The 1980s are hot! Atari has “recharged” the likes of Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command. Visit any airport and you’ll find travelers wearing track suits. The returns of Top Gun and Cobra Kai are notable as well. And all the Gen Xers who didn’t earn enough money working at Babbage’s are now snapping up Monte Carlo SSs, IROC-Zs, and Mustang GTs to relive their high school days. In case you missed out and need to complete your unfinished youth, perhaps our Pick of the Day will do the trick: a 1985 ASC/McLaren 5.0 SC Convertible. It’s listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Salem, Ohio.
As you may know, the Mercury Capri went from being a German pony car to an American pony car starting in 1979. Unlike the Mustang (which was available as a coupe, hatchback and, eventually, a convertible), the Capri was only available as a hatchback. That would change for 1984.
Nine years after the final Mustang convertible, a Detroit entrepreneur named Peter Muscat made a proposal to Ford: Let’s build a two-seat Mustang convertible together! However, with a convertible project set for 1983, Ford was in no need of assistance, but the automaker directed Muscat to the other side of its Dearborn HQ to chat with Mercury. Those running Ford’s corporate cousin were receptive to the proposal, so Muscat coordinated with American Sunroof Company (often referred to as ASC) as a contractor for the conversion. ASC recruited McLaren to help with the suspension and wheels.
The 1984-86 ASC/McLaren Capri was offered in several configurations, but here we are focusing on the 1985 5.0 SC Convertible, which featured a windshield with a steeper rake, custom exterior paint and accents, and a “Euro-style” manual top with Haartz Cambria cloth and a tonneau cover. This custom vehicle rolled on special 15×7-inch cast-aluminum wheels with low-profile BFGoodrich 225/50/15 tires, and McLaren-engineered springs and Carrera 50/50 shocks for better handling and a lowered ride height. Inside, upgrades included special leather Recaro seats with inflatable lumbar support, polished hardwood dashboard appliques, custom console and interior trim with special rear storage compartments, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob, and a 140-mph speedometer. Ford’s trusty and increasingly lusty 302 HO V8 was among the last of the carbureted performance Mustang engines yet mustered 210 horsepower with a five-speed that allowed the pony car to dip into the 14s, though automatics received a tamer fuel-injected job with 180 horses.
Alas, Ford discontinued the Capri pony car for 1987, but the manufacturer was impressed with what Muscat had done, so for 1987, ASC/McLaren switched to the Mustang. That ride lasted through 1990.
This ASC/McLaren Red 1985 ASC/McLaren 5.0 SC Convertible is one of 257 two-seat roadsters convertibles built (of which 100 were this hue with a tan roof). Power comes from the fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 backed by a four-speed AOD automatic. Note the Desert Sand Recaro leather bucket seats with integrated speakers in the headrests! The seller does not give us many details on this vehicle, but we do know the odometer reads only 81,405 miles. I spy power windows and power door locks, air conditioning, a tachometer, an aftermarket Kenwood stereo/cassette player, and plenty of documentation and paperwork. Do you dig the gold cast aluminum wheels?
There are some folks who were never quite able to shine in high school but got their chance in the reality of college and beyond. However, some folks will always feel something is missing. This is the car for them, a drop-top that finishes the youthful episode that never really felt completed. For $16,900, it’s a recharge a shrink could never offer.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
