the bestpart of this thread "is" the blond girl

 

 

Even better if she'd been wearing a thread.

 

Ok, despite the anti-Ford bias you'd expect to find on a Corvette forum and the general lack of information about the friends Capri from the OP I'd like to offer an "educated guess" this comming from a current Corvette owner who has owned/modified Mustangs in the past..

A Fox Mustang (Capri, same thing) makes a good drag car. I mean pick up any Mustang rag at the local store and turn some pages. You don't need a 351/460 swap to make these fast. A stock 83 capri does suck. It would have a 7.5" rear, single exhaust and like 175 hp. Still I have seen stock 83's run low 15's back in the day.

Open up the Summitt catalog, order some decent heads, intake, cam, long tube headers and exhaust system and you're close to the 300 hp range. Back that up with an 8.8 rear and some decent gears, maybe a T5 or C4 with a higher stall converter, some decent tires and drag shocks and you've got a 13 second car. If the guy is a good tuner/builder or has some tricks up his sleeve (NO2) same car could be a 12 or 11 second car.

Bottom line, if this guy is truly modded as the OP states he will waste a stock L98 in a drag race. Stock for stock the Corvette would take him but as somebody said above...the chances of finding a stock 83 Capri are slim.

If you want to run him for fun or a case of cold ones or something why not? Just do it on a real track and be safe. Oh and be prepared for him to go around telling all his friends how he beat a Corvette should he win.

Better yet...challenge him to an AutoX...where brakes and handling are as important as horsepower and acceleration. His one dimmensional car wouldn't stand a chance then.

 

Agree with slow lane.....I've owned a Fox Body Mustang (90) that I bought new. There are a plethora of speed parts available, and the cars are only limited by your wallet. Even a person with limited mechanical skills can build it to any level you want it, and stomp just about anything at the track if you so desire. Heavy aftermarket support for these...they were the budget hotrod of their day.

That said, in stock trim, the early 80's cars were pig slow.

But the early 80's Capri bubble windows still look hideous.

 

Whoo hoo battle of the 15 second club. Line them up, and let me know who wins!!!!!!!!!

 

Of course a Corvette is better, of course GM is better, but as far as what Ford offered in the 80s a Capri was better looking than a Mustang and had just as much potential in mods.

 

Well a Capri is just a Mustang with an uglier front and hatch. My nephew has an 87 Stang that will run 9.9 in the 1/4... Motor only cost him about $5K to build (I still think it is funny he dumped that much $$ into a car that cost him $1200).
I still say go an race (at a track, please) and have fun. Win or lose- whatever.

:-)