Yes, the Caprice was one of the best cars made, just not *THAT* nor *THOSE* Caprices; the last generation, with the option code 9C1, last year of production (1995 or 1996) with the LS1 is one of the best cars GM ever made...
I refuse to buy anything that already has anything but a radio/cd player in the dash. I'm sure the supply of relatively cheap older cars will eventually dry up but I've never owned anything newer than 2006 and I'm aiming to keep it that way. I'd like to be the one driving the car thank you very much. If there's information I can't access with a cheap OBD II scanner then the car has too many doodads and whatsits. All this tech is cool from an engineering standpoint but I don't want to deal with it. If it's any more complex than a double overhead cam, variable valve timing and variable length intake runners then keep it.
As a teen in the fall of '76, a HS friend of mine bought a really nice, one owner '71 Impala 350 from a couple who had just gotten a new '77. Apparently the dealer didn't offer them enough for the '71 on trade, so when the new '77 came home the '71 was evicted from their one car garage and parked on the street in front of their house with a "for sale" sign on it. We happened to be driving by, saw the sharp, 2-door sport roof (hardtop) '71, knocked on the door, and after checking the car over a deal was struck for $1200. Great car. I always liked the 2 door, non-vinyl roof hard top Impalas. They were more rare than the more formal roof, concave rear window, pre-'77 Chevy B-bodies, and to me are reminiscent of the early '60s bubble tops.
My father had a '79 sedan, with the 350 V8. That thing could have been taken into combat and done very well. 143,000 miles and never a problem, just tires, brakes, plugs, fluids and other wearable parts.
This is the iconic American car. It has everything Americans want. I was working at a Chevy dealer when these were still in production and our customers loved them. I rarely saw them in the shop, but we had plenty of Citations and Chevettes to work on.
A roommate had it's Pontiac cousin, the Parisienne. You could fit three actual sized humans in the back comfortably. It was great for road trips. It was built for highway cruising.
I got to dtive a lot of these working at a Chevy dealership in the late 80s. They were built well and did everything well that sedans and wagons were supposed to do
Had a new 77 Impala, dark blue. Very nice car overall, roomy, rode well. Had F41 suspension. Extremely stable and good handling. The downside…lots of bugs. Alternator problems, AC problems, transmission problems with TH 200, intermittent wipers stopped working. The 305 was very tame and a little overworked, given the weight of the car. Rust perforation on lower rocker panel after 5 years. It was a great concept, but my example was a disappointment. Maybe I just had a lemon.
@@danam0228 yes, have heard that, and believe it. On the contrary, bought a Nissan Maxima in 1989, first year out, and it was hands down the best car I’ve ever owned, to this day. Kept it 14 years, should have kept it longer. Replaced with Nissan Altima, still driving it. Such a reliable car with 127,000 miles. The late 80s and 90s, early 2000s were kind of the golden age of reliability for many models, it seems to me. Doubt that is true today for most.
My first car was an 85 Caprice, white with dark blue top and interior and the 305 V8. It was already 11 years old when I got it, only one owner before me and it was in great shape. Cruised like a luxury yacht.
I had an aunt that owned 4 of them: 1977, 1982, 1985, and 1987. She went with a Buick LeSabre in 1992 and back to the Caprice in 1996. They were some great cars.
Always found it interesting that the police version (RPO 9C1) used the same 190-hp TBI 350 as the dull-size trucks & vans. Tip: Swapping heads to the replacements offered for the Formula 350 Firebird nets a substantial boost on performance... no PROM reprogramming required!😊
I had customers with these that decided to trade them for the new front-wheel-drive X-bodies in 1980 and I cautioned them not to buy those the first year. (Or the second, etc.) They did anyway, and in a short time they had problems. I just reminded them of all that traction they got in the snow and the gas they saved. One guy was a salesman, and he asked me what to do about this. I said that Chevrolet still makes the Caprice. He bought a new Caprice in 1987 and drove that car for 6 years after that and bought another and had that when he retired. Those cars had some of the nicest interiors you could buy in a passenger car. GREAT VIDEO!
I’m 6’2 and sitting in the back of a caprice was better than the front of most cars. Especially anything newer. Those old cars were great on long trips
My first car was a 1987 Caprice which was a previous taxi cab. I got it cheap since the miles were over 500,000. I drove her for another 200,000 miles and sold her. I miss my Caprice. Took me through college. These were very safe cars to drive. They dont make cars like these any more.
One of these cars somehow ended up in Italy where my uncle could buy second (or maybe third) hand. I remember practicing my driving on it once... It was like driving a boat 💀 but honestly this is such an iconic car
One of my favorites from the late 70s and 80s GM cars. My parents owned these as well as myself. These Box GM cars were very comfortable and reliable to own .
The 1990, killed Caprice sales with the door mounted seatbelts, you thought you were securely in your car, and the door could open and you'd fall out of your car, (with seatbelt on).
My dad had a beautiful two-tone sliver and black Caprice. Unfortunately, it was a diesel. GM replaced the head gasket at least once, and finally the whole engine. My dad finally dumped it and bought a VW Rabbit diesel that I eventually took to college. We put a quarter-million hard miles on that Rabbit before it died!
They should bring back the Chevrolet Caprice wagon. Had a Pontiac Le Mans banana yellow. Loved it. Could haul just about anything if you did not have a truck. Popup rear facing set was great. Only problem was facing backwards, there was always some fool in a boat tailgating us. Lol. Seriously though, the cargo areas in those were excellent.
These models are one of my favorite chevrolets, among some pickups I owned as well. Dad bought few chevrolets during the years, and they ran and ran. Dad bought a 1977 4 door(new), fairly well equipped 4 door, all power accessories, cruise, tilt wheel, truck release, intermittent wipers, nice sound system, and more, with a 305 (145 H.P.), and F41 suspension. This car accelerated as good as my 1973 el camino with a 350, and the horsepower was rated the same--but 1973, was severe smog years, for the el camino. This car was built solid, and I love the handling with the F41 suspension--ready--I think it was around a $19.00 option at that time. He had bought a used, 1975 Impala from a friend who was quit driving, for a work car, less equipment and a small block 400, which surprsing accelerated well, the car ran fine--but seriously when I sat in it, it was like a battle ship, but it ran well, and gave him years and tons of miles with no problems. We loved the 1977 so much that in 1989, he bought the same caprice again(new), with just maybe 2 more additional options(which I don't remember), a 305 cubic in, which the power was around 170 horsepower with a 4 barrel carborator. I liked the car, only it did not have the F41 suspension, to me was a major plus, but dad drove it, not me and loved it. Dad drove that car 28 years, until he passed. My friend needed a car, so I gave it to him with over 250k miles, and the last I knew he was still driving it. The 1977 thru 1990 were very good years for Caprice. I have heard, there were issues with the electronics on the 1980--which was the first year those cars went from basic--to some electronics(because I was in business and dealt with lots of customers). But for it's time chevrolet, really put together a fantastic car.
My dad had a beige 79 for a while. Somebody who had it put box speakers in the back window. And it had a four foot antenna mounted center of the trunk. People would t pass him fearing he was an unmarked cop car
My dad gave my brother a 87 Caprice brougham for college on '06. Didn't like it or took care of it. Then, he gave me the car in '07 and I ended up selling it in 2021. Really good car that gave me no problems.
Every kid who rode in one of these remebers how hot the seat belt buckles got in the summer and how horrible sounding the turn signal switch was. It would literally make your ears bleed. I remeber the days we floated down the road in these abysmal boats. They were some of the best days of my life! These were amongst the worst cars ever made in history but they always worked, were cheap and easy to fix and parts were everywhere
I have owned,5 Caprice station wagons, from 1985 to the last 1990 witch was white with a blue interior, I sold the 1990 in 1995 with a profit. In Stockholm. Were i worked at the time. Great cars
It's a shame that there was never a convertible during the years in which they made the 2-door coupes otherwise. I've seen convertible conversions of the '77, and it's a knockout! A gorgeous, sleek, sporty full-size car, far superior than the bloated 1971-'75 Impala then Caprice convertibles that preceded them. I do love the '71-'75 convertibles, even if I sound like I'm contradicting myself. They were the last of their kind, forever. Also the last to have the open 2 and 4-door coupes as well that I miss.
I hate to say it, but in the late 90s and early 00s, these were the #1 car to steal in my area. I recall people putting Clubs on steering wheels, wheel locks on, aftermarket Chapman alarm systems, underhood cable operated bolt locks with 'safe type keys', removable stereo head units and more to try to avoid theft or break ins. In 01 a friend of mine had an '88. Her insurance kept rising to the point she couldn't afford it and she sold it in 03.
I hated those cars, but it's all my maternal grandfather would ever drive, even after the engine blew in his last one at 35,000 miles. He was so upset when they turned them into ball bugs making them look like Kaiser Manhattans.
Some of the engine options from from the 80s were kinda sketchy, but that was true of all the American car companies at the time. They were struggling to get a handle on the gov mandated fuel and emission standards.
It really is 'the car'. I love the look and the feel of these. I do prefer the very simple basic normal four door sedan. Tragically America was not capable to keep this model going and updating it on the engine front. The are no needs to update the exterior, it's perfect as it was right from the start. What I never understood was how America got so little power from a 5 liter V8.
Even now in 2024, this car would still sell well---if anyone needs proof of that, just look at how well full-size 4 door trucks and SUV's are doing today. They've basically become the Caprice replacement. Great episode
I think Chevy, Pontiac, Olds, Buick and Cadillac all did a commendable job downsizing their cars in '77, these turned out to be some of the best/most reliable road cars GM ever made and we DESPARATLY need something like them again - then they went n dropped the ball BIG TIME in '85! 🙄
I had a basic one that was navy blue. I got it used for 500 bucks. My funniest memory of that car is one day I was running late to work so I was a little heavy on the foot so I would run up on a car in front of me and they would so down to a crawl thinking I was a cop. I remind you I was running late to work. Lol
Interesting, GM Holden at time of mid 80's had square shape WB which would be end of era of Legendary Kingswood also with arrival VN smooth, rounded design came with EFi 304 5.0lt V8 with power 165kw over 200hp. Holden was definitely ahead to Chevrolet until LS1.
Lord oh Lord Chevrolet bring back the Caprice you might think it would be foolish but let me tell you you would have more customers in the showroom then you could handle $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The Green Machine - our family's 1977 Impala. No aircon, 305 V8. Built to take it and ask for more. It was in the family for 20 years, It was THEN sold to a local taxi company where it ran even longer, until it met its demise in an accident. The GM B bodies of this era were the paragon of American automotive engineering IMHO. (Er, maybe the Ford Panther platform too ...)
Not sure I agree with you on size. While the caprice is styled big, when you see one on the road it's actually not much bigger than a 2024 honda accord for example. The accord is 195.7 inches and the caprice was 212. That's only 14 inches longer. The caprice was 75 inches wide with the accord is 73.3. Just over an inch narrower. The accord is 57 inches tall and the caprice was 58.2, so only 1 inch more. The styling looked much bigger but in reality not that much bigger than a modern car. I sure miss the two tone paint choices and the awesome luxurious cloth interiors
I personell had a 1977 Chevy Caprice Coupé some years ago. A very unusual Coupé for Germany. Lovely car, but really too big for our roads and sadly a real money waster. Even my 1971 Rolls Royce had a better fuel cunsomtion.
If GM can sell thirsty, expensive full size pickups today, it surely could sell full size Caprices today (2024) with optimal V-6 engines. Problem is, federal fuel efficiency mandates don't permit this for passenger cars.
I think the Crown Victoria replaced the Caprice with a better car. I think I remember the Crown Vic rapidly replacing even the 1990ish Caprices in police fleets. The only place the Caprice managed to linger after the Ford came out was some cab companies. I honestly feel the Crown Victoria has the greater legacy and greater impact even if it has a shorter production period. But I do really like the Caprice.
Too bad the fuel injected 305 or 350 were not offered on the wagons. While the 307 olds motor was smooth and reliable so incredibly slow in the wagons, I’ve had several . Great cars anyways. Thanks for the videos.
I couldn't bear to see one rotting in a local yard myself... So I resurrected the neglected wagon and made quite a few "special modifications". She'll make it point five past lightspeed. .. Now she gets driven on the daily, making new cars look stupid, and taking my family reliably all over New England. What a machine.
Авто/Мото
The Caprice was one of the best cars GM ever made. I miss those days.
Yes, the Caprice was one of the best cars made, just not *THAT* nor *THOSE* Caprices; the last generation, with the option code 9C1, last year of production (1995 or 1996) with the LS1 is one of the best cars GM ever made...
You mean LT1!!!@@AnnatarTheMaia
@@jsun9196 I do.
@AnnatarTheMaia You're wrong, of course, but i'm sure that's something you've become used to.
@@melissacarterpresley5786 I'm seldom wrong, and those who do not listen to me usually get severely busted by life.
I miss cars like this. You can keep these new rolling computer screens.
Hate the computer screens
I refuse to buy anything that already has anything but a radio/cd player in the dash. I'm sure the supply of relatively cheap older cars will eventually dry up but I've never owned anything newer than 2006 and I'm aiming to keep it that way. I'd like to be the one driving the car thank you very much. If there's information I can't access with a cheap OBD II scanner then the car has too many doodads and whatsits. All this tech is cool from an engineering standpoint but I don't want to deal with it. If it's any more complex than a double overhead cam, variable valve timing and variable length intake runners then keep it.
You can keep your low horsepower, unreliable, cheap quality brick on wheels
wuh oh my 94 caprice wagon has an lcd speedometer. But I hate all the new tech. I may eventually
go to carb'ed some day
Yeah! Who on earth would want a car that's easy to repair with cheap and widely available parts with a span of 20 years!? That makes no sense to me!
I ordered one in November of 76 got it in March of 77.. owned it for 30 years..sold it in march of 07..wish i hadn't now..
You will receive the car back in March of 2027, for it is written.
@@WinterInTheForest I could only hope..lol..
As a teen in the fall of '76, a HS friend of mine bought a really nice, one owner '71 Impala 350 from a couple who had just gotten a new '77. Apparently the dealer didn't offer them enough for the '71 on trade, so when the new '77 came home the '71 was evicted from their one car garage and parked on the street in front of their house with a "for sale" sign on it. We happened to be driving by, saw the sharp, 2-door sport roof (hardtop) '71, knocked on the door, and after checking the car over a deal was struck for $1200. Great car.
I always liked the 2 door, non-vinyl roof hard top Impalas. They were more rare than the more formal roof, concave rear window, pre-'77 Chevy B-bodies, and to me are reminiscent of the early '60s bubble tops.
I have my grandfathers 1987 Caprice Classic Brougham in my garage to this day. Original family car. I still drive it, beautiful car...
Do u want to sale it
The Caprice was one of the best cars GM ever built. My dad owned 2 of them.
My father had a '79 sedan, with the 350 V8. That thing could have been taken into combat and done very well.
143,000 miles and never a problem, just tires, brakes, plugs, fluids and other wearable parts.
This is the iconic American car. It has everything Americans want. I was working at a Chevy dealer when these were still in production and our customers loved them. I rarely saw them in the shop, but we had plenty of Citations and Chevettes to work on.
Lol don't knock on the Chevettes 😊 lol !
Aww man i I miss the Box Chevy!! I've always loved these cars, especially the two-door coupes!!!
1977 Motor Trend Car of the Year.
Have you seen some of the Chevrolet winners for COTY From 1971-80? Vega, Monza, and Citation. What a steaming pile.
@@KevinWindsor1971 Perhaps, but they got this one right. With those others, the idea was good, but the execution wasn't.
Always a good day when OldCarMemories uploads a new video =)
I agree 👍
Drove one with the F41 suspension. What a ride!
Best of the best years for GM when it came to reliability, those were the days!!!!
A roommate had it's Pontiac cousin, the Parisienne. You could fit three actual sized humans in the back comfortably. It was great for road trips. It was built for highway cruising.
Had an 87 with the 305 man that car was smooth 👌
Possibly best car GM ever produced. We had a 77, 86, 90.
I got to dtive a lot of these working at a Chevy dealership in the late 80s. They were built well and did everything well that sedans and wagons were supposed to do
Had a new 77 Impala, dark blue. Very nice car overall, roomy, rode well. Had F41 suspension. Extremely stable and good handling. The downside…lots of bugs. Alternator problems, AC problems, transmission problems with TH 200, intermittent wipers stopped working. The 305 was very tame and a little overworked, given the weight of the car. Rust perforation on lower rocker panel after 5 years. It was a great concept, but my example was a disappointment. Maybe I just had a lemon.
@@johnlandacre767 sorry to hear of all the problems. They used to say don't buy car 1st year car comes out
@@danam0228 yes, have heard that, and believe it. On the contrary, bought a Nissan Maxima in 1989, first year out, and it was hands down the best car I’ve ever owned, to this day. Kept it 14 years, should have kept it longer. Replaced with Nissan Altima, still driving it. Such a reliable car with 127,000 miles. The late 80s and 90s, early 2000s were kind of the golden age of reliability for many models, it seems to me. Doubt that is true today for most.
I just saw a light blue Caprice Classic in mint condition driving down my block thinking how lucky that guy was. Thanks for the thorough video.
My first car was an 85 Caprice, white with dark blue top and interior and the 305 V8. It was already 11 years old when I got it, only one owner before me and it was in great shape. Cruised like a luxury yacht.
I had an aunt that owned 4 of them: 1977, 1982, 1985, and 1987. She went with a Buick LeSabre in 1992 and back to the Caprice in 1996. They were some great cars.
Those '76 Chevys were truly boats but they road so smooth. I can still smell the vinyl seats 😅
In 1986 I bought a 79 caprice and it was indestructible I slept in it with the engine running all night!! Best car ever ❤
lucky u! dont do that anymore, carbon monoxide emmited from the engine can kill u
I STILL see them even Now on the road...
That's a pretty Good testament to me.
In twenty years time you wont see todays cars around the electronics ensure they wont last.
@@the_bunse They're designed now to be Disposable essentially. Auto Manufacturers don't want a car to last for 80 years like in the past.
Being the proud owner of an '83 Caprice Classic Station Wagon, I wouldn't trade that sturdy girl for the world.
these were the best cars gm made
Those were the days...
If there was one thing GM could do well back then it was build big solid rear wheel drive cars.
I'm proud to own 1980 caprice coupe, and 1985 wagon,,
Always found it interesting that the police version (RPO 9C1) used the same 190-hp TBI 350 as the dull-size trucks & vans.
Tip: Swapping heads to the replacements offered for the Formula 350 Firebird nets a substantial boost on performance... no PROM reprogramming required!😊
I miss the big wagons. The SUV craze killed them.
they lives on in europe
Actually, Minivans killed them.
@@DTD110865 for sure. That segment completely slipped off my radar.
One of my favorite cars.
I got 2 of em! and a 79 Impala, amazing cars
I had customers with these that decided to trade them for the new front-wheel-drive X-bodies in 1980 and I cautioned them not to buy those the first year. (Or the second, etc.) They did anyway, and in a short time they had problems. I just reminded them of all that traction they got in the snow and the gas they saved. One guy was a salesman, and he asked me what to do about this. I said that Chevrolet still makes the Caprice. He bought a new Caprice in 1987 and drove that car for 6 years after that and bought another and had that when he retired. Those cars had some of the nicest interiors you could buy in a passenger car. GREAT VIDEO!
I’m 6’2 and sitting in the back of a caprice was better than the front of most cars. Especially anything newer. Those old cars were great on long trips
The infamous box Chevy
The LS Brougham of 1987-90 was a good car and the 305 made over 20mpg. People kept them forever and used them up.
My first car was a 1987 Caprice which was a previous taxi cab. I got it cheap since the miles were over 500,000. I drove her for another 200,000 miles and sold her. I miss my Caprice. Took me through college. These were very safe cars to drive. They dont make cars like these any more.
Good looking, comfortable, and you could actually throw it around pretty well for a big car. Loved those.
One of these cars somehow ended up in Italy where my uncle could buy second (or maybe third) hand. I remember practicing my driving on it once... It was like driving a boat 💀 but honestly this is such an iconic car
I see these and suddenly I’m seven years old again, watching a local cop car cruise by…
I had 2 86 caprice police packages loved them
I had several and I would pay a pretty penny for one in the condition that I had in the 90's!!!!!
Beautiful
One of my favorites from the late 70s and 80s GM cars. My parents owned these as well as myself. These Box GM cars were very comfortable and reliable to own .
Fascinating information.....
Getting my 90' in the beginning of fall. Few months yet. Awesome video..My favorite cars
The 1990, killed Caprice sales with the door mounted seatbelts, you thought you were securely in your car, and the door could open and you'd fall out of your car, (with seatbelt on).
My dad had a beautiful two-tone sliver and black Caprice. Unfortunately, it was a diesel. GM replaced the head gasket at least once, and finally the whole engine. My dad finally dumped it and bought a VW Rabbit diesel that I eventually took to college. We put a quarter-million hard miles on that Rabbit before it died!
My father sold his 1984 Caprice to my mom when her car got totaled. After that, the only thing he would drive for the rest of his life was a Cadillac.
From 1977 to 1981 in Canada, the full size Chevy was also called Bel Air.
Got my license in an '81 Caprice Sedan.
They should bring back the Chevrolet Caprice wagon. Had a Pontiac Le Mans banana yellow.
Loved it. Could haul just about anything if you did not have a truck. Popup rear facing set was
great. Only problem was facing backwards, there was always some fool in a boat tailgating us.
Lol. Seriously though, the cargo areas in those were excellent.
I grew up with 2 B-body cars. 81 Caprice Classic wagon and the 87 Pontiac version, the Safari wagon. Miss those cars
Great car... Very iconic
I remember my dad buying a Chevy celebrity in 83... I wanted him to buy the Caprice
And I was 12
Sure it was more expensive tho .. my dad was frugal
I bought an 84 Caprice Estate wagon in 85, with the 305 FI engine. Was a beautiful car getting 24 mpg.
Never have liked much from Chevy, but these were beautiful cars in the 1980s.
These models are one of my favorite chevrolets, among some pickups I owned as well. Dad bought few chevrolets during the years, and they ran and ran. Dad bought a 1977 4 door(new), fairly well equipped 4 door, all power accessories, cruise, tilt wheel, truck release, intermittent wipers, nice sound system, and more, with a 305 (145 H.P.), and F41 suspension. This car accelerated as good as my 1973 el camino with a 350, and the horsepower was rated the same--but 1973, was severe smog years, for the el camino. This car was built solid, and I love the handling with the F41 suspension--ready--I think it was around a $19.00 option at that time. He had bought a used, 1975 Impala from a friend who was quit driving, for a work car, less equipment and a small block 400, which surprsing accelerated well, the car ran fine--but seriously when I sat in it, it was like a battle ship, but it ran well, and gave him years and tons of miles with no problems. We loved the 1977 so much that in 1989, he bought the same caprice again(new), with just maybe 2 more additional options(which I don't remember), a 305 cubic in, which the power was around 170 horsepower with a 4 barrel carborator. I liked the car, only it did not have the F41 suspension, to me was a major plus, but dad drove it, not me and loved it. Dad drove that car 28 years, until he passed. My friend needed a car, so I gave it to him with over 250k miles, and the last I knew he was still driving it. The 1977 thru 1990 were very good years for Caprice. I have heard, there were issues with the electronics on the 1980--which was the first year those cars went from basic--to some electronics(because I was in business and dealt with lots of customers). But for it's time chevrolet, really put together a fantastic car.
I currently have a 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic 2Door Coupe, 28k original miles, all original 😊
Best historical automotive channel out there!
My dad had a beige 79 for a while.
Somebody who had it put box speakers in the back window. And it had a four foot antenna mounted center of the trunk.
People would t pass him fearing he was an unmarked cop car
My dad gave my brother a 87 Caprice brougham for college on '06. Didn't like it or took care of it.
Then, he gave me the car in '07 and I ended up selling it in 2021. Really good car that gave me no problems.
I remember when my dad replaced his rusted out 1973 Caprice with a brand new 1978 Caprice Coupe. Years later he gave it to me.
Every kid who rode in one of these remebers how hot the seat belt buckles got in the summer and how horrible sounding the turn signal switch was. It would literally make your ears bleed. I remeber the days we floated down the road in these abysmal boats. They were some of the best days of my life! These were amongst the worst cars ever made in history but they always worked, were cheap and easy to fix and parts were everywhere
I agree with all of that, wish i still had my 1988 caprice!..
My mom owned a 1982 Caprice Classic 4 door, and I bought a 1986 Caprice Classic Brougham 4 door in 1992 that had only 42,000 on it.
This car is still one of the most popular car in chicago cars clubs..
I have owned,5 Caprice station wagons, from 1985 to the last 1990 witch was white with a blue interior, I sold the 1990 in 1995 with a profit. In Stockholm. Were i worked at the time. Great cars
It's a shame that there was never a convertible during the years in which they made the 2-door coupes otherwise. I've seen convertible conversions of the '77, and it's a knockout! A gorgeous, sleek, sporty full-size car, far superior than the bloated 1971-'75 Impala then Caprice convertibles that preceded them. I do love the '71-'75 convertibles, even if I sound like I'm contradicting myself. They were the last of their kind, forever. Also the last to have the open 2 and 4-door coupes as well that I miss.
The coupe was actually dropped after 1982, but brought back for 1984
Love these cars, but hate the modern day "ghetto car" reputation it has.
Even back in the 80s and 90s many were ghetto cars.
I hate to say it, but in the late 90s and early 00s, these were the #1 car to steal in my area. I recall people putting Clubs on steering wheels, wheel locks on, aftermarket Chapman alarm systems, underhood cable operated bolt locks with 'safe type keys', removable stereo head units and more to try to avoid theft or break ins. In 01 a friend of mine had an '88. Her insurance kept rising to the point she couldn't afford it and she sold it in 03.
It makes me sick to see those 20" inch wheels on them 🤢
Some of those painted wild body colors did catch my eye from time to time.
The $2,000 wheels on the $1,000 car🤮
In 1987, Caprice wagons got an Olds Motor, that had 30 less horsepower than the Coupe and sedans 305.
I hated those cars, but it's all my maternal grandfather would ever drive, even after the engine blew in his last one at 35,000 miles. He was so upset when they turned them into ball bugs making them look like Kaiser Manhattans.
Some of the engine options from from the 80s were kinda sketchy, but that was true of all the American car companies at the time. They were struggling to get a handle on the gov mandated fuel and emission standards.
I remember these cars when i was very young because they just came out and everybody had them. Especially old people... at least in my neighborhood.
F41 sport suspension ,gauge package 350 LM1 1977-79 did like the 80 refresh
It really is 'the car'. I love the look and the feel of these. I do prefer the very simple basic normal four door sedan. Tragically America was not capable to keep this model going and updating it on the engine front. The are no needs to update the exterior, it's perfect as it was right from the start. What I never understood was how America got so little power from a 5 liter V8.
I would welcome any example of the Caprice seen here into my garage!
Even now in 2024, this car would still sell well---if anyone needs proof of that, just look at how well full-size 4 door trucks and SUV's are doing today. They've basically become the Caprice replacement. Great episode
I think Chevy, Pontiac, Olds, Buick and Cadillac all did a commendable job downsizing their cars in '77, these turned out to be some of the best/most reliable road cars GM ever made and we DESPARATLY need something like them again - then they went n dropped the ball BIG TIME in '85! 🙄
The 79 Caprice Classic is only 3 inches longer then a modern Honda Accord 4 door seadan sport
I had a basic one that was navy blue. I got it used for 500 bucks. My funniest memory of that car is one day I was running late to work so I was a little heavy on the foot so I would run up on a car in front of me and they would so down to a crawl thinking I was a cop. I remind you I was running late to work. Lol
It's always a good day when a new OldCarMemories production drops.
Grandfather had one
Interesting, GM Holden at time of mid 80's had square shape WB which would be end of era of Legendary Kingswood also with arrival VN smooth, rounded design came with EFi 304 5.0lt V8 with power 165kw over 200hp. Holden was definitely ahead to Chevrolet until LS1.
not big as it was but still kinda big i miss the fender skirts.
I remember the skirts were also on on the Pontiac Bonneville Brougham. Both were beautiful cars.
Lord oh Lord Chevrolet bring back the Caprice you might think it would be foolish but let me tell you you would have more customers in the showroom then you could handle $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
when the headliner drooped down it was like driving in a sultan's tent. Very luxurious
Ok, troll.
The Green Machine - our family's 1977 Impala. No aircon, 305 V8. Built to take it and ask for more. It was in the family for 20 years, It was THEN sold to a local taxi company where it ran even longer, until it met its demise in an accident. The GM B bodies of this era were the paragon of American automotive engineering IMHO. (Er, maybe the Ford Panther platform too ...)
Not sure I agree with you on size. While the caprice is styled big, when you see one on the road it's actually not much bigger than a 2024 honda accord for example. The accord is 195.7 inches and the caprice was 212. That's only 14 inches longer. The caprice was 75 inches wide with the accord is 73.3. Just over an inch narrower. The accord is 57 inches tall and the caprice was 58.2, so only 1 inch more.
The styling looked much bigger but in reality not that much bigger than a modern car.
I sure miss the two tone paint choices and the awesome luxurious cloth interiors
This is when GM was General Motors.
Today's GM stands for General Mechanic.
This is a real car...
Not today's plastic fantastic car's or SUVs
Still the best, raunchiest and most grabbing intro on RUclips!
I personell had a 1977 Chevy Caprice Coupé some years ago. A very unusual Coupé for Germany. Lovely car, but really too big for our roads and sadly a real money waster. Even my 1971 Rolls Royce had a better fuel cunsomtion.
The Box Chevy is the best. I'll take the police package any time. I ALSO loved the station wagon too.
If GM can sell thirsty, expensive full size pickups today, it surely could sell full size Caprices today (2024) with optimal V-6 engines. Problem is, federal fuel efficiency mandates don't permit this for passenger cars.
WOW
I think the Crown Victoria replaced the Caprice with a better car. I think I remember the Crown Vic rapidly replacing even the 1990ish Caprices in police fleets. The only place the Caprice managed to linger after the Ford came out was some cab companies. I honestly feel the Crown Victoria has the greater legacy and greater impact even if it has a shorter production period. But I do really like the Caprice.
Stylish box
Too bad the fuel injected 305 or 350 were not offered on the wagons. While the 307 olds motor was smooth and reliable so incredibly slow in the wagons, I’ve had several . Great cars anyways. Thanks for the videos.
I couldn't bear to see one rotting in a local yard myself... So I resurrected the neglected wagon and made quite a few "special modifications". She'll make it point five past lightspeed. .. Now she gets driven on the daily, making new cars look stupid, and taking my family reliably all over New England. What a machine.
Gotta ask one more time, where can I find the chords to that great opening riff? 👍
The styling of the 'box Chevy' was heavily influenced by the 1976 model year Cadillac Seville.
Slab it down with some swangaz, fifth wheel and CC grill with bang in the trunk beating up the block.