Good morning! Today we’re taking a look at a couple of cool little rear-wheel-drive coupes from the Pacific Northwest, both with the same aftermarket carburetor: the common Weber DGV. Which one wears it better? That’s what we aim to find out.
Yesterday, we looked at two Swedish station wagons, and in what might be a first, the Saab has lost the vote. Was it the Opel V6? The automatic? Or the fear over finding parts to fit a completely defunct brand? Whatever it was, I guess a Saab had to lose eventually, and it’s only fitting that it lose to a Volvo.
I’m torn on this one, myself. I love the looks of the Saab, and I have some experience with a GM-era 900, which was a really nice car to drive. But then again, I have some experience with a GM-era 900, which was a colossal pain in the ass to live with. So I guess I’ll go Volvo, just because I’ve never had one before, and get to experience a whole new set of old-car problems.
If you’ve spent any time at all around four-cylinder engines from the 1970s, chances are you’ve come across one with a Weber 32/36 DGV carburetor fitted. This downdraft progressive two-barrel carb has been fitted to just about every smallish to medium-sized engine you can think of. They’re popular choices for cars originally choked with smog equipment, like the late MG and Triumph models, and they’re an easy way to work around issues with feedback carbs on vehicles like Toyota and Datsun pickups. With the right intake manifold, jets, and tuning, you can adapt them to just about anything. They’re easy to spot by their rectangular air filter.
Both of today’s cars have been modified with Weber carbs, and in both cases, I bet it was a serious improvement over the stock setup – even if one of them doesn’t exactly run at the moment. Let’s take a look.
1976 Ford (Mercury) Capri – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.3-liter overhead cam inline 4, four-speed manual, RWD
Location: Aloha, OR
Odometer reading: 20,000 miles (probably rolled over)
Operational status: Runs and drives well
In the 1970s, Ford offered a sporty two-door coupe that was smaller than its previous offerings, and didn’t have a V8 available, but it handled pretty well and had a unique style all its own. It also, for some reason, offered the Mustang II. Seriously, lots of people over the years have asked why Ford didn’t just develop the Capri into the second-generation Mustang, instead of importing it as-is and selling it strictly through Lincoln-Mercury dealers.
Fitting the V8 may have been a challenge; the Capri’s engine bay was only designed for four cylinders and the narrow Cologne V6. This one has the 2.3-liter overhead-cam four seen in millions of Pintos, Mustangs, and Rangers. In addition to the aforementioned Weber carb, I also see an aftermarket radiator and a smattering of other new parts. The seller says it runs and drives very well, and is fun to drive. I don’t doubt it.
Inside, it’s got newer seats and an aftermarket steering wheel, both welcome upgrades, and the rest of the interior looks pretty good. I feel like I should recognize those seats, but I can’t place them. If someone else knows where they’re from, please enlighten me.
Outside is where it could use some work. It’s in primer, and the seller has done a bunch of body work already, but it still has a little bit of rust to clean up, and then it will need paint. Though I suppose for this price, you could just grab a Harbor Freight paint gun and go for it. Capris aren’t rare enough to warrant a full-on rotisserie repaint, but it would be nice to see it shiny.
1979 Toyota Celica GT Liftback – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Kenmore, WA
Odometer reading: 15,000 miles (also probably rolled over)
Operational status: Cranks but won’t start, previous owner screwed something up
Speaking of Ford’s pony car, it was the inspiration for the Toyota Celica as well, originally based on the Corona platform, but with swoopy coupe bodywork. In its second generation, the Celica got less swoopy, but more practical, and gained a reputation as an excellent sporty alternative to boring economy cars, especially the Liftback body style like this.
Later Celicas distinguished the ST model from the GT by a difference in horsepower, but in 1979 they all had the same 20R four-cylinder, the engine that made Toyota’s trucks famous. This one has a Weber carb and an exhaust header, installed by the original owner, to help it breathe a little better. Unfortunately, the owner in between that person and the current seller seems to have been a bit inept, and somehow did something to the ignition wiring that’s preventing it from starting. It ran and drove well when they bought it, but the current seller bought it non-running, and it doesn’t sound like they really know what they’re doing either. I’m sure either Stephen Gossin or I, or someone else with some troubleshooting experience, could have it humming in an afternoon.
It’s in good shape generally, which leads me to believe its five-digit odometer has only rolled over once, for a total of 115,000 miles. I’m sure the dash top is cracked under that cover, and there is a bad spot in the vinyl on the driver’s seat from where the seatbelt rubs, but apart from that it looks good inside. Or rather, it would, if someone attacked it with a shop vac and some Armor-All. Presentation, people. It matters.
Outside, it’s faded, but rust-free, and features the requisite aftermarket rear window louvers. Apart from those and some cheap fog lights, it looks completely stock outside, which I haven’t seen in years. I can’t tell if the hood is ajar in this photo, or if it has a slight bend in it; hopefully it’s just the former.
By now it’s pretty well-known that I love little sports coupes like this. I’d happily take on either one of these as a project, and have a blast nursing them back to health. But as always, it’s not up to me. The decision is yours.
(Image credits: sellers)
I am still going Celica. I like the non-liftback design better, and the Capri is arguably nicer looking, once the body is fixed, but body work is the bane of my existence, however trouble shooting the Celica seems like a pretty simple affair.
I’ll take the Celica…I like those better than the Capri…at least they are both stick
I’m intrigued by the Capri, but I’m buying the Celica*.
*I’m not buying the Celica.
Although $3K is too much for a Capri in the condition, I had to vote for it. I had no choice, as my first car was a 1976 Capri, though it was equipped with the V6, and it was red.
I loved that car and kept it for 5 years. I sold it to buy an engagement ring for my girlfriend (now wife). She knows how much I liked my Capri, so 39 years later, I’m still getting good mileage out of that sacrifice.
A workmate had this Celica, it was a fine machine, so I am curious yellow.
For that money, I would have both of them. But Capri if forced to choose.
The Toyota is probably the better car objectively but I’ve never been a huge fan of that gen Celica and the ’70s Euro Capri still gives me funny feelings every time I see one.
Really prefer the Capri, but better condition of the Toyota and what must be a fairly easy fix vs rust (I’ve dealt with enough of that), makes the Celica the winner for me.
Our family owned a 1980 Celica in yellow like that. I christened it the banana mobile. We got t-boned by an old dude running a red light and the car was never the same after that even though we kept it another 8-9 years.
I want to love the Capri, but I don’t trust cars owned by people who don’t bother to hose the thing off for photos. What other ways have they been neglegent?
That’s just unfathomable. Why you wouldn’t get out a blower, or even just a freakin’ broom…
Or, so people don’t wonder if it actually runs, move it from the spot where it has been parked for who knows how long.
Also, looking closely at the rear license plate, it hasn’t been registered since April of 2021, so…
I went for the Celica, but that Capri is all right. Dunno if I could sort out the Toyota either, but it’s a car I could actually see keeping around. The Capri is something that’d be fun to drive but I’d wish had a little more power. A 6 cylinder with that manual would be fun.
This is tough. Toyota seems like less work. Toyota always wins.
I’m partial to British Fords having owned a mk2 Escort sport, so I voted Capri. It’s so cheap compared to the price they go for around the rest of the world, it’s almost worth buying just to export it.
I would be tempted by the Celica, but two owners and it still does not run is a red flag. I bet it is more serious than a wiring issue. The Capri for me.
I learned this lesson back in the auto-body days. Just say no to anyone showing up with a ride already in primer that “just needs paint”. We tried this on a custom Chevy truck for a local dude who had the paint already purchased as well. “Just need to squirt it!” We prepped and painted it as instructed and the final result had more waves than a Copacabana sidewalk. The guy was all pissed off about the result and didn’t want to believe that his own bodywork skills were truly that shitty.
Yellow Celica today, I don’t mind wiring work.
Capri all day any day. I have a ’77 in the garage with a Ford 302 and a T5 swapped in. (It’s actually pretty easy to make it fit, fox body Mustang oil pan and factory headers along with brackets from Team Blitz for the engine, a ’94-95 Mustang T5 (deeper bellhousing than earlier versions) and a piece of angle iron for the new transmission crossmember.
I’d love another one.
I see that Capri each day. The picture from the rear view, you can see in the top left a beautiful little 90’s SR5 Toyota with clean graphics. That is the one that I salivate over.
Too many hard Boogie Nights for “The Sexy European.”
I’m ordering Asian.
This is a no brainer for me. A rust free celica with a 20R? Hell yes. Fix that wiring in an afternoon and then don’t drive it in salt. It’ll last forever.
Yeah, gotta go with the Toyota, my small Honda fleet needs some competition, and I’m much better at wiring than I am paint and body work. Once can be done in my driveway, the other needs dedicated shop space or just a blatant disregard for being good, and the Capri deserves better than that.
I love how hyperspecific this theme is!
Heart says Capri, right finger on the “vote” button says Celica. Neither one is a bad (or good) choice.
I like the Capri better, but as dumb as I am, I’m not dumb enough to buy a primered car that’s been getting rained on. That’s going to end poorly. Celica for me, thank you.
I’d happily drive either, but went for the Toyota for nostalgia’s sake as a friend of my father proved his claim that he could safely double the speed on ‘Sharp Curve’ signs with Dad & I in the car one evening—fun for young me.
No wrong answer here, but I went Capri. I can do body work, but I haaaaate electrical gremlins.
This is a real what if….
What if the Capri had the V6 – winner
What if the Celica was a 1977 with the sexy mini-Mustang body rather than this dad-bod model – also a winner
As is, neither is great but I hate body work, so Toyota.