Always on the lookout for new IT cars ...

[JoshS]

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?

[Knestis]

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

[JeffYoung]

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

[Ron Earp]

Wondered what kind of brakes they have...

K

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.

[Dano77]

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

[JoshS]

The Capri is a Miata in disguise.

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

[Super Swift]

Josh,

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

Ben Robertson

[Wreckerboy]

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

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.