[supraz]

For anyone who grew up in the 70s and read Road and Track magazine you probably knew about the Rokstock. I like to think that this is the 1970s version of the Celica Supra. A reasonable cost 2 door hatchback with 6-cylinder that was easy to upgrade for more performance.

Richard O. Kiser formed a tuner company Rokstock in Tigard Oregon that sold performance parts for the Mercury Capri II. He sold everything from cosmetic parts such as front spoiler, rear whale tail, suspension parts from mono-leaf rear springs and Bilstein shocks, engine upgrade kits, up to converting your Capri into a full RSR Turbo.

He used an Ak Miller draw-through turbo to significantly increase the hp over that of the stock engine. The Ak Miller system used an AiResearch turbo running at 7psi of boost to deliver 175-180 hp. The base engine was a stock 2.8L V6. 9psi boost was also available.

The typical Rokstock suspension lowered the car 2 inches and one of the wheels sold were Cromodora 'Daytona' magnesium wheels in 13 x 6 1/2". These wheels weighed about 9.5 pounds!

13 x 6" version of the Cromodora 'Daytona' magnesium wheel

You could purchase any of the above parts or if you had Rokstock convert your Capri you were given a Rokstock serial number. Apparently only about 35 RSRs were ever built.

It sounds like he ran into financial problems and withdrew from the automotive scene which has increased the mystique of the car.

It was quite well sorted. Road & Track magazine wrote an article on the car so there IS some information about the cars.

What sounds like a partial conversion car surfaced in Calgary Alberta, and passed through several hands. I don't know if there are any other of these cars still in existence.

There is a Capri list which is quite quiet compared to the Celica Supra forum. I think there are a few others here who are members of the Capri list as well.

If anyone has information on other Rokstocks, I would love to hear about them.


Dale

 

[CLToy]

Great information. Please keep us updated if you find out more information.

 

[gamble]

Even regular capris are rare around here, i can count the number i've seen on one hand. Totally agree with your 70's version of our cars assessment.

 

[Khlause]

My brother has one of those Ford Capri 2's, the engines factory are actually capable of quite a bit of power, but that was not good enough for the drag racing he planned for it; so the rear axel was remove in favor of a Toyota Hilux 2WD rear 31 spline out of a 3/4 or 1-ton variant of that model truck (they can be ID'd by the long bolt that runs up under the pinion and they are very rare)

Transmission was replaced by a manually shifted C4 with the line pressure turned up to atomic, and the shifting servo's replaced with some custom built units to handle the absurd line pressure.

Engine was replaced by a 89 5.0 Ford roller motor, ported and port matched for the smooth running characteristic that you would hope for, this motor came with an aggressive state of tune (factory ECU), and factory supplied forged pistons only present in the 5.0 mustang cars, and no other models.

All "power" accessories were removed in favor of light weight, to be made as minimalist / functional as possible.

That car is fairly impressive pushing conservative ~12.9 second quarter mile times with only 210 wheel horsepower, due to its ultra light weight and surprisingly low drag. I recall him putting it on the scale once @ 2300LBS, its shockingly light.

A few things you really wanted to watch out for on these cars was the factory brakes and suspension were made of jelly, but with proper upgrades these cars could be incredible compared to modern cars simply because the weight distribution was good, and they don't weigh anything stock; a real fat one from the factory only weighs in at 2600.

 

[supraz]

I had a 1978 Capri II which was an unsold 1977 Capri II retitled by Mercury.

I put a Rokstock-like suspension on it. It had Bilstein shocks and strut cartridges, 2" lowered coils and mono-leaf rear springs, front and rear Addco anti-roll bars. The suspension bushings were polyurethane and the rubber steering coupler was replaced with a nylon coupler.

The driver seat was replaced with a Recaro LS-C seat and the seat belts were replaced with a 5-point harness to keep you in place.

The car was very direct to drive. The rear roll stiffness was a little too high so on low-medium speed corners the inside rear wheel would lift, putting on quite the display outside the car.

The 2.8L 60 Degree V6 had an Offenhauser 4-barrel dual plane manifold and a Holly 390 cfm carburetor. The cam was stock but the throttle response was crisp.

I can only imagine what a turbocharged version of this motor would feel like. The stock horsepower was only 109, but the car was quite light at about 2900 pounds.

I bought a set of Cromodora Daytona magnesium wheels in 13 x 6" to try to duplicate the look of the Rokstock, but youthful enthusiasm got me into trouble before I could ever install them.

The car was pretty good looking with looks that I think have held up to this day.

This car is not mine, but the rear spoiler is the same as what I had.

They are quite rare these days which I find odd, but it does make them a poor man's exotic.

If you ever watched a '70s English TV series called "The Professionals" you would see them driving the living daylights out of Capris.

One day.....

 

[RedP85]

Saw a stock one last summer on a flat bed, certainly heading for restauration.
:good:

 

[CSBM5]

that car was mine

This car is not mine, but the rear spoiler is the same as what I had.

I happened upon this forum and post a while back via searching about Capris after all these years. The car above was mine, and I took the picture in ~1979 with my friend's 2002. Let's see what I can recall about all the mods I had done to the Capri. The engine was built by Turbo Toms (Tom Wyatt) in Atlanta in 1979: higher compression pistons, port clean-up, balanced, Isky cam/springs/retainers, Offenhauser dual plane manifold with a 390cfm Holley 4bbl, headers, exhaust was a modified Pacesetter system. The suspension was ROKSTOCK/Quickor engineering stuff: 2" lower springs (monoleaf rears with Delrin bushings), camber plates, Konis, 1" front and 3/4" rear sway bars, Delrin front suspension and steering coupler bushings, BWA 6.5" wheels. Inside it had a Momo wheel and Recaro seats.

I had blacked out all of the chrome trim a couple of years prior to the picture. I also went through a number of front spoilers and airdams the last of which was one of those with the rubber skirt along the bottom of it (the others were damaged since the car sat so low).

It was a fun car back in the late 70s, and with all the mods was definitely "fast" for the time, and it handled very well. It wanted to rev so hard, and without a rev limiter (uncommon back then), it was tough to keep it under 6500rpms. The combo of the hot Isky cam, porting, Offy manifold and Holley 4bbl allowed it to continue making power up and over 7k rpm. It had an almost drag car like idle, rumpity-rump, between 1200-1500 rpms. I eventually way, way over-revved it at an airport autocross (old Rocky Mount airport NC) and cracked a piston. I had a 2nd car by then, so I sold it to a local enthusiast for a way too good price (for him).

I'll attach some more pictures...thanks for sparking my memories!

Regards,
Chuck

 

[CLToy]

Great story Chuck! Thanks for sharing more about this car.

 

[drjim]

I had an early 1971 Capri with the 1600 "Kent" engine.

WHAT

A

DOG!

I don't think it would rev high enough to hurt itself if you put a brick on the gas pedal and walked away for a few days........

- Jim

 

[gamble]

Wow i love the internet, thanks for stopping by. The seats have a really cool scheme, i'm a sucker for stripes.

 

[supraz]

Hi CSBM5,

I am so glad that you logged on to share information about your car!
You fascinated me because you I believe that that photo that I posted came from a BMW site. I have always imagined that you must be a fan of the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) which pitted Ford with the Capri RS3100 against the BMW 3.0 CSL cars in competition that made Ford versus Chevy competition look like sissy slapping!
In that picture of your glorious Capri is a BMW. Someone who enjoyed cars from both sides of this grudge match has to be a real car lover.

For those who don`t know, the European Touring Car Championship was very similar to the original Trans Am when factories got involved for the prestige of being the best. BMW and Ford got into serious factory backed competition with things escalating up to 1974 when the Ford was running a Cosworth GAA, adapted from the English Essex 3.0 V6. It displaced 3412 cc, had mechanical fuel injection, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder and 455 hp.

They used magnesium wheels, transmission case, and front struts. Fiberglass was used in the hood, trunk, doors, and fender flares. The glass was replaced with Perspex. They relocated the front radiator to the sides of the car for weight distribution.

There was really bad blood between Ford and BMW so I was fascinated to see you enjoyed cars from both camps!

The stock Capri was a decent handling car. With the mods you made, the car really handled like a go-kart. You went whole hog with the engine which I did not. The BWA wheels were so iconic 1970s. What year was this car? The thin body side moulding looks like it was a 1977 or 1978 Ghia.

Your car just so perfectly represents a 1970s European hot rod, from the front/rear spoilers, BWA wheels, Recaro seats, lowered stance, in-your-face colour, to those absolutely outrageous exhaust tips!

After I saw your car I started looking around for a Mk II Capri to recreate a Rokstock RSR. Instead of a turbo 2.8 though I think the current hot-ticket would be a small block Ford V8 which apparently is lighter than the Cologne V6. I quickly found that finding a Capri II in the shape that suits my restoration abilities is a difficult task. The Capri community is served by Team Blitz, equivalent to Raptor Racing in the Celica Supra community.

I have to say that I recently corresponded with Richard O. Kiser, the owner of Rokstock. He is in the process of re-entering the Capri aftermarket. It was a real thrill for me to talk to someone who was such an influence on me automotive-wise.

Again, thanks for posting here.

Dale

 

[CSBM5]

Dale,

Yes, I've always enjoyed a wide range of enthusiast cars from all makes. My friend's 2002 was far from stock (300 degree cam, Webers, headers, suspension, etc), but the hot-roddedV6 in the Capri just overwhelmed the poor 02. In 1972 my father bought a Bavaria and introduced me to German engineering. I bought that car from him in 1980 and built an incredible Bavaria that I enjoyed for the next 14 years (track, autocross, street). I've been a member of the BMW CCA for more than 35 years and currently have four: E39 M5 for the last 13 years, E90 M3, E90 330i, and an E91 328i. They're all 6MT except the E91, but I've got a manual conversion for it planned this year.

That's really neat you contacted ROK, but I can't fathom there being a Capri aftermarket in today's world? I've not seen a Capri in so long I can't recall (20+ years I suppose).

The ETCC battles between BMW and Ford back then were legendary (awesome picture above of the Capri!). My father and I sure enjoyed the appearance of the BMW 3.0 CSL in IMSA racing at Road Atlanta in ~1974 (i.e. Peter Gregg, Brian Redman, et al). I used to love to go over to the back straight downhill (old layout) to hear the CSL go by at 160+ WOT.

Speaking of cross-pollination between BMW and Ford, when Miller and Norburn (located in Durham nearby) parted ways in 1979, I took the Capri to Preston Miller's race shop here in Raleigh to have the camber plates installed since some cutting was needed. I worked with his tech in the shop on the car.

A bit more on the Capri...the late Tom Wyatt of Turbo Tom's fame in Atlanta who built the engine was an amazing guy at the forefront of aftermarket turbocharging in the 1970s (Datsuns, 240/260/280 and 510/210). I got to know him, and he did a great job on the engine at a superb price. His 510 with his custom built engine, O-ringed head, etc, etc, a huge turbo, suck-through Holley 750, pressurized water injection and 3-stage NOS was an amazing beast. We had great fun running our cars (I ran the Bavaria then) at Road Atlanta Walter Mitty open track sessions in the early 80s (they did timed laps for street cars then) where Tom had the fastest car there -- amazing to see the little 510 out accelerating a Countach on the back straight nobody else could get around (the Countach driver was pitifully slow in corners, then wouldn't let anyone by on straights). Fun times!

The Capri was a 1976 model in "Bright Red" bought in November 1975 by the way, so it was one of the early Capri IIs here in the US.

Touch back here in this thread if you hear any more Capri news or ROK news. I still have the ROK catalogs and price lists!

Regards,
Chuck

 

[AJ]

Talk about a flashback...c1977 I bought a used '74 2.8 V6 Orange Capri...sold it in 1986 and my wife cried as it was my car when we had our first date in '79...to this day next to the '86 it was my favorite car...many many memories...RS parts I installed mono leaf springs... vented disc brakes and bilstiens up front and ANSA exhaust...many a trip to Sears Point and Laguna Seca watching IMSA, Trans AM races...many shifts at redline with a 4spd...dreamed of having a 5spd from Europe...

My sister bought a '71 2000 brand new, one of my neighbors in Alameda bought a new '71 2.6 in high school, he was the coolest kid in high school and on our block (we were all in middle school)...

I still have my Capri Club membership cards and stickers somewhere...

In Alameda where I grew up from high school to college I had 6 very good friends that had '73, '74, '75/'76 Capri Is and IIs...road trips to working at the gas stations together to cruising the strip....

 

[drjim]

OK, since we're doing "Capris We've Known and Loved", here's mine....

My parents gifted me a brand-new 1969 Dodge Charger R/T S-E for graduation in 1969 in appreciation of making Honor Roll all 4 years, and being an all-around "Good Kid".

In the fall of 1970, when the car was barely over a year old, our insurance company (Allstate) clobbered us by TRIPLING my insurance premium to drive the car. I never had so much as a parking ticket, but they took a dim view of a 19 year old tooling around town in a bonafide Muscle Car.

SO...what to do?

As I was attending the local junior college at the time, and pretty much paying my own way, so something that got better gas mileage, but was still sporty, was in order.

I was averaging around 14~15MPG in the Charger, and gas back then was around THIRTY-EIGHT CENTS a gallon for genuine 100 octane, and I was burning up a whole $7 or $8 a week!

I was earning about $1.95/hr as a part time Electronics Technician, so $8 a week was significant to me.

Mercury had been advertising the Capri as the "Sexy European" for a few months, and my Mom, who I "shared" the car with fell in love with one.

We sold the Charger to one of my former high-school buddies for $2800 (window sticker on it was a shade over $4,000), and found the ONLY Capri available in the local area.

I don't remember what we paid for it, but it was close enough to what we got for the Charger that it didn't bust my budget.

It was a medium metallic silver/blue, with a white interior, a 4-speed, AM radio, and the 1600 "Kent" engine. Nice little car, but woefully underpowered.

I bought a Hooker Header for it from the speed shop, and my friends and I built our own exhaust system with a Corvair "Turbo" muffler. A buddy who worked at a local muffler shop bent up the tubing and welded it all together. The header didn't make much, if any, difference in power, but it sure sounded sweet!

I had some SCCA friends who were doing Formula Ford stuff, and I picked up the two-barrel Weber carb and manifold for like $25, as they were using "better" stuff in FF at the time.

It still didn't make much power (it really needed some more cam), but you could feel the secondary on the little Weber kick in when you floored it, so that was fun.

I wanted better handling, so I ordered front and rear ADDCO sway bars for it. They didn't even come close to fitting, and wound up being sold to a friend who modified them to fit his car. Don't remember what he was driving at the time, but I was happy to sell him the ADDCO bars for about half what I paid for them, so at least I didn't take a complete loss on them.

I drove the Capri my Sophomore year at the local junior college, and had it my Junior and Senior years at the University I went to, but didn't have it on campus much, as it really was my "Mom's Car"!

Eventually put it all back stock after college and sold it to some guy to finance my first Corvette. By this time Mom had "moved up" to a used 1967 Mustang (289 2-bbl, C4 auto trans), and the Capri had been my car.

Fun little car, but dog slow. The kids in the 2000 OHC Pintos would just smoke me!

If they would have brought the Capri in with the 2000 OHC engine as the base engine, I think it would have sold better, and had a better reputation. As it was, the thing was as reliable as an anvil, got GREAT mileage (easy 30MPG on the highway), and was fun to drive.

- Jim

 

[ray85p]

The exact ETCC Capri pictured above thrilled and entertained all of us at the vintage races at Laguna Seca a few years ago. We were hanging out about in the middle of the "Andretti" inner loop that was added in the late 80's after Mario tried to take the kink at the end of the main straight in qualifying that was the first of two moderate lefts that led up the hill to the corkscrew at full speed. The wreck was described as looking like a plane crash. Miraculously Mario was uninjured and started the next days race from the back and finished on the podium.
Anyway, the Capri generally accelerated out of the corners with only the OUTER REAR WHEEL on the ground! The power specs listed above and the detail about the rear roll center sure explain why. We looked them up after the race to thank them for the entertainment. The mechanic wasn't too thrilled to have to replace yet another broken axle though. I was amazed how the Cosworth DOHC 4 valve heads so dwarfed the little weenie block that was hard to see under it all!
And yes the CSL's were fast and their sound at full song was glorious! Thanks to both of you for this wonderful thread and for bringing back some incredible memories.

 

[AJ]

And I have the RSR poster somewhere in the garage...

 

[CSBM5]

I found my 1979 ROKSTOCK catalog, so here are scans of the front and back covers. I'd like to scan the whole thing into a PDF, and I assume that would be ok to put that out into the public domain...

It's hard to believe it's been 37 years ago this summer that I was having Tom Wyatt (Turbo Tom's in Atlanta) build the engine for the Capri. One more interesting aside from that experience: I went by Turbo Tom's one afternoon to check up on the progress of things (engine was all done, mounted on a stand with the headers fitted up and all ), and Tom was out in the lot bent over under the cover of an inboard/outboard boat. I think it was a Chevy 454 that Tom was turbocharging for the boat owner, and they were getting ready to take it on some testing up at Lake Lanier. Tom introduced me to the owner -- Nigel Olsson.

ROKSTOCK 1979:

 

[ddd228]

I saw this one last Sunday at a car show. No info.
[URL=http://s514.photobucket.com/user/ddd228/media/temporary_zpsnsfvazdz.jpg.html][/URL]
They came with vinyl tops?

 

[drjim]

I's guess that was either dealer installed, or done during a repaint.

I don't remember ever seeing a vinyl top on one.

- Jim

 

[CSBM5]

I's guess that was either dealer installed, or done during a repaint.

I don't remember ever seeing a vinyl top on one.

- Jim

Sadly, they were available that way. I think it was called the "Ghia" package (here in the US) that included the vinyl top. If you search on "Capri II Ghia", you'll see a number of them.