You can learn a great deal about your Capri from the information on the identification plate under the hood.
The first thing on the plate is the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). It will look something like GBECTM98765. The first letter identifies the country that produced the car (actually the country of the Ford division that controls the production plant, not the actual plant). The second identifies the actual production plant. Possible letters are:
VIN Prefixes
| GA | Cologne, Germany |
| GB | Genk, Belgium |
| GC | Saarlouis, Germany |
| BB | Halewood, England |
The vast majority of US cars came from Cologne, Germany. Halewood, England normally produced only right hand drive cars for the British market, but there is some anecdotal evidence that a few early Capri 1600s were produced there for the USA.
The next two letters are the model code and are always EC, which indicates the Capri.
The next two letters are a date code, indicating the year and month the car is produced. They are interpreted as follows:
Date Codes
| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | KL | LC | MB | NJ | PL | RC | SB | TJ |
| Feb | KY | LK | MR | NU | PY | RK | SR | TU |
| Mar | KS | LD | MA | NM | PS | RD | SA | TM |
| Apr | KT | LE | MG | NP | PT | RE | SG | TP |
| May | KJ | LL | MC | NB | PJ | RL | SC | TB |
| Jun | KU | LY | MK | NR | PU | RY | SK | TR |
| Jul | KM | LS | MD | NA | PM | RS | SD | TA |
| Aug | KP | LT | ME | NG | PP | RT | SE | TG |
| Sep | KB | LJ | ML | NC | PB | RJ | SL | - |
| Oct | KR | LU | MY | NK | PR | RU | SY | - |
| Nov | KA | LM | MS | ND | PA | RM | SS | - |
| Dec | KG | LP | MT | NE | PG | RP | ST | - |
The sequence actually continues past August, 1977, but no European Capris were produced for the US market after this date.
The digits are simply a sequence number, and they have no special meaning. The factory simply assigns them in order from 01001 to 99999, and then starts over from 01001.
The sample VIN thus indicates a Capri produced in Genk, Belgium (a Ford of Germany plant) in March, 1977.
The remaining details the identification plate varies somewhat from year to year, but they all contain basically the same information.
The box marked “Motor/Engine” contains the two character engine ID code, which will be something like “NA”. Engine codes for US Capris are:
Engine Codes
| Code | Nominal Displ | Type | Compression | Years | Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L1 | 1600 | OHV I-4 | 8.0:1 | 1970-71 | Kent |
| L4 | 1600 | OHV I-4 | 7.5:1 | 1971-72 | Kent |
| NA | 2000 | SOHC I-4 | 8.2:1 | 1972-74 | Pinto |
| NB | 2000 | SOHC I-4 | 9.0:1 | 1971 | Pinto |
| PV | 2800 | OHV V-6 | 8.6:1? | 1977? | Cologne |
| PX | 2800 | OHV V-6 | 8.2:1 | 1974-77 | Cologne |
| UX | 2600 | OHV V-6 | 8.2:1 | 1972-73 | Cologne |
| YA | 2300 | SOHC I-4 | 9.0:1 | 1976-77 | Lima |
| Y8 | 2300 | SOHC I-4 | 8.4:1 | 1977? | Lima |
The engine code will also be stamped on the somewhere engine block, followed by the date code and 5 digit sequence number from the VIN. This will result in something like “NA TM98765”. If the numbers do not match the ID plate, the engine has been swapped! Alert readers may have noticed that the example indicates a 2000cc low compression engine in a 1977 Capri, which is invalid for the USA.
Incidentally, the US engines represent only a tiny fraction of the engines used in Capris. If you run across one with an engine code that is not on this list, it may be a European model that was imported privately.
We don’t have authoritative data on the “PV” 2.8 engine or “Y8” 2.3 liter engine. If you have a Capri with these engine codes or if you can provide any other information, please e-mail Larry.
The box marked “Getr/Trans” contains a 1 character transmission ID code. Possible transmission codes are:
Engine Codes
| Code | Model | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1970-74 | All 4 speed manual transmissions |
| 7 | 1971-72 | Borg-Warner Model 35 automatic |
| B | 1976-77 | 4 speed manual |
| C | 1972-74 | Ford C-4 automatic |
| D | 1976-77 | Ford C-3 automatic |
The box marked “Achse/Axle” contains a 1 letter rear axle code. Possible axle codes are:
Axle Codes
| Code | Ratio | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 3.89 | 1970-72 | Light duty |
| V | 3.89 | 1970-72 | Heavy duty |
| Q | 3.44 | 1971-73 | |
| S | 3.44 | 1972-77 | |
| R | 3.22 | 1972-77 | |
| L | 3.09 | 1976-77 | Some 1974 also |
The box marked “Farbe/Colour” contains the paint code, while the one marked “Polst/Trim” contains the interior color code and material code. These codes changed almost every year, so they are difficult to sort out. We’re working on it!