Personal "Fleet"

My first car was indeed a Ventura, 2 photos of which are in the 1973 group.  And in 2004 I took ownership of a 1977 Ventura, which has its own section on this site.

I've also got two 1976 Mercury Capris.  The red one's got a rebuilt motor and could use some front end work to tighten it up (I have all the parts).  I got the orange one back on the road in 2005, but it recently developed some kind of 'issue' (idle speed suddenly went way down and it wants to die out while in gear...maybe a vacuum leak somewhere?).  June05

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 Capri #1, purchased way back in 1990.  This is just a base model with less soundproofing than the Ghia version, but it has a nice black interior.  Power is courtesy of a 2.8L V6 (171 cu.in.).  These cars came with dual exhaust right from the factory.
 (L) Towed off for engine rebuild after sitting in my garage for 10 years.  Is the driver waving, or whipping me the bird?

 (R) Turtle Wax "Color Back" is a freaking miracle...look at the contrast between the hatch lid and roof.  Someone offered to buy the car off me on the spot!
 Capri #2 (Ghia version), a nice freeway car.  This one also has the little V6, and it sounds just awesome.  Not much horsepower, but it sounds tough   :-)

 Look at all the crud inside the windows! This was the day after I drove it home.  
 (L) Early in the vinyl roof repair process.  Has since been completed --- you'll laugh at how I did it, but it's holding up well.  The hatch lid has already gotten "the treatment".More pics to come!

 (R) The car as it appeared new, from the dealer brochure.  Original dark brown vinyl top.
Two more views of Capri #2.  I plan to get rid of the black painted area on the bottom of the car, previous owner sprayed it just before I bought it.  Wish they hadn't.

(Images taken before refurbishing of vinyl top)  That top will eventually come off, and I'd really like to get the car repainted in Pontiac Fire Coral Bronze Metallic some day.

This car gets a lot of attention from women, whether it's an offer to buy, or someone rolling down their window in traffic asking what it is.  So it's kind of a fun car, and they are certainly very rare these days.
 First pics of my Ventura after purchase, about 1981.  Original wheel covers!  The car was absolutely stock, and I have a feeling the guy I bought it from was the original owner.

 The only exterior rust-through was here, also some minor holes at taillights.  You can thank the road salt for that.
  I prettied up the engine compartment first...yes, that is indeed FORD BLUE!!!
  Next, a nose job, wheel well work, gutted interior and taillight treatment.  The Rally II wheels have been repainted with silver over black.
 Hatch was hit with Naval Jelly, then fixed with sheet metal siding and fiberglass

 Big job: paint job rubbed out!  Driver's side is rubbed out, passenger side is not!  A huge difference if you look closely, especially on the roof.
After all the hard work, I have a nice shiny car! I still miss it today!  It was awesome for camping trips, where I could just flip down the rear seat and get a good night's sleep.
 (L) Could be an outtake from "That '70's Show" !!! Actually, around 1986...

 (R) No, this is not a maximum load test...it's my beloved car getting squashed!
 (L) Closeup of damage after the pallet incident

 (R) I suppose a lesser car would have fared worse... the  damage turned out to be only cosmetic.  But I chose to part with my 'less-than-perfect' vehicle.