Many people have fitted Rover V8s, American V8s and the Cosworth V6s into the cavernous engine bay of the Ford Capri. In fact there are few engines that haven't been put into the Capri. But the cost of 2nd hand engines varies over time, sometimes different engines just seem more appealing than the tried and tested ones. As time goes on, newer engines from the '90s become plentiful in scrapyards and so it becomes possible to get far more technology and power for a reasonable price.
My first attemp at installing one of these was a 530i engine :
There are certainly some gains to be had in terms of £-per-bhp for a cheap low mileage BMW V8 but the downside is that reconditioning these engines can be a cost-prohibitive compared to older V8 designs. So when they're broke they tend to get binned because the parts are expensive.
The cars they came from are at an all-time low price for '93-'97 models and they'll probably keep getting cheaper. The engines are low weight, high bhp/litre, and can give good fuel economy for their power.
The problems are the Nikasil/Alusil liners, front sump position, lack of manual gearboxes, lack of cheap spares, and lack of available information on the design and the electronics.
The most difficult part of this swop is the sump and oil pump position being totally wrong for the Capri (and most other older RWD cars) and a lack of room caused by the wide heads which makes the exhaust and access to everything else down the sides of the engine bay very awkward. I hope this site gives some useful advice and inspiration for anyone contemplating this swop or any similar conversion.
More recently i've fitted a newer M60 B40:
Legal disclaimer - i've tried to be as accurate as i can with all the info on this site but i can't be responsible for any problems caused by it's application. I'm no professional, just a bloke with a spanner and too many ideas!
For a conversion with far less headaches i'd suggest a 350 Chevrolet or 302 Ford. And for a cheaper and easier conversion the Cosworth V6 from an old Scorpio is hard to beat.
