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Mercury Capri Ii 1976 Rare Survivor Unmodified Hatchback V-6 4 Speed on 2040-cars

Year:1976 Mileage:60000
Location:

Trabuco Canyon, California, United States

Trabuco Canyon, California, United States
Advertising:

It is with a heavy heart that I list this item.  My first car was a brand-new, 1976 Mercury Capri II (identical to this one, only a different color) that was purchased by my family in late 1975.  It was the first new My family purchased since I was born.  Ten years later the car was passed to me and was the first car I ever owned.  Being young, naive etc, the car was destroyed within a few years and sent to a scrap yard.

Since 1990, I began looking for another Capri, just like the one I had, and in 2005, located this one.  It was a one-owner car, being sold by the elderly owner as he was not longer able to drive a manual, non-power steering vehicle.  The car needed a paint job, tires etc. The body was straight, the car hadn't been modified nor altered.  I had the Capri shipped to me in California and have owned it since.  The car had 50,000 original miles and I've put 10,000 on it since.  It's been used to commute to my work for the last 8 years.

Having another Capri ended my grieving over my first one, and driving it has brought me countless hours of enjoyment.  Unfortunately, due to the naive, blind, foolish, envious and malicious elements of society, my health-insurance is in jeopardy.  Because my family comes first, the car must be sacrificed to ensure our health-coverage continues.  

This car means a lot to me, however I believe it's time to "bequeath" it to another owner who can appreciate this car and its engineering prowess.  I do not want to sell it to someone who is indirectly responsible for my healthcare jeopardies, and the ruination of this great nation.  I do not want it to go to a foolish "hot rodder" type who wants to modify, alter, "upgrade" or otherwise ruin a perfectly good car.  If you are either of these two, please do not bid.

That having been said, here's a primer on the Capri;  In the mid to late 1960s, Ford of Europe wanted a European-market Mustang.  The phenomenal sales of the Ford Mustang in the U.S. sparked interest in a similar car that would appeal to Europeans.  The Capri debuted in 1969 and enjoyed similar success on the other side of the Atlantic.  Small number of Capris were imported to the U.S, however since Ford didn't want Pinto sales to suffer, badged the Capris as Mercury, so they would be shown in Lincoln-Mercury showrooms, and not parked next to the dowdy and homely Pinto.  The cars were a sales success on both continents.  Most Capris were made at the historic Ford plant in Cologne Germany.  Those Capris destined for the U.K. market were produced in England.  The German-made Capris were made of better materials and thus have survived longer.

In 1974, a new version of the Capri was designed, the "Capri II."  Unlike the original sedan, this was a larger, better-engineered hatchback, with a superior engine (2.8 Liter, 60 Degree "Cologne V-6).  There was no 1975 model year Capri and 1976 was the first year for the Capri II.  Sales of the car were high and the vehicle was well-received by the automobile press.  In early 1977, a naive, national leader was sworn in and like today, the country began an economic, social and moral decline.  As a result, the U.S. dollar lost value against the Deutsche Mark and the cost to import the car became prohibitively high.  Also, a naive simpleton formed the EPA and the automotive emission scheme led to the near-downfall of American-made car performance.  These wrong-headed and malicious moves imposed unreasonable conditions on cars imported to the U.S.  As a result, 1977 was the last year Capris were imported to the U.S.  The Capri continued to thrive in Europe until 1987.

It is estimated that only 20,000 Capris were brought tot the United States.  This Capri is probably one of only several-thousand Capris still in existence.

This car has to be driven to be appreciated.  It will available for inspection, weeknights after 6 and weekends between 10 and 6.  I will answer all inquiries as best I can.  My work schedule is hectic and I have limited internet access during work.

I've been on ebay for over fifteen years and am familiar with how things work.  I've have many great  experiences and made a few friends as a result, unfortunately, I've dealt with many fraudsters, deadbeats and game-players.  As a result, I require that you contact me first if you've never bought from me.  If you bid before contacting me, the bid will be cancelled.


On Jan-23-14 at 13:47:11 PST, seller added the following information:

I HAVE ALL SERVICE RECORDS SINCE I PURCHASED IT.  IT WAS REPAINTED ABOUT 2006 IN THE ORIGINAL COLOR.  WILL POST MORE PHOTOS THIS WEEKEND.

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Auto blog

Ford finds flex-fuel engine design plays big role in emissions output

Mon, Jan 6 2014

How bad is ethanol for your engine? There's been a lot of debate on this issue as the US considers upping the biofuel content in the national gasoline supply from 10 percent (E10) to 15 percent (E15). The ethanol industry and some scientists say higher ethanol blends show no "meaningful differences" in new engines while the oil industry says ethanol creates health risks. Researchers working at the Ford Research and Innovation Center decided to take a closer look at how a wide range of gas-ethanol blends - E0, E10, E20, E30, E40, E55 and E80 - affected the emissions coming out of a flex-fuel 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis. To see the full report, printed in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, requires payment, but there is an abstract and Green Car Congress has some more details. The gist is that, "with increasing ethanol content in the fuel, the tailpipe emissions of ethanol, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, methane, and ammonia increased." At least NOx and NMHC emissions decreased. The researchers say that the effects are due to the fuel and "are expected for all FFVs," but that the way that a manufacturer calibrates the engine will affect NOx, THC, and NMOG emissions. It's this last bit that's important, since the researchers found, "Higher ethanol content in gasoline affects several fundamental fuel properties that can impact emissions. ... These changes can have positive or negative effects that can depend on engine design, hardware, and control strategy. In addition to direct emissions impacts, higher ethanol content fuel can also provide more efficient combustion and overall engine operation under part-load conditions and under knock-limited higher-load conditions." So, as we head towards more ethanol in our fuel supply (maybe), manufacturers are going to need to learn how to burn it most efficiently.

Ford recalls over 953,000 vehicles to replace Takata airbag inflators

Fri, Jan 4 2019

DETROIT — Ford is recalling more than 953,000 vehicles worldwide to replace Takata passenger airbag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnel. The move includes over 782,000 vehicles in the U.S. and is part of the largest series of recalls in U.S. history. Included are the 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, the 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger, the 2010 to 2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, the 2010 and 2011 Mercury Milan, and the 2010 to 2014 Ford Mustang. Some of the recalls may be limited to specific geographic areas of the U.S. Takata used the chemical ammonium nitrate to create an explosion to inflate airbags. But it can deteriorate over time due to heat and humidity and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion. At least 23 people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured by the inflators. Ford says it doesn't know of any injuries in vehicles included in this recall. Dealers will replace the inflators. Ford will notify owners about the recall starting on Feb. 18, and the company has replacement parts available for dealers to order, said spokeswoman Monique Brentley. In previous Takata recalls, parts availability had been an issue. Owners can go to this Ford website and key in their vehicle identification number to see if their cars and SUVs are being recalled. The same information will be available soon at the NHTSA recall website. More than three years after the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took over management of recalls involving Takata inflators, one third of the recalled inflators still have not been replaced, according to an annual report from the government and a court-appointed monitor. The report says 16.7 million faulty inflators out of 50 million under recall have yet to be replaced. And 10 million more inflators are scheduled to be recalled this month, including the Ford vehicles. Safety advocates said the completion rate should be far higher given the danger associated with the inflators. The recalls forced Takata of Japan to seek bankruptcy protection and sell most of its assets to pay for the fixes. The inflators grow more dangerous as they get older because ammonium nitrate deteriorates due to high humidity and cycles from hot temperatures to cold. The most dangerous inflators are in areas of the South along the Gulf of Mexico that have high humidity. Related Video:

Junkyard Gem: 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

Sat, Dec 19 2020

Once hybrid vehicles from Honda and Toyota proved to work well in the real world of American streets during the early 2000s, other U.S.-market manufacturers climbed aboard the gasoline-electric bandwagon. Ford introduced the Escape Hybrid for the 2005 model year and sales proved quite strong; its Mercury-badged sibling, the Mariner Hybrid, appeared the following year. The Mariner Hybrid never induced many vehicle shoppers to sign on the line which is dotted, despite gasoline prices going absolutely ape in 2008, though it remained available all the way through the Mercury brand's 2010 demise. Here's one of those rare trucks, found in a Denver-area yard last month. The Escape/Mariner Hybrids got amazing fuel economy for tall, truck-shaped machines, though theĀ serious penny-pinchers with long commutes skipped anything built in the 21st century and began driving up the prices of the once-scorned Geo Metro XFi, gas-sipping champion of the previous decade. The Mercury brand was on the ropes by this time, with not much to distinguish the once-distinctive Mercury machines from their near-identical Ford counterparts. The 1999-2002 Cougar was the last Mercury sold here with no twin brothers over in the Ford showrooms. I do see the occasional Escape Hybrid in places like this, though such gas-saving small SUVs tend to retain their value well enough that it takes a crash to retire one. This Mariner Hybrid hit something hard and either flipped on its side or scraped a guardrail for some distance. The airbags deployed and, presumably, spared the occupants from serious injury. That's the good news. The bad news is that fixing this kind of damage to a 13-year-old vehicle made by a defunct brand just isn't worth it to insurance companies, hybrid-electric powertrain or not. We can assume that the battery pack lives on in another Escape/Mariner. Navigation, Bluetooth, and other features that were considered pretty slick in 2007. This truck was in pretty good shape until the very end. Jill Wagner proved that you can bury a Mercury emblem in volcanic soil and it will grow into a brand-new Mariner Hybrid. That's how science works! You can go to the same field and tap on a Mercury emblem, if you want to get a regular gasoline Mariner. Featured Gallery Junked 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid View 20 Photos Auto News Green Mercury Automotive History Crossover SUV Hybrid mercury mariner mercury mariner hybrid Junkyard Gems