Faults:

I had to replace the radiator six months after buying the car.

It runs just like any old four cylinder car, and frankly I feel ripped off. I paid Australian $7,500 for what was basically a 13-year-old Ford Laser!!

Considering that is all they are - a ford laser, or a Mazda 323, why are the standard models so expensive? A used Ford Laser made in the same year as my Capri (89) would go for about Australian $3000.

The roof is unbelievably bad. The clips pop open whenever I go over a pot hole in the road.

The suspension is a shocker. I always feel like I am bouncing along on a rocky dirt road - and that is when I am driving in the city.

The locks on both doors have rusted inside, probably due to rain, and the key does not work in them anymore. As a result, I have to leave it unlocked at all times. Not a good idea.

My last Capri was far better performance wise. It was an 1992 XR2 Turbo and was very zippy indeed. However the roof was also a shocker, and the alternator belt went TWICE in the first three months, then a head gasket blew.

I would have kept the car - I loved it, especially the leather seats. But it was stolen.

Has anybody else had problems with the radio? In both my capris the reception was terrible - crackles and has lots of static. In both it was so bad I never use the radio and only listen to Cd's when driving. A friend who used to own one said she had the same problem.

General Comments:

Ford Capri's are only worth the money if you are going to spring for a Turbo model.

I have seen some around town that are really hotted up with sports bumper bars, alloy wheels, etc and they look really terrific.

Faults:

Apart from minor dents, paint chips and police attention, nothing until one day:

The water pump packed it in;

The bottom end bearings went;

The head gasket blew;

And finally the cam shaft had enough.

So it's to the drawing board to build an ultimate street car.

General Comments:

This is a car for serious street racers who want a powerful, fast and cheap to run car without having to invest in a V8.

Capri's are extreme fun in the wet because the back end gets out of line very easily if you nail it;

Very cheap and economical sports car to run in today's world of high petrol prices.

The car screams look at me every-time it is taken out for a drive and at least one little boy in his Japanese import tries to race you.

Faults:

Fuel gauge broken at around 140,000 km.

Often idles at around 500 RPM, shaking terribly.

One of the pop-up headlights had dirty contacts - it wouldn't go down until a mechanic cleaned them.

Passenger side window will only go down from the drivers side control.

Indicator/light stalk is oddly sensitive to any forward pressure and can flash the high beams when trying to indicate at night.

Both inside door pulls have fallen off.

Glove box handle broken off.

Electric mirrors sound as if they are about to burn out.

General Comments:

The Capri was based on the Ford Laser so mechanically they are quite reliable.

I have the Automatic model. It's a 3-speed unit and is rather fuel in-efficient.

61kw is not much power and the car must be revved very hard to extract any kind of performance. The engine also lacks torque so ascending a steep hill can be a painful experience. The turbo models are much, much quicker, but unfortunately they were never available with an auto transmission.

Despite its bad points, I do really like this car. Its fun in the summer time, looks great and is good to drive especially in city traffic.

A better buy would be a series II model from 91-onwards. They had a much zippier twin cam engine and a 4-speed auto.

Faults:

Diff broke, clutch cable snapped...

The kinda things you might expect from a 25 year old car.

General Comments:

One of the sexiest cars ever, and definitely the best Ford ever made!

"The car you always promised yourself".