By Antti Kautonen
As I hopped to the grocery store to buy some coffee, I noticed this 1991-model Caprice Classic on the parking lot. It, too, is a noticeable car on the parking lot full of boring, and probably the only car there with a modicum of class.
Next to the super-ordinary Toyota, it’s like the Caprice shows it how it’s done.
I really like the chrome details and red pinstripes on it. I can’t tell if they’re stock, though.
The car isn’t too tidy, having deformed the front bumper at some point, but it’s clean enough not to look ratty. The clearcoat doesn’t look too bad, and there’s just a patch on the trunklid that’s gone off. I didn’t see rust, either.
Am I in the wrong for saying I prefer the 9C1 shape to the classic boxy shape? Surely these will be appreciating in the future, and compared to the third generation having been built from 1977 ’til 1990, the 1991-1996 fourth generation car died a quick death.
The bowtie emblem in the back has defected off the car, so it’s time to hunt for a new one.
There are a good number of 1991-1996 Caprices still roaming our streets, even if they’re not exactly common. I imagine a lot of owners are old men who have bought them new or nearly-new, and they might just be affordably priced and well-kept.
[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]
I have a soft spot for these, not sure why. By the way, how many of these do you see per month?
The only version of this car which is starting to appreciate over here is the Buick Roadmaster, for completely understandable reasons. The Caprice is still more or less plentiful over here, with the exception of the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser (just over 11,000 of which were made for 1991 and 1992 only) and the Impala SS, a lot of which were pickled from new.
I saw just one Olds Custom Cruiser last year, a very unexpected find as I hadn't seen that version in years, esp in the northeastern US. As for the Impala SS, they exist either in messed-with condition, or completely stock condition with minimal mileage. Not esp valuable, as with most "picked" cars.
I probably see one every two months. Luminas are more common.
that's more than i see in chicago.
And as many as I see in New England, too. More deserving to live than Luminas, for sure.
i've got a soft spot for luminas. get me a last-gen lumina with pee-scented vinyl seats and a spotlight, and i'll be happy for a day. (then i'll finish rusting away, no doubt.)
*it'll
I'm glad you mentioned that, because those Luminas have soft spots for you, too. Especially on the rocker panels.
The white paint disappearing in sheets didn't exactly help.
Wow, I remember when those first came out – a guy who was a member of our Corvair club at the time was a Chevrolet service zone manager, and he was driving one of the first ones.
All the chrome on it is stock, and the pinstripes (stick on) were likely put on by the dealer. Note the "ABS" emblem on the back – GM was rolling out ABS on just about all of their cars then, and was advertising it.
These were used as cop cars and the first ones had ABS issues. I was sitting shotgun in one, Code 2, down a slick and hilly road and we spun out and nearly went over a small ravine. I don't think that was an ABS issue, just human error/hubris.
The brake pedal is likely branded with Anti Lock Brakes as well.
I do like the skirted rear wheel wells on the '91 and '92 models, but that oddly pointed rear quarter window ruins it for me. The kink in '95 and '96 models fixes it, and turns those last B-bodies into lustworthy machines.
Thinking of Finnish coffee, I could go for a nice cup of Paulig Presidentti coffee right now. Best light roast coffee around.
I can't say I prefer the kinked window… or Presidentti. 🙂 Nah, well-brewed it's fine.
Lustworthy, indeed.
<img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6040/6324484261_da3edd8195_z.jpg">
Easily one of my favorite automotive one-liners:
<img src="http://i42.tinypic.com/34xf9r4.jpg" width="600">
Not that I like it, but they did make a "plate" that goes over the pointed back window and made it look like the squared back window of the Impala SS or Caprices of the squared back window years. I suppose that way you could have the best of both worlds.
It's kind of weird how uncommon these are here. Roadmasters show up frequently, but Caprices are rare.
(Now that I've said that, I'll see 20 on the drive home.)
The guy who bought my Phaeton also has a Roadmaster of this generation.
At least this one will escape being Donked.
Instead it'll be equipped with Finns!
You rarely see them in this good of a shape in Texas anymore, if you see them at all. They're all either donked or have severe body damage. With that said, a two tone blue-gray Caprice LTZ is a really nice looking car.
Nitpicking, "9C1" is the production code for a police cruiser.
Ah, should've checked.
"Am I in the wrong for saying I prefer the 9C1 shape to the classic boxy shape?" Yes IMO you are.
<img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i276f0wP0gE/TjkcOfdcboI/AAAAAAAADVQ/Stl6pvi12Ig/s1600/Chevrolet-Caprice-Coupe-1979.jpg" width="600">
They weren't the best Caprices, but the best looking.
A '77 to '79 Caprice coupe! Another one of my favorite B-bodies. See my comment below.
my dad had the wagon. Gobs of torque and power, but that gen1 abs was godawful, as was the velour interior. Body roll. Did I mention body roll?
When my wife totaled her car I tried to get her to lut us replace it with a '96 Impala SS. She absolutely refused. My wife loves old cars and doesn't like most new cars, but she says that these cars are "ghetto and old people cars." It pains me to hear those words. The other option was build her a streetrod, so I'm building her a '37 Chevrolet (her favorite old car) 4 door that will look completely stock but have hidden heat and air and an LS1 under the hood.
I kind of had two first cars. One of which was my beloved '78 Caprice Aerocoupe that I drug off my father's backlot and have been driving and working on ever since. It used to be a loaner car years ago for customers of his dealership. In short, I love these cars. I just found another Aerocoupe at the pull a part and got the back window out for $30. SCORE!
<img src="http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t24/vetteman61/DSCF28331.jpg" width="600">
Those '77-'79 Caprice coupes are another lustworthy machine. That's one of the best rear window designs of all time.
Thanks to heated wires to help bend the glass.
Love those Coupes. I always thought it'd be neat to make an ElCamino out of a Coupe, but the tailgate would be tricky with the wide taillights. Or take those Couple doors, quarter windows and c-pillar and graft them into a wagon.
In reality, it'd be a shame to cut up a couple for either project, and unless done very well, both would end up looking silly.
I should have known, the wagon's been done, but with the standard coupe's quarter glass. Not bad, but not quite good either:
<img src="http://bangshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/capricewagon2.jpg" width=600>
It's great to see this car getting attention I have a 92 just like it that I drive everyday to work. I've had it since 2003 took me through high school and college, 260k miles runs like a champ. These are more common in the south where I live (Memphis, TN) oh and I ride stock other than my flow masters
What a surprise to find the 91 Caprice Classic being discussed.
I just took mine out of the dust-bin and am going to drive it again. Only a few minor electrical and mechanical things I had to do, still needs a few minor body parts.
What is with the comments guys? Mine is the 305 TBI with the TH700R4 / 4L60 transmission. full factory-installed trim package, full factory-installed accessories package including Bose Stereo etc.
The exterior is dark/navy blue with the silver-bottom sides, no (butt-ugly) red pinstripes, and the overall shape of the car is due to aerodynamics (same shape still being used today).
The interior is dark blue leather all around, best stereo I've ever owned (Factory-installed Bose – when I bought this used the deck wouldn't work so I went straight to the audio store and bought a new complete panansonic; the manager was doing the installs that day, and 10 minutes after he started on the install he came back out and apologetically asked permission to REFUND my money: he said the 9-year old stereo in there now was much better than what he had just sold me, and he couldn't bring himself to rip it out … said the Bose just needed a little re-wiring which he did in a few minutes for a few bucks).
MPG: I drove this for a few years on cross-country interstate commutes, 550 miles each way. Tracked the REAL mileage on every trip, many times. I would fill the 20 gal. tank in Lafayette, Indiana and drive all the way to the ranch in Cabool, Missouri … without every having to refill during the trip. Once took my girlfriend to western Kansas (Hayes) to 'recover' her stranded daughter. Filled it up in Indy, drove across Indiana, Straight through Illinois, all the way across Missouri, past Kansas City and Topeka before I needed to use the bathroom … and top off the gas tank. Yep, for years I got a minimum 26.5 mpg Highway, one trip with a little tail wind I got 28.9 (on the original OEM wheels, ODO and SPDMTR were both right on the nose).
The car's ride is so much better than new cars today … anybody want to buy my piles-of-s*** Camry LE? Until two weeks ago, I had completely forgotten what it was like to drive a classy-moving car, without all the road noise and tin-canning down the road?
Anyway, I can think of more … but out of time. Just so much said about "my car" did not hold water – I wasn't aware there were poorer versions of the 91 Classic out there, with low-quality interiors etc. – this is the only one I ever knew.
Don't have any pics, but this 92 is a little similar to my package >
mit freundlichen grüßen/best regards/see ya'
mark, just an old Indian/Hoosier farm boy, not the director of anything. But I did have to rebuild the engine on my first car from the crankshaft out – before my old man would let me get my driver's license. '68 350 Cutlass, traded for an all-original '64 GTO with 6-pack carb, sold that for $600 to buy the white '68 Camaro RS with the white-body and black pinstripe package … Oh what I would do if I had those cars today?
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