Sometimes it takes a significant event to influence us to finish something we started a long time ago.
That's what happened to Herbert Blouin Jr. and his '85 Capri. Herbert had been working on it, but it wasn't until after Hurricane Katrina hit his home state of Louisiana that he put the final touches on his Merc.
Herbert bought it from a friend as a roller in 2001. Just to get the car running and driving, he dropped in a stock 5.0L with an "F" cam, a C4, and 4.30 gears. On a 175-shot, the car ran low-11s. He ran it with that combination for about a year before beginning the long-term transformation that would lead to the striking finished product.
Looking for more cubes, Herbert began by contacting his fellow Louisianans at Meyer's Racing Engines in nearby Marrero. There, Meyer's built a 408ci stroker using an Eagle crankshaft and rods, and Ross pistons. The 13.1:1 compression ratio short-block was then topped off with Meyer's-worked Edelbrock Victor Jr. heads (1.60/2.05) and a Victor Jr. intake manifold.
Meanwhile, he added ignition components from MSD, headers by BBK Performance, and suspension components from QA1, UPR, and Lakewood. He beefed up the 8.8-inch rearend with a spool, 4.30 gears, and 31-spline axles--all from Moser. Once in-hand, Herbert installed the engine and backed it with a Performance Automatic C4. He finished it off with a Holley carburetor and tuned the combination himself.
Not long after, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina made its way through the Gulf of Mexico and toward Herbert's hometown of New Orleans. With a few clothes, family heirlooms, and his family in tow, he prepared to abandon The Big Easy and all of his remaining possessions--including his Capri. But his wife, Gina, convinced him to take the Cat with them to Houston.
By 2006, the Blouin family had moved to Katy, Texas, in the aftermath of Katrina. Thankful that Gina convinced him to take the car, Herbert found the time and money to put the finishing touches on this funky Fox. He had the body refinished in Jalapeno Red by DC Eagle Paint & Body, and added the Hole Shot wheels and Mickey Thompson tires.
On motor, Herbert's Capri has been a best of 10.28 at 130 mph with a 1.40 short time. He added a 250-shot of nitrous with a Cold Fusion Nitrous system (www.coldfusionnitrous.com), and has been a best of 5.80 in the eighth-mile at 119 mph. Herbert is expecting to see some low-9-second timeslips, and is hoping to get back out to the quarter-mile soon.
Though everything Herbert and his family left behind in New Orleans was either water damaged, vandalized, or stolen, they picked up the pieces and made a new start in Texas. Like Herbert, his Capri also found a whole new life. What started as an empty shell over 10 years ago has now become a force to be reckoned with.