Always on the lookout for new IT cars ...

On my way to work this morning, I saw two cars that I haven't seen in a LONG time ... a Ford EXP and a Mercury Capri convertible (the little Aussie one, not the Mustang clone.)

I thought, "hey, those would be cool IT cars." I looked up the specs on the EXP and it looks like a solid ITC car (90hp, ~2300lbs curb weight) but then noticed it listed in ITB at 2450, huh. And the Mercury isn't listed anywhere, but it's probably an ITB car (100hp, 2400+ lbs). Of course, for all I know, I just saw the last examples of these things in existence.

Any other "good" ideas?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ordEXP1982.jpg


http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/1...08-300x189.jpg

Saw one of those Lincolns this afternoon, that we talked briefly about during the formative days of ITR. Wondered what kind of brakes they have...

K

The LS V6 with the 5 speed? i thought we included that for some reason. I'll have to check.

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Originally Posted by Knestis

Wondered what kind of brakes they have...

K

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Pretty decent. Detroit started (well, GM started early, Ford around 95) to put real brakes on cars. Be a good race car, chassis is relatively sophisticated.

The Capri is a Miata in disguise, The EXP was run up in the northeast by an Escort Service in the past.

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Originally Posted by Dano77

The Capri is a Miata in disguise.

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According to Wikipedia (and therefore, it must be true!), although it was to be a Miata competitor, it's really based on a Mazda 323.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Capri#1991-1994

Josh,

Check ITA the (91 to 94) Capri is classed in ITA @ 2440lbs...

Ben Robertson

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Originally Posted by Super Swift

Check ITA the (91 to 94) Capri is classed in ITA @ 2440lbs...

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Oops, guess I skipped right over it! So many Capri variants! Well, it's not an ITA car, but whatever. I still think it would look cool as a race car.

Josh,

You hit the nail on the head... ITB & 2500+lbs seems about right.

Add the cute hard top & a sporty paint job and I think you would have a very cool race car. But sadly FWD (I think) so it's a cool car for someone else. I will save my letter writing to the CRB for something that will "drive them to drinking."

One thing I notices was the second gen ford probe is only classed for the '93 MY but ran from '93-'97 and you might want to inclued the '97 GTS....

Secondly, maybe you'd like to consider classing the Z4 2.5 in ITR...

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Originally Posted by Z3_GoCar

Secondly, maybe you'd like to consider classing the Z4 2.5 in ITR...

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We already did. It's in the 2009 GCR.

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Originally Posted by JoshS

We already did. It's in the 2009 GCR.

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Sometime I forget that things change:D

I have the 08GCR by the computer and the 09 in the living room. I had a couple of wild ideas but they only came with self shifting transmissions. Hey how about the PT Cruiser??:p

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Originally Posted by Super Swift

... I will save my letter writing to the CRB for something that will "drive them to drinking."

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Bah. That's too easy. Find something that will make the ITAC QUIT drinking and you'll have accomplished something.

:026:

K

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Originally Posted by JoshS

Oops, guess I skipped right over it! So many Capri variants! Well, it's not an ITA car, but whatever. I still think it would look cool as a race car.

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Maybe it's me, but I always thought it looked rather like a Lego car.

Or maybe it's you and it was introduced when you were young and impressionable!? ;)

At least you've redeemed yourself with the odd, but potent BMW...

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Originally Posted by lateapex911

Maybe it's me, but I always thought it looked rather like a Lego car.

Or maybe it's you and it was introduced when you were young and impressionable!? ;)

At least you've redeemed yourself with the odd, but potent BMW...

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I parked next to one of those crapi's at work this afternoon. Around here cars are like old soldiers, their paint seems to fade away. I think if I looked hard enough I could find a chevy monza and commit ITA domination :D

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Originally Posted by Z3_GoCar

I parked next to one of those crapi's at work this afternoon. .....:D

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That's what I always called them.....

I remember a road test that called the Capri a "Lotus Elan M100 without the power or handling, and all of the reliability."

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Originally Posted by lateapex911

That's what I always called them.....

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I can call them that because I used to one a '76 Crapi II with the GM 3speed auto. It died of tin rot here in Ca how bad is that. It gave it's life so that an Opel Gt might have its drive train. I call that a noble death, but of all the old cars I do still miss that one, oh how it would smoothly spin up quickly. It once stranded me, actually I was stranded by it several times, while I was sick with a bad head cold. The fuel pump had died, and when the garage tried to install the new pump is was from one of these little Aussie capri's. Seems the parts house looked it up by application and ignored the year. I wound up leaving that shop many hours after they normally closed, because it was my only way home that night.

The EXP is an ITC car with the 1.6 engine (82-85) @ 2130.

It is also a B car with the 1.9 engine (86-88) @2415.

It is a good C car, although the Escort of the same vintage is just as good and 30 lbs. lighter.

All these puppies are getting old and sheet metal is an issue.

The Capri is an orphan...

Kind of a lark, but maybe good for discussion. When is the 1st gen Prius going to be classed and where would it fit? I doubt anyone will object to wheel widths in ITB/C with this chassis.

My first car was an 85 EXP with a 1.6; fun little car! I don;t know even then I would have considered racing it, its not sporty.

i could see the smart car coming to IT what about the scion Xa or Xb in a few years honda FIt? what do you think

i saw some sort of Kia sedan yesterday that i thought looked like a canidate for an IT something or other.

what about the Indian 3 wheeler that comes in either a truck or a passenger vehicle form?

hoop

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Originally Posted by JoshS

According to Wikipedia (and therefore, it must be true!), although it was to be a Miata competitor, it's really based on a Mazda 323.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Capri#1991-1994

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Someplace, somewhere, a Ford product planner is still wincing over this one. The car was developed in parallel with the Meotter (FoMoCo owns how big a piece of Mazda?) and there was an active attempt by Ford to kill the Mazda in favor of the Capri because "there is no market for the car."

We all know how well that turned out.

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Originally Posted by Z3_GoCar

When is the 1st gen Prius going to be classed and where would it fit?

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No manual transmission available

Maybe something from Hyundai?
Scoupe (92hp) somewhere in ITB/ITC
97-01 Tiberon (140hp) probably ITA
03-up Tiberon (134hp) probably ITA
03-up Tiberon GT (170hp) ITS?

86.5 EXP Sport coupe, had same driveline as Escort GT.

How about the 2000-2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder? I think this would be a cool race car since all of the body panels are bolt on it would make minor repair easy.

I think it would be a better as a light ITS car then a heavy ITA car?

Stock curb weight 2195lbs

1.8L
138HP
125TQ

Mid engine

Struts at all four corners?

the ZZW-31 (MR-S) would be a wonderful racecar. probably an S car, though @ ~2200#. it's one of the few sporty, small cars avaialable from the last decade that I can think of that is not classified. The RX8 being DOA and everything else seemingly ITR bound as well. It will be fun to see Nissan VQ35 cars and the 2JZ-GE lexus IS compete with the bimmers and ponies in R, soon enough.

there's tons of Korean cars - hyundais kias and daewoos that might actually keep ITC thriving into the future

1.5L hondas and toyotas (scions) should feed B/A.

if SS is any indicator, new GM "small" cars, Mazda 3, and civic Si will be fun to watch, too.

That would be a VERY light ITS car - something darn close to 2200 pounds...

K

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Originally Posted by Knestis

That would be a VERY light ITS car - something darn close to 2200 pounds...

K

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The thing is I bet it could actually make that weight, by the time you took out the full size spare and all the convertible parts.