Knuckles Capri Build

[Knuckles@Empire]

So id like to preface this with this build is for a street car, im sure at times some of the things I am going to do to the car will not seem like it. I have for maybe the last year or so wanted an extremely clean tastefully modified car with a good stance and rims, this is NOT that car. The plans for this car are to have a nasty street light to light brawler which will also see regular trips to the dragstrip. All of this will be accomplished while maintaining a tight budget so alot of the parts being put on this vehicle will be used/stockish.

Goals for the vehicle are fairly low to me atleast, 11 sec time slips being the most important of the goals while still being streetable. By streetable I dont mean comfort as it wont have a/c or heat for that matter. Alot of how I plan on getting this car to turn the times i want is weight, it will be a stripped car with 2 Corbeau race seats a hollow dash and a cage on the inside. Another cheap tactic will be gear it will run atleast a 4.10 gear. HP goals are rather small I will be happy if we can massage 350 HP out of my carbed 302.

Exterior wise the only things I plan on doing is repainting it myself, 5 lug swap using the 15 inch Ronal R9s I have(80's Saleen rims). It also no longer has the bubble hatch I replaced it with an 85 LX hatch and rear bumper. I have a pair of 79 Capri tail lights i will be modifying the body to accept them.

The engine I have is a nearly stock 302 that was in an 82 GT I purchased about a year ago, when I drove it the engine pulled very strong and had a choppy idle making me believe that the cam might not be stock. I have the stock tranny that came with it I believe its a t10? either way its a 4 speed manual. I will likely be doing a t-5 swap that extra gear will help alot when i want to drive the vehicle with the gear i want to run in it.

The heads/manifold will receive alot of hours of port work, I will be doing all of it. Cam plans are to get a custom cam made for my setup although if they have an over the counter one that matches up well ill take it.

The idea behind doing this build is to show potential customers what me and my friend Jordan can do for them on a budget with how the market is right now id love to be able to help people get their speed fix without breaking the wallet. We are also beggining another build which he will be posting up soon on his 95 Cobra(my old car) in which we will be building his engine with aluminum heads, holley systemax, and other goodies and aiming at the 10 sec slips on a touch of n2o.

Parts Owned

Edelbrock Torker 289 manifold (single plane manifold)
Edelbrock 650 carb.
95 Cobra heads
1.7 rockers Crane gold series
FRPP 7qt. oil pan

Parts needed

Suspension full, although I will be getting an entire setup threw Team Z. Running a tube k member and a arms is rather crucial to alot of the weight loss i need.
t-5
Exhaust, will try and pick up some good long tubes used if I can find them.

 

[Knuckles@Empire]

with the hatch on it

this was how it sat in the 82 GT

heres my fancy interior

 

[Knuckles@Empire]

took most of the engine apart a few nights ago.

now as far as how everything looked inside it was a bit odd. Definetely had water running threw it instead of coolant so my water passages have a bit of rust in them so ill have to get as much of that out as i can. Stock the 82s came with e6 heads, this had a set of e7s. The cylinder walls looked great though strong cross hatching as well as minimum lip at the top of the cylinder. The pistons and rods looked in good shape as well. The plans right now are to take the internals out and power wash the block, after that I plan on checking the cylinders to see if they are tapered at all, my gut tells me they are in good shape though. Keeping in the budget theme of the build i will try and re use the bearing if they are in decent shape as well.

 

[Knuckles@Empire]

Did some work on the manifold to make it "pretty"

here is how it started, note the block in the pic is different than the engine im currently working on.

turned out good in my opinion, wrinkle finish looks good to me.

anyways thats all for now hope to keep this build a little more updated than my Cobra build.

Knuckles

 

[SRT Handz]

4 eyes are better than 2

 

[Venomized]

Why reuse bearings? Theyre cheap and with your goals id definately replace them.

 

[Cox98Gt]

Looks good, sounds like a good build.

 

[Knuckles@Empire]

Youve got a point Venomized, I was thinking about that after I posted it and the cost vs. the benefit/longetivity of the engine definetely favor me putting new bearing in it.

 

[miss2slocoupe]

Good job on the build. Should be a nasty car when its done. Also good choice on the wrinkle black, can't ever go wrong with that. I'd spend the extra money and rings and bearings. It wouldn't hurt plus like you said longetivity

 

[jo4roush99]

Yes, you should put new bearings and a good double roller timing chain in it. If youre using the stock rods, please have some good rod bolts put in them. The stock ones will stretch if you turn it 6500 very many times. The first time I built the 302 in my 82, I used the stock crank and rods, had arp rod bolts put in the rods, and turned that bitch 7000 rpms, sometimes on the bottle, 1000's of times over the course of 13 years. Finally a forged piston skirt cracked, or I'll still be running that motor.

 

[jo4roush99]

Also, you might try to find some 82 Capri tail lights. They are shaped like 83/84 Mustang GT tail lights and will fit with the hatch you have now.

 

[Venomized]

I've built qite a few motors in my day and bearins is one part you do not want to recycle. Rings are the next part. Your old worn rings will never seal correctoly again so spend the 35 bux and get new ones. Pistons are a reuseable part as lon as they're in spec and have no damage. The cylinders you are gonna want to hone if they're still in spec as well. You can do your own hone with a drill and hone from harbor freight.
Looks like your going to have a nice setup once you done. The only thing I can say is those E7s even ported won't get you where you want to be.

 

[jo4roush99]

And, you def need a T - 5. That 4 speed will grenade the first time you put any power to it. You can probably find a good 8.8 on CL with 4.10 gears already in the $400 range.

 

[GT Rob]

You took the bubble back hatch off ?

 

[LI98GT]

Love it! My first car that I bought on my own was an '80 Capri (200cu I6) with a manual. Always loved the body style just that much more over the fox-body mustangs with their flared wheel fenders. Will be watching the build and please post up your track runs for us?

 

[Steven]

I love four eyes. Had a bunch, awesome cars. Glad to see someone actually giving the capri some lovin

 

[Knuckles@Empire]

thanks for the comments everyone. I didnt really address it in the first post but I will not be using e7s on it. I will be using the Cobra/GT40 heads off of my old cobra and rockers with port work done to them.

 

[Venomized]

Sounds like your on a good path then.

 

[Musturd]

Right on I love capris my cousin had a maclaren one when I was like 13 with a fuel injected 302 with a s trim and t tops . I loved that thing . You got some great plans as usual .

 

[Knuckles@Empire]

Thanks alot Musturd. Small update looks like i scored a local 6 point rollcage should be picking it up next week sometime. Also since my block is an early 80s block it came with a hydraulic flat tappet cam and lifters, that being said im not going to retro fit the block and am in fact going to run the stock style cam. Right now im looking at a few summit cams in keeping with the budget aspect I just have to find out if the one i want in particular will have adequate PTV clearance when using 1.7 RR's. I should be getting the heads here soon so i can start port work on them. Thats all for now ill post pics of the cage if and when i go get it.


Knuckles