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Modifications

There were several well known engine builders who  took the Capri and made a few modifications, giving the engine a boost and adding a bit more meanness to the styling.   Some  such as Broadspeed are well known and the well documented 'Bullit' is a name that is easily recognisable as belonging to a specially modified Capri.  The Uren Commanche is another as is the LuMo modified Capri, Basil Greene Perana but there were more.  Jeff Uren not only had the Commanche in his stable of modified Capri's but he also shoed in a V8 and named it the Stampede, ever seen one?  No me neither.  ( More information on these cars will be available soon)
 
BROAD SPEED BULLIT CAPRI 
THIS Capri was probably one of the most exciting Capri’s of the early 1970’s, apart from the RS2600, RS3100, Commanche 190, Atlard V8, Lumo Capri and Perana Capri (the last four modified by specialized firms).  It’s called the Broadspeed Bullit.  It was first available in early 1970.  Based on either a 3000E, 3000 GT and also a 1600 GT.  As Broadspeed was a Ford dealer they could price the Bullit competitively with the standard range.  These were the prices for a 1971: £1995 for the 3000E, 3000GT was £1825 and £1575 for the 1600 GT.  The Bullit was definitely not a kit because you could only buy the Bullit as a complete car. 


The modifications were as follows: Stage 2 engine conversion, which involves modified cylinder heads, high lift cam shaft, new gasket and bearing, re-choked and jetted carburettors, new inlet manifold and a redesigned exhaust system.  Suspension mods include Armstrong Adjustable 22 telescopic shocks at the rear.  At the front smaller roll bar was fitted to reduce the cars normal under steer.  Brake pads were DS11’s these considerably improved stopping power.  Externally, the front end was altered.  This entailed the deletion of the front bumper and replaced with an anti-lift spoiler.  The lighting included quartz iodine Cibie headlamps and fog/spot lights built into the spoiler.  At the back of the car the rear window had louvers.  To complete the Bullits macho look was a top-side two tone paint job. 


Broadspeed has a choice of worthwhile extras.  Among them were Minilite Wheels, (most shod with Goodyear’s), Restall Bucket Seats, Electric Fan, Air Horns, small diameter leather steering wheel, alternative centre console to the standard and stereo cassette player. 


As you can see there was plenty to choose from.  The electric fan was considered then to be essential rather than an extra.  This was due to the increased power making the standard work extra hard. 


One of the Bullits strong points was its mind-blowing performance.  Read on and you will soon see why:- 


The Bullit could reach 60 mph in just 7.2 sec’s compared to pre 71 Capri 3000GT’s 10.2 secs.  Maximum speed was past the 126 mph barrier in calm conditions.  A quarter of a mile could be done in 16.1 sec’s or in other words it could steam down the local high street in the same time (Sunday’s only). 
To get this kind of performance into perspective I am afraid I will have to mention some deadly rival to the Capri.  The Porsche 911T could just do 0-60 in the same time as the Bullit, but the Bullit could beat an Aston Martin (shock horror) a Jenson FF (ha ha) and a Triumph TR6 (too bad) to 60 mph so there!!  Please note the performance figures were tested on an early 3000 Bullit before Ford up rated their engine so the performance would be even better. 


I suppose you all want to go out and buy one now.  Well there are not many about so you will have to be careful what you buy.  The 1600 Bullit is probably the rarest.  Don’t be fooled by some shark selling a sooped up Capri as a Bullit, beneath all those extra’s and spoilers it could well be an ordinary Capri.

 

   M.P.H     Prod 128 bhp Prd 138 bhp Uren-Wes 170 bhp Broads 185 bhp Oren-Wes 190  
  Capri ’69 Capri’71 Capri’70 Capri’71  Capri Cauto  
 0-30  3.0s   2.7s  2.5s 2.8s 3.9s  
0-60 0.2s 8.2s 7.9s 7.2s 8.1s  
0-80 7.8s 13.8s 13.8s 12.9s 12.9s  
0-100 39.6s 24.6s 24.0s 23.2s 20.9s  
Max MPH 114 122 121 126 126