Subjectively speaking, I would suggest that 1972’s full-size Chevrolet B-body cars were the last of those endowed with an attractive, balanced appearance. While the ’71 and ’72 editions, such as today’s find, a ’72 Caprice coupe, are considerably larger than their ’65-’70 predecessors, they aren’t straddled with ugly, railroad tie-sized, federally mandated front bumpers as found on the ’73 and later model year editions. Also, the heavy emission control business hadn’t yet completely taken over so there was still some spryness to their forward motion. Looking like a time capsule, this Fort Worth, Texas domiciled top-level Chevy is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $10,600 with the reserve not yet met.
Chevrolet continued to follow its established hierarchy in ’72 with Caprice at the top, the volume-selling Impala following, and the BelAir covering the budget-minded end of the buying spectrum. Not officially listed was the dowdy, entry-level Biscayne – starting in ’71 it became a fleet-only member and I bet I haven’t seen more than four or five. Caprice was available in a two or four-door hardtop body style as well as a station wagon known as the Kingswood Estate. Total Caprice output for ’72 reached 178K units. Oh, and that elusive Biscayne model that I mentioned? About 20K came off of one of about seven different Chevrolet assembly lines – more than I would have thought.
The seller mentions that this Caprice has experienced a respray and it certainly looks fabulous! It did wear fender skirts but they have been removed (good move!) and are included in the sale. Another deviation is the inclusion of the RPO P02 wheel covers. Having first made an appearance as a Corvette option, they were available on the Caprice as well. The glass, vinyl top, chrome, and stainless trim all appear as you would expect on a car that has experienced such little use. Not surprisingly, this Chevy has been garaged during the seller’s seventeen years of ownership.
Standard Caprice power in ’72 was a 170 net HP, 400 CI “small block” V8 engine. This was the first year for the newly utilized SAE net HP ratings and some found it particularly confusing as the previous year this same motor was rated at 255 gross HP. The seller mentions that he has installed an HEI ignition unit and swapped out all four coil springs. A three-speed automatic transmission was the only gear-changing game in town for a Caprice in ’72 and that’s what’s in place here.
The interior is extensively photographed and presents quite well (again, as one would expect). It’s an avocado green shade, a popular color in ’72 for kitchen and bathroom appliances. Mentioned is the replacement of the original Delco radio for a Kenwood unit and a complete rebuilding of the A/C system. Curiously, it still works on hard-to-find R12 refrigerant and was not converted to the more commonly sourced 134a. Finally, it’s nice to find a Chevy from this era with an intact dash pad – no visible cracks noted, especially around the defroster vents and radio speaker grille.
So, what’s this Caprice need? Nothing other than a new owner. If you like big, domestic two-door hardtops, here’s one of your best chances to score an extremely nice example. Another like this will, unfortunately, never be built again. Any interest?
Beautiful – just beautiful! The rear tires look larger that stock – I feel the skirts are a classic look, but may cause interference with the current setup. Front and rear bumper guards are in your face, but are designed for the job. Maybe remove them to give a smoother, wider look.
You’ll definitely get noticed in this one…
17,366 original miles
Classy Caprice
Something fishy… Supposed super low miles and replaced the springs? Hmmm.. needed paint and all??? ..
I would be VERY suspicious if buying
exactly.
Me too. I call BS on the mileage; I’m sure it’s been spun, but from what mileage point? Too many questions and not enough answers on this one. I’d pass.
The actual ad says “17,366 original miles”. That seems believable when you look at the pictures and read the who ad.
My experience has been that before an older 5 digit (6 if you count tenths) odometer rolled over all of the numbers lined up perfectly. Looking at the photo provided they don’t.
take a good look at the carpet in the front driver’s side.I would have to say that does not happen with only 17000 miles.it is well worn.also take a look at the trunk chrome it doesn’t line up and I may even say that maybe a little work was done on it.it would never have came out of the factory looking like that.
Don’t forget that the springs are under a load at all times, even if the car is parked for years. And if the car resides in Texas (as I do), I can attest that the Texas sun is very unkind to paint. Even if the car is garage kept, it can’t be kept out of the sun while it is being driven. Having said that, ANY deal on a car this old deserves a great deal of scrutiny since there are plenty of folks out there willing to pull a fast one to separate you from your money.
Springs could very possibly have sagged from sitting 52 years. I know I have sagged during the last 67 years 🥳
I love the fact that you can remove the fender skirts off without it looking like something is missing.
You would’ve needed to add the Impala rear wheel opening mldgs.
Spring sag is common over time. GM nitrocellose laquer paint of the day did not stand the test of time in harsh climates. I worked in a body shop back then, we had to strip many hoods/roofs/trunks on GM’s due to paint cracking on vehicles only a few years old.
Absolutely beautiful. I always loved the body lines on GM vehicles, especially between 1959-1972, but I could never get over GM’s fascination with idiot lights.
This is probably the nicest ’72 Impala left ! The condition alone , makes it a rare find plus the fact that it’s a very low mileage car . In my opinion , this one is really worth the asking price ! Who ever gets this 1972 will certainly be ” the envy around town !”
Nice enough car. Damn shame about the colors !
Truth. A 68 Buick Skylark Custom 2 door survivor is going to be in an estate sale here in Florida this weekend at it is olive green inside and outside. I will drop by and pay homage, but won’t be a player unless it’s under a few grand.
Why repainted at only 17k miles?
excellent question
I had a 72 very similar to this but it was a grayish silver with a black vinyl top. This was in 83 or 84. As I recall I paid 11 or 1200 for it at a dealer who had taken it on trade. Probably overpaid but it was very clean.
I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have until I got t-boned at an intersection and had to find a car quick with the measly 500 bucks insurance gave me. Needed wheels as I was going back to college.
Fortunately, the girl I met shortly afterwards didn’t hold the POS I found against me.
In fact, I just showed her the pic of this car and told her that’s what I had a few months before I met her. She said it would have been nice if I had it when we met. :)
Took driver training, and driver’s test in a Caprice of that same color combo> Good times.
Except when it came to parallel parking it.
Too bad you didn’t get to “park” with your GF in yours back in the day. :)
Indeed. It ,as have been a 2 door but it had a spacious interior.
Edit my first reply.
it may have been..
Spring replacement i could understand even with low miles. If it stayed all its life on its wheels they are bound to come down after 50 years and 4000 pounds of weight. Hope he put some h/d’s and better shocks
Nice looking Caprice, but I’d be putting the skirts back on ASAP. It just looks odd without them to me.
Forgot one thing. The a/c compressor looks like a Sanden replacement, not the original fridgidaire unit and it was refilled with R-12 ????? Where the heck does one get 12 anymore i thought that’s been extinct for 20 years plus
I just sold 15 pounds of R12. It is around. You have to look.
Agree. R12 can be had. I dont know what the reserve is but 10g is a fair asking price for an early 70s Caprice. Some things listed sound a little fishy but otherwise the car seems in very good condition.
I’m testing the reserve at upwards of 18K, and still it’s not enough, apparently. Are we at the top of the value scale? A lot of that depends on whether the mileage claim is real, right? Too bad it’s been painted. Otherwise all original, it seems.
18k is about triple the actual value. People are absolutely out of their minds when buying older cars. Either this weekend or next week I’m getting the 85 olds wagon that was on here. It’s basically new and not paying 18k .
No 18k is not triple. These cars are extremely popular with certain crowds who donk them out. 1971-1972, 2 door Caprice being the cream of the crop. This is a very nice example. 20-25k is about the number. Just put the skirts back on !
Memories are nice, but I tend to live in reality on most days.
I have a friend who is a Chevrolet mechanic and he has a car like this. His car was built in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦 in January of 1972 and was sold at a Chevrolet dealership in Calgary, Alberta. The owner was an elderly woman who had passed away in 2011 and found that car in Hemming’s Motor News. It is a fully loaded car.
Gorgeous!
Beautifull car, it even have cruise control.
I believe the 17k mileage.
For any of the commenters who are unfamiliar with GM “quality” of the 1970’s I’m here to remind you that 1972 was a few years before the two-stage base coat/clear coat method came into being at GM, and that the single stage paint applied by GM at the time was pure junk. My parents were absolutely fanatics when it came to their vehicles (garage kept, never driven on salty roads, hand-washed only, etc…) and both of their mid-70’s GM vehicles had paint that was so thin that by the time the cars were 5-7 years old the hoods, roofs, and deck lids were so faded/devoid of color that they needed to be repainted.
I have no qualms about the HEI ignition or spring replacement – both hood calls as far as making a 50 year old car more reliable and safer to drive. If it were mine I’d probably also replace the fuel lines, brake lines, & pads as well as rebuild the master cylinder. Given that the seller has owned the car for 17 years, I’d be confident in the mileage and happy that he chose to maintain the car for enjoyment instead of preserving it as it left the factory. It might not be everyone’s taste, but that’s a solid $17-20k car in the current market.
You’re incorrect. Base/clear was not used until the 1980s. Also lacquer was very durable if kept garaged and regularly washed and waxed. There are 1000s of original GM single stage finishes from the 1970s still going strong.
“ During the late ’70s, a new concept of automotive paint took over, called the “clearcoat” or “basecoat” method. Instead of exposing the pigment to the elements, automakers started sealing the pigment layer beneath a transparent layer of clear coat for protection. This method was first introduced in American cars by the 1977 Lincoln Versailles.”
I won’t be so rude as to say “you’re incorrect”, but…
Not trying to be rude but you’re wrong. You said a “few years” after the vehicle in question which is a 1972 which would put into to base/clear at 1975 which is wrong. The vehicle to mention isn’t even a GM car. GM didn’t use bc/cc until the 80s. And you’re wrong about the durability of acrylic lacquer. No offense or hard feelings mate
Sorry to burst your bubble, but by the early 70’s vehicles were largely painted with enamels, not lacquer, and the durability of the enamel finishes were nothing short of dismal.
https://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/a-history-of-automotive-finishes/
Even though it’s not a GM vehicle, I mention the 1977 Lincoln as a counter to your claim that base coat/clear coat wasn’t employed until the 1980s. And your assumption that “a few years” is exactly “3 years” is a flaw in your thinking, not a mistake in what I posted.
Next time you try to flame someone, Dr. I do some research first.
I worked for a GM/Chevrolet body shop in ’73 and we were still spraying lacquer. We had an enamel booth and shot that occasionally, but lacquer-based paint was still the most predominant product used.
JO
From motor trend “Eventually, by the ’80s, General Motors phased out the lacquer paints in favor of an evolution of modern paint materials, beginning with acrylic enamels, and leading to the basecoat/clearcoat material formulations in use today.”
My second car was a triple black ’72 Caprice coupe. Big block 400 210 HP. Brocade interior instead of the knit cloth shown. Had the aluminum wire caps with the knurled center knob. Added dual exhaust from the manifolds back; nice rumble! Like a couple of other commenters, put the skirts back on. I added those on to my ’70 Caprice coupe. The ’70 had the 400 small block 265 HP. Looking at the engine compartment, I would say miles are legit.
Used a ‘72 just like this to cut lawns in high school. You could load to lawnmowers in the trunk and shut it. It would start no matter how cold it was and would roll comfortably down the highway at 80 plus! And yes, the factory paint job was awful, just faded away.
This would bring me back to the days of my youth: I would have LOVED to have had this ride at age 18, back in ’79, my senior year. And while I would have preferred the 402 big block with 4 barrel carburetion, the small block would have been okay. Cars like THESE were what most of us had, not all of us had rich Dads buying us new 280Z’s, Trans Ams, 442’s, Camaros, etc., we made do with the most respectable rides we could get… and this one would have put me ON TOP OF THE WORLD
I rode my 10 speed to the seller’s house of a 1971 Impala 2 door. After giving him $275, I threw the 10 speed in the trunk and took off. I drove / beat the hell out of that car all senior year without a lick of trouble. Turns out I was the second owner, and every 3k mile oil change was registered in the back of owners manual.
Please put the skirts back on!!!
For those of you questioning the mileage, look at the eBay ad. Blow up the photos of the dash, door panels, and pedals. I believe the lack of wear proves the seller’s claim of original miles. This is a nice looking Caprice, and hopefully the next owner does not paint it bass boat green with a yellow interior and add some idiotic looking 28 inch wheels and a 4000 decibel stereo system that rattles the trim off the car.
This one makes my …….ratty convertible I drive daily still…..look really ratty. All kidding aside this car is too nice to drive. Yes put the skirts back on, my convertible has them and makes these cars come alive. Built in a time when no two were the same. Cruise control but manual windows and seats. No power locks. My car Impala, 350, ac, power windows, seats, trunk opener, skirts. Again love these cars but this one is TOO nice for me. I drive mine, look at the dash pad and other items on this car. Those dash pads were cracked at 10 years old. I have a mint dash pad for mine that I pulled 30 years ago when every 5th car was one of these. I hope this car finds a nice garage and seldom comes out because that’s where this unit belongs.
This sure brings back memories. My Dad bought a new 1972 Impala four door sedan in appliance white and a blue fabric ( kind of a brocade if I remember correctly). Even though I had my own wheels; I had many occasions to drive the “Imp” as my little sister christened it. It was a very nice car for the times and I enjoyed it. In fact the Imp was our wedding car for my Wife and I back in 1982. Even though the tin worm had begun dining on the rockers and rear quarters, the old Imp still had a presence that early eighties cars had lost. In 1985 my Dad traded the Imp in for a new Renault Alliance. We didn’t ask. Dad always had his reasons for his car purchases. But after fourteen years, a whole passel of drivers and many miles; I think the General’s “Everyman” vehicle gave us pretty darn good service. I like the car for sale and I personally like green cars. This one is in very nice shape. I agree with other folks who want the fender skirts reinstalled. Adds to that presence these cars have. Also for once I’ll stifle myself regarding price. GLWTS.
This one looks like a beauty. If we were in the market and close enough to inspect…
Worked on these when new, HEI and other upgrades are well done, I am impressed with this gem, that takes some doing for a ” who cares? ” car from the 70’s with nothing special about it other than presentation and condition. Colors work well with this car, I actually think $25k might be ok. Hell, someone may like it so much and go $5 k or more higher. Pretty cool time machine.
Buy the way, GM paint failed all time back then, maybe depending on plant were paint applied, the appearance of the failed paint did look like a “clear coat” had peeled/ flaked, leaving a flat color coat, I owned several with problem, just work cars. No one cares.
You can usually tell mileage by wear on the brake pedal rubber. Pix is blurred but is this 17k or 117k. Either way it is a beautiful presentation.
you can also buy new rubber pads so that is not really a good indicator. My 87 El Camino has 747k miles on it and I replaced the pad at 700k miles. So all indications say my car only has 47k miles.
Park a mint ’72 Vega next to it at a car show to display the quandary that American auto manufacturers were dealing with in the mid-70’s.
At a bit over 20K and still under reserve.
Pretty car in really nice shape but well over what I would pay.
The car is beautiful, and would say you’d be hard pressed to find a nicer one.If only it were a 1971……