Most Successful Car Downsizing - 1977 Chevrolet Caprice
2020 ж. 3 Қыр.
263 776 Рет қаралды
Many years ago full-size cars were the best selling cars in America. Chevrolet did a major downsizing of Chevrolet's full-size luxury car, the Caprice, for the 1977 model year. It was a big gamble, but one that paid off. Find out why the 1977 Chevrolet Caprice was the most successful car downsizing in automotive history.
My ‘79 caprice has been passed down to 3 generations in my family. Still going strong. Best car I’ve ever owned
Dang, I'm jealous. JEALOUS!!!
My baby sister "inherited" a 77 Caprice 2 door coupe from our grandparents as her first car in the early 90s. It was a very nice but oddly optioned car. It had the 350 and F41 suspension along with a/c, cruise control, power windows, and trailering package (heavy duty cooling, electrical, brakes and limited slip rear end) but it had push down locks, no tilt wheel and vinyl seats. Oh, and for some reason, grandpa ordered it with an AM/8 track stereo even though he and grandma only listened to the local station. When sis got it, the car only had about 50k miles and had been meticulously maintained. She drove and maintained it for 10 or 12 more years and put at least 150k on it in that time. The only major repair was when I put a new timing set in it. That was a common issue (nylon gears) for Chevy V8s back then and not a big deal for me to take care of. Unfortunately, it got wrecked for her by someone running a red light, hitting square in the drivers door. Sis came out of it with only minor injuries. To this day, she says that if she could find another one as nice, she'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Way to go sis.
They're good cars.
Back when you could get what you wanted on a car/truck. To bad you can't do that today as easy.
I had a 77 sedan pretty much equipped the same w/o the 8 track, I loved that car
I had a '78. I miss it to this day. 🍻
I remember going with my dad to pick up his new Caprice Coupe in 1978. He gave it to me in 1986.
What happened to it?
Wowwwww! My parents had a 78 and picked up a leftover new 85, in 1986. Which me and my sister learned how to drive in.
@zorak1704 I traded a 77 Dodge Diplomat for a 78 Caprice coupe with the F41 suspension. It floated like a limousine.I subsequently traded it in for an 83 Oldsmobile Delta 88. I remember some of the earlier downsized Oldsmobiles actually had Chevy engines.Also in the early to mid 80's, Pontiac sold, a Parisenne, which was actually a Chevrolet with a Pontiac body which had previously been sold in Canada.
Then you dogged it out...
Instablaster
Watching your videos helps me cope with today's crazy and depressing world, thank you very much.
One of the most beautiful cars of the 70's and 80's.
Not even the Cadillacs of those years looked better.
I had an 85 Caprice with the 305, I must say that those engines were bullet proof. I got 300,000 miles out of mine.
Those '70's Caprice had a most elegant body design and features that reflects the look and style of 1970's America. Maybe gone but never forgotten!!!
Wish there were a few around to restore. They'll be antique in just 7 more years.
@@billolsen4360 Umm some samples are still around if you look long and hard , thank goodness some people still keep them running .
Interesting view. I always thought 70s Plymouth Fury was the icon of 70s America. That car was used by every police department and taxi cab fleet in the 70s and also appeared in tons of tv shows and movies. But it seems they all switched to the Caprice and the Crown Vic by late 80s
@@hschan5976 YES The Plymouth Fury was a car back in the 70s not to be messed with even though Chrysler had poor quality control back than in the 70s .
@@billolsen4360 They're still around in FULL FORCE here in Chicago. Full blown daily drivers! Come on down and buy some. Running examples for $1000 or less. xD
Who else watches this channel right before bed like the author is telling us a bedtime story?
Fit Fogey Haha! Yes!
Fogey u know us too well its 10 PM n Chicago now
Melatonin for the ears
I got super, SUPER sick with what I can only assume was covid, back in December (supposedly before the first case showed up in the US in January🙄) and discovered this channel and binge watched every video he had. Now days, that intro music, and his voice and speech pattern, puts me right back in that over-the-counter pharmaceutical riddled, high fever ravished, severely dehydrated fog I laid in for a week until pneumonia finally set in and I wound up on the ER. For the first time in my life, I thought I might actually expire. But I lived for binge watching these videos between periods of unconsciousness. Good times. Good memories.
It's easy to fall asleep to this.
My mom had the 2 tone blue 4 door as soon as they went on sale. I believe it was the finest car I ever rode in. Thanks for the great memory
We had the Chevrolet Caprice with the 350 4 barrel at the Arizona Highway Patrol. They had the police package that came with the suspension package and a high output alternator. They were fast, handled well and were comfortable to drive. They didn’t have the top end speed that the 1976 Plymouth Grand Fury had with the 400 V8, but they could accelerate just as well and were way more comfortable to drive on an 8 hour shift.
When assigned to a Toronto Police traffic unit in the late 1980's I ordered a brand new dark blue fully loaded 1988 Police Package 9C1 Caprice through a Ford dealer as a personal vehicle. It went straight to Entec Racing in Toronto upon delivery and had the 350 removed and a brand new 365hp LS5 454 with a 175hp nitrous system installed. Ran 13.2 @ 103 mph in the quarter. Was the wife's daily driver for 18 1/2 years and 190,000 miles, lol.
@@painterboy454 ...Ford dealer? 🤔
@@rustyjeep2469, Donway Ford in Toronto. You do know any car dealership can order in any make or model through their leasing department?
They didn't use caprices. They used impalas for cop cars in 1977
When I was a kid in the 80s I'd see Caprices all over the place. They had a nice design, even though the 1980s was an era of boxy cars. Their size, weight, and design make them an excellent car to make into a sleeper.
I remember in my childhood in the early 2000s a lot of American films and tv shows (mostly from the 90s i think) played on public tv in my country portrayed cities with 80s caprices and crown vics all over the streets. Did the popularity of the 80s caprice extend into the late 90s in real life America? Or did the movie prop companies not replace their older gen cars for budget reasons i wonder. One film in particular I remember, Coming Unglued starring Judge Reinhold was apparently made in 1999, yet the chicago streets in that film were filled with boxy caprice yellow cabs. Compare this to Big (1988) starring Tom Hanks I remember a couple of scenes showing loads of 70s cars parked along the streets of New York
@@hschan5976 No idea if it might have to do with budget, but there's a possibility the cars you saw might have had something to do with buying older used cars or liquidation instead of newer ones to save money. The Panther platform LTD Crown Victoria was another one I'd see very often in the 80s.
@@hschan5976 These cars were everywhere, plus with all the police and taxi cabs combined with the fact that they held up well made them very common. They were everywhere.
U think U can ' muscle them up ' ? .. they ve got solid frames ?
@@bukkuk5949 ?????????????????????????
Thank you for sharing. I found it to be informative too. That body style ran from 1977 to 1990. That is saying something. It sold well.
Definitely one GMs best cars not flashy but it worked
Anyone wanting a flashy 1977 GM "B" body would get an Oldsmobile 88 or Buick LeSabre.
I'd like to have one in 2020!
Very comfy and quiet !
👌🏾
@@yazzk2612 amen to that
I had a 77 Caprice 2 door with that weird back window, small V8 (305 I think), very, very nice riding and comfortable car, more importantly my girlfriend seemed impressed.
Our high school teacher bought a green 77 caprice 2 door in fall of 76. It was a beautiful car. Big compliment to GM to take the risk.
These cars were literally built like tanks. (76 caprice)I remember riding in L.A. with my grandpa, we were rear-ended by a 91 Ford escort. Not a single scratch on his car. The Ford was totaled.
I thought our host couldn't get more laid back sounding...but he has surpassed himself with this video!
LOL
I thought the same thing!! Well said. I love his delivery on these videos however. I hope he doesn't change!
Give him another Valium.
Yes pleasantly melow
@@peteragersea377 Newly legalized cannabis state.
Great car my father still has a 2 dr caprice with the 305 today still runs great we restored it in the late 90s and it's a gem love the uniquely shaped rear window
.80g for a 70's American land yacht is astonishing!
Wow better than a Porsche 911 of its day
@@richardguinan3298 yeah...the days when they compared the targa with less rigidity to a full size sedan using a handling package...the figures aren't so inspiring when you check it without the package and compare it against contemporary vehicles of the same class (because without the package it is nowhere near those 0.8G figures
@@TheChill001 It said a 911S, just because they showed a picture of a Targa doesn't necessarily mean that's what was actually used. Maybe it was, who knows. Still impressive. The "S" was an upgrade, wasn't it? What's wrong with testing the optional handling package? It was available to anyone who checked the box. Why the negativity? Do you feel personally deceived by Chevrolet? Did you lose a stoplight race to a suburban mom in a Caprice wagon? They were nice cars, get over it.
I had a 1983 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham which was basically a Caprice with pontiac badges. They are not lying about the handling. Not only did it have decent grip limits for what it was, it was also fairly balanced and tossable. All the haters can hate. How about the haters give an example of a large car from any Japanese or Euro manufacturer in 1977 that could do better? Remember that these cars are NOT the reason American automakers have a reputation for bad quality, these cars lasted 200+k hard miles with ease and were very resistant to rust as well. There are still some running around in my area which is very hard on cars corrosion wise. Also dont try the played out gas mileage argument. Once these cars got the overdrive automatic in 1981 they could achieve 23-25mpg on the highway and did 17 or so overall. Not bad for an era when economy cars were lucky to hit the 30s. Nobody else even had a car of that size back then, much less one that could compete. Besides, even if anyone made one that could compete in ride, handling, and practicality, They would have been more expensive.
@@TheChill001 haters gonna hate! American engineering and ingenuity the Germans at their game in the middle of the gas crisis! Sour grapes boo-boo cakes! Cry me a river
That car the ultimate sweet spot between size, efficiency and cost.
Edward Pate GM has gone down hill since they stopped making these cars and the other ones that resembled them.
Probably one of the few times GM hit the market perfectly with a great product that just needed a refresh in 1980 and spent the next 10 years on the market with minimal updates.
I agree. I believe they nailed it equally well with their 88-98 truck.
@@Erix7810 That was a bit of a gamble as well...a radical departure from the Square Bodies of the 70s..but they did the intro right...pickup first...and then branched out to the heavier duty trucks and SUVS like the Blazer/Tahoe and Suburban. It took the truck to more of a mainstream vehicle that could easily be the primary family car.
@@325xitgrocgetter You and I need to have a beer and hang sometime. We’d get along just fine.
Yep... They could have put a nice all-alloy V8 in there, smoothed out the shape, raked over the glass and changed the seating around for buckets. The car screamed out for a new dash by 1983/4 with more modern instrumentation... Many missed opportunities.
I was a little disappointed he didn't go into why GM felt the need to downsize a popular seller like the Caprice/Impala when no one else had done so.
I remember when my Dad brought home a '79 Caprice Classic as his new company car. The interior felt like I was in a living room with plush carpet and seats and wood trim. I couldn't get over how quiet and smooth the car ran.
I was 16 years old when a co-worker just gave me his 76 Caprice classic. Awesome!!!
What year was that?
@@jameshuseby6290 I was 16 in 86. I didn't even ask my mom. He offered, and I took it. A 16 year old kid behind the wheel of a rusty '76 Caprice classic. It was Freedom!!! So much fun.
Lucky you. Good old times back then. My dad had a 1970 Chevy wagon with a 350 cubic inch 2 barrel, 250 horsepower, in which I learned to drive..secretly...I thought. He used to complain once in a while about overnight gas leaks when he got up in the morning to first drop me to the university before heading off to work. Back then I was puzzled by the chuckle on his face. Now I realize he was also young once. When he passed away a few years ago one of the things I asked him when his health was slipping away fast, was if he knew. Off course I knew my son he answered me. I would turn to my wife he said and would say to my mom, there goes Lucky Luck. I hope he comes back in one piece as also my car. My mom would say don’t worry Herby, he is your son. They would chuckle, snuggle, and kiss and go back to sleep. Good old times they never come back. Only the memories last forever.
I had an 85 caprice as my first car when I was 16. Im 42 now and still miss that car.
My Mom had an 81 Caprice Classic. I dream of having that car today. It was loaded, and lux all the way. It drove like better than a Cadillac.
Back in the 1970s ,a compact car was what we now consider mid sized
A compact car today has larger interior dimensions than most full size and luxury cars of the 1970s. My 2018 Honda Civic hatchback has more front and rear legroom, more front and rear headroom, and more cargo space than a Lincoln Mk V. Only in hip and shoulder room does it come up short.. but that’s mainly because of not having a bench seat.
That goes to show you how inefficient old car designs were for interior volume. Most of the space was taken up by the engine, transmission, frame rails, drive shaft, rear axle, and the huge fuel tank that was needed to drive more than 100 miles. That’s why almost every car maker went to front wheel drive and unibody in the 1980s.
Opposite today with "mid & full" size pickups
We had a 77 with the 305. Sold it at 300K miles with no major repairs. Best Chevy we ever owned.
My first car was a 77 Impala. I've had many of the same style cars with different names. Electra, Delta 88, and Caprice Classic. Great cars
Growing up, my dad bought a new car about every two years. We had a 1974 Impala with a 350 2 BBL, a 1976 Caprice Classic Sport with a 400 4 BBL, a 1979 Caprice Classic with the 350 4BBL, and a 1982 Caprice Classic with the 350 diesel. They were all very comfortable, and excellent riding cars on long trips. Thanks for this episode, it brought back some good memories.
I remember the '71 impala, with the 400 motor n th400 tranny 3;23 rear end well it Could give a trans am a run for its money 🤩🐐
Was the diesel a shocking disappointment to him?
@@blisterbrain Probably not so much him, as it was me! Back then, the dads in my area were mostly farmers and it was a lot cheaper to fill those things up with farm fuel. They got 25 to 27 mpg. It sure curbed the fun factor though for the teenage boys. That diesel was probably the most under powered option for a car that size you could get.
@@michaeltucker9993 Nothing impresses the chicks like thrifty diesel mileage figures!
@@michaeltucker9993 Especially when Ford was making 50% more power with 4 cylinders and a turbo.....
In 1988 my grandparents handed down their 1979 Caprice Classic to me for my first car. Lots of fond memories in that car. Great video, Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
These cars are the best daily drivers ever made.
My ❤ goes out to those models
H-body with 3800.
@@taylorc2542 😝
NO! See my previous post.
1990, the end of a good run. They were all over the place for a long time.
Pat Currie the 1991 model looked terrible. I remember seeing it at the car show and laughing. Looked bloated
@@bobloblaw8660 indeed.
Pat Currie Police liked them almost as much as the Ford Crown Victoria as a police interceptor.
Bob Loblaw I thought it resembled a bathtub upside down. Like the 1950 Nash cars.
I've got a '90 Brougham waiting for restoration. Drove it for 10 years and still love the ride. I'll only upgrade the handling a little bit plus more power and it will provide a smooth and quiet ride with improved cornering plus good torque for fun. Can't wait to get it back on the road again.
My father had a 1975 caprice classic two door coupe. It was a dark orange with a white vinyl interior. The long lines of the car along with the concave rear window were very unique. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful Chevrolets ever made. The subsequent Caprice models looked very nice and held their style well.
That model year was the last Caprice with round headlights. Also, the wheel covers were color coded to match the paint on the body. The 1975 Impala used the same front cap as the 1974 Caprice with a different grill.
Ill take a 72 Impala any time. . best of the 71-76 body style.
@@socalltd I prefer the 1971 Impala because it had rocker panel and lower fender trim that was removed for 1972. Also the front fender turn signal has a chrome bezel which was removed for 1972. GM was cost cutting that year.
@@SpockvsMcCoy the 71 was a unique good lookin year too. .like the 72 in its one year only take has such a formal fascia unlike the 73/74 look.
@@socalltd The mandatory big bumpers definitely changed the look. The front end styling of the 1976 Caprice was rather overdone because rectangular headlamps didn't blend well with the curved body lines. Also, the Caprice wheelcovers for 1976 were not attractive.
My first nice car (after completing college in '84) was a 60,000 mile '78 Caprice coupe with the fast back window. Gold and cream two tone, with the 350 4 bbl. Put a Kenwood stereo in it and travelled all over western Canada with it. Great car, never had a problem with it. Sold it 5 years later with 120,000 miles. Wish I still had it, to remind me of my youth..
I had an 83 Caprice Estate wagon for a few years, with the sleepy 305. She was SO comfy to drive and ride in! It go amazingly decent mileage on the hiway, and hit 27mpg on a trip from Portland to Seattle!
This is when car's were beautiful work's of art and made to drive
I remember when my grandfather owned one. After he passed, my uncle drove it for a little while. There was no shortage of room or comfort in the back seat on road trips. Even seeing the dash with the warning light circles brings back memories! Thanks for the video! Very humbling to watch. Miss that car too
My grandfather had a 1981 , always had fond memories of these cars
Anybody remember the wording of the commercial advertising this redesigned car originally? “Now that’s more like it, more like it“
Those were the good old days!
My first car was an ‘86 Caprice Classic Brougham. I miss those pillow tops and that “steering by pinkie” feel.
My dad had a 77 4 door white with red cloth interior. Id love to own the 2 door version one day. There’s something about the 77-79 version of the caprice thats always been special to me
That color combination was very striking but red interiors fared poorly to sun exposure.
I have a 1978 Caprice w/26k original miles.
We had the wagon all these years later it’s still a handsome car .
I agree.
Brings back memories. Going to the Prom in my 2 door '78 Caprice Classic.
Here is something interesting. From 76 to 77 the Caprice went from 4,300 to 3,500 lbs an 800 pound reduction, yet maintained comparable interior dimensions with the 76. Today I own a Cadillac ATS, that weighs 3,300 lbs or only 200lbs less than a 77 Caprice. Given that the 77 Caprice is a significantly larger car than the ATS, I must say that I am a bit taken aback as to why there is only a 200 pound difference in almost 40 years, as you would think by looking at the 2 vehicles, that the ATS would be at least 800 pounds lighter. In 77 the Caprice was still body on frame, with cast a iron block and heads a cast iron rear axle as well as several other heavier steel components. It would probably be safe to say that every component that both cars would have (e.g. AC Compressor, alternator, starter, window regulators etc) that the ATS component is lighter. The ATS also is unit body, uses thinner gauge metal, a composite hood and it is evident where weight saving has been done throughout the car with much more use of aluminum and lightened steel. Probably about the only use of aluminum in the Caprice would be the transmission housing. Obviously, a lot of weight was lost over the years in certain areas, but in other areas a lot more was actually gained.
Computers and heavy plastic in GM parts of the cars.
@@latashafreeman563 I agree that adding up things that are in the ATS but not in the Caprice like airbags and computers must count for something. However, to me there must be a lot more steel in the ATS for crash standards that did not exist in 77.
Have to say this has to be the best family car, police car, and taxi cab Chevy has ever produced. Always love seeing them in action in car chases from Striking Distance to Point Break to Body Parts to Live and Die in LA (Impala) etc.
I had the 77 Caprice Coupe. I loved it. Also the folder coupe rear window was cool
First car I bought was this car, but in the form of the Impala. My dad sold it to me for $1,000 in 1989 and I ran it up over 170,000 miles. Probably the most trouble-free car I have had. Had it for 5 1/2 years.
Great video, didn’t know this. I had one 1978 and a 1979 350 Caprice Classic Sedan in 1990 in Germany. Everyone thought I’m crazy at the time. I loved the car. One day I lost control and did a 180 degrees turn on the Autobahn on Friday afternoon at the Stuttgart Autobahn Triangle . All over sudden I looked in the wrong direction. Very scary! I lost control on a wet road because of bad tires. The original tire sizes were almost impossible to get in Germany at the time. I was lucky and nothing happened. The car was good for about 180-190 km/h. Fuel usage around 13-16 litres/100 km. A great car and in Europe a head turner then and today.
My father owned a 1981 Caprice Classic when I was a kid ..Great car and memories
I had a 77 and then also an 83 (essentially the same). Both very comfortable, well built and useful cars. I used to get 22 mpg on the highway from the 305 V8s and I got them both really cheap as used cars. My wife hated them but I loved them.
I drove a 79 red Impala basic 4dr I bought for $50 in the early 90's. It was the car that would not die. Had the long a/c compressor that blew so cold you could store meat in the back seat.
It always makes my day when I see the little dot, indicating a new video is ready.
How about one about the very popular mid 70's Olds Cutless ? Also the mid 70's Monte Carlo. Thanks for the vids.
I bought a 1976 Chevrolet Impala from a one owner old man for $500.00. It was only 5 years old and had only 63,000 miles on it, most of which were done by his son, until he bought him his own car. I was only 22 years old. My boys laughed at me and called it a dinosaur, but when we wanted to ride to the beach or all ride around to hang out, they always choose my car. The Irocs and Firebirds were uncomfortable and small, as well as the pickups. We sat 4 very comfortable, but I had 3 across each seat and still had a good ride. Had a 350 with a 4 barrel and my brother tuned the car up to a tee. It was amazingly good on gas for a vehical thaT size if I didnt kick in the 4 barrels. I loved that car, and so did my freinds. It was a legend in my old days,lol....
My aunt had a 77 Caprice, she loved the interior, especially the big ashtray in the dash, she was a really heavy smoker and drove that car everyday until it quit running at 180,000 miles
My second car was the 77 Impala with that cool rear window. Leaked oil from the rear seal in the end. Wish I still had it.
I grew up riding in a 1980 version of the Caprice wagon, which got replaced by the similar 1987 Pontiac Safari wagon. I miss those wagons
I fell in love with those old box Chevy Caprices from the early 70s glasshouse to the late 70s aerocoupe and 80s style hardtop coupes and landau trim package they're all very beautiful rides in my eyes even the wagons you should see how hyped up I get seeing the Chevrolet Caprice in movies & TV shows
Me too I love the beginning of striking distance. Caprice is crown vic.
I’ve always been a sucker for the bigger , midsize sedans all my life. From a 1973 Olds Delta 88 , 2 dr with the Rocket V8-350,4bbl to a ‘69 Olds Cutlass S brougham convertible, also with the Rocket. In between I’ve driven 302 V8 Mavericks AND Comets. But I still , after 45 years of driving, I prefer the 4 dr sedans and at least a V6 of 3.5 litres. Got myself a G6 GT right now, all chipped and intaked, a great ride for a 65 year old fart
Thankyou for this! I inherited my grandmother's 86 caprice I absolutely love that car. This is a nice little history lesson. One day I'll own a 77 two door.
Still driving my 79' Caprice Landau today:)
The rear window of the two-door coupe had a piece of metal embedded into it at the bend in order to help achieve that sharp crease. This was new automotive tech at the time.
Those rear windows were expensive to manufacture so the redesigned 1980 Coupe used a conventional design.
My stepfather had a 76 caprice wagon all the way to 1988 when he bought a new ford wagon. That caprice had no air, ripped seats, huge dents and rust, missing hubcaps, oxidized paint and yet we took that beast on family trips to the beaches of NJ and Delaware. Even though we sweated and could barely hear each other over the wind noise those years were some of the best ever. I graduated hs in 89. Strangely I had no idea that chevy had come out with a new model in 1977. I paid no attention to cars back then. I do remember though how much I loved that clam shell rear door. I always loved wagons for that reason.
GM's marketing plan for the late 1970s was brilliant: they made the Seville the smallest, best equipped and most expensive non-limousine in their lineup, then used its styling queues to convince the public that less car for more money could be an improvement across their full-sized and later, mid-sized lines. By focusing their advertising on trunk space and leg room, they were able to convince buyers that the few inches of shoulder room they lost for 1977 wasn't that important (and, it really wasn't for most people). The only big flaw in their downsizing strategy was the continuation of their awful practice of setting the passenger-side floor over an inch higher than that of the driver's side in order to accommodate the catalytic converter. If they had let the floor slope downward away from the converter, the cars would have had a lot more usable legroom, though the uneven floor would have looked a bit odd. I suppose with women occupying that seating position much of the time in the 1970s, it was less of an issue than it would be now.
It was noticeably uncomfortable to ride in the passenger seat, your legs stuck straight out in front of you. Rough on the back after a while.
The Buick Electra 225 is worthy of a look see.
Love your channel man!
Back when American cars looked great. Phil from the UK.
@Bobby Knuckles in your opinion. That's why they continue to sell in huge numbers around the world.
Eh, for the most part I think 70's cars looked really ugly. Most 80's cars, too. The Caprice/Impala was one of the few exceptions, starting with the 77 model. With only minor alterations, this nice style continued until Chevrolet rounded the corners (what year did they say that was?) and it just looked stupid to me.
Not only was the 77 Impala a bad car, it also did not look great compared to other cars of that period!
@@MrTrack412 Wrong, the Impala/Caprice were not only the best cars on the market at the time, they were also the best looking cars as well.
I bought a '78 Caprice as a used car in 1985. I loved it. My grandpa had '66, '71, '76, '79, '86 Chevy Caprices.
Great video....I had a '78 Classic, extremely quiet and smooth ride, they were compared to Rolls royces back in the day. Often was mistaken for a police cruiser (lol). Small block, 4-barrel, with posi, was fast for a big car. Super reliable, odo rolled over multiple times and I never knew how many miles it actually did. Not very good in winter. But rust eventually killed it, especially the bottoms of the doors was very bad. Shame GM does not build them that well anymore.
My first car was a '79 Impala. It had a 305 with a Rochester DualJet carburetor. These were good cars. Easy to repair, cheap to own.
I had to rent one of these cars while my Buick was being fixed. After one week with this car and I used it a lot back then, I came to the conclusion this was THE automotive value of its time!!! Perfect car.
I had a '77 Caprice, it was a great car.
I love this channel. Great walk throughs of iconic cars.
I currently have a '77 2-door (aero-coupe) I bought from the original owner 18 years ago. It still has the original paint and interior but I've improved the drive-train and suspension considerably by installing a 350 RamJet (EFI: 350HP/400 FtLb Torque), headers, 2-1/2 in dual exhaust, a beefed up 700R4 trans, 3.42 rear gears, and lowered it 2-1/2 inches front and 2 inches rear. Handles great, gets 23-24 MPG on the highway. Still has the original spare in the trunk. Running 15x7 steel wheels with original full wheel covers and wider white-side-wall tires. A real sleeper.
Max mph??
@@Loriddian The engine will turn 5,500 rpm easily. In O.D. with 29" tall tires, that calculates to 170 MPH. However, I believe the force of wind drag would probably limit the top speed to no more than 125-130 at best. It's still a "boxy" square-front-ended car. Though it does accelerate quite well, I've never put it on the drag strip to clock it. My guess is that with street tires it would do not better than 15.5 at 85-90 in the quarter mile.
For my immediate family the B bodies were some of the last GM we ever owned. It's crazy to think in my family we had a (1 1979, 1 1983 Impala; (1 1978 2 1980 Oldsmobile 88); (1 1984 , 1 1985, 2 1987, 1 1995 Caprice), (1983 Lesabre), (1992 Roadmaster). I remember many friends and other family who had other similar models.
so lucky to buy so many
My first new car was a 1989 Caprice Classic Brougham. It had the vinyl top, pillow seats, and fake wire wheel covers. It was a great car, miss it.
I was a car porter at a Chevy dealer for the 1975 thru 78 years. When we got out first 77 Caprices and Impalas they drove quieter and tighter. They absorbed bumps better too. Handling was far better. I drove a bunch of all of'm.
Chevy brought it all together with the 1977 Caprice. We bought a 4 door 1977 new. I liked the down sizing, comfort, and that f-41 suspenson package made it handle exceptionally and surprisingly well. Our's had the 305 engine, and it lasted quite well. My dad boucght a 76 impala used from a friend for work a few years later, I felt I was in a battle ship. We liked the 77 so well, we bought an 89 Caprice new as well, that car ran and ran until my dad passed, 30 years later, I gave it to a friend, and it still runs. For G.M. it was a major risk, with major rewards. But the quality of the car was remarkable.
I had a blue ‘78 two door with that funky aerocoupe back window. I got another engine and trans out of a ‘77 that I completely rebuilt and swapped in. Threw in a sweet stereo, amp, and speakers and after that, it was the new blues mobile. That car was awesome, it was like driving a sofa! The heater in that car was amazing. It was as if a dragon lived under the dash. The interior was enormous. That bench seat saw more a** than a women’s toilet seat at a Bon Jovi concert! I miss that car in more ways than you can imagine. Good times!
Another wonderful video. You always give me a new appreciation for the models you feature.
When all full size GM cars went on a diet in the fall of ‘76, I was 15. At that time, my dad was a salaried GM employee expected to drive Buick’s, of which he bought a new one every year (actually...they were ‘factory official’ cars with less than about 3,000 miles). I remember the 1977 LeSabre he brought home. All of those late 70’s he bought were great on gas, and never broke down. My fav car he bought was no doubt the ‘78 Regal...I’ll never forget the first time I saw that car through the window at the dealership! That was the 1st year of the downsized G-Bodies. I loved that car!
I also had family at GM who were required to buy a new one, and also given free vehicles as well. I do love hearing the stories of "Factory Official" vehicles. I heard stories of my uncle following cars down the line to make sure they were built correctly and had extra welds put into the body for his own cars and relatives cars. I've heard the GM family discount isn't the same like it was years ago. When I was 14 I got my Grandpa's old 1984 Caprice (fully loaded) that was straight out of the factory company car.
An instant classic. Beautiful lines.
I was 15 years old and I remember saying GOOD BYE to CARS as I knew them. The full sized Cars like this Chevy and Ford in 1979 downsized led the way into the 1980’s but all the other passenger cars were trying to find out what worked and what didn’t. Imagine the K car saved Chrysler. You couldn’t give me one back in the 80’s.
Same here. It was bad enough ta watch GM & FoMoCo downsize ta the metric cars, but what was even worse was seein' Chryler/Plymouth/& Dodge make that mostly ALL IN switch ta alla those crappy chitbox FWD cars like they did!😔😖 (other than the few mediocre downsized RWD models that they kept around for a little while longer til they axed even those too). Twas sad times that's for sure!😔
These were great cars for sure. My friend's parents had a 78 Caprice 4dr with the f41 suspension. That car rode nicely, was solid, and handled so nicely. The 305 provided good power also. I think the first years 77-80 were the best years for these models. The next generation body change was a big disappointment for sure...
another great review you have hit it out of the park thanks you for all the hard work and research you put into thies reviews I'm always happy to see a new post
Great short documentary on the Caprice! Thank you.
is it me or he sounds like the clear eyes guy? ...love this channel to death...
My '93 has been a great car. 367,000 miles on the original 5.0L/305 and no oil burning at all.
I'm so glad that I clicked the bell icon to get updates about this channel.
When I was about 3, my dad got a brand new 77 Caprice Classic. It was white with red cloth interior. It had the chrome wheels with the fleur-de-lis hub caps. The seat was as comfortable as your couch in the den. I feel asleep many times on long trips in that car.
My folks had an '89 Caprice Classic for a very long time. As much as my dad complained about what it cost (my dad is a cheapskate, btw), he never had anything bad to say about how the car worked. I think it had somewhere around 250K by the time my parents got rid of it.
The first car I ever owned was a 1974 Plymouth Satellite Sebring my father gave me, but the first car I ever bought was a used 1986 Caprice Classic Landau with a 4.3L V6. The TH 200 transmissions weren't very durable, but cheap and easy to replace.
This one of the best car channels on KZhead. I learn something every time I watch
One of the few winners during the late 70’s early 80’s for GM.
When we lived in the middle east in the 90s, this was my dad's company car. I loved the floaty ride.
Great video
Yes, Chevrolet did a masterful job downsizing the full size Caprice. But this video had me going to the bookshelf foy my copy of "Studebaker: The Postwar Years" by Richard M Langsworth. On page 152 are three drawings showing the relative size of the 1964 Studebaker and three other vehicles. Here's the caption. "Eye-opening comparisons of 1964 Lark with Mercedes 450 SEL, Cadillac Seville, and [1977] Chevrolet Caprice, by Brooks Stevens."
Love the vid! Great information which as I was unaware. Heck, I grew up in that decade. Thanks! :)
I had a 1974 Caprice Classic hardtop sedan in the 1980's. Sold it to a friend, who restored it completely and stil has it. To me that is the most beautiful Chevrolet ever. The downsize Chevrolets from 1977/78 were well designed and very popular in Denmark. Not only did they look good and ride well, the would also fit into many private garages in peoples homes, unlike the earlier models.