When you think about all of the turbocharged
production cars sold in Australia - with the exception of the more expensive
Euros - there aren't too many that haven't been plucked up by the go-fast crew.
But one notable exception is the Ford Capri turbo - it's affordable, convertible,
compact and powered by the same turbocharged four as found in the Ford Laser TX3
turbo.
So what is it about the Capri that puts off so
many performance enthusiasts? Is it the reputation for poor build quality? Is it
too impractical? Maybe it's not masculine enough. Whatever it is, it's time to
open our eyes to what's possible with Ford's forgotten turbo soft-top.
The 1994 Capri you see here is owned by
Melbournian Danny Milovanovic.
Danny explains: "About six years ago I was
looking for a new car and I signed up to buy a Subaru WRX at a caryard. After I
found out the cost of insurance, though, I cancelled the sale during the cooling
off period and I then stumbled across the Capri Clubsprint." Danny had
previously owned a TX3 and knew the Laser/Capri family were good fun to drive
and quite robust.
"I liked the shape of the Capri and I picked it up fairly
cheap," he adds.
So what is the 1994 Capri Clubsprint, you ask?
Well, the Clubsprint is the Tickford-tickled version of the everyday Capri that
features a coloured Momo leather trim, body kit and revised suspension. We're
told that only 400 examples were built - some turbocharged and some naturally
aspirated. At the time Danny picked up this car he wasn't really fussed if he
got the high-performance version or not - he ended up with the atmo 1.6-litre
Clubsport Capri.
All this changed when Danny's cousin, Damian - the
owner of Melbourne's G-Tech Performance - got in his ear about a B6 turbo
conversion...
A bare B6 turbo motor was considered for the job
but when a rear-ended 90,000km Capri turbo came up for just $2500 it was too
good to ignore. A complete engine, gearbox, driveshaft, ECU, loom and sensor
package was everything needed to give a factory-like turbo package.
The turbo conversion was done at G-Tech
Performance and it was as straightforward as they come. The only hassle was a
bit of mucking around with the wiring loom. The B6 turbo fired into life on the
first turn of the key and it hasn't missed a beat since.
The standard 103kW (flywheel rated) power output
has been lifted with the fitment of a 3-inch mandrel turbo-back exhaust, a
K&N pod filter with cold air piping and a TurboSmart bleed valve giving up
to 1.0 Bar of boost. Power? A tidy 105kW at the wheels - more than enough to
scoot the lightweight Capri along at a fair rate. Danny has taken the car to the
Calder Park quarter mile drags and come away with a best time of 14.9-seconds at
93 mph - with heaps of wheelspin and an unhappy clutch.
Sure, a high 14 ET isn't the stuff of dreams but
it's enough to scare the pants off WRX, Lancer GSR and Holden Gen 3 drivers.
This speed also comes with considerable comfort.
When the standard '94 Clubsprint green/black leather trim started to deteriorate, it was lucky that Damian had a pair of tan leather pews lying
around the workshop - they'd been pulled out of his ex showcar WRX. These were
bolted into the Capri with some newly fabricated mounts and Danny decided to
complement the tan leather by adding a matching leather gear boot. You'll also
find an A'PEXi boost gauge on the steering column and a cool sound system.
"There's not a lot of space to fit much more sound
equipment than I have," says Danny. The cabin is filled with twin 10-inch Orion
subs, two large amps, Alpine front splits and an Alpine single CD/tuner. An
Odyssey battery also lives under the bonnet since standard type battery couldn't
keep up with the demands of the sound system.
Tickford did a pretty good job with the aesthetics
of the Clubsport Capri so Danny hasn't had to do too much in this department.
The only mods are bigger wheels - 18-inch OZ Racing wearing 215/35 rubber - and
lowered springs. Oh, and Danny is more than happy to parade a G-Tech sticker
across the windscreen in the name of family business promotion.
Looking to the future, Danny says he might get the
car rubbed back and resprayed so he can put the car on display under the G-Tech
banner at car shows. In the very near future, though, the B6 engine will be
receiving a bigger turbocharger, upgrade intercooler and high-flow injectors.
"That'll be really great when it's running more power", says Danny. "Even now
people are amazed at how quick it goes - people ignore the car when I pull up at
the lights but not when I take off..."
Open top motoring and real performance in a
compact and affordable package. When will the Australian go-fast scene finally
accept the Capri turbo for what it is?
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Danny sends a big thanks to Damian at G-Tech
Performance...
G-Tech Performance +61 3 9355 7988
www.gtech.com.au
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