“Caprice Classic Coupe. With so much rear-seat legroom you’ll think you’re sitting in a sedan.” So says a 1977 Chevrolet brochure. This 1977 Chevrolet Caprice Coupe Landau actually has two more inches of rear legroom than the previous-generation Caprice and Impala Coupe did. This one is listed here on eBay in Berkley, California and the seller has a $17,995 buy-it-now price listed or you can make an offer. Thanks to T.J. for the tip!
Big deal, two more inches of rear legroom. That doesn’t sound like a lot, before you realize that the revised, redesigned, and smaller 1977 Caprice is over 10 inches shorter than the previous cars were, yet it has more interior room. That’s good packaging. I remember my dad looking under the hood of his 1970 Olds 98 and wondering why there was so much meaningless sheet metal just for the sake of making it so long. In a crash, some extra sheet metal poking out in the front isn’t going to do anything. The seller has provided a video here on YouTube showing this beautiful car.
I absolutely love this two-door body style on the third-generation Chevrolet Caprice or Impala, and for once I don’t have to do a Photoshop/Photochop to make a four-door into a two-door. GM did a much better job on the real thing than I could have done digitally. The redesigned third-generation Caprice was made from 1976 for the 1977 model year until the end of 1990. Other than just being a two-door, which is unusual enough, the big thing is the hot-wire bent rear glass, done with a similar method as Olds used on their Toronado XS. It was available until the end of the 1979 model year.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Chevrolet sold millions of red Caprises (Caprii?) and Impalas. We’ve only seen three other two-door Caprices here on Barn Finds and two of them were red. The other one was brown, for the record. This beautiful red velour interior is absolutely what I expected to see in this car, and it’s as nice as it should be in a car listed at 37,000 miles. Although the seller doesn’t really give any information about this car other than it’s “highly original”, they just give a list of features and options. It looks as close to new as I can imagine any Caprice out there is.
The engine is a 350-cu.in. OHV V8, which had 170 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. The seller says, well, they actually don’t say anything about how it runs but we have to assume that it works as great as it looks, don’t we? And by “we”, of course, I mean everyone else in case I’m wrong. Just kidding, this looks like one nice car. Have any of you owned a two-door Caprice or Impala from this era?
*SIGH* Such a beauty! One of my favorite two doors; if only I had the space!
GLWTA!! :-)
does that engine bay look like a car with only 37000 on it.
Looks like an engine bay that’s never been detailed at any time during its 37k miles. I like that it has a 350…plenty of performance upgrades available that won’t make the engine deviate much from the original appearance. Only question: does it have the F41 suspension?
Sadly, axle pic shows no rear sway bar/F 41
If you look closely, there are 2 dash cracks.
We owned two 1977 Chevrolets , an Impala 4-door , the other a Caprice . They were very reliable cars and the Impala went over 200,000 miles and was still going !! The Caprice used slightly more fuel than the other one but was a wonderful road car . You don’t see very many around anymore ! The owner won’t have any trouble selling this one but hopefully it will go to new home ! Happy Motoring !
I remember the commercials for these, touting that they were downsized..”Now that’s more like it”, a crowd sang. And they were nicer than the previous barges!
I can still hear it…..
“Now that’s more like it!
Yes, that’s more like it!
That’s more like the kind of car
that we all need today!
Now that’s more like it!
Yes, that’s more like it!
Now that’s more like it
that’s much more like it!
The New Chevrolet! “
The LeSabre coupe was alao a great looking car 🚗
Both beautiful, especially compared to the jelly bean mobiles we are offered today😒
And ended with a woman saying, “Now that’s more like it!”
BASEBALL, HOT DOGS APPLE PIE and Chevrolet! SEE THE USA IN YOUR CHEVROLET! This is why I loved American cars for all of My life!! Cars NOT pick up trucks CARS not SUVs CARS not crossovers No plug in required!
Those Advertisements were like Darren’s Agency, truly BEWITCHED 🧙♂️ 🧙♀️! Which used Chevrolets. Downsizing sent many customers to FMC, especially Lincoln. Love those GREAT AMERICAN LAND YACHTS! And to Randy, FK Trucks 🚚 🛻! You GO,Bro!
Just love it, I would buy if I did not live on the right coast now.
. I had that exact same car from 79 to 84, except dark green with a tan landau top. A great road car, drove from VA to South Florida many times on I95.
Beautiful! I had a 77 Impala in brown with darker brown interior. Also the 350. This looks more luxurious than mine. Got burned on getting a title for it and had to sell it to the local scrapper. There’s one down the street been sitting in the guys driveway for over 7 years. Tried everything to talk him out of it. Hate to see it deteriorating like it is. Either do something with it or pass it along to someone who will.
I don’t recall ever seeing a ’77-up Impala coupe. I was thinking the Impala only came 4-door. Am I wrong? BTW, I bought a new ’76 Impala coupe and wished many times I had waited for the ’77’s to come out. They were extremely nice looking and riding and I still love them!
1977s came as two-doors with that unique bent-glass backlight.
1978s, the bent-backlight was dropped, in favor of a formal rear end – basically keeping the C-pillar sail panels almost as they were, but just putting flat glass in, instead of the 3-D backlight.
I think it was 1980, the two-doors were gone. It’s a shame, because that was a dashing car for a mature-but-young adult who was looking for value, but with some style.
I’m not a Chevy guy, but this was one of a few times the General really got everything right. The right side – same size as the 1955. The right interior dimensions. I never owned one – drove one for the business I worked at – but it was a fine driving rig. Unlike the mushiness of so many larger cars of the time.
Actually, the Chevrolet Caprice and Impala were available with the bent glass rear window through the 1979 model year. In 1980, the design was changed to a more formal rear glass and the 2 door formal coupe design continued until at least 1988 as far as I recall. The Caprice was completely restyled for the 1991 model year in what some folks call the bathtub or bubble design that continued through the 1996 model year. The big 2-door design was never available after the 1990 model.
They made scads of Impala coupes and 4drs.They were everywhere in the late 70’s and a dime a dozen at the used lot.The worse Chevettes and Citations were next.To me Caprice’s were the exact same as the Impala except different emblems and nicer interior.Sold a ton for $3k or less.I think these were the highest production cars of their day.I drive every color made 15+.This red one looks well taken care of .
Back in 1978 the Chevy dealer, Pal Chevrolet West Haverstraw N.Y. I worked at in the parts department had a 1978 Caprice Landau on the showroom floor it was Black with a Saddle Tan half roof and interior, mostly every option except for a moon roof. I would see that car every day when I had to go to the front office with the previous days sales report ETC, having just sold my ’70 350-350 4 speed with A/C Corvette Convertible and in need of a car that Caprice really caught my eye. I bought it and loved every mile I put on it driving to Las Cruces New Mexico round trip and a couple of trips to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby were most enjoyable, a comfortable smooth ride , handled very well and got surprisingly good gas mileage,, 19 – 20 MPG . It pained me to sell it.
I remember that dealership . I used to go to Haverstraw for Keahons junk yard many moons ago.
WOW and it’s almost 50 years old !!!striking
What the heck, the first picture only shows it half covered with the car cover. Without a picture of what the car looks like fully covered then I’m not buying it.
Your comment should be fully covered.
Package deal! Lol!
Personally, I never liked the Impala or Caprice after 1976, the last year of the land yachts. I certainly realize and appreciate the reason behind the metamorphosis, which was environmental, but the 1977 and beyond versions were too boxy looking, and lacked character. Just my opinion.
Based off the rust under the hood and the way the light reflects off the brake pedal I’m going to say that the odometer has rolled at least once, not saying Chevy didn’t do it but this would be the only one I have seen with a 350 I remember them having a 305 nice looking car for someone.
Something else I noticed..this car came from Washington State new(on the wet side!), has a very recent Washington plate yet ends up for sale in California. And the odometers of any car of that era are very easy to “roll back”. It’s no doubt a “flipper”. Oh, Washington State sees a lot of rain.
Another good write-up, Scotty.
I was hoping for more of your artwork. You could turn the 2-door into a stretched, 6-door, limo-style, just for fun. :)
I’m looking at the dealer sticker on the back trunk lid… I don’t recall seeing Washington abbreviated “WN” before this. Is that just because I’m so darn young or is it because I’m so darn forgetful? I only remember “WA”.
https://www.50states.com/washington.htm
WN… before the Post Office made WA official about 1985.
Thanks Gaga…
That’s kind of what I figured.
I had a red on red ’77 Impala 2 door & loved that car!
It was a great driver & mileage was decent for the time. I loved the rear glass. I could go for another one.
The car has had a paint job if you look at the pictures on eBay you can see on the driver side they provided of the emblem the paint is off. So I really would question the mileage on this car! Looks nice. Love the box style plus the engines were almost bullet proof. We had a 78 4 Dr Dad bought new, I got it as a teenager put some hard miles on it, Dad told me he would buy me a New corvette when it died. Never got the Corvette!
Never warmed to 77 Chevy downsized. Olds and Cadillac were the best, but still a step in the wrong direction for me.
Yeah, I felt the same way. To me, Chevy sacrificed style when they downsized their full-size line. I had a ’73 Caprice Classic back in the early to mid 70s, and I got lots of compliments on that car. It still remains the best car I have owned before and since.
I loved those cars. I was only a few years out of SEA and between colleges and went to work for a local dealer to sell Chev’s. My company car was a Nova – and I sold it and conned the owner into letting me have a two door. I sold the heck out of these things – mostly four doors – but a full stack of these two doors. Sure, it had emissions anemia. Boss wanted me to push Chevettes … naah, Caprice or pickups – did quite well, then figured out selling cars wasn’t gonna be my thing.
Missing vacuum line to heater control valve.
I had one, two tone silver. A buddy at a muffler shop made a “test pipe” for my cat that helped great. I loved that car!! Two round trips from Chi. to Den. To see my brothers, two to Delaware. Ended up selling it for the wife. Should have sold her. Man! I wish I had $18k!
In ’77 one of my school friend’s grandmas bought one of these and I got to ride home from school in its sometimes. It had the same interior but 2-tone gray exterior. I still remember that new car smell!
I had @ 1977 Impala 2 door low mileage car in light green with light green interior loved that car a pleasure to drive.
My late friend’s parents had a ’78 4-door Impala which became my buddy’s. He sold it to a mutual friend of ours.
The bench seat was way too soft and terrible support. One day we were poking around a salvage yard and came across a ’78 Delta with the same color interior as the Impala and very nice and firm.
We pulled both front and back and put them in the Impala.
As far as coupes go, they were made till ’87 with the exception of ’83. I once drooled over an ’85, black with a maroon interior and older rallys. Had duals from the manifolds back. 28,000 miles Saw it in ’87.
Had the same car. Mine had a red vinyl landau top. Loved that car wish. I never got rid of. Believed the gm color was firethorne red. Still. A beautiful car. Worth the money
Great car and good looking but, having had a 1977 Caprice coupe back in 1977-1978, I can say attest that the car is unfortunately equipped with the failure-prone THM200/200C transmission. When it begins failing, it requires a total rebuild. I would check to see if this car has had that transmission rebuilt, if not, it will be forthcoming. Mine was a company car, so they paid for the rebuild. I spoke with the transmission guy at the time because at such low miles, I could not understand the transmission going bad, especially a GM Hydramatic, and he said these were failing left and right. He claimed these THM200’s were far too weak for the 350 drivetrain. He was right. Other than the transmission, the car was very comfortable and reliable and it looked good.
Yank out the little trans and install a TH350, let the tire roasting begin!!
That’s a beautiful car I love the colors of the exterior and interior if I had the money I would buy it now in “the heartbeat of America that’s today’s Chevrolet” I know it’s the wrong commercial song for this car but it’s what I grew up hearing over and over again as a kid in the 80s. I am a Chevy guy for life.
That is essentially a new car. Inclined to believe any failing rubber has been attended to, and easy DIY if not so. I would keep as is. That 350 is plenty powerful as is for the slenderized coupe and the suspension perfect for cruising anywhere comfortably and carefree. C’mon and take a sweet ride.
Had a medium blue metallic one light blue full vinyl top. Mom had bought it in 78 from a GM exec. I got it 9 years later. I was able to drive it a year after she bought it. It ran surprisingly well for what was. What mom didn’t know was around 1980-81 it was beating 79 and 80 z28 s
I had the pleasure of driving one of these for several months. Had an LM1 350 4 barrel, plenty of power in the new downsized body, and was a burnt orange metallic with tan interior.. beautiful! Got lots of compliments and impressed the girls too..unfortunately my dad, who had bought it for himself but drove it less than I did, decided it wasn’t a good fit and traded it back in for an Electra. Ironically, the Chevy had no transmission issues but the Buick did, lol – lots of trans problems on ’77s and not just with the new 200s, but most were repaired under warranty. Putting those 200s behind a V8 was a bad idea – I think both of ours had 350s but can’t remember now.
I’m amazed at how popular the 1977 and later incarnations of the Impala and Caprice were, based on the many positive comments here. I guess it might be a rooted in nostalgia for many folks who truly like those years. Everyone’s nostalgic moments are obviously different. My nostalic moments for Chevy encompassed the Bel Air, beginning with the ’55, to the Impala, beginning in 1958, and the Bel Airs, 210s Biscaynes, Impalas and Caprices that were manufactured throughout the 1960s and early 70s, until the last full-size Impala and Caprice rolled off, in 1976. Favorite years:
This is a very nice example of the car, but I remember almost every gm in this era had weird rust issues. A friend of mine, whose dad had an 83 two door Caprice, liked to sneak the car out at night when we were 12 years old. I joined him on a few of these joyrides. The car got various rust splotches blistering out of the center of door panels, fenders, and rear quarters. It wasn’t due to paint damage, or salt corrosion, it just appeared on solid looking sheetmetal from the backside. This car was a striking black and maroon two tone. And no, we never got caught, and never wrecked it.
Never seen a lick of rust in on these in Texas, not even today, 45 years on. The ’71-76 models seemed a bit more prone to rust down here…..Love em all, I had a 1980 Caprice Landau and a ’75 Caprice convertible – both beautiful, reliable and easy to work on!
I owned a ’77 Caprice Classic 2-door coupe. 350 c.i. 4 bbl. All options. A/C, cruise control, power steering, windows, trunk release.Car was a roadmaster supreme. Took me back and forth across the country multiple times.Driving across Texas, I set the cruise control at 85 mph and laid across the front seat horizontally and relaxed for quite some time Truly an easy chair super cruiser.