'76 Mercury Capri II dirt Late Model

[Brian Conn]

  Did this build back in the 1st half of 2015....Paid homage to my wife's home town of Springfield, Mo. with the present day sponsors of places we like to visit when we are in the Queen city of the Ozarks....her lucky number is 9 after the Beatles Revolution #9.
  Built in the spirit of the local Late Model rules for here in the Topeka, Ks. area 1979.


...Wanted to use as much of the original Monogram kits underside and roll cage as possible.....waste not, want not.


  Cut the rear 1/3 off of the original piece and scratch built a Howe coil spring rear stub copy and tied it in with the original front stub and "X"ed it to give it a ladder frame appearance.  This was my first coil sprung rear end build.  Added some height to the original roll bar for better fitment.  Removed all of the other unnecessary floor/underside and scratch built a new engine cross member and front cross member.  Had to build a new engine cross member to accommodate the wheel base being lengthened 8mm. (108" in 1:1 scale)

   
  Decided against a curbside build so I cut the front hood and trunk lid out.  Needed to add wheel flares to keep it legal with the bigger, wider dirt tires it will have.  Wheel flares made from plastic prescription medicine bottles.


     Glue bomb/paint bomb engine/tranny combo from the salvage bin at the LHS... will be reworked into a 351 Cleveland/ Top loader w/ Lakewood bell housing combo.


  Cage and frame


  Took one of the kit seats(Blue) and lowered it and added side bolsters (Black) for a racing seat look.


  Took a resin cast 351 Windsor that I purchased and removed the areas colored in Black to make a plausible 351 Cleveland intake manifold.


  Took the front bumper/ air dam combo and separated them.  I wanted more of ASA/ARTGO look with the lower air dam portion out ahead of the bumper and angled.


  Pro Tech open element oil breathers from Ted's Modeling Market Place...resin cast water pump/timing chain cover, Moroso Valve covers and heads.  Not pictured: Pre wired distributor cap from Morgan Automotive Detail.
  Since building this, I have decided to make the engine a dry sump engine...I have yet to begin that re working of the engine.

   

[sentsat71]

Wow!!  That's one you don't see every day....

[Dirtman]

 

[Greg Birky]

Very cool, Brian and a great job on the chassis as well.  Neat car!!!

[Brian Conn]

....Thanks for the responses...
  I recall seeing a Capri II bodied East coast modified somewhere and remember the few Capri II's that competed in NASCAR's Baby Grand division back in the late 70's....so I figured I give making a dirt Late Model a try.  I thought I was done with this build, but NNNOOO, changed my mind and eventually going to pull the engine and convert it into a dry sump set up.