America's Car - 1977-1990 Chevrolet Caprice

[@stephenmoxley3004]

The Caprice was one of the best cars GM ever made. I miss those days.

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

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...

[@jsun9196]

You mean LT1!!!​@@AnnatarTheMaia

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

@@jsun9196 I do.

[@melissacarterpresley5786]

@AnnatarTheMaia You're wrong, of course, but i'm sure that's something you've become used to.

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

@@melissacarterpresley5786 I'm seldom wrong, and those who do not listen to me usually get severely busted by life.

[@jameswhiteside1506]

I miss cars like this. You can keep these new rolling computer screens.

[@danam0228]

Hate the computer screens

[@jamesstaggs4160]

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.

[@KetchLambier]

You can keep your low horsepower, unreliable, cheap quality brick on wheels

[@koraykumru1295]

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

[@koraykumru1295]

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!

[@Hotdaddy536]

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..

[@WinterInTheForest]

You will receive the car back in March of 2027, for it is written.

[@Hotdaddy536]

@@WinterInTheForest I could only hope..lol..

[@TS-ef2gv]

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.

[@mikek5633]

I have my grandfathers 1987 Caprice Classic Brougham in my garage to this day. Original family car. I still drive it, beautiful car...

[@jerrygalloway6531]

Do u want to sale it

[@crockett_lee6605]

The Caprice was one of the best cars GM ever built. My dad owned 2 of them.

[@20Unknown]

This is my dream car! A 1979 Caprice with the 5.7 L small block V8. Even on today's roads with today's options, I would take this EVERY DAY!

[@SierraBravo347]

I STILL see them even Now on the road... That's a pretty Good testament to me.

[@the_bunse]

In twenty years time you wont see todays cars around the electronics ensure they wont last.

[@SierraBravo347]

@@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.

[@wmalden]

The coupe’ with the hot wire bent rear window is awesome looking!

[@TS-ef2gv]

I rode in and/or drove/owned a series of '65 -'76 Chevy B-bodies while growing up, and my second ever brand new car was an '81 Caprice V8. What a difference the '77 downsizing made. My '81 felt so much more trim and less floaty but had the same amount of interior trunk space as the big pre-'77 B-bodies. The video said the downsized Caprice was the same size as GM's '70s intermediates, and I believe it. My '81 had the interior and trunk space of a full size but drove like a mid size. I'd love to have my '81 back as it existed when I owned it in the early '80s.

[@EvzenKovar-i5p]

That sounds like heaven.

[@courtneypuzzo2502]

this is my favorite gen of the Caprice my dad drove a used 1984 triple brown Classic sedan with the 350 V8 engine under the hood until I was in my mid teens

[@melissacarterpresley5786]

@courtneypuzzo2502 Your dad really did good considering that he 350 wasn't available to the public after 1979.

[@PJAvenger]

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.

[@knytrydr73]

My dad had an 85 Caprice Classic. He taught me to drive in that car. He had for nearly a decade and put over 300,000 miles on it.

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

Considering that they were wobbly, automatic transmission only cars, with poor visibility, that was one of the worst cars anybody could ever learn to drive on.

[@DTD110865]

I had an 85 Caprice Classic that I bought from a St. Vincent dePaul used car lot. It had a front seat that I couldn't move forward, a persistent leak, and mismatched tires. The broken front seat didn't worry me because I could still reach the pedals. I'm not entirely sure anybody under 5'10" would've been able to do it though. Of course, I've told this story before.

[@knytrydr73]

@@AnnatarTheMaia I don't know where you got that idea because none of it is true, except auto only.

[@melissacarterpresley5786]

@AnnatarTheMaia There you go again, saying things that you know are not true. Troll elsewhere.

[@AnnatarTheMaia]

@@melissacarterpresley5786 what exactly is not true?

[@Enigma8750]

I had an 81 two door coupe Caprice Classic Landau and later I bought an 82 4 door for my wife. The car was a tank and the engine, while not that strong, was as reliable as they come. This car was the most popular export to Saudi Arabia at the time. The cars were comfortable and luxurious low maintenance. They were so strong that Demolition Derby drivers used them because there were so many of them and they couldn't be killed. They were brutally strong body and bumpers that other cars could never equal. My wife once had someone rear end her in a Chrysler Concord and the Caprice lost some luster in the chrome bumper but the Concord folded like a pretzel. This is probably one of the nicest Chevrolets ever made at least in my opinion.

[@Romiman1]

Have had a 83 Sedan in Germany. It was incredible huge between all those Audi 80s, BMW 3series and VWs. A neighbour about it's (blue velours) interior: "Oh, it's like a car for kings." I very miss that classic American ride...

[@chrisjeffries2322]

The family had a 79 Coupe with all the Bells and Whistles, a super nice car. 💋

[@anthemss]

I’ve owned more of these than I can remember, great cars, they need to bring something like these back!

[@danielmonahan6195]

My older sister's '84 was one of the first cars I ever drove. Smooth machine.

[@nb7466]

My mom had one as I was growing up. Drove it all over the place. Had very comfortable seats.

[@trackman174]

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.

[@andregonsalvez9244]

Lol don't knock on the Chevettes 😊 lol !

[@wtwn]

I have a rust free 90 brougham. Never selling it.

[@lrg3834]

That's a keeper for sure. You can run it on propane or natural gas if gasoline becomes too expensive or unavailable down the road. There are conversion kits for this purpose.

[@adowni]

U have gold caprice best year 1990

[@keithbaker1951]

Had an 87 with the 305 man that car was smooth 👌

[@daveharris2884]

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.

[@bennetfox]

Aww man i I miss the Box Chevy!! I've always loved these cars, especially the two-door coupes!!!

[@jeanlibido8502]

Drove one with the F41 suspension. What a ride!

[@brettcannon74]

Possibly best car GM ever produced. We had a 77, 86, 90.

[@nathanjoseph4284]

Always a good day when OldCarMemories uploads a new video =)

[@MyGuyJustinH]

I agree 👍

[@LITTLE1994]

Yeah, that was the time the Ford Crown Victoria had a great rival in the police force. I miss cars like these.

[@christianmaheu9565]

I think those were beautiful great cars

[@danam0228]

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

[@johnlandacre767]

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]

@@johnlandacre767 sorry to hear of all the problems. They used to say don't buy car 1st year car comes out

[@johnlandacre767]

@@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.

[@christopherconard2831]

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.

[@madmike2624]

Best of the best years for GM when it came to reliability, those were the days!!!!

[@centralscrutinizer6108]

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.

[@Foxonian]

From 1983 to 1986 you could also get a Pontiac Parisienne which was in effect a badge engineered Chevy Caprice.

[@adamtrombino106]

Also the 78-81 Bonneville. In those yrs, at least some of the available engines were made by Pontiac.

[@appleiphone69]

There was a Buick and a Oldsmobile model as well.

[@TrailBlazerSS502]

The Pontiac version was later known Safari.

[@nfullenwider]

Pontiac Parisienne is how I started learning about badge engineering

[@lar113]

I bought a used '78 Caprice Classic 2 Door with the 305 engine when it was 5 or 6 years old. I liked the styling and performance. It comfortably fit a family of 4 with luggage.

[@pancudowny]

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!😊

[@lvsqcsl]

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.

[@gusibrahim6961]

In 1986 I bought a 79 caprice and it was indestructible I slept in it with the engine running all night!! Best car ever ❤

[@RealMakarov]

lucky u! dont do that anymore, carbon monoxide emmited from the engine can kill u

[@Od3mis]

I got 2 of em! and a 79 Impala, amazing cars

[@Danny-ju2ip]

Those '76 Chevys were truly boats but they road so smooth. I can still smell the vinyl seats 😅

[@davidbroughall3782]

1977 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

[@KevinWindsor1971]

Have you seen some of the Chevrolet winners for COTY From 1971-80? Vega, Monza, and Citation. What a steaming pile.

[@davidbroughall3782]

@@KevinWindsor1971 Perhaps, but they got this one right. With those others, the idea was good, but the execution wasn't.

[@danielestrada1850]

Being the proud owner of an '83 Caprice Classic Station Wagon, I wouldn't trade that sturdy girl for the world.

[@AJ67901]

The LS Brougham of 1987-90 was a good car and the 305 made over 20mpg. People kept them forever and used them up.

[@adamtrombino106]

I'm no GM guy, but that B body platform was really good. Easy to fix, easy to maintain, easy to drive and tough as nails. When they finally went to EFI they were even better. I worked with a guy from 1995-2003 that had a 78 coupe with the 305. It had well over 300k on it. It did get a new cam, timing chain and gears early in its life as well as 1 transmission, but was 1 of his favorite cars. He used to call it "Ol green rusty trusty". For 85 and up, GM redesigned some key components that helped prevent oil leaks on the 4.3 and 5.0L, better transmissions moving away from the 2004r and 350C to the 700r4 and better rust proofing throughout its long production run. Interiors were vastly improved and optional stereo systems sounded much better. Better sound insulation was added in key areas which made this car as quiet as any Buick or Olds. If you got 1 with the F41, you would see why these cars were cop favorites.

[@Sid-jx4gl]

A Chevy truck with the 305 was my first fuel injected vehicle loved it enough power good mileage

[@briancorreia2923]

I miss two tone paint jobs. I noticed that roofs and mirrors with one or two contrast colors, black or white, are out there in small numbers….but it’s no replacement for two tone. Maybe it doesn’t visually work on every newer body style, but it definitely would still look fantastic on some of the current large vehicles.

[@bryanbrowning5746]

I miss the big wagons. The SUV craze killed them.

[@RealMakarov]

they lives on in europe

[@DTD110865]

Actually, Minivans killed them.

[@bryanbrowning5746]

@@DTD110865 for sure. That segment completely slipped off my radar.

[@rbkahuna8192]

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

[@althunder4269]

If there was one thing GM could do well back then it was build big solid rear wheel drive cars.

[@gralykmeno]

I had one for several years in the United Kingdom - a 1979 model with a 305. Superb car in every respect.

[@MSX98FMDnB]

these were the best cars gm made

[@literallyshaking8019]

My parents had one of these in the 80s, in fact it’s the first car I ever remember riding in.

[@alanhumphrey4198]

Had a 1985 and 1988 Caprice.😊😊

[@lvsqcsl]

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!

[@adowni]

Best cars gm made specially 1990 brugham LS,, I think if it were made again It will sell very well.

[@murathanakordeon]

Those were the days...

[@sergioleone3583]

Good looking, comfortable, and you could actually throw it around pretty well for a big car. Loved those.

[@6roke6oySiX]

I just bought a garage kept 88 wagon with 80k miles on it.

[@CHIPNDEATH]

I'm proud to own 1980 caprice coupe, and 1985 wagon,,

[@andregonsalvez9244]

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 .

[@paulsheehan5010]

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).

[@RonnN-gf8tm]

Getting my 90' in the beginning of fall. Few months yet. Awesome video..My favorite cars

[@oliverrojas3185]

For any General Motors fan, the Chevrolet Caprice was a prolific example of GM ingenuity and dominance if not superirority in the United States automobile market. In childhood, it was always a pleasure to see this paragon of an automoible momentarily sitting at a stop light before it pulled it away. Its chrome bumbers, its sleek slender lines hinted of a sporting practicle vehicle without resorting to pretense of extravagance.

[@clintonstubbs2319]

One of my favorite cars.

[@OfficialRodrigoLeon]

These cars ruled the streets of America in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s. The box style third generation Caprices were and still are the best cars to ever exist.

[@Alifrom-Texas]

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.

[@richcoleman469]

I bought an 84 Caprice Estate wagon in 85, with the 305 FI engine. Was a beautiful car getting 24 mpg.

[@Thankyou_3]

Growing up, I never appreciated these cars but nowadays these are gems from that era. In 2024, GM nowadays builds garbage 🗑️

[@timshelby2324]

A favourite of mine .

[@jonathanryan2915]

First car was an 86 Caprice in highschool in 1999. I didn't give up on owning and driving them until 2015

[@madmike2624]

I had several and I would pay a pretty penny for one in the condition that I had in the 90's!!!!!

[@jasonsobol32]

I grew up with 2 B-body cars. 81 Caprice Classic wagon and the 87 Pontiac version, the Safari wagon. Miss those cars

[@michaelsimko7694]

I remember seeing these all over the place when I was a kid in the 80s. By the time it was the mid 90s, they became uncommon on the roads and highways. Chevy did a very good job with elegant, contemporary styling during the car's last few refreshes in the mid and late 80s. These Caprices with the 350 were one of the best police cars of all time.

[@edwardallan197]

Fascinating information.....

[@manelisimdakane4470]

The infamous box Chevy

[@CharlieLarkin75]

Nice video. As the owner of two full-size 1978 Chevies, I will attest to their comfort, ease of driving, and quality. One minor oops I caught. In 1980, the 250 was dropped for the Chevy-based 229 V6; the 231 was regularly-scheduled for California-emissions cars, although I imagine a few 231s found their way into cars bound for elsewhere as production needs/availability required. The full-sized Pontiacs, Buicks and Oldsmobiles, at least those sold in the U.S., all had 231s. I think the Canadaian cars all had 229s, but I'm not sure.

[@coltbtd]

Had an 89, 93 and 96 9c1… man I wish I still had one.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

My first car was a 1977 Impala. I've also had a 1984 Buick Electra, 1980 Oldsmobile Delta 88, and a 1988 Caprice Classic Brougham. My 1996 Buick Roadmaster sedan has a great powertrain. But I would trade it for a 77-90 B-Body car without hesitation. The 1977-1990 GM B-Body platform is the best all around car of anything I've ever driven. And I've driven a lot of different cars over the past 30 years

[@JacobPaul-ix7oc]

I've had a couple of B-Bodies myself, a 79 Bonneville with a 301 V8 and a 1985 Caprice with the 4.3 V6. While I liked both for what they were, I would say the Ford Panther platform were/are the best all-around cars America has ever produced. I remember my ex-father in law driving his Crown Victoria as a taxi driver for over ten years and that thing had close to 400k miles on it. He ended up getting T-boned by a truck one night and that was the end of that car. Because it was such a well-built car, he was able to walk away from the accident with nothing more than some bruises on his left side along with some cuts from the shattered glass.

[@MegaRetr]

Awesome ) 1977 Motor Trend Car of the Year)

[@JoshHefnerX]

Had a 79 Impala aero coupe. Miss that car.

[@aristopoieo746]

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

[@chryslerelectronicleanburn1676]

I just wanted to let you know I was like number 305! The same is the cubic inch displacement in the small V8 in the Chevrolet Caprice😂😂😂😂

[@MrDazydaz]

Beautiful

[@chucksudduth]

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.

[@TS1964]

Best historical automotive channel out there!

[@Marco-lv8co]

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

[@thewiseguy3529]

77-90 is a heck of a run!

[@zorak1704]

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.

[@phantom0456]

I see these and suddenly I’m seven years old again, watching a local cop car cruise by…

[@josephcameron530]

Awesome presentation. Thank you.

[@dianaguajardo6271]

I love my 1984 305

[@ibrahim-chevelleMalibuman]

Awesome ❤❤❤

[@terrypikaart4394]

I agree with all of that, wish i still had my 1988 caprice!..

[@madmagyver9981]

I had 2 of them, fantastic cars

[@artierosesmithie9191]

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.

[@Chris-v4z]

Late 70's and 80's, I'd say the Oldsmobile 88 was America's car. They were all over the place!

[@MrRockyko]

I had 2 86 caprice police packages loved them

[@orlandoruiz1854]

This car is still one of the most popular car in chicago cars clubs..

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I've been asking for a video on the GM B-Body platform forever. Thank you!

[@paulsheehan5010]

From 1977 to 1981 in Canada, the full size Chevy was also called Bel Air.

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

Even Consumer Reports had to admit that these were a great value and reliable. Huge capacity, smooth and easy to fix compared to a FWD car. They seemed so dull to me at the time but they sure do look nice now.

[@misterenergy959]

The Elmarmobile! German student bought one for $500 and drove all over western U.S