johnathan

alright girls and guys
got a couple questions about the capri engine

basically when me and a mate have finnished are road car projects. we are looking into building over a couple years no doubt, a drag specific car. and we have narrowed it down to the capri, love the shape of it and a really muscle car look. but what the engine like on them. got a couple questions.

how high bhp can the engine go before needs to be forged? tho it will need to be in the end just be good for knowledge
have many capri been used for drag racing and heavily tuned v6's?
what an the engines be rboured to?
what are the big diffrence between 2.8 and 3.0l?

as a basic outline been thinking

rebore, high lift cams, lightened & balance bottom end, fly and clutch, lightened prop shaft, turbo conversion to a garrett t40 (including manifold, downpipe intercooler, low comp pistons
and steel head gaskets) or bolt a blower to the top (roots supercharger), forged rods, timing tweaks, mallory ignition and distributor set (race), uprated spark leads,
locked diff and uprated half shafts, water pump uprated, big carb, ported and polished heads, ported and polished inlet manifold, full stainless system and the list continues haha.

any advice much appreciated, like i say this wont be for a while, road projects first then this.
what we do for the love of cars haha

cheers

tabetha

Basic difference is the engines are totally different.
The 2.8 is a german "cologne" unit, where as the 3.0 is a "essex" unit.
The essex is getting thin on the ground, but would be easily the prefered engine due to it not having siamese ports, like the 2.8 does, although ARIZONA HEADS can be fitted to the 2.8 if you can get them, these are NOT siamese port and will have the potential for a lot more flow.
If I was dragging a capri I would look at a small block ford or chevy engine, parts are dirt cheap, easily obtainable, VERY tuneable.
The chev in particular is the most prolific engine in the world for example.
If you had the budget(?) 1000bhp is childs play, 2000bhp is possible depending as I say on budget.
tabetha

johnathan

what cars are the small blocks out of, or engine code?
from some research i noticed the guys in oz i think use the essex engine, my bad didn know they were diffrent, teach me for not researching enough.
what you think a rough ball park price would be for 1000 and 2000. weve estimated between us and over a bit a 1000bhp is to go for, and we need it to at leqst be noticed.

you dotn knwo any good refrences for the small blocks do you?

we were first considering the chevy engine, my mate having a hot rod family background are good with them and know about them, plus they used alot for dragging but want to keep it an all ford thing, hence thought of keeping standard v6. but reckon a conversion to the small block ford might be the option

tabetha

The small block ford, is a very revvy engine for a V8 due to the stroke.
Parts for this are equally as cheap as the chevy.
I would just do net searches as I am not familiar at all with them, only had one that passed through my hands for sale that's all.
I do know they are very good though as is the chev, a V6 isn't even worth considering, either for very high power or for power per pound potential.
I would start by buying some american type mags, there are a lot newer engines that might be a better bet but not sure as the smallblock is old now, so mags would be the best to advise here as well.
tabetha

johnathan

cheers for the help

yeah been doin some research and chevy seems a popular choice, more so than i thought.

thanks

escort_cosworth_monte_163

a capri 2.8 cologne turbo technics set up right with the correct engine spec will eat any essex engine ,i had a 2.8 cologne with a ford 4liter explorer crank machined to fit with forged piston steel rods all balanced 3.7 liter with steel cam gear ,high lift cam stage 3 heads bored out inlet manifold with 230 bhp tt kit modded with stage 3 t3 turbo 7th injector on management 380bhp at the wheels cost a lot though
the max on an essex with tripple carbs 3.4 convertion 260bhp
but as with both convertions its if you can find the parts

tabetha

I've seen the ESSEX with over 500bhp, that cost a lot, but would eat any cologne!!
tabetha

escort_cosworth_monte_163

yes but thats not the normal essex as found in the transit van,and 3 liter s capris /the 400-500bhp plus essex engine is the all steel GAA essex engine ,as found in ESSEX HAMMERS brooklands recently featured in classic ford and past race cars

legend289

If you`re on a tight budget the best thing to do is get a 351 windsor, and put the 351 Cleveland heads on, it`s the cheapest way to start adding power to the small block. And it`s the bigger capacity small block at 351.C.I. (5.7 litre). There are millions of books on SBF V8`s.