Used Chevrolet Caprice for SaleNationwide

Anonymous

Reviewed a 1975 Chevrolet Caprice on Mar 21, 2007

The 1975 Caprice was the fifth iteration of the six-year-long run of Chevrolet's largest car ever. At more than 18 feet long and more than 4,000 pounds, it was a handful. And yet, it was a reasonable driving experience for large cars of the day, with the GM Radial Tuned Suspension and V-8 engines that never lacked for torque, even in the comparatively weak 350 2-barrel V-8 that was standard. The Caprice was offered in two-door hardtop with a built-in off-road-truck-size rollbar/B-pillar, two-door convertible (Chevy's last large convertible), four-door sedan, four-door hardtop, and six- or nine-passenger wagon with GM's clamshell tailgate (another example of a GM answer for a nonexistent question). Engines included the standard 350 2-barrel V-8 (4-barrel in California) and the optional 400 (standard in wagons) and 454 V-8s, all attached to the Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic. It had GM's first catalytic converter, which, along with (I assume) tuning for same, resulted in poor performance before the engine warmed up. Compared with the Impala, it had fender skirts (except on the wagon) and a small amount of additional luxury equipment, particularly more insulation. Options included air, AM/FM, cruise, tilt, etc., plus a gauge package that included a trip odometer, temperature gauge and a fuel economy (vacuum) gauge, the existence of which is ludicrous for a car that was EPA-rated at 13 city and 18 highway. The 350 V-8 is a literally indestructible engine, I believe. Run it two quarts low on oil? No problem. Have a sticking throttle that means the car runs wide open when you start it at 10 below zero? Fix the throttle cable and drive off. The Caprice I owned has probably rusted away by now, but I'm certain the engine is in something somewhere, starting every time (unless you, say, leave a door open all night in the winter). I'm biased since this was my first car, but I'm a big fan. Very comfortable and safe despite its lack of air bags and so on, because, after all, you can't repeal the laws of physics. The doors on the two-doors are larger than some cars, and the trunk may be large enough to fit a small car AND shut the lid.