Plastheniker Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Hi, The Ford Capri I RS 2600 was the top model of the Capri range. It was built in small numbers by Ford Cologne, therefore I am not sure if it was sold outside Germany. If this was not the case here is a short information: The RS 2600 was a reworked standard 2300. Among others it featured a larger crankshaft, a hotter camshaft, fuel injection, an extensively improved suspension, wide aluminum wheels, one separate exhaust system for each cylinder bank, a different interior. The RS 2600 served as a homologation car for the extremely successful Ford works racing cars of those days. Officially rated at 150 PS (rather 180 PS as motor magazines estimated) and rather light (1080 kg) it was a very fast car in the early seventies. Though an RS 2600 cost more than twice as much as the cheapest standard Capri it was a bargain compared to other cars with similar performance. The number of options was endless. If someone was willing to spend enough money he could order larger engines with up to 230 PS in wide lightweight bodies with plastic doors and lids and even plexiglass windows. The durability of the RS 2600's drivetrain, however, was a disaster. Engines and transmissions used to explode after 5,000 to 10,000 km. I built my model probably 25 years ago from a very simple Doyusha motorized toy model kit of an early (not 1973 as stated by Doyusha) Capri 2000 GT. The body was very nice, but it was virtually the only part of the kit I could use. Because of the battery box there was a flat one-piece interior and the glass parts were deeply tinted to conceal it. All other parts of the kit did not match the RS 2600. I found making the windows and the rims a bit difficult in those days. Viewing the pictures I see some details for which I would find better solutions today. Nevertheless I hope the result looks acceptable even by today's standards. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murdo Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 That looks like a truly flawless paint job. You should be very pleased with that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 That shape Capri brings back memories. The RS2600 was never sold in Britain, instead the RS3100 - a hot version of the Essex 3 litre engine. Very nicely painted model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Really nice model again Jürgen, really like the paintjob! I have one of these in my huge 'work in progress' pile - will hopefully be finished one day as a rally prepared 2000GT - means I won't have to change the headlights at least...!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengalensis Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 That's magic! I love those special Capri sports/race versions, and as usual your build makes the real thing wonderful justice. It's very nice to see the old Doyusha kit well built up and modified like this, most of the time people only talk about doing it. Great stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Fantastic, considering the point you started from, congratulations and I love the period shine, not too glossy. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Very nice indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windy37 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 People used to belittle Capris but arent they a good looking car ? Great looking model , wheels look spot on . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomjw Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Wow. That brings back memories. Excellent. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawacrossa Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capri-schorsch Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 (edited) My first car was a Capri MKII with unbelivable 68PS Horsepower! What a machine! Your model looks very nice.Perfect! Edited April 15, 2014 by capri-schorsch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnbond007 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I had a set of RS 3100 alloys on my Mk1 Escort many years ago........they were lovely 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastheniker Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 Thanks for the comments! That shape Capri brings back memories. The RS2600 was never sold in Britain, instead the RS3100 - a hot version of the Essex 3 litre engine. Very nicely painted model. I googled pictures of the English RS 3100. Externally RS 2600 and RS 3100 seem to be almost identical. BTW the English standard 3.0 litre engine with 138(?) PS was available in Germany, too. Some exasperated RS 2600 owners installed it. That's magic! I love those special Capri sports/race versions, and as usual your build makes the real thing wonderful justice. It's very nice to see the old Doyusha kit well built up and modified like this, most of the time people only talk about doing it. Great stuff! This rewiew of the Doyusha kit gives an idea what an interested modeler could expect. The short text is in German but the nice pictures speak for themselves. http://www.wettringer-modellbauforum.de/forum/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=12112 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastheniker Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 People used to belittle Capris but arent they a good looking car ? Great looking model , wheels look spot on . The reputation of all Capris suffered from some really underpowered versions. In Germany there was a 1.3 litre with 50 PS, even more than 40 years ago rather puny. My first car was a Capri MKII with unbelivable 68PS Horsepower! What a machine! Your model looks very nice.Perfect! But supposedly your 68 PS engine was running. After going by bus most of the time because once again my RS 2600 stood in a workshop somewhere in Northern Germany I was so annoyed that I sold it after less than one year before the warranty expired. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastheniker Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 I had a set of RS 3100 alloys on my Mk1 Escort many years ago........they were lovely I may be wrong, but I think there was a late Escort Mk I version (RS 2000?) which had the same attractive aluminum wheels as RS 2600 and as far as I know RS 3100 had. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 (edited) The Mk 1 Escort Mexico had similar wheels. They look like Revolution rims. The Mk1 RS2000's my mates had were like/were Minilites Nice Capri BTW. I knew a guy at Marshalls in 86, he had an RS3100 with the big body kit, arches etc. It looked ready for Spa! Do you remember the Capri Savage and Cortina Savage? I had an Evil Cortina once! Edited April 16, 2014 by bzn20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 I may be wrong, but I think there was a late Escort Mk I version (RS 2000?) which had the same attractive aluminum wheels as RS 2600 and as far as I know RS 3100 had. No, you're not wrong. Mk1 & mk2 RS2000 Customs had the RS alloys as standard, as did the special edition MK2 Escort Harrier 1600. They were also optional on any of the performance Mk2's - 1600 Sport, Mexico etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windy37 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 The Capri RS3100 European Touring Cars of the 70's were nicknamed Cologne Capris and look awesome . Saw one at a show in February . Think they had a 3.4 litre V6 engine . Seem to remember a cheap model kitl of this version . Can anyone else remember it ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 The Capri RS3100 European Touring Cars of the 70's were nicknamed Cologne Capris and look awesome . Saw one at a show in February . Think they had a 3.4 litre V6 engine . Seem to remember a cheap model kitl of this version . Can anyone else remember it ? Academy/Minicraft did one (or maybe it was just Academy or Minicraft on their own, can't really remember!) Very simple kit & apparently pretty inaccurate. I had one years ago, but sold it off without really looking at it properly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griffsrw Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 lovely model, very iconic cars, and the real ones are worth a fortune today. i too had capri's, i had a mk1 3.0 litre gtxlr, and two 3 litre ghia mk2's. happy days. i have a 1/24 die cast made by whitebox/quatroroute, in my mind it's the best and most accurate shell available today, ditto their mk1 escort 1300gt. great models both. (available on ebay.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastheniker Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) Thanks for the further comments! The Mk 1 Escort Mexico had similar wheels. They look like Revolution rims. The Mk1 RS2000's my mates had were like/were Minilites Nice Capri BTW. I knew a guy at Marshalls in 86, he had an RS3100 with the big body kit, arches etc. It looked ready for Spa! Do you remember the Capri Savage and Cortina Savage? I had an Evil Cortina once! The appearance of the RS 3100 in racing trim was nearly identical with that of the upgraded, but extremely expensive street RS 2600 I mentioned above. I had the opportunity of driving such a vehicle in 1973 for one or two hours on a not very crowded Autobahn. It was simply breathtaking. I suppose you saw the English counterpart of such a car. Edited April 17, 2014 by Plastheniker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastheniker Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 The Capri RS3100 European Touring Cars of the 70's were nicknamed Cologne Capris and look awesome . Saw one at a show in February . Think they had a 3.4 litre V6 engine . Seem to remember a cheap model kitl of this version . Can anyone else remember it ? Academy/Minicraft did one (or maybe it was just Academy or Minicraft on their own, can't really remember!) Very simple kit & apparently pretty inaccurate. I had one years ago, but sold it off without really looking at it properly. There was at least one more 1/24 kit of the Capri Mk I in racing trim. It was made by Otaki in the eighties(?) and called "Works Capri RS 3100". Though most Otaki kits were not bad this kit was motorized, so its quality is unknown. Besides this there was a very similar kit made by Nitto, however in 1/28, called "Ford Capri Racing". Nitto kits were not the best - to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Ranger Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 I owned a 1974 Capri 2800 (North American spec). It was one of the best cars I ever owned, and was great fun to drive. However, it seemed to attract other cars like magnets, and after two collisions and susequent major repairs, it was finally damaged beyond economical repair in a third collision and written off (totalled). I still miss that car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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