The old school Chevrolet Caprice of the late 80s and early 90s vintage is a relic of a bye-gone era where people could choose not to be environmentally conscious or be concerned with 21st-century problems things like fuel economy.
Even still, if you're so desperate for four wheels and an engine that you'll accept anything you can jump-start in a scrapyard, there are cars that you'd be worse off in. For all of its gas-guzzling and sloppy handing antics, cars of this era were simple in a way that modern cars simply aren't anymore.
The 90's Caprice is a clunker by most modern standards, but if you need wheels at an absolute basement price, it's not all that terrible. Let's take a look at why.
Malaise Era Landbarges: Slow, Ugly But Undeniably Reliable
If you're one of the millions of people who laughed along with Jeremy Clarkson as he verbally tore a 1980s Lincoln Town Car to shreds, the Caprice is just as guilty of all the same things.
The Malaise Era is an umbrella term for a period of American auto manufacturing between 1973 until the mid-1990's when all three domestic brands failed to adapt to emissions regulations and small fuel-efficient imports that siphoned away most of the US car market.
Engines in these cars were notoriously oversized and laughably underpowered. Fortunately, 1989 was the first year of the fuel-injected 305 cubic inches (5 liter) V8, two years after its introduction on Chevrolet and GMC trucks. This boosted power to 170 but was still pathetic in comparison to offerings from the Germans and the Japanese. As hopelessly underpowered as it was, these 305 V8's were bulletproof, and that gives it a wonderful second life as a go-to car for the super desperate.
It's Not Much, But It's A Lot Better Than The Bus
1989 was quite a long time ago, and more than a quarter of a century of hard abuse is sure to have come the way of most Chevy Caprice's you're likely to come across. If you're in the market for one. there are a couple of things to consider.
Firstly, General Motors' paint jobs were notoriously shoddy and of poor quality thirty years ago. Finding one with considerable surface rush shouldn't put you off entirely. It's possible that the rest of the car is still in decent mechanical shape.
It's absolutely imperative that you either pay a mechanic yourself to inspect the car or ask the seller to do that themselves. If there's no frame damage or any significant leaks, it's possible A late 80's caprice could be a decently reliable daily driver, albeit one that's a bit thirsty for fuel.
There are Deals To Be Had For Those Who Look Hard Enough
As we've said, the vast majority of Caprics Classics have been sacrificed to the gods of rust by the year 2021, but that doesn't mean there's not still a couple floating around the merry internet. Clapped out models with high mileage have been seen sold for as low as two thousand dollars. There's one on Carsforsale.com with a completely rusted paint job for $3,500
Low Milege examples may fetch as high as 12 grand, but expect most to fall well low of this price point. Although it doesn't make all that much sense unless you happen upon one at a very cheap price, the Caprice Classic still has its virtues if you're into malaise-era cars.
Are You Better Off With Something Slightly Newer?
Fans of malaise era American cars do exist, but in the real world, it's a real gamble to use one as a daily driver unless you're absolutely sure it's in good working order. The truth of the matter is if you're looking to buy a Caprice, you're best off buying one from the late 90s instead.
These next-gen Caprices had the added benefit of unibody construction and a much de-restricted and only slightly tuned 5.7 liter V8 from the C4 Corvette. As a daily driver, there's no debate that these later Caprice models are more up to the job, meaning you should probably only be buying one of 80s vintage if you're dead set on the boxy malaise era styling.
A Car With Lots Of Faults But Also Truck Loads Of Character And Charm
Lots of sects in the car enthusiast community laugh at old American cars. Granted, compared to most German cars of that era, they do look a bit underpowered and slow. Even still, there exists a small group of dedicated fans of these cars who dedicate their time to keeping them on the road. If you're one of these niche people, there are certainly classic cars more boring than the Caprice Classic, there are ones that are far uglier and less reliable as well.
SOurces: Carsforsale.com, Autotrader