(Unless otherwise stated, the pictures in this post are taken from Google image search)
This COAL is dedicated to my oldest son Samuel, who first came home in this car.
In our house, my long departed 78 Caprice was an object of reverence. That car personified good times, road trips, friendships and coming of age. Anytime I brought up my past, the car was inevitably included in my stories. It was a legend that occupied a place of honor in the Lore of Fred. In my eyes, the Caprice could do no wrong. I never regretted giving it up because it was in the spirit of friendship that I let it go, but in my heart I knew I wanted to have another Caprice someday.
Introduced in 1990 as early ’91s, GM radically restyled its surviving full-size, rear-wheel drive B bodies. In addition to the new rounded look, the cars also gained anti-lock brakes and a driver’s side airbag. The new look was very polarizing. People either loved them or hated them. As for me, I remember the day an auto transporter delivered them to Multi Chevrolet in Union, NJ. I had no idea which Chevy it was….. a Lumina, maybe? I had to go find out. When I learned it was a Caprice…I got goosebumps! I loved the new look! The Caprice name had always meant something to me, and I was very pleased that the car had been modernized to go with the times. Yes, it had an airbag and ABS, but still had V8 power and rear-wheel drive! It even had a cameo in my favorite movie at the time, Days of Thunder. From that day on, I wanted one!
Not the actual car or car dealer
One day, while driving home from work in my Plymouth Acclaim, I passed a used car lot where I saw it. The gray 1991 Chevrolet Caprice with 63,000 miles filled my heart with desire. To me it represented the Caprice of my youth as well as the Caprice body style I always wanted. I wanted it at all costs! Because I had no money (as usual), I traded in two cars, my ’92 Acclaim, and ’91 New Yorker, for the Caprice. It was not an even trade, as more cash was required by the seller for it to be mine. I gladly ponied up (how much, I am embarrassed to say). I knew I paid more than it was worth, but I didn’t care at this point. I even let them talk me into paying extra for the warranty.
Driving home in the car of my dreams, I was on cloud nine! I absolutely loved it…it was all I expected and more. I had to swing by Mom and Dad’s to show off my prize!
Thank God they were not home since what happened next would have been really embarassing. As we were leaving their house, the Check Engine light came on. Then it began to lose power and finally stall. It restarted but could not be kept running at idle. I had to either keep going or put it in neutral and give it some gas. We headed right back to the used car lot only to find that it had closed for the day. We headed over the next day, and I could not have been happier that I allowed them to talk me into getting the warranty–as it turned out, the car needed a new Electronic Control Module (ECM), which was nowhere near cheap. It was replaced at no cost to me, and the car was finally in good running condition.
For 1991, the restyled B bodies came standard with the 5.0-liter 305 V8 with TBI Injection, otherwise known as the LO3. This engine was rated at 170 HP with 255 lb-ft of torque. Taxi (9C6) and police (9C1) package vehicles had several options: Most had the 5.7-liter 350 V8, also with TBI injection, known as the LO5 and rated at 180 HP with 290 lb-ft of torque. Rarer still (and I’m not even sure of its authenticity) was a 4.3-liter 140 HP V6 (not to be confused with the 4.3 liter L99 V8 from 94-96) offered for fleet use only in 1992-1993. I read about only one documented vehicle with this engine many years ago, but I have not seen any pictures or read about any others that still exist. For 1992-1993 the LO5 V8 became optional on sedans and standard on wagons. There was also the LTZ version, which was essentially a police package car but with all the luxury trimmings, and the precursor to the 94-96 Impala SS. The 94-96 vehicles came with two new and more powerful engine options based on the Corvette LT 1 engine, which will be discussed in a future COAL.
You can always tell a ’91 model by its black B- and C-pillars and black door handle trim. Later models wore them in body color. My car was a Caprice, as opposed to the better equipped Caprice Classic pictured above. The base Caprice was equivalent to Biscaynes of the past, but this one’s previous owner had opted for power windows and locks, and the car was air conditioned.
The interior was very 1962. Horizontal speedometer, idiot lights (although LTZ models had a full set of gauges) and a front bench seat. I must say, the seating was very comfortable and wonderful for long trips. After a long day at work, it was wonderful to plop down into that seat at the end of the day. The air conditioning, on the other hand, was pretty weak despite the fact that it had recently been filled and sealed with new refrigirant. It was fine in the late spring or early summer, but when the temperature rose above 90, it was embarrassing and ineffective even when set to maximum.
Just like on my first Caprice, the trunk was pretty enormous. Needless to say, interior space was generous as well. I regularly carried six people in the car without feeling terribly cramped.
I did very much appreciate the torque on the 305 V8. Off-the-line pickup was good, occasionally even chirping the tires…not that I minded, of course. It was fun blowing away Neons and such at traffic lights. Its main problem was that it ran out of breath quickly. I remember following my parents in their 2004 Camry on the highway. Accelerating on the on ramp was fun and I was on their bumper until about 80 MPH or so. After that, I could still keep up with them but I noticed the engine working hard to do so.
It made a great daily driver. It was comfortable, reliable, and relatively low maintenance. Here it is pictured next to last week’s COAL.
In 2004, our first child, Samuel, was born. We took him home in the Caprice. It soon became obvious that this was the perfect car for him. The large trunk could easily hold his stroller, his play pen, and whatever else he could possibly need. Its spacious interior could accommodate the cumbersome rear-facing child seat that newborns require AND carry additional passengers in comfort. Most importantly, its sheer heaviness and tank-like construction made us feel safe transporting our most precious cargo.
The writing was on the wall. My wife would be taking over the Caprice since she was home with Sam. Here she is, posing with her new daily driver. As for me, I had not yet gotten B-bodies out of my system, so I sold the Cavalier in order to get my next daily driver, the subject of next week’s COAL.
I’ve seen 1 or 2 Caprices with 4.3 badges, but they don’t give you a clue as to which engine….6 or 8 cylinder.
If I was buying a 90s Caprice, it would have to be an early one as the later/exposed rear wheel models look too cheap somehow.
Favorite Caprices? A late 70s/early 80s downsized sedan or coupe, a 67 sedan or coupe…but leaning more to the coupe with these 90s not so much a favorite as a car that I wouldn’t hate to own.
The factory 4.3L badges were fitted to the front fenders (between the wheel wheel and front bumper) of the 1985 – 1990 Caprice and 1985 Impalas with the 4.3L V6 LB4 engine.
the 4th picture is a Chevy Caprice model kits by Revell. It was intended to be a simple snap kit as either taxi or police car, but someone modified it nicely into a civilian model.
Revell retooled the Caprice to Impala SS many years ago, and eventually it became this.
Revell saw much more potential then the GM board for the 1991-96 B-body.
There also some 1991-96 Caprice converted into El Caminos as well.
http://forums.finalgear.com/tg-us-specific-episode-discussions/01×05-december-19th-2010-a-47325/page-5/#post1547313
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/showpost.php?p=2155284&postcount=8
It’s a shame Chevrolet never made an El Camino out of the Impala.
Great article jeff! My family has owned 4 B-Bodies over the years, plus one Panther wagon.
Question: Have you heard of the ’91 Caprice Limited Edition? Red side moulding, black window surrounds and the MT ’91 badge?
I’ve always liked this generation Chevy Caprice. Both the sedan and the station wagon were good looking vehicles. I was extremely disappointed when Chevrolet discontinued this generation Caprice.
I remember when I first saw this generation Chevy Caprice. Although I liked the previous generation Caprice Classic, I knew it was getting long in the tooth, and a replacement was long overdue. When I saw the Caprice, I remember thinking “finally, a worthy replacement for the ageing body. I liked this in both sedan and station wagon. I’d give anything to buy one, or at least go for a ride in one. 🙂
I got a 93 caprice wagon for sell 3000.00 it has the 5.7
Sweet looking car. I’d buy one if I didn’t already have a car. I hope it goes to a good owner. 🙂
My father’s last car – a big burgundy whale, which I named Moby Grape. I owned it for about two months after the funeral, traded it in on a new Dodge Daytona.
The only time in my life that I’ve owned a traditional American car (actually ‘owned’ is a misnomer, as I never transferred the title knowing damned well I wasn’t going to keep it).
I liked his Buick Century a lot more, and kept it a while longer.
“Moby Grape” – That’s priceless!
I remember in the early 80s there was a girl in my school class whose parents drove a ´77 Caprice Classic Sedan in two tone blue metallic paint. It was a dreamboat. Whenever her parents brought her to, or picked her up from school with this huge car, I was dying from envy. All the other German parents come in their middle class sedans and wagons, and every now and then this blue vision came warbling and bubbling around the corner with its V8 sound that gave me shivers.
One day, Nicole´s (that was her name) parents picked her and me and some other kids up from a birthday party to drive us all home. I remember us three sitting on this ultra wide rear seat bench in bright blue velours. The car moved forward in complete silence and seemed to hover instead of roll over the asphalt. I was in complete awe.
My first visit to the US was in 1990.
When I saw all those second generation Caprices on sales display at JFK airport (If I remember correctly the sticker said $ 19.000), and then took one of those models as a taxi to the city, it was quite a let down.
Fred, I’m glad you got to own a car you’ve always wanted, and it’s even better that it lived up to your expectations and fulfilled your family’s needs.
For this generation Caprice itself, I’ve never been a fan, even since my childhood when these cars were new. The look was just too rounded and bloated for my tastes. The “aero” 1992 Crown Vic and Grand Marquis were better-executed in my opinion, and had marginally better interiors. For Chevys, I’d prefer a more crisply-styled 1990 Caprice Classic Brougham LS.
I almost purchased a new, left-over 1991 Caprice Classic (burgundy/burgundy cloth) that had been discounted down to around $14,000. I went with a slightly used ’91 Park Avenue instead that was considerably more. The PA was new for 1991 as well.
These new Caprices didn’t come off too bad, in my opinion, in the upscale Caprice Classic trim. The wider wheels and tires were a vast improvement over a base Caprice with thinner, often seen black-wall tires, and standard wheel covers. In regular Caprice trim, this set-up reminded me of a ’60’s Canadian Pontiac with its wide-track body mounted on the narrower Chevrolet chassis – an awkward look indeed.
Mr. Bill
With the right (dark) color… and trim… and wheels….and from very specific angles, these look sleek. But get it from just the wrong angle and it’s one of the most ungainly modern designs short of a Citroen. The 95-96 versions with the open wheel wells looked visibly lighter, but it instantly looked like any other generic ’90s sedan at that point. I like the bold original “theme” they were going for, even if it didn’t translate into the real 3D world perfectly. I understand why people fall in the ‘hate’ camp, but I don’t.
I recall reading a comparo from around 1994 between a loaded LT1-powered version and the equivalent Crown Vic, and it was clear that the Caprice was the better car objectively. Sharper handling, faster, way more backseat room, same smooth ride. You’ll notice there weren’t many Crown Vic police cars in the 1990s – departments only switched en masse in 1997 cause it was all they had left!
It’s too bad GM didn’t continue to sell and develop this platform into the 21st century like Ford did. Obviously, there wasn’t a permanent future for this genre of car, but they cancelled it right as it started to get pretty good. Damn Suburbans!
The rear wheel well was opened starting in 1993 on the Caprice sedans. The wagons, Roadmaster and Fleetwoods kept their skirted rear wheels till the end of 1996.
Yeah, but I was mainly thinking of the version with the updated rear quarter windows from 95-96. The 93-94 models with the”old” quarter windows combined with the “new” open wheels was a terribly ugly mash-up of conflicting themes – better to ignore those years when looking back at this car.
Being a fan of skirted rear wheels, I was terribly disappointed when they restyled the rear arches in ’93. Quite liked these cars in their original format, but they lost some of the luster with the ’93 refresh. (Though I still would not turn down an Impala SS…)
My ex drove a ’91 CC for a few years, from say 2009 to 2013, until someone T-boned it in an intersection and that was that. It had been pristine, bought from elderly neighbors that took it on trips but drove their pickup daily.
I considered one of these as a family car when I started having babies in the late 90s. I went with a Mercury Sable wagon instead. I should have bought the Caprice.
Good article. One note though, the 9C1 L05 was rated at 195 hp and 295 ft-lbs, only the civi cars for the 180 hp version. Further in 1992, the L05 on 9C1 models increased to 205 hp.
Thanks for the clarification. A further side note: after 1979, Mustangs and Camaros were pressed into police service as highway interceptors since the police sedans of the day could barely break 110 MPH and had 0-60 times far over 10 seconds. Even in the late 80’s they could barely break 120 MPH.
When introduced, the 1991 whale Caprices were revolutionary because they were the first police sedans in over a decade to hit 130 MPH. The last police sedan that did this was the 1978 Plymouth Fury. It would take the aero Vics until 1995 before they could match this. By that time the LT1 Caprices were breaking 140 MPH. (Data from Michigan State Police annual police car tests)
Yes, the 1991 Caprice was the first police car tested in a long time to hit 130 MPH. This was almost entirely due to aerodynamics. The 1990 Caprice had essentially the identical drivetrain, but it’s poor aerodynamics cost it some speed at the top end.
The ’90 ran 0-60 in 9.4-9.6 or so, topping out at 122
The ’91 was geared taller, hitting 60 in 9.9 and going 130
Interestingly, the ’91 also had a 305 option with 2.56 gears, giving the 305 version 0-60 in 12.3 instead of 11.2, but 124-128 mph top speed instead of 113-114 with 3.08 gears.
Source: Sanow, Chevrolet Police Cars 1955-1996 and my memory
😉
That is exactly right, the Caprice had a very low drag Ed .320. The previous car was something like .485 that resulted in increased fuel economy, without a doubt.
The theme for the design, was done by Ben Salvador. It was the first full-size car that he laid out. As he had worked in the advanced studios for a while before transfer to CHEVROLET to studio. The police cars looked fantastic because they had big tires. It’s nice to see that a car that many of the designers who were all car enthusiasts worked very hard on.
It was only going to be for Chevrolet, at 300 units per year. When the proving Ground wanted a camouflage version my assistant, Dave Mcintosh did a mock up in cardboard over the roof, and that was shown to Buick, who then wanted to have a caprice version also, the next step was for Cadillac of course, also, Oldsmobile only wanted the station wagon version which they sold as a Vista Cruiser.
DICK RUZZIN, CHIEF DESIGNER, CHEVROLET 2 STUDIO.
Mr Ruzzin ;
LEOs still remember those PPV’s fondly .
I used to know the RPO # and common part #’s by heart .
Al of L.A.P.D’s Chevrolet PPV’s had the 350 engine and were quick not to mention stout .
-Nate
Oh thank you for reminding us of Dodge St Regis!
The Chevy Caprice is one of the most common civilian and municipal cars ever produced, with over a million on the road as there peak, but they with continue to decrease as there age increases.
Owned a 77 and the badge said Impala but it seemed identical to about a million caprices. Never owned the second generation because I was too busy running the wheels off that until after y2k. Once dumped a vette to make room for my son so know how you feel. Probably a good idea. The kid is still around and the car likely was parted out years ago.
The “Bubble” body style just never really appealed to me . I bought an 84 Caprice from an estate. In my opinion, it had to be the best car I have ever owned. I didn’t stay on top of the annual oil,spray. My wife drove it daily, through 9 Canadian winters, Both kids learned to drive with it. By 1997 the rust monster got the upper hand. I went through a couple of FWD Grand Ams. They did the job, but not like the Caprice.. I bought a W Impala as part of my GM retirement package. Thinking it may match the 84 ? Close, but no cigar.
Today I own a 14 Impala LT. Nice enough? Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I have no choice, but to keep it.
I don’t think it will ever live up to the old B Caprice…Time will tell.
“Most importantly, its sheer heaviness and tank-like construction made us feel safe transporting our most precious cargo.”
not to be a wet blanket (which means I’m going to be a wet blanket,) but just because it’s body on frame doesn’t mean it’s a tank. Witness what happened to Jack Baruth when his Town Car got T-boned by a Hyundai.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2014/01/you-have-questions-i-have-some-answers/
http://morrowcountysentinel.com/news/home_top/3298680/UPDATE—Saturday-accident-on-SR-229-results-in-multiple-injuries
Just because that happened to Jack Baruth doesn’t mean it isn’t a tank either. I got t-boned in the b pillar on my ’87 Panther (Crown Vic) which should be less safe than Baruth’s at 40 mph by an oncoming new Accord. I walked away and the frame was unbent by the body shop, allowing the car to be driveable again. The Accord’s airbag failed to inflate on impact and the driver was taken away in an ambulance.
“His Town Car got T-boned by a Hyundai” – more like “he slid into a Hyundai’s front-end”. Ford’s weren’t as safe as GM’s, most people knew this.
Jack slid sideways into a car traveling at an estimated 40-50 mph while he was traveling at a similar speed. The car held up quite well considering the speeds involved.
Agreed ;
These were indeed great cars ~ we ran them in the Municipal Fleet and had little troubles no matter what Department had them .
The Cops simply loved them as did the bottom feeders who snapped them up in droves when sold off for under $1,000 ~ they loved the skirted wheel wells and slammed them , chopped them , customized them beyond belief then drove them into the ground in a few short years , the only ones I ever see in Cali. are Gray hairs puttering ’round in some garage kept low mileage beauty .
My self , I preferred the late 70’s through early 80’s version .
I remember seeing the V6 Taxi version in a gas station , he was checking the oil and I zipped over to see as this was the one I’d heard about but never saw before . sort of like a Unicorn in the flesh .
FWIW , the only reason Ford got it’s foot in the door was B.O.F. construction ~ no other reason , they’d been cheaper to buy for several years .
-Nate
I remember reading that various police departments in my home state of Maryland worked hard to keep these Caprices in service as long as they could as the 92-97 Crown Victoria were considered inferior in both durability, ride comfort and room. I agree with this assessment as I have driven 91-96 Caprice, Roadmaster and the short lived Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and in all if i put the diver’s seat all the way back, I could barely touch the pedals (and I am 6 ft 1in tall) by contrast sitting in the driver’s seat of a 92-97 Crown Vic and Grand Marquis made me feel like I was Bubba Smith trying to learn how to drive in a Honda Civic in the first Police Academy movie.
I recently got to drive a 2004 Grand Marquis and it still felt cramped. (I love the Panther cars but what a gross mismanagement of space in those cars.)
A bit off topic but the Baltimote PD had quite the problem with the Ford Taurus:
https://books.google.com/books?id=3ubSrMROTIoC&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&ots=g8P3DZn2-V&focus=viewport&dq=ford+taurus+police+car+baltimore&output=html_text
Yes , Leon ;
For a while there was a booming cottage industry re building these fine cars for smaller Police Depts.
Then GM decided to stop making door hinges and other high mileage parts and that was that .
-Nate
Not sure what the issue was there–my father is 6’4″ and didn’t even slide the seat back to the rearmost position of the track in their ’97 Crown Vic. I’ve since gained possession of that same car and I feel like it has all the room in the world. Granted I’m only 5’10” but I’m not sure how it seemed so cramped to you. It’s my third panther BTW, I’ve also owned an ’03 Marauder and ’91 Crown Vic.
Inferior in ride comfort, I could see. But durability, look how many older panthers are still on the road. Room, well the back seat was short on leg room, I’ll give you that one…but I’ve never heard a complaint about the front seat room.
The issue is one of Physiology ~ I’m 6′ tall and have short legs @ 34″ inseam , my height is all in my trunk so I almost never have troubles fitting into smaller vehicles .
-Nate
Nice write up and the 91-96 Caprice is one of my favorite vehicles, but I never knew any came with a V6. Because of the Caprice Jumanjii and Godzilla were much more enjoyable to watch. One of these days I am going to buy a Caprice and I am not sure if I should get a 9C6, 1A2, or a 9C6. However, I will get a bumper sticker that reads “CASH FOR CLUNKERS SURVIVOR.”
Yep…Jumanji is one of the reasons I fell in love with the Caprice
When these were introduced I remember stopping by “Coad of the Road” Chevrolet to see one sitting in the showroom. My feelings about it were quite mixed.
Quite soon thereafter, there was an article in the “Southeast Missourian” newspaper about how the city of Cape Girardeau was purchasing about a dozen of these for police use. One of these was the first I ever saw on the road. I was at a park there in town, watching a ballgame, and heard sirens approaching. It was one of the new Caprices. It was so different from what people were used to, the ballgame came to a stop as people watched that Caprice blast through the park. There were numerous comments of “What was that?” and “Holy cow, that is ugly!”
Maybe the appearance wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but that city of 35,000 still had some of those cars in the fleet when I moved away from the area a second time in 2001. Any car that can endure a decade of daily patrol use is a good one.
Great write up as I can relate with my 94 Caprice Classic purchased new with the rare 4.3 V8 . It took my triplet girls home from the hospital back in 2001 . Back in 94 wanted a Impala SS model so bad but all dealers were asking over list .The dealer I purchased this car from wanted $5000 over list . So my wife and settled for a light gold Caprice with aluminum wheeels and handeling package with a discount and rebate from our GM credit card it was around $19.500. I love this car though today it sits in my driveway suffering from opti spark and water pump problems I can not get myself to part with it but my wifes harping to get rid of it is getting me ready to change my mind.
Actually the 4.3l engine offered in the 94-96 Caprice was not a V6 but a V8. It was coded L99 and externally it looked like the 94-96 LT1. In fact folks called it the Baby LT1
Here is a posting on it.
http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/22932-43l-baby-lt1-v8/
It seems to have been outfitted in many fleet Caprices and taxis. Since it looks so much like the LT1 the only way to find out if it was in the car was to look at the underhood plaque and the VIN number.
The 4.3L V8 L99 engine was standard in all 1994 -1996 Caprice sedans, even with the police and taxi packages. In a civilian Caprice you had to order the V92 tow package to even get the LT1. In the police and taxi cars, the LT1 was a stand alone option.
It’s funny how you remember the buff books description if certain cars. In ration to this I remember distinctly the headlines “no longer the Roseanne Barr of automobiles” and “Chevy’s classy, glassy building block”.
Chevy couldn’t stand still with the boxy body style. At the end it looked dated in a world full of Taurii and cab-forward Chryslers. It wasn’t a totally successful update but a good try.
To European fans of US cars (such as me), these Caprices sure look nice. Especially the early ones with skirted rear fenders, I just cannot fathom why anyone wouldn’t like them..
Although it’s only been a month since I purchased my first American car (a ’97 Tahoe) and I like it a lot, I’m already thinking what my next American will be – and most likely, it will be a Caprice. Although the ’77-’90 generation would be lovely, too, I think I would still rather have one of the ‘bathtub beauties’.
In USA, many of these probably fell victim to the infamous Cash For Clunkers which pisses me off to no end.
Remember seeing one at BK Chevrolet in Brooklyn, NY right after the new style came out. I was with a friend-another car guy and we just stared at it for about a half hour from the street because the showroom was closed. We used adjectives like “beautiful”, “awesome”, “incredible”, “bitchen”, and the likes to describe it. Light years ahead of the ” box” in the looks department. Twenty four years later, it still looks great. A big car-and proud of it. I`ll take a minty one anyday.
I like these better now than when they came out. I had loved the 80s boxes, from the big Cadillacs down to the Caprices and Crown Victorias and Gran Furies. The rounded and more plasticky looking successors at both Ford and GM initially did not appeal at all and I applauded the ’90-’92 Cadillac for keeping the old style alive.
Today, I realize this was an attempt to build competitive, modern-looking big cars not only to compete with Ford’s restyle but also to stay “hey look, these have power, efficiency, and aren’t just for old people clinging to designs from the 70s”. So, while I still don’t see them as being quite as nice, I can understand and appreciate them more.
That effort succeeded in that we have yet to see more efficient, aerodynamic, powerful, and up-to-date BOF RWD cars. Piloting an L05 or LT1 powered barge that gets 25 mpg and accelerates from 0-60 about 6 seconds faster than its 307-powered predecessors is a real breath of fresh air. However, these failed in that the designs lacked the proportions and timelessness of their Mitchell-esque predecessors and came off somewhat lumpy and ugly in every version, or just had weird stuff like the Roadmaster putting the ventiports on the sail panel. What on earth were they doing over there? Also the interiors were a step down, even if they were a nod to modernity the quality wasn’t there. In the end, I think it’s harder to build a big car with modern aero designs. The fact that most “big” cars today still lack the proper proportions confirms this, at least in my view.
I am very familiar with these cars- I got paid to drive these during my career in law enforcement. Ours had the LT1 engine and they were the fastest cars (except for the Mustangs) that I ever drove on the job. The styling was not exactly to my taste but man would they run! It was way to easy to spin the tires on take off. The braking and handling were great, these were tough old machines. Our cars were the equivalent of the SS. These were so much better than the 4.6 Crown Vics that replaced them, those were smooth, quiet, and soft riding but 4.6 can’t compete with 5.7 cubes. I’m not a sedan guy but these would make a great family man muscle car.
The 4.6 couldn’t hope to compare to the 5.7–that’s one area where Chevy clearly won. Better than the 4.3 and even the 5.0 305, but light years behind the LT1 and the early ones were still inferior to the L05 350.
Ford should have dropped the InTech 32V variant of the 4.6 in the P71 cars. Now *that* would have evened the playing field, and time has shown that engine to be just as durable as the 2V 4.6. Price, however, may have been a complicating factor!
I saw one of these beauties with 6-7 high-schoolers crammed inside the other day in Cedar Rapids. It looked a lot like the one in the picture at the top of this column — a little muddy, just off the gravel and into town. As someone who cruised around often at that age in late-70’s/early 80’s GM sedans, it warmed my heart.
I never understood this generation of Caprice. I was a fleet mechanic for 36 years, with a city fleet department. I started in 1977, same year as that generation of Caprice came out. at first I didn’t care much for it, being a vintage car enthusiast. It was so much smaller and different looking then the ’76. But over the years I learned to love it. Once in a while I would take one out for a road test after working on it, just to throw it around a few corners. It actually handled very well. They were also easy to work on, and stone reliable. Rarely ever did one come in for anything but routine service. They were the perfect fleet car, and for personal use, they were still available as a 2 door. Either way I thought they had class and style. I was horrified when I saw the ’91 model. In ’91, the Ford Crown Vic still looked like a car. GM had created the first full sized eggmobile. And those rear fenders made you want to get out the angle grinder. They later fixed the rear fender, but I never learned to like this model, and still don’t. I remember them being more trouble prone and harder to work on than either the ’77-’90 models or the Crown Vic, even the newer egg shaped ones. After a couple years, the city gave up on them, and bought only Crown Vics. Several Caprice police cars had to be towed in due to mechanical issues. Even GM gave up in ’96, ceding the large car market to the Crown Vic and Mercury Marquis.
The l99 4.3 v8 was a turd, it could be had in the caprice sedan and wagon as well as the Oldsmobile and the Buick sedan and wagon and it like the lt1 suffered from the optispark problem. I never understood the lt1 fetishism
The L99 was only available in the 1994-96 Caprice sedans. Fleet Caprice wagons (1A2 package) could have the L99 engine as well. Oldsmobile stopped the Custom Cruiser after 1992, and the Buick wagons, like the Chev civilian wagons only came with the LT1.
Yep the Olds version had the LO5 as the top engine. I heard the 1A2 could be had with the L99 but have not heard of any takers. Most I have encountered were either LO5 or LT1 equipped. Not too many were built relatively speaking. I almost bought a 1A2. Gray with crank manual windows. It was used to transport patients of a psychiatric hospital around the campus. It had less than 45,000 miles but was in very rough shape
Mainly the 1992-1994 5.7 and 1994 4.3 V8 engines were trouble prone with the optispark system. 1995-1996 saw an update with the unit sealed and a vent tube installed which helped greatly. It was mainly the cap and rotor that were the issue on 1994 and older engines where heat, water and other debris wrecked havoc. Both me and my best friend have the L99 4.3 V8 in our 1996 Caprices and I would hardly call it a turd. If anything it has been a very smooth, quiet reliable engine that pulls surprisingly well in the upper RPM range which is something the L05 and L03 simply fail miserably at. The 4.3 gives up a little low end torque for much better all around power and fuel economy is superior to the older TBI motors. We have both recorded over 27 and even up to 28.5 on highway trips using regular 87 octane fuel going 70 MPH on the open road.
Now I will say that the 4.3 does have one pretty big issue. It’s 5.7 liter brother makes considerably more power with little difference in real world mileage which raises the question why did they bother with two displacements of a nearly identical engine?
Aww Yeah! One of my favorites from the extinct breed of BigMcLargeHuge American sedans. My neighbor in the apartment I lived in through college had one of these, resprayed in deep (and honestly rather tasteless) metallic purple with some big huge rims. It looked like a rather plush ride for some slow rolling down the block. Sadly, it rarely moved and was presumably not running. Instead he usually drove his ’83 Crown Vic, also kitted out with some big chrome rims and spotlessly painted in champagne gold with chrome accents on the trim. It’s a shame that these have such a ghetto reputation and many of them get tossed on some 28″ rims and tarted up to look like a Captain Crunch box. I’ve always been more a fan of the luxury muscle styling of the Impala that was built using this body. I feel that driving a well optioned one with some carefully chosen modifications must be like owning a cigar boat with wheels.
So let me get this straight with a 5litre V8 it will hold on to a V6 Camry on acceleration up an on ramp, not particularly quick then, a V8 Holden of the same era will blow the doors off a Camry 6 mind you they dont weigh the equivalent of the moon.
Sadly, not a V6 Camry… just a 4 cylinder one. The 305 V8 equipped Caprice’s acceleration off the line was good (relatively speaking). It was top speed that was the issue. It was comfortable between 60 and 80, after that it struggled a little. It was HP vs. torque. For such a heavy car, it only had 170 HP but had 255 lb./ft. of torque (Whereas my 2013 four cylinder Accord has around 190 HP and 180 lb./ft. of torque.
Also as you mentioned, there is the thrust to weight ratio to consider
As the old saying goes, “torque wins races but horsepower produces top speed. ”
My next B body vehicle had a more appropriate power plant and would easily walk away from any Camry or Accord.
I’m pleasantly surprised to see a twelve year old post I made on the Impala SS forum referenced. Until a few months ago, all the posts from about mid-2009 and older were lost to a data crash. The Impala SS Forum goes way back to 2001, and in my eyes has been the single biggest aid to the 90’s B-Body community.
Over the subsequent years, I’ve come across information that pretty much confirms the same findings, that the TBI 4.3L V6 was an option (probably an invoice credit too) only on the 9C6 taxi package. It was probably aimed a taxi operators in dense urban areas. Maybe someone with a V6 1992 or 1993 Caprice VIN can look it up on Compnine and get an idea of production numbers.
A few weeks ago Autos of Interest posted a very in depth interview with Dick Ruzzin, Chevrolet’s then Chief Designer, about the design process of the 1991 Caprice sedan and wagon bodies. It can be read here: http://autosofinterest.com/2014/11/18/design-notes-1991-chevrolet-caprice/
I owned quite a few of these cars and as a result was on the Impala SS forum daily. In fact, I bought two of them from a forum member. Still the only place I have found where someone posted about actually owning a V6 bubble Caprice. You are correct, for many years that post, and any reference to the existence of the V6 bubble Caprice vanished from the Internet. I was pleasantly surprised to find it back online when I researched this article.
I drove the ’93 version for a week or so as a rental. It seemed more spacious inside then the ’78-’90 generation. It seemed to handle a bit more loosely than I recall a typical box B-body.
I’m surprised that you found the AC lacking. We drove our rental through the Arizona desert in July and the AC was positively fantastic – typical of GM big car AC for the era. GM was usually given the nod as having the best in the industry at the time.
Agree with many others, this car is a great looker from some angles, and positively awful from others. The rear 3/4 view is the worst, the side profile angling to a front 3/4 view is actully very good – especially the factory photo of the black car.
Chevrolet’s Orca, er, Caprice is an eyesore except to gang-bangers and wanna be gang-bangers who don’t have an eye for style.
What year was the Chevy Orca produced?
I don’t want one but they were and remain beautiful cars , stock or as a blank canvas , ready to Customize .
-Nate
(who thinks all ‘ donks ‘ should be confiscated & summarily crushed)
I’d buy a 1993 Chevy Caprice Classic wagon if one were for sale, and the condition were right. I liked its blend of old school drivetrain with modern styling. It still looks modern today, despite being 24 yrs old.
Crush them all? That’s like killing the patient rather than the disease. Removal of the wagon wheels, any lift on the suspension, and a repaint in a less gaudy color and the donk is gone!
Seriously though, the whole donk/hi-riser/whathaveyou trend has probably saved quite a few big old RWD cars from premature deaths. It just takes a little bit of work to “reclaim” them…
I agree. Killing the patient, without getting a second opinion would be totally unacceptable. Crushing a full-sized American car, without letting other people try the car out, that’s wrong. Land yachts may not get the best fuel economy, like compact cars do, but sometimes one has to decide what’s more important to them.
*this* .
It may e a Land Yacht but , that is after all , what Americans will buy if they possibly can and these were well designed , well built and very popular cars .
I talk to Cops all day long and all the older ones still miss these sturdy boats .
-Nate
I don’t mind land yachts. My favourites are the 1965 Chrysler Newport, the 1968 Dodge Polara, 1971 Buick Electra, and the 1993 Chevy Caprice Classic and Impala.
You’re right of course ~ I was just trying to counterpoint an earlier comment about how bad these cars were when they’re not .
I was waiting a red light in South Central L.A. the other day when one of our ex METRO Panthers rolled by , jet black with the spotlights still on it , 22″ wheels and old style rear exit un corked dual exhausts burbling , if course it also had a ‘ FOR SALE ‘ sign and expired tags on it…..
=8-) .
Were it up to me , those long gone 30 acre Junk Yards in the Country would still be in existence and only truly finished & totally stripped hulks would ever be crushed .
Reality sets in however .
-Nate
I found a rare ’91 Caprice Limited Edition. The badge says ’91 MT car of the year and it has red pinstriping and black B-pillar surrounds. Anyone heard of this?
Do you still have this car ?? I’d like to buy it from you.
I’ll give you $3,000 cash for it. 636-266-1148
offer still stands 11-26-2017
12-15-2017
offer still stands 618-332-9360
And the badge…I wonder if this was aftermarket, but it’s pretty clear here…
I got a 93 caprice wagon with the 5.7 with 157000 miles 1 owner car ,new fuel pump ,windsheild, 5 star rims ,must see to appreciate 3000.00
I remember when I first saw this generation Chevy Caprice and Caprice Classic. I remember thinking “finally! A new look Chevy Caprice!” As much as I loved the old-school Caprice and Caprice Classic, I knew that Chevy had to update their cars, or be discontinued. If only Chevy hadn’t discontinued this generation Caprice. I find it more attractive than the current Caprice.
The last generation of GM B-Body cars are one of the last greatest American cars ever produced. They have a distinctive look that no other country makes to cars and the comfort is at a next level. I bought mine 91 Caprice Classic LTZ back in 2009 and I have loved it every day since I got it. It has now 218000miles on it and where I live I can register it as a historic car when it turns 30years old. I have keept it all original in every way. Now it is more like a Sunday car for me and I daily my 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis “Presidential Edition” with 21000miles on the clock. Thanks for a really nice article and btw the gun metal is the best color for the Caprice 😉 I got the same!
My favourite vehicles have always been Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) and taxicabs. They’re generally more durable than the standard version of production cars. I’d buy a Caprice PPV, I’d then upgrade a few things to make it durable enough for police use, while also being comfortable enough for passengers to ride in.
What a fantastic tribute to the Chevy Caprice! It’s amazing how this classic car still resonates with so many of us. The blend of nostalgia and performance is just unmatched. Thanks for sharing these insights and memories!