[AJ]

Wow Rokstock Capri...

US imported Capri's didnt get the vented front disc brake rotors, 5spd trans from the factory...

I do miss my '74 2800 V6...I'll have to find some pics now!! 2nd owner from 1977-1986

Worst design water pump, located on the bottom of the block always leaked from the back housing, if you didnt get the gasket on perfect with Aviation gasket sealer...

Here's some mods that I added to my '74:

13" Vector mags (never could get those balanced well)
Pirelli CN36s
Ford RS Bilstein struts
Ford RS mono leaf
Capri II shift knob
Blaupunkt AM/FM radio with separate Clarion cassette and Clarion Equalizer
Cibie Euro 7" Headlights
Marchel fog lights
"Coyote" Orange paint/Black interior
ANZA twin tip exhaust
All trim painted satin black

 

[supraz]

Wow Rokstock Capri...

US imported Capri's didnt get the vented front disc brake rotors, 5spd trans from the factory...

I do miss my '74 2800 V6...I'll have to find some pics now!! 2nd owner from 1977-1986

Worst design water pump, located on the bottom of the block always leaked from the back housing, if you didnt get the gasket on perfect with Aviation gasket sealer...

Here's some mods that I added to my '74:

13" Vector mags (never could get those balanced well)
Pirelli CN36s
Ford RS Bilstein struts
Ford RS mono leaf
Capri II shift knob
Blaupunkt AM/FM radio with separate Clarion cassette and Clarion Equalizer
Cibie Euro 7" Headlights
Marchel fog lights
"Coyote" Orange paint/Black interior
ANZA twin tip exhaust
All trim painted satin black

OMG!
It's funny how a LOT of mature Celica Supra owners owned Capri's before the Toyotas.
I guess those wanting a sportier handling car in the '70s who weren't sold on the original Celicas went for them.

As has been discussed, these weren't the highest build quality cars, but they were a perfect size.
I loved the V6 in my Capri II although it sounds like they were somewhat heavy for what they put out.

But the handling!
You must have done what I did. I got a Rokstock catalog and tried to copy What ROK did. Bilstein struts, mono leaf rear springs, sticky 205/60-13 tires, and fancy alloy wheels.
When I did this, the rear roll stiffness was a little too high so coming out of low speed corners, it would lift the inside rear wheel which was pretty spectacular looking and feeling.
I also had a nylon steering coupler to replace the rubber one so the steering was incredibly direct.

It truly felt like a go kart. The longer wheel base of the Celica Supra doesn't lend itself to the nimble feel that the Capri had. I think a hot 1985 Celica GTS would be more like this.

You have to post pictures. I know this is a Celica Supra site, but these things are like cousins.

If I could find a clean chassis, I would love a 2 or 2.3 Pinto motor, or in the case of a V6 car, go with a small block Ford. Apparently, with aluminum heads and headers, they are probably lighter than the V6.

Dale

 

[AJ]

Dale, for sure my take me some time...

2 of my best friends from HS had '73s 2600s, one had the same ignition key as my '74!! And my sister had a '73 2000 4 cyl well before I bought the '74...

My wife cried when I sold the '74, we went on our honeymoon in the Capri!!

 

[AJ]

You have to check out David Salazar build for his Capri II ??

 

[supraz]

You have to check out David Salazar build for his Capri II ??

AJ,

I don't know who that is. Do you have a link to it?

And in the meanwhile, to bring this somewhat back to the Supra,

2JZ Capri

Just so I don't feel quite so guilty going on about non-Toyotas!

 

[pdupler]

OMG!
It's funny how a LOT of mature Celica Supra owners owned Capri's before the Toyotas.

I had a Mercury Capri before the Supra too!
.
.
.
But not the version discussed here so I guess I don't count. Mine was a 1980 model, fox body, cousin to the Mustang. I just thought the Capri was so much better looking than the Mustang. When I was 15-16 years old, Roush was campaigning as Capri bodies in Trans Am and I enjoyed watching those races. 1984 Willy T Ribbs won at nearby Green Valley Raceway and that likely had some influence on my much younger and more gullible consumer self.

Somebody find me an ASC McLaren version please in show condition. There were two McLaren convertibles in my hometown when I had my hatchback and I've had them on my wish list ever since. Just haven't found the right one in the right circumstances yet (damned 7-day auctions 🤬). I'd actually even consider another RS Capri. In the 33 years that I've been doing car shows, I have yet to see a fox body Capri at a show. Plenty of Mustangs but not a single one of their kin.

 

[AJ]

Back in the day I belonged to the California Capri Club

 

[AJ]

California Capri Club trip to Laguna Seca @1977 maybe 1976 before I bought my '74.

I took the pic out of my best friends '73 Capri sun roof, I have the original pic hanging in my garage today!!

 

[supraz]

I see Fox body Capri's listed here in Vancouver every once in a while. They show up far more than the European version. Still uncommon, which is sort of cool too.

These cars really were the 70s equivalent of the Celica Supra of the 80s. I can see the attraction.

The Capri, especially when modified handles dramatically better than North American iron. Same thing with the Celica Supra compared to the Mustang, Camaro, and Monza of the same time.

Actually I love them all, but like women (or men to be inclusive), the first ones you date are the ones you always remember.

 

[supraz]

California Capri Club trip to Laguna Seca @1977 maybe 1976 before I bought my '74.

I took the pic out of my best friends '73 Capri sun roof, I have the original pic hanging in my garage today!!

View attachment 18491

Arch, that is awesome!

 

[SilverMk2]

...Somebody find me an ASC McLaren version please in show condition. There were two McLaren convertibles in my hometown when I had my hatchback and I've had them on my wish list ever since. Just haven't found the right one in the right circumstances yet (damned 7-day auctions 🤬). I'd actually even consider another RS Capri. In the 33 years that I've been doing car shows, I have yet to see a fox body Capri at a show. Plenty of Mustangs but not a single one of their kin.

Here you go...

1985 Mercury Capri ASC McLaren 5.0 SC Convertible - 1 of 250 Produced in 1985, Largely Unmodified, 5.0L V8 Power

This 1985 Mercury Capri ASC McLaren 5.0 SC Convertible is for sale on Cars & Bids! Auction ends December 23 2021.

carsandbids.com

 

[pdupler]

Thanks but even if it weren't ending tomorrow I haven't had much luck with those seven day online auction sites. I'm not a high stakes gambler. I can't bid sight unseen. Find me one for sale the old fashioned way and I might have a chance.

 

[SilverMk2]

If that's the case you're not going to be buying many cars any more. Pretty much everyone knows about Google now and a top Google search now directs someone selling to BAT or they get scooped up by someone sight unseen to sell on BAT.

 

[pdupler]

I have talked to hundreds of people at car shows over the years and still, very few bought their cars sight-unseen from an online auction (and of the ones that did, it seems about 50/50 whether they felt they got a fair deal vs getting ripped off). I don't have statistics, just anecdotal stories, but I think its still a small fraction selling via auction sites. Besides, the people putting them on BAT seem to be mostly flippers who found them by scouring every other source, including probably just asking their friends. Somebody knows somebody who has a classic car, isn't really thinking about selling but hasn't brought it out to a car show in years. Or maybe thinking about selling but not really gotten serious yet. They pass on the contact and then the negotiation happens. I hear lots of stories of buyers cajoling sellers for months or even years to convince them to sell a car. The key is finding it first before they ever Google anything.

I recently missed a very low mileage Starion that an old man in a small rural town was selling. He wasn't tech-savvy. His grandkid posted it for him on Facebutt for $8500. Only I found the ad too late, it'd been up for a few weeks already, and when I called, there was already somebody supposed to come get it. I told him it was probably worth a lot more, offered to wire him a $500 deposit to hold it for me till I could get there (that's the old-fashioned way) and then I'd pay him what it was really worth after I had inspected it. But he said he was a man of of his word, he'd already made a deal over the phone (sight unseen of course) with somebody else but that he'd call me back if they didn't show up. I'm sure it will be on BAT this spring and sell for $20K or more (unless the flipper got ripped off).

But that's why I asked, in case somebody here knows somebody so I can beat the flippers to it.

 

[Sventes13]

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

I just talked to Richard yesterday seems like we get it back on the road. Did some petrol talk about a new limited edition of the rsr turbo. Lets see what happenes but that old guy still didnt loose the shine in his eyes. Ill keep you informed

 

[supraz]

I really hope that ROK does something like that.
I read about his recent V8 powered Capri, and while it's interesting, I think it missed the mark.
The original RSR Turbo was in the sweet spot. It was way more powerful than the Mercury Capri, and it was readily identifiable. It was also thoroughly streetable.

By comparison, the RSR GT crosses WAY over the line into boy racer territory.
I suspect that Richard didn't have as much input into this car as he did in the original RSR.
Of course, this may have been intentional, just to get his juices flowing, perhaps?

Rokstock RSR GT

It certainly catches one's attention, but I think you've got to be pretty young to consider buying this and putting it on the street. I'm sure it's a beast.

I would imagine that a 302 V8 with ITB EFI would fit under the stock hood and give the car a somewhat more sophisticated appearance.

Borla ITB EFI in an MGBGT!

Something like this is somewhat practical (okay, questionable air filtration, but hey!) but would be a show stopper under the hood of a Rokstock.
With serious suspension work the car would go, and with ROKs sense of style on the outside, I think it would appeal to the mature gearhead who is able to afford something like this.

Anyways, I will be eagerly awaiting so see what he comes up with.

Dale