So twice this week, I’ve shown you cars that many of you liked – except for the price. And maybe they were a little expensive for what they were. But since the typical advice is to buy the best version of something you can afford, rather than buying a cheap one to fix up, I thought we’d see what adding a grand or two on top of those other cars’ prices could get us.
The IROC Camaro we looked at yesterday was one such overpriced car. The value in that car, I think, lies in its originality; aside from being parked outside, it has led an easy life, and if not for the rust, it would probably cost quite a lot more. And it’s equipped pretty much exactly how I would have ordered one back in 1988 if I could have.
But that rust … yeah, it does give me pause. Though I have to say, less pause than a haphazardly-modified and hastily-repaired Mustang. We had kind of a short day yesterday, so the vote tally is low, but as of this writing, the Mustang has a slight edge, so I’ll call it the winner. It’s not my choice, however.
Seventeenth-century philosopher Baltasar Gracián once wrote that it is “better to be cheated by the price than the merchandise.” A bargain is only a bargain if it actually costs you less in the long run; usually, it’s better to spend more up front than to incur extra costs down the road, even if the original price is a little steep. So today, we’re going to spend just a little more fake internet money than it would take to buy either that rusty but original Camaro, or the probably one-of-a-kind Corsica. These cars are a little older, but a hell of a lot nicer, and probably better to drive. Let’s check them out.
1973 Mercury Capri – $7,250
Engine/drivetrain: 2.6-liter overhead valve V6, four-speed manual, RWD
Location: Oak Park, CA
Odometer reading: 126,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
The Ford Mustang was a huge success in America, but it wasn’t really designed for anywhere else. American cars are typically too big for European roads, and too inefficient for European fuel prices. So in 1969, Ford of Europe brought out its own Mustang equivalent, the Capri. Like the Mustang, it was based on a sedan platform, in this case the Ford Cortina. But while the Mustang wasn’t suitable for Europe, Ford thought the Capri might do well in America as a smaller alternative to the Mustang, and sold it here through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships.
The Capri was offered with a whole bunch of different engines in Europe, but horsepower-hungry America, as usual, stuck to the high end of the range. This one is powered by a 2.6 liter version of Ford’s Cologne V6, in this case paired with a four-speed manual. It has a little hotter camshaft than stock, and is topped by a brand-new Weber carb. The car also has all new brakes, suspension bushings, tires, and steering rack. It has a bunch of spare parts in the trunk as well, sitting alongside – get this – a fuel cell.
The inside looks good, but there are covers on the seats, and I wouldn’t expect miracles under them. Then again, the door cards and carpet look good, so maybe the seat covers are there for protection. One thing I personally would change, however, is that steering wheel. Man, that thing is ugly. A nice Momo or Nardi wheel would transform the looks of this interior; just hang on to the original in case you ever want to sell the car.
It’s a little dull and faded outside, but I bet it would shine back up nicely with a little elbow grease. There’s no rust on it anywhere that I can see, and all the trim looks intact. I’m not a fan of the aftermarket wheels, though; these originally came with Rostyle stamped steel wheels, and it looks wrong without them. And I could do without the tinted windows as well, though I understand why someone would want them in sunny California, especially with a black interior and no air conditioning.
1982 BMW 320iS – $6,200
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Odometer reading: 246,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
I’ve heard that being the middle child isn’t easy. I wouldn’t know myself; I’m the older of two. But I do feel sorry for the BMW E21 chassis, considering how much more famous both its older (2002) and younger (E30) siblings are. For years, while 2002 values have soared, followed shortly by the E30, E21 prices have stayed low, and I’ve never understood quite why. It’s a sharp-looking car, much like the rest of BMW’s line at the time, and while it’s not what you’d call fast, it is awfully nice to drive.
Part of it may just be the time during which it was produced; the malaise era didn’t hit European cars nearly as hard as domestic makes, but it didn’t leave them alone either. The US-market 320i came with a 2.0 liter version of BMW’s M10 four-cylinder engine, later downsized to 1.8 liters like this one. It makes only 101 horsepower, and takes eleven seconds to get to 60 MPH, which sounds pathetic now, but was actually kinda quick for 1982. It has nearly a quarter of a million miles on it, but it has recently had a bunch of service and repairs, and the seller says it runs great.
This is the rare 320iS model, which includes some extra goodies like Recaro seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, some suspension tweaks, and a limited-slip rear axle – but deletes the factory air conditioning. An A/C compressor from 1982 probably eats up ten horsepower when it’s running, so maybe it’s for the best. There’s some wear and tear inside, as you would expect from the mileage, but it’s totally presentable.
The paint isn’t great on this one either, but again, there’s no rust, and some time with a buffing wheel would be worthwhile. There’s not much you can do about the ginormous 5 MPH bumpers, unless you find and import a set of European bumpers, which is probably not worth it. The BBS wheels are original; they’re part of the S package.
These cars both hit that sweet spot for classic weekend toys that I really like: good-looking, unusual, but not especially valuable or rare, and therefore not too expensive. And they’re both in good enough condition that you could just start enjoying them and keep them up – they’re not projects in any sense. Which would you choose: the German-built baby Mustang, or the unloved 3 Series?
“There’s no rust on it anywhere that I can see”
There’s a bit on the front if the rear wheel arch.
Capri and it’s not even close. My family has already owned three Capris, what’s one more of the loveable little coupes?
For those of us around back in the day, the V6 Capri was certainly acceptable performance wise. Mercury dealers didn’t support it much. And since it came along pre oil crisis and the downsizing era of the 70’s, it was probably ahead of its time. (Compared to the Mustang II, Capri any day). Rust free example are rare. Pending how the body really is, it might be a reasonable value.
Agree 100% with your thoughts on the Beemer. But that car needs more ponies. Even being a S model, overpriced.
If I want Capri, I’d go Perana route and stuff the Windsor 302 V8 engine in Capri.
If I want BMW, I’d take 3.2-litre straight six from 5-Series or 7-Series and stuff it, a.k.a. South African special.
f I had to take one, it would be the BMW, but only if I have to. I’d prefer the Capri, but without orthopaedic surgery to shorten my legs torso and arms or a race sea I will not fit.
They are both nice cars. I had a 325is which was a great car when I was able to actually drive it. It was a service queen for the majority of my time with it. The 320i while a lesser spec BMW should handle quite well assuming the suspension components have been kept up. The Capri is no slouch either with the same constraints. It may be used up though because of the suspicious mods and appalling wheels.
It seems insane for me to be picking the smog-year car with 246k, but the BMW really was and is the better car than the leaf-sprung Capri. Although if the Capri had the Pinto 4cyl engine I would pick that.
That Capri is hard to comapre to anything, but my guess is you might actually be able to ask more for itm given its rarirty, age, and condition. I don’t think I have seen one in 40 years.
Its not going to be faster than any new car of any size today, but it will be a hell of a lot more engaging.
This was difficult, but gotta go Bimmer. Those are so iconic and have such a classic style. It will be fun to fix up a little then have a lot of fun cruising in it. The Capri is really cool too though
Both would be unbearable here in MetroLanta without A/C, and my usual MO is to say “which s***box could I bear to daily-drive for six months?” so technically neither.
Forced to choose, and sweat? I adored the Capri when I was a kid, and this one looks like it’d be more fun than a barrel of monkeys.
I dig that BMW 3-series too–in fact I keep trying to find a Euro-spec one that a colleague used to drive–but it’s just not as cool.
I learned to drive on my dad’s 1983 e21 320i- also white like this one. Nice car, and overall handled well, though I did manage to oversteer once and spun the thing pretty wildly. But I didn’t hit anything so all was good.
The Capri is a good lookin’ ride. Though really, it isn’t actually the car I promised myself.
I had a ’70 with the weak anemic 1600cc mill that “dieseled” when you shut it off. It was red with a matte black hood, rear valance and the lower part of the sides below the swoop. Fun to drive but the local Mercury dealer could never stop the dieseling so after a year I traded it in on a 1971 Lime Green FIAT 850 Spider which we owned for over 30 years. With the V6 I’d take a chance on the Capri.
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The Capri 11 times out of 10. It wins by default because pre ’75 in CA, then wins again for being a far cooler car.
OMFG – Capri!!! I had a ’72 with the 2 liter engine that I bought in high school and drove until the bell housing cracked in the Arizona desert, seven years later. It was a great little car, handled well, and could fit four fairly bendable college students or everything two of us needed to move into the dorms for a semester without issues. All it needed was the 6 cylinder engine. I’d take it over something far.more.desirable.than that BMW.
I want that Capri. It’s got a great survivor vibe about it. I’m not crazy about the “cheaper than a new stock fuel tank” fuel cell or the wheels, but it looks like a solid car that you could drive and tinker on. The 320 is fiiiine, I guess, but it’s not as desirable to me as either the car that preceded it or the one that followed it.
This is a good match up!
A good friend had a Capri of this spec back in the day. Same colour or close. It was a surprisingly good car for the era. At least for what you could buy in North America. His dad had a pintostang and I once got to drive them back to back. They were like cars from two different planets. The Capri was actually well built too. Not something Detroit could have fathomed at the time. It’s main weakness was it’s lack of a defence mechanism against tin worm.
I briefly had a 2 year old 1980 320i. I really liked it in every way. I got it crazy cheap from a divorcee who wanted to move on with her life with something more showy (and burn some settlement money). It was impeccably dealer serviced and clean. Thing was, I didn’t really need a car at the time. I lived and worked in the city and my job had me travelling about half the year. It was easier to rent when I wanted to go camping. Someone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I sort of regret accepting it, but in the end it was a good deal for me.
He ended up totalling it soon after. Drove into a highway pileup in the fog. Fortunately he walked away. That’s when I started to notice manufacturers really start talking about crash structures etc. Even for a small car like that.
The Capri would have probably let him die, but might have been salvageable and rebuilt.
The Capri somehow seems more special than the BMW.
Much, much faster.
I don’t get your ‘faster’ logic. The Capri beats the 320 by 6hp, but the BMW has a 5 speed with lower gearing. Road and Track rated it 0.6s faster 0-60.
No dog in this race, but your comment stood out. That Cologne V6 was a dog.
The BMWs were so slow I used to routinely run them into the ground with 70 HP.
I think they were heavy.
I’ve only been in one of the Capris, but it felt fast and lightweight.
Thinking about it, I’m not certain it was a six, but it was faster than those BMWs.
Interesting. Perhaps the 320i of the R&T article was a low-geared outlier. Or you drove BMW’s that needed some engine love. And the Capri you rode might have been a 2.8 in good tune.
Any car is a dog with a worn engine.
Or maybe my internet sleuthing is misleading me.
A lot of magazine specs were highly questionable cherry picked slip the clutch, no one minds if the synchros are gone when they get the car back specials.
And I don’t know how many were automatics here.
I didn’t so much drive BMWs as torment owners with various Fiats I know weighed under a ton.
Also hit one that brake checked me once with a Nova.
The only bmw I’ve driven was a luxury 5 series, not underpowered. Around 2000 maybe?
There are actually a pair of 80s German spec BMWs outside the house.
Not my cars!
Plans are to put the better one on the road again.
I believe they are 5 series six cylinder models.
At least one is a manual.
I like Capris, but this is an easy choice. A 320iS like this one but in red was the car I drove in high school in the early 90s. It was slow, but that wasn’t a bad thing for an 18-year-old even if he was a pretty conscientious driver. It was a lot of fun, and handled well. This one is a little tired but seems well-priced even for the condition. I’m surprised that the seats are worn on the most durable part, rather than the rather fragile cloth. Seems like it could be fixed to look good enough relatively simply. AC was not actually standard, but most US cars came with it. A bumperectomy mostly improves the looks but leaves it with a huge overbite in the rear. I’d leave the park benches on it. At least they work. I’ve got an E12 with a B35/5-speed swap and it gives me all the feels of our old iS but with over twice the power and torque everywhere.
I’ve had an E12, and I’ve had an E30. The E21 seems like the obvious choice.
Though I got to drive a grey market 320/6 many years ago – if I were serious, I think I’d seek out a euro model instead.
A/C delete automatically disqualifies the BMW. Why would you suffer through that for the car to still be slow? I’d sooner buy one with broken A/C.
Capri, because you just never see them anywhere anymore.
Although I’d yank out the Cologne V6 because (in Europe) they were known as:
“Power of a 4 cylinder, Fuel economy of a V8”
I’m pretty sure these versions of the Cologne V6 had a timing gear vs. chain, which is interesting.
A 5.0 from an Explorer would fit quite nicely in there.
I’m thinking 4.0 Ranger or Explorer Cologne.
The pushrod 4.0 Cologne motors either cracked heads… or they went well over 200k without (major) issues. It was kinda weird how it worked out like that, but the pushrod ones were decent.
I wouldn’t want the weight of a V8, plus the bellhousing, etc… should just mate up w/o issue. Heck, just use the old manifold and bigger carb if not wanting to deal with EFI. Bet you can mount a distributor too.
Going with the little Wildpferd, today. Liked it back in the 70s and it still looks good to me 50 years later.
Not crazy about the Capri’s fuel cell, takes up waaaay too much of the trunk. But I do have quite a fondness for these mini-pony cars and this one seems in reasonable shape for today’s market prices.
The Bimmer is pretty nice too, but the German Ford just has oodles more style.
Had to go Capri this morning. The Cologne V-6 is a pretty good mill, and I dig the styling.