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1973 Chevrolet Caprice With Only 2,950 Miles!

1973-chevrolet-caprice

A big four-door Caprice normally wouldn’t get anyone excited, but this one is a driving time capsule! It’s claimed to have only covered 2,950 miles since new and I can’t see anything in the photos that lead me to believe otherwise. The paint and interior are original and look excellent. Those tires are claimed to be original too, but those wire rims make me question that one. Either way, this survivor Caprice is worth a look. Find it here on eBay where the auction ends later tonight.

400-v8

The 400 cubic inch V8 looks clean, but even if the mileage is correct, you should plan on replacing all the hoses. New fluids and probably a couple of gaskets will need to go in too. That battery looks original so you’ll need a new one of those too. Hopefully something stock looking can be sourced instead of using the typical Wal-Mart battery.

green-knit-interior

The green knit and vinyl interior looks amazing! I couldn’t find any obvious wear on the seats, but the photos arent the best. The dealer installed plastic covering the carpets could have been installed when new, but I’m assuming someone added that for effect. The car would probably be bid even higher if the seller would have included some details about the car’s past.

fender-skirts

I’m not sure what I’d do with a car like this, but it’s fun to look at. If the mileage is correct, then it would be a shame to add much more by driving it a lot and it’s not exactly a high performance or collectible model. Still, there must be quite a few people who want it for some reason because bidding is going wild!

Comments

  1. Avatar flmikey

    …47 bidders so far, over 11k and reserve not met, wild is right! Am I missing something here? Yellow/green guts, 2 to many doors, and it’s bringing what a resale red 2 door/454 with the same miles would have brought just a year ago…nice car, but really???

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Vegas Vic

    stirring something up in the bidders, for sure! nice ride, the green interior is dynamite, disco and opec on the horizon when this beast rolled off the assembly lines, still, over 11k, WOW!!

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Fred W.

    Must have his friends bidding it up. If that battery will still crank the engine it’s a stock looking replacement, 6 or 7 years is tops for any battery.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Keith

      Fred,

      Have a 2004 Dodge Dakota that just rolled over 60k and just replaced the factory battery this year. 12 years + on the factory battery is possible.

      Like 1
  4. Avatar 68 custom

    I could maybe see that kinda money if it was loaded and had the big block but not with that awful color combo!

    Like 1
  5. Avatar RON

    Absolutely replacement battery. if that were original I would be buying stock in the Mfg . 43 yeas on a battery. hardly 43 months. No concern about the wire wheel covers. wires were optional even in these years. beautiful car but can’t see the money. And that 400 with all the smog stuff starting in early 70’s would be a gas drinker and on todays octane — not for me. my dad bought a new 76 with the 350 and it could not pass a gas station

    Like 0
    • Avatar Greg

      Why would you buy stock in a company that can only sell a battery every 43 years?

      Like 1
      • Avatar Steven Visek

        If one company could achieve such a feat they would put all the other battery makers out of business and have virtually 100% of the market and exceptional pricing power and thus profits. Since over time a company’s stock price will track with its corporate earnings, big profits equals exceptional stock performance. BTW, yes, I know RON’s statement was tongue-in-cheek and your question likely was not serious, but I figured I’d answer it anyway. :-)

        Like 0
  6. Avatar Peter B.

    Yeah, yellow with a green interior? Those were the days when you could get any color combo you wanted. Today, they are all tan it seems. My father had a 74 caprice sedan, metallic blue with a blue vinyl top and a dark blue velour interior, if my father sees this 73, he’ll want it.

    Like 1
    • Avatar scooter8

      no catsup! I live in chi. hotdog? anyway……

      Like 0
      • Avatar Bobsmyuncle

        Another famous Barnfinds post.

        Capitals who needs ’em?

        Punctuation? Random.

        Full sentences? Ain’t got no time for that!

        Meaning? Who knows?!

        Like 0
  7. HoA Howard A Member

    Jeez, I just don’t know anymore. It sure looks low miles, but how can someone buy a car, and never use it? This comes out to like 70 miles a year. I don’t think it sat, something just doesn’t add up with these ultra low mile cars. It surely isn’t 103g’s, but sure is clean. Which is why the bidding is going nuts, for a car we beat the heck out of as kids, and off to the junkyard it went(minus the motor, of course) If it did sit, that could bring up other issues, but still a pretty nice example of what our grandparents or parents would have bought.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Mr. TKD

    It’s not even a hardtop. I wouldn’t be interested in this.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Rick

    Somehow the piss yellow/puke green color combo just doesn’t do it, don’t care if had 2 miles on it. Yuk!

    Like 1
    • Avatar Brad

      The color combo reminds me of things I’ve seen in a diaper. All it needs is a light blue vinyl top ! Otherwise, a really nice ride. I see that it also has the optional analogue clock. Nice.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Joe Defelice

    I just can’t conceive anyone ordering a yellow car with a putrid green interior. Yes, avocado was a hot appliance color at the time, but inside a yellow car with a black top? Something isn’t sitting right with this.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

      Reminds me of a brand new 1969 Plymouth Fury III hardtop sitting on the back lot of Maryland Motors Chrysler/Plymouth in Rockville, MD. Car was medium Green metallic, with a green paisley vinyl roof, and a Blue Dodge Monaco interior!

      Yes, the entire interior; headliner, carpets, seats, door panels & dash were all Dodge Monaco. Since both Dodge & Plymouth full size vehicles were assembled on the same car line, if someone processed the sub-assembly order punch-cards in the wrong progression, The sub-assembly line for the interior would produce the blue Dodge parts based on the order received, & sent in the proper sequence, [based on the incorrect order card], to the main assembly line to be installed in the green Fury III car body.

      Since special requests were fairly routine, it’s likely that the people working the line figured it was a correct order [or didn’t care], and of course the car was shipped to the dealer. Plus, 1969 was the first year for the new body style, and Chrysler assembly quality was hitting new lows every week!

      So perhaps there were 2 other cars in the equation: a blue 1969 Dodge Monaco with a green Plymouth Fury interior, and another Caprice, green exterior, with a tan interior!

      Like 0
  11. Avatar Jeffro

    why?

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Eddie

    Those are factory correct wire wheel covers, not wheels. Stainless steel. Easily disassembled for cleaning, have done so many times in decades past. Lol! Nice car, I suppose, but a 4 door sedan, in weird colors? Pass….

    Like 0
  13. Avatar David Montanbeau

    Love it, drive it, derby it!!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Phil

    Hello, I haven’t sold a car on eBay in so long I forgot to put the history in the ad!! The original owner bought the car in the small town in PA where he lived and obviously didn’t drive too much. I have paperwork showing 1323 miles on 10-16-1976, 2312 miles on 6-25-1977 and 2651 miles on 7-7-1980 when he bought a new battery. I also have his insurance policy from 1989 that shows he had the 73 Caprice, 79 LTD, 83 Caprice and a 88 Mazda. It looks like he bought new cars every few years and didn’t drive too much. The second owner bought it a year ago and originally knew about the 83 Caprice and it only had like 1500 miles on it. As for the battery, all you car nuts should know about battery toppers; new battery, old looking topper. And as for the wire caps, they are correct for this car and were purchased NOS for a lot of money. The original caps come with the car also. Thanks and I love all the hater comments. It’s making me laugh during a very busy time in my life. Keep the comments coming!!!

    Like 2
  15. Avatar VR LIVES

    Its as if the design guys at AMC picked the color combo. There should be some kind of riule about orange and green, no mas por favor.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Ck

    Hey Phil I think its Kool I like it. This car should be in somebody ‘s museum or private colection ,or maybe on display at some chevy dealer.Its literally a time capsule. Way kool.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar daCabbie

    Cash isn’t always king…

    The person who buys this is asking, ‘Do I want 10oz’s of gold or a ton of finely crafted, albeit ugly, American steel and vinyl ?’

    If you listen closely everyone is getting ready to jump off the cash boat… so where are they gonna go? Into the hard asset market and that includes collectible cars… even if they are only collectible because they have less than 3k miles.

    I wouldn’t buy it…. but I would drive it if you gave it to me… my birthday is at the end of the month… hint, hint.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar M B

    In order to get that color combination, THREE individual things could have happened. One is that the “non-approved trim combination” would have had to be special ordered and approved by the zone office with a “sold order” confirmation. It could have been an “end of the run” car and they were out of black interiors. Or, possibly, a key punch error somewhere. OR when the allocation to build that sales order, if the black interior components were “on Stop”, they had to figure something out to keep the line rolling and get the order built. I special ordered a ’77 Camaro with a 350 4bbl and 3.08 PosiTrac. When the order came up at the factory, 350 V-8s were “on Stop” (not available for some reason at that particular point in time). They substituted a 305 and 2.56 PTrac (with the dealer’s approval) or the order would go back in the line for getting built. So, wen it arrived, I said “That’s not the car I ordered . . .” but I took it as there were no other similarly-equipped Camaros at ANY dealer with the other equipment I ordered. It was a good deal, as it turned out.

    In any event, if it was a “sold order” car, with that color combination, they’d build it. BUT . . . think how dark that interior would be if it was black, to match the vinyl roof color! An interesting combination, in any event!

    In TX, with straight and long roads, that car would be in its element. AND it would pass many gas stations before it needed one, even with the 400 2bbl V-8 (which I believe was standard in the Caprices). Not 20mpg at 70mph, but possibly 17-18. Not much worse than current SUVs running 75mph on the highway, if at all.

    That car needs to be preserved and respected for what it is. The price can be elevated to ensure that someone who’ll appreciate it will end up with it. Collectible value from a price guide would not compensate for that.

    It’s obviously lead a VERY sheltered life! Many of those cars were subject to lower rear window rust as the water draining off of the back glass would accumulate in the lower corners, under the chrome trim, at the pinchweld. It was these vehicles that 3M invented “AlumaLead” body repair compound!

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Prowler

    Pretty rare find
    Apparently there is nobody out there from Wisconsin
    Back when you could order your car as ugly as you wanted it was pretty common especially in the green Bay area for die hard packer fans to order thier new cars in packer green and gold…..no joke there are a lot of them out there
    About 10 years ago…the Wisconsin Hoarder. that had semi trailers welded shut packed with rare muscle cars and parts had a 1970 chevelle LS6 gold with a green interior…go pack

    Like 1
  20. Avatar M B

    Pretty much a “standard equipment” car. No power windows, no power door locks, no tilt wheel, no cruise control, cloth bench seat (probably non-power). Added correct wire wheel covers, optional vinyl roof. No power options means less possible issues later on! Factory stick-on carpet protection, as shipped! Not to everybody’s taste, but still a nice car.

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Steven Visek

    I asked the seller(through eBay) about the car’s history. I received the following reply at 7:13pm EST:
    “Hello, I haven’t sold a car on eBay in so long I forgot how to do it. The original owner bought the car in the small town in PA where he lived and obviously didn’t drive too much. I have paperwork showing 1323 miles on 10-16-1976, 2312 miles on 6-25-1977 and 2651 miles on 7-7-1980 when he bought a new battery. I also have his insurance policy from 1989 that shows he had the 73 Caprice, 79 LTD, 83 Caprice and a 88 Mazda. It looks like he bought new cars every few years and didn’t drive too much. The second owner bought it a year ago and originally knew about the 83 Caprice and it only had like 1500 miles on it. So it is a 2 owner car as it is dealer owned now and that doesn’t count towards owner count. Thanks and I’ll try to update the listing with the history.”

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Jesse Staff

    The owner just posted the same thing above. Thanks though.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steven Visek

      Thanks. As he hadn’t modified the eBay listing to add this info, it never occurred to me to check the newer posts to see if he might have posted something here on BF.

      Like 0
  23. Avatar Roselandpete

    I don’t mind the color combo but at $14.5 with 16 minutes left and reserve not met, way too rich for my blood.

    Like 0
  24. Avatar Steven Visek

    Wouldn’t have been surprised to see this go to NPD. Seems like their cup of tea.
    But it just ended at $14,500 with reserve not met.

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Roselandpete

    Unsold at $14.5 which I thought was very generous–reserve not met. It will be interesting to see if seller relists and if it meets reserve this time.

    Like 0
  26. Avatar rmward194 Member

    Interesting car, but way too much money for a stripped Caprice. Good luck to the seller.

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Mepo

    So you spend the dough just to leave it parked, or loaded on a trailer and carted around? The value would be in the low mileage, seems stupid to buy something like this as it won’t appreciate that much over the next 10-5 years.

    Like 0
  28. Avatar jpw501

    Instant memory blast-from-the-past here…. Dad’s 1973 Caprice Classic Brougham… It was light green but had the dark green interior as this one does. The back seat was wide and long enough to, well, you know…Became a man in the back seat of that car. ;-) That view of the back seat from the door open – well, what can I say. …”Barely 17 and we were barely dressed…” (Apologies to Meatloaf)

    The 350 in that car would really haul. I distinctly remember each pair of spark plugs being angled in toward each other which I later learned was the mark of a set of factory performance heads as I recall. Am I remembering that correctly? Why would Corvette heads be in a luxo-boat?

    Thanks for the memories!

    Like 0
    • Avatar 68custom

      all that testosterone has fogged your memory, no way a set of dealer 291 turbo heads were on dads 73 caprice! but it had a High performance back seat! :)

      Like 0

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