The combination of 20 pounds of boost, 427 ci, and 1,270 rwhp is enough to make just about any power junky drool.
Add the fact that this all sits in a lightweight Fox chassis, and the excitement factor jumps up a few notches, and what started as a mild-mannered bracket car, has transformed into one serious boost-fed monster!
When Denny Reed of Blanchester, Ohio, picked up his '86 Capri, the powertrain consisted of a 306ci bullet with stock suspension. The car served as his bracket car as well as a fun street car, but that would soon change.
"I've owned over 40 Mustangs, ranging from a '79 to an '00. I love the Capri because it's so different. It's not just another Mustang," adds Denny. With big power in this Mercury's past and future, it's far from your ordinary Fox. Until 2009, a 383ci stroker powered Denny's Fox. When problems set in, the plan was laid out for something bigger with boost to take it to the next level.
"I bought the Vortech Ysi-Trim super-charger before I built the engine," explains Denny. "The car was built and the cage was done a few years ago, and it's had a few different motor combinations in it, but this engine was built around the blower." With the Ysi centrifugal supercharger in hand, he began acquiring parts to make big power.
Denny was looking for huge power but also wanted the engine to be reliable. To achieve both goals, he used a Dart block as the base for his new build. The 4.125-inch bore combined with the 4.00-inch stroke gave him 427 ci of displacement.
A forged Eagle crank uses forged H-beam rod to move the Diamond pistons, which produce 9.2:1 compression under the Edelbrock Victor Jr. aluminum cylinder heads. The air/fuel mixture is introduced to the party by a blow-through carburetor from Carburetor Solutions Unlimited. Twenty psi of boost is pushed through the carb, and the spent exhaust gasses exit through a set of Kook's headers with Hooker mufflers completing the exhaust.
When the build was initially completed, the powerplant was backed by a C4, with a 3,600-stall Hytech torque converter trans-ferring power. The C4 has since expired, and a TH400 three-speed transmission now spins the custom 3.5-inch driveshaft. Inside the 9-inch rearend housing sits 3.50 gears, which transfer power equally to both rear wheels via a set of Moser axles. Billet Specialties Comp 5 wheels sit in all four corners with Mickey Thompson Front Runners up front and 325/50R15 Mickey Thompson ET Drag Radials keeping the car hooked up out back. Wilwood brakes ensure Denny has just as much stopping power when it's time to bring things to a halt.
Once the build was complete, Denny's Capri laid down 1,270 rwhp and 1,127 lb-ft of torque, which equates to a best quarter-mile time of 8.62 at 155 mph-an impressive feat for a car that sees more street time than track time. "I built the car to drive it on the street," Denny tells us. "It drives great and handles very well. The car almost drives itself."
By the time this issue hits newsstands, Denny's Capri will be ready to hit the track and street with a new combination. Though the 427 Windsor mill will remain, the Vortech is being put on the shelf to make room for a pair of turbos. The new boost-fed powerplant is estimated to produce 1,700-1,800 rwhp though the same blow-through carburetor. With this kind of power potential, there is no doubt Denny's monster Capri is hungry!