Faults:

The original gear connecting the crankshaft to the camshaft is made of a phenolic textile composite (such as Tufnol) to reduce noise. Over time and due to heat, it becomes brittle, loses teeth, and can cause total engine failure. For this reason, I replaced it with a steel one.

The valve stem seals deteriorate rapidly, causing the car to consume oil and emit blue smoke from the exhaust.

The cooling system often falls short. Old radiators easily become clogged, and water pumps fail.

A car's number one enemy is massive corrosion, due to the lack of protective treatments at the time.

General Comments:

What a beautiful car! I remember exactly the year I bought it (1983 ) not just because I was a teenager, but because it holds such great memories for me; I met my girlfriend, now my wife, thanks to that car.

Of all the cars I owned, the Capri was undoubtedly the best-looking and the one that left me with the fondest memories. Although it could be described as a sports car, in practice it drove just like any ordinary vehicle of that era (such as an Escort or an Ascona—though obviously faster).

Upon starting the Capri 3000 S, the initial, and rather unpleasant, impression comes from the noise emanating from under the hood; a sound that is neither sporty nor exciting, resembling that of a giant sewing machine. The car starts easily, and the engine quickly reaches its optimal operating temperature. The steering, while very heavy during maneuvers and at low speeds, lightens up during normal driving and is quite precise. The gearbox is simply phenomenal, offering precise, smooth lever movement across the various gears.

The brakes are very firm but perfectly modulated and quite powerful; overall, they leave no room for criticism.

As for its dynamic behavior on the road, it cannot be described as worthy of a true Grand Tourer; stability is good at touring speeds, but beyond that point, the vehicle’s tracking loses precision and sensitivity to crosswinds increases alarmingly. True to English tradition, the car tends to understeer, yet it abruptly switches to oversteer as the limit is approached, a sudden transition. Driving on wet surfaces, or, heaven forbid, on ice or snow, must be a rather tricky affair. In city driving, the car performs without issues; in fact, the engine's great flexibility is a real asset, with third gear (capable of reaching nearly 145 km/h) proving highly versatile and useful in any situation.

The Essex 3.0 engine is a V6; it performs great, though fuel consumption is sky-high. It is very reliable, however. It performs perfectly in the car; I’m not one for fast driving, I prefer to enjoy the car at a relaxed pace, but I remember once taking it up to nearly 190 km/h, and even then, it didn't feel noisy or shaky.

The interior is quite spacious for two people; actually, two more can fit in the back, though not much else, it is a coupe, after all. It was beautiful inside; mine was Sahara Beige with a gold interior. I can picture it vividly, what a stunning combination! It also featured high-quality materials and chrome accents.

I don't have it any more, but at least I still have thousands of photos and indelible memories of this little marvel.

Faults:

The shift lever snapped at 36,000 miles.

The half-shafts in the rear differential started to leak at 50,000 miles.

The Electronic Control Module failed at 70,000 miles.

Electrical systems were always under par.

General Comments:

The looks on this car, Blacks S Cat Capri II were hot stuff in the mid to late 1970's.

It chirped between all gears when it had good compression (2.8 liter manual).

It was an excellent car to build up on -- headers, suspension, rims, etc.

The lack of these cars in California (easiest of all climates on autos) does demonstrate it's lack of durability though.