1979 Mercury Capri 5-Speed

This award-winning 1979 Mercury Capri is a one-family-owned 3-door hatchback equipped with a rebuilt 5.0-liter V8, an upgraded 5-speed manual transmission, and a series of aftermarket engine enhancements, including a hotter cam and MSD fuel injection. Finished in its original Bright Yellow over a black cloth and vinyl interior, this second-generation Capri is available now and comes with the original sales receipt and owner's manual, uninstalled parts, a black front bra, repair manuals, receipts, a build sheet and photos, awards, and a clear Texas title in the seller's name.

The second-generation version of the Mercury Capri came out for the 1979 model year and shared its underpinnings with the Ford Mustang. This particular 1979 Capri features its original Bright Yellow paint with pinstriping, rectangular headlights and taillights, bumper and side moldings, a pop-up sunroof, black simulated quarter louvers, an electric rear window defroster, and dual rear exhaust pipes. Standard equipment includes ram air ventilation, the Oscillating Fluidic Windshield Washer System, and a driver-side remote control mirror. The pictures in the photo gallery show a difference between the yellow on the nose and the yellow on the body. According to the seller, there is surface rust around the sunroof water well.

The car rides on 5-spoke chrome wheels and reportedly brand-new Michelin tires. Stopping power is provided by disc brakes at both ends.

The interior is furnished with aftermarket black cloth front bucket seats and a black vinyl fold-down rear seat, black door panels, and black carpeting. Equipment includes a 3-spoke steering wheel, an aftermarket radio connected to aftermarket speakers, a floor-mounted Hurst manual shifter, hand-crank windows, and a lockable glovebox. The seller notes the car does not have air conditioning.

The dashboard is accented with gray fascia panels and houses a set of instruments that includes a tachometer, speedometer/odometer/trip computer, and gauges for the fuel level, oil pressure, amps, and coolant temperature. Per the seller, the car had 72,000 original miles before the rebuild; the odometer now shows 76,292 miles. The tachometer is reportedly non-operational and the fuel gauge sender probably needs to be replaced. 

In approximately 1998, the seller took this vehicle through a two-year process that involved rebuilding the 5.0-liter V8, transmission, and suspension. They bored the engine .30 over and fitted it with a performance cam, new pistons and piston rods, Edelbrock heads, Ford Motorsports rocker arms, and an Edelbrock intake manifold. They had a performance shop replace the Edelbrock carburetor with an MSD Atomic EFI electronic fuel injection system and swap out the original 3-speed automatic transmission for a 5-speed manual gearbox. The fuel pump is mounted on the frame by the gas tank. The seller notes that there is a light oil leak from the drain plug.

The seller states that the engine compartment and frame were repainted during the rebuild. Additional photos showing the car’s underside are available in the carousel.

This car competed in car shows and reportedly won awards in 2003 and 2005. The sale of the vehicle will include those awards as well as the original sales receipt and owner's manual, uninstalled parts, a black front bra, repair manuals, receipts, a build sheet and photos, and more.