tail lights, instrument panel, side vents all say it's a '72.

[@keithsgarage5831]

I owned a 1973 Mercury Capri. 2.6L V6 4-speed. In High School in 1989. Damn that was a fun car to drive. I rebuilt the engine back in 89; It was a quick little car. Light and fast!

[@davidrossiter9183]

I had a blue '74 2.8L V6 4 spd. Fun car, and though not a lot of horsepower, torque was good and it was fairly quick due to the light weight. The car you show is pre-'73. The tail lights changed in '73 and the '74 like mine had the big ugly bumpers. The '73 was the best year. I loved the car, and every so often, I wish I still owned it. The 4 cyl cars were slower and buzzy at higher RPM. I once raced one on the freeway. My V6 blew it away. One bad thing--it ate water pumps frequently. I got very fast at changing them.

[@leonwaltemate6152]

Had a 1973 V-6 with 4 on the floor, my 1st brand new car. Loved it and still dream about it. You are right about the water pump.

[@bethwishitwereviolet5938]

Hi, such a fun video. If the picture you showed is your dad’s car, it was a 1973. The bumper was changed in 1974 to meet new requirements. The 1974 bumper was no longer chrome. I had a 1973 Mercury Capri with the 2600 V6 engine, 4 speed manual transmission. My dad put 4 Cherry Bombs on it for me. It was so much fun! Burned rubber all over town and raced every chance I got. Thank you you for your video! Brought back a lot of wonderful memories.

[@05gtdriver]

The Capri posted in the video is a 1972(pre-facelift model).

[@savedtwice7925]

Yes , the yellow Capri pictured at 4;58 is a 1972 . My 73 looked virtually identical except with larger taillights . For 73 they changed them to larger ones adding the amber signal part into the lens . Pre 1973 , (here in Canada ) the taillight lens was all red

[@rayward3835]

I had a new red 1973 2.6L V6 four speed bought from Fred Jones Lincoln/Mercury in Oklahoma City. The 2.6 was quicker than the 2.8 due to the higher compression ration. It came with Pirelli CN36 metric tires. They weren't 13" or 14" tires. They had great grip. As soon as they were wore out I bought a set of 13" US Mags and dueled out the exhaust. Keep in mind this was my high school senior year car. Top speed was 114mph full out. Great little car. Wish I could find a good straight V-6 73 model again.

[@DavidMichaelKalman]

This was my first car (a green 1973 V6, dual exhaust) in high school (1976). It was fast, but the build quality was crap. The seats broke. The shifter broke off. The mirrors broke off. The seat mechanisms broke. The front-end wobbled. The seat vinyl split. The corner windows fell out. The best thing about it was the windshield washer foot switch, which allowed me to mystify my passengers by activating the wipers with my "mind control."

[@bb57365]

Had the 73 2.6 car. Bought it used. Absolutely loved this car. German v6 manual. And great looking. What’s not to love.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Sadly soon all gas cars will be illegal in EU and USA!!!!

[@nookam]

Fun car and would run like hell as long as it was going. The problem was parts. You could get them but they were outrageously high.

[@randyroberts6010]

My Dad had a 1973 mercury Capri also. He was the 3rd owner with hi milage and still drove it 8yrs.red with black vinyl top and factory roll out sun roof.

[@jimseviltwin1]

I had a ‘70 Mercury Capri: burnt orange (very popular color at that time), 4 cylinder, 4 speed manual ; I paid $1800 used in ‘72. I can say without hesitation that it was the worst.car.ever ! I used to joke that the only thing that I didn’t have to replace were the two bolts which held the front license plate to the bumper. Thankfully, it wasn’t an interference engine: I replaced the timing belt twice. Things that gave out where, in no particular order: clutch cable, complete drive train because the u-bearing burned out, at least two new clutches, the light/wiper dashboard switches would overheat then pop open, a new alternator from the Mercury dealer ( no rebuilt’s available ) , brake bulbs monthly, the back window latches were “glued” on ; I wedged nickels between the glass and window frame to keep it closed, the linkage to windshield wipers came undone during a snow storm in Cleveland- had to stick my arm out of the window to move the wipers. The upholstery crumpled like potato chips in the cold weather. I’m sure there are dozens of other things that don’t readily come to mind… Oh, it did happen to handle pretty well with the no power rack and pinion steering and it could go fast enough to get you a speeding ticket.

[@davidpenney4171]

I briefly owned a '74 Capri, yellow with black decor group, 2.8, 4-speed bought used around 1980. The heavy U.S. bumpers and early smog equipment made it pretty much a performance dog, and quality wasn't the best, but it was fun to drive. It had a nasty rattle behind the back seat I could never find, maybe a loose float inside the fuel tank.

[@da40fan27]

My first car right after high school in 1975 was a silver '73 Capri V-6 2600 four-speed. Best car I ever owned.

[@abbasemady1497]

I had exactly the same Capri I purchased it at 1978 in North Carolina I missed that car so much 😅

[@paulbates9430]

I had owned a 1974 2000 4spd . If memory serves me correctly the 2000 4cyl was some what quick at the time. (Noisy and a bit revvy ).

[@paulbates9430]

Maybe little quicker than my Opel GT 1900.

[@The_knifeaholic]

I am 19. I just bought a 74 capri from my friends dad. It is the 2.0 and is 2 tone, blue and rust, it doesn’t run but the body and frame is in good shape and I’m going to fix it up make it pretty and probably swap in a 302 Windsor and I’m so excited

[@OutMotorsports]

That's awesome - congrats on the purchase and good luck getting it all back together! They are very cool cars.

[@jimcarlile7238]

The sticker price on a 73 Capri V6 automatic in California was about $4400. Not cheap, comparatively. And it had electrical/recall problems out of the factory. Like, plugs would suddenly come unplugged on sharp turns! But they were fun and fast cars. No more unreliable either than anything else back then. All cars gave you problems after 30,000 miles -- that's why warranties only went to 12,000! And yes, the interest rates then were HIGH.

[@stevefreeman730]

My son has a '73 capri as his classic car. It has dual thrush mufflers on it. It doesn't Sound like a v6 with loud pipes on it. It sort of like a V8. Brown with a tan interior.

[@joecritch143]

I had a 74 with the 2800 4 speed and it was an awesome car. Wish i had it today.

[@Jason-bc9eu]

Yes if you want a modern equivalent to the mk1 capri a gt86/brz is close. I have had both, fun lightweight and not particularly fast. But quick enough to enjoy a drive on a twisty road.

[@dphotos007]

I graduated high school in 1975 and the first car I owned was a 1973 Capri with a V6 2600 engine. The car was 2 years old and I bought it for $2250. Those cars were fun to drive but the stick shift broke many times. I had to use Vice Grips to shift the car until the car was repaired. Your father had a 1973 model because the 1974 Capri’s had the big ugly bumpers. I also bought at a later time a 1976 Capri with a 2.8 V6 engine. Those cars came with a hatchback which was good if you had to carry a lot of stuff.

[@robertamarantes3088]

I had a yellow 1973 caprice, and I had a lot of fun with that car

[@royarchibald6392]

I paid about $2150 for my yellow 71 Capri. Can't remember if it was a 3 or 4 speed. Loved that car.

[@dmcmac9619]

Great video. Thank you! I had a nrw 1971 merc capri 2000. I was 31. It was brown. I loved that car. Thank you for this very thoughtful video.

[@OutMotorsports]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@robertcollier8620]

My brother in law taught me to drive a standard shift Mercury Capri ,that was my sister's car.

[@georgewilkinson1068]

Oh yeah! Those were great cars to learn to drive a manual on. The clutch takeup made it very difficult to stall it. It was one of my favorite 4 speeds to operate.

[@Jgeneraledger23]

I rem. our Nursery School (yes, Nursery School!) teacher had one, right out of the wrapper! Olive Green Metallic, on Black, stick, fun. 1976.

[@abbydogg4464]

I owned a 74. I could never get it registered because it had a bad past in California, A xboyfriend gave it to me during a fight. So I left with the car. Come to find out, it was evolved in a bank robbery in California. Dad chained it to our backyard fence and there it sat as fast as I know. That car was The Best to drive. 4 speed stick.

[@johnward8064]

I had a brand new 1973 Capri in copper color. It had the chrome bumpers. It was wrecked right away (not my fault) and I got a 1974 Capri which had the copper plastic bumpers that looked like part of the car. I loved the car, but it was very poorly made (surprising for German made). Everything went to crap at 60,000 miles.

[@mdgdm]

I drove a ‘73 2.6 liter from 1978 through 1983. It handled well and seemed powerful after the Chevette that preceded it 😂. Had a sunroof, even - what luxury. But I couldn’t begin to list everthing that broke or malfunctioned. As I recall, the only working instruments by the end were the water temp and clock.

[@brianbennett5887]

I had a red 1973 4 cyl capri that smelled like dog according to my girlfriend @ the time Spacey Stacey. It was reliable and fun ! I drove it very hard and I survived an all out hill race up cypress mountain against my buddies 914 Porsche. All I remember was the smell of burning clutch. It ended up in a river and I gave it to the tow truck driver for the cost of pulling it out of the river and the tow.

[@seinsmeld13]

I had a horrible experience as a passenger in one of these cars. Thanks for bringing back the nightmare.

[@scottfineshriber5051]

My first mortgage in 1986 was 30 yrs @ 10% interest. It was a very interesting period. But, your savings account payed about 6% interest. CD's payed up to 12% interest. Credit cards charged about what they do today. So, banks figured out how to pay us nothing on our money, while charging us 21% to use theirs. Fun car vid, BTW. :D

[@bradarmstrong7467]

74 had body color urathan bumpers and more smog, the 2.8 help make up for the smog garbage. The 73 had chrome bumpers and less smog, typically a little peppier than a 74 even with the 2.6 I purchased in October of 79 (senior year in high school) a blue 73 Capri, v6, 4 speed, deluxe interior, crank sun roof. About 50k miles at purchase. I paid 1500.00 for it. I wanted a 76 black cat Capri but couldn’t afford it.

[@05gtdriver]

Looking at things in context to it's time frame, yes the Toyota 86 seems to be the only thing in today's market(USA) that is dimensionally equal to a vintage Ford Capri, but overall, spiritually, the Ford Mustang Ecoboost is what a Capri shopper in 1974 would seek in 2020(modest price, decent power and sporty looks with room for 4). Yes, the current Mustang is nearly twice the size and weight of a vintage Capri, but today's Camry is the size of a 1970s Torino if you parked them side by side.

[@marko11kram]

I bought the Capri 2800, My friend bought the Plymouth arrow GT, I WANTED the VW Sirroco, but it was to much $$

[@mohammedcohen]

I bought a '76 Mercury Capri in 1977...

[@rogerbahakel8130]

I remember a neighbor had one. It was light green

[@user-dp1zq7vf1z]

Great cars I had 2 of them a 2600 egn... & a 4 banger.👍

[@nookam]

I was in HS and graduated in 79. I pumped gas in the evenings and weekends. I had one of these. Red with black interior. Loved it. Except parts. I guess because of the European connection they were so expensive. The cars I hated seeing come in the station? Rivera’s because they were hard to get gas into and the worst was Vega’s. Grab the oil cans and prepare to fill it up. Pure junk

[@georgewilkinson1068]

Never driven the Subaru BRZ (too tight a fit for me) or Mazada Miata. Given their handling prowess, they may be a bit too sharp handlingwise. A 6 cylinder Mustang may be a good approximation. A "sleeper" model albeit it's front wheel drive, the Honda Accord. It has more of a Euopean feel than say a Nissan Altima or Toyota Camry. My 2 cents worth.

[@mikefunderburk1935]

The Capris were sold through Mercury so as not to step on Mustang sales. They were not mercury's they were Ford's!

[@jimcarlile7238]

Mercurys were Fords.

[@donwayne4542]

I wanted this car so bad when I was 16 but couldn't afford it. The Sexy European

[@cromwellj]

I had a 72 in Germany, German specs, no smog equipment. 2.0 and it ran like a scalded cat.

[@johnbyram3116]

A 3v mustang which is what I bought.

[@waltersickinger1499]

The car you show is a ‘72.

[@eddiespagetti8395]

I had 1974.. I love these cars. Bucket list big block is my dream Capri. For today's cars , with 10 thousand ?? I don't know ?? I do not like computer cars. I drive. 2004 Monte Carlo and of is too computerized for me. I like old school 1960 to 1970s. New cars have too many plastic parts and too many chips and sensors. It's a make money in parts and service scheme. No thanks. I would spend 10 grand and rebuild one of these 1970s Capri and add a V8. No computer crap just a simple v8

[@Schlipperschlopper]

According to the federal HESCHLAVVO law, it is already forbidden in Switzerland to drive combustion engines on mountain passes from 2025. In France, the SCHLABOUBVE regulates that fossil vehicles that produce fine dust are prohibited in all cities from 2025. The BABVVO in Germany will bann exhaust gas pollution from 2027 and that is what will happen in entire EU also bann of all tires and brakes because of fine dust!

[@OutMotorsports]

fantastic

[@wbwilliam4034]

That’s a 72

[@westcoast708]

I had the same car and color lol I loved that car .standard so much fun .

[@MeatsackMiracle]

My 1st car was a 1973 Capri in 1980. It was a 2.6 v6, which was a better balanced motor than the 2.8. It had basic mods with a 4 barrel, headers, and dual cherry bomb glasspacks. The 2.6 eas a motor primarily in use as water pumps on farms and was only used in the 1972-1973 models. The 2.8 was introduced due to emissions, as 1974 was the 1st year for smog pumps and other crap. In europe the 3.0 v8 and a 2.3 v4 was available and was primarily used in racing, and mainly track and rally This was the car that was introduced during the gas crunch of the 70's, and while American cars started their downfall as muscle cars, the Capri was a sporty, classy "Sexy European" with all leather and wood gained interor. and a Blaupunkt 8 track and Jensen 6x9 speakers that cranked. Capri's would beat a 5.0 Foxbody (at the time) in any race, at least mine did. Your dad's was a 2.6, new models rolled over in October. The Capri was imported as a mark I 1969 - 1974. 1975 - 1977 was the mark II and the last year of importing the German models into the US. The Capri was produced by Ford along with the Mustang as the "Foxbody" starting in 1979. Final year of production was I believe 1986, when Mazda took over and badged the Miata the "Capri" and imported it to the US. ps... the 1st Capri's were built in the 1940's by Lincoln and were considered "High performance" vehicles. You may have heard a song written about that "Hot Rod Lincoln". I am looking for a 1973 thru 1977 with a v6 if you happen to run across one for sale. They are highly sought after and rare to find.

[@user-cm8xz3kh4z]

I have a 1973 Capri for party out, still have the 2600cc engine with headers ,4 speed transmission and drive line with rear end and axles to the wheels , missing body parts.

[@tomhman6441]

Not everyone is interested in Tiger thing