Moby Dick was a giant white whale, and the fact that this 1987 Caprice Station Wagon is 18′ long, and weighs in at 4,125lbs would probably qualify it for that label. it is still a pretty decent car, and it really wouldn’t take much work to have it really shining again. It is located in Santa Clara, Utah, and is listed for sale here on eBay. The Caprice has been the subject of some very strong bidding, which has pushed it along to $3,500. With the reserve now having been met, this is a vehicle that is set to head to a new home.
The external presentation of the Caprice isn’t bad, but it also isn’t perfect. It is certainly fit to be used on a daily basis as it stands because there doesn’t appear as though there are any issues to be faced with rust. There are a few dings and dents to be attended to, the worst of these being a dent just below the molding on the passenger side rear door. There is also some paint peeling off the lower fender on the driver’s side, and some damage to a couple of exterior trim items. Overall though, none of this appears to be major, and all should be able to be fixed with little effort.
With the third row of seats, this Caprice offers some versatility to the next owner if they have a larger family. In general terms, the interior isn’t too bad. The most glaringly obvious fault is the dash pad, which has deteriorated badly under the Utah sun. The carpet in the front is also stained, and there is a tear in the driver’s door trim. The rest of it looks pretty decent, and I tend to agree with the owner’s belief that the third row has probably never been used. The Caprice isn’t loaded up with luxury extras, but it does seem to have the ones that really count. As well as a factory cassette player, it also features air conditioning, cruise control, a tilt wheel, and power locks.
Hiding under all of those hoses and pieces of plumbing is a 307ci V8 engine. The Caprice also features a 4-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The owner states that the car runs and drives perfectly, and the only fault is a slight leak in the muffler. Still, those aren’t an expensive item to replace. One bonus on a car of this age is the fact that the car has only just turned over 83,000 documented miles. With the longevity of the mechanical components in this car, that means that the Caprice should be set for many more years of reliable service.
Classic wagons are an area that continues to gather strength in the market, and this Caprice looks like it is quite a good one. It is a car that looks like it is ready to tackle a cross country trek right now, and would take very little work to return it to its best. The low documented mileage is a real bonus, and once restored, it is a vehicle that will attract its share of attention.
We bought one of these in Dark Claret Metallic at a Dodge dealer in 1993. Had the slow poke 307 oil burner. After fighting with the dealer, they replaced it with a new GM long block. Great car otherwise. Never crashed. No rust. Sold it for $1,000 in 2002. Should have kept it.
WADR the last year for the 307 was 1973.
You forgot about the “corporate” 307 produced in the mid to late-80’s.
Steve R
Oldsmobile 307, some Chevrolet wagons got the Olds 307 instead, that what this one has.
It would make a nice swapmeet cruiser. All I’d do is get a Dashmat for it.
Steve R
I agree with George Matter comments above. The 301,305 and 307 were doggy and would start consuming a lot of oil around 100,000 miles. Bid cautiously with this expense coming up in ownership.
Just a reminder, the 307 here is the Olds 307, used in most Squareback wagons (as well as most GM full-size) in the 80’s thru 1990, Buick, Olds, Pontiac, and some non-wagon Chev’s.
307’s (and 403’s) were all Olds, others were were their corporate namesake.
It’s a well respected engine, memories of Chev v8 issues do not apply here.
Great wagon, I’ve had many, and many of those were well into the high 100,000’s when retired. Worst issue was almost any overheating would warp a head and require head gasket replacement.
A lot of these Caprice wagons were fitted with the Olds 307. It makes sense since it was built alongside the Olds Custom Cruiser and Buick Estate Wagon.
I got 1987 Oldsmobile custom Cruiser statio. Wagon – perfect running car – do not burn oil – 18.3 mpg average – in present time 122000 miles – pleasure to drive – 307
Original car
When I worked at a Chevy lot back in this year, all of the Caprice’s we had were demos. We didn’t have one new Caprice on the lot. All of the managers would drive them, along with a few of the Monte Carlos.
The only wagon I remember we had was a yellow with the wood sides.
We eventually sold them all, but they were all used.
I still love them to this day.
This looks like a pretty good car. Given the comment about the engine, I would upgrade to a 350. That was my original thought when I saw it had a 307, anyway. I think the extra ponies would contribute to better gas mileage and a little extra giddy-up. Still not a hot rod, just a family cruiser. Treated properly, this could be a good deal for someone. But, alas, not in my wheel house nor in a location I could consider.
I had an ’85 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royal Brougham in high school. That car had this 307 “Olds” engine. Burned so much oil I had to change the spark plugs and the catalytic converter every three thousand miles along with the oil. Luckily, I worked at a parts store & got a discount, otherwise I think the car would have left me beyond broke.
SOLD:
Jun 24, 2019, 06:00:00 PM PDT
Price: US $3,600.00
However the original ad page shows it was relisted, but when you click the link the page is gone. That usually indicated the seller deleted the listing.
Based on my experience as a seller on eBay I would bet the winner flaked out and the runner up bidder got a second chance offer. The seller relisted it while the second chance was pending , and deleted the new listing when it was accepted.
Just my 2 cents.
Also there is currently another similar wagon listed on eBay:
1985 CHEVROLET CAPRICE CLASSIC 9 PASS WAGON SHOWING 51000
ALL POWER OPTIONS B.I.N. Price:US $2,999.00
If I had the funds, I would buy a low mileage example like this and upgrade the drive train and breaks. A modern big block, with fuel injection backed by a 6spd trans and 4 wheel disk breaks. Put some slightly taller wheels on it then upgrade the suspension without lowering anything (I hate when people do that). Make sure the rear axle is is not an open diff and we would have a solid all year family vehicle that would be perfect to haul an RV or Boat on the family vacations.