Chevrolet redesigned its full-size station wagons in 1971, and they would be the largest Chevies ever until 1977, when downsizing came into play. In 1972, the top-of-the-line wagon was called Kingswood Estate, but that was simplified to Caprice Estate in 1973 since it was a Caprice anyway. The seller has a ’73 Caprice Estate with a 454 cubic inch V8, but the VIN decodes it as being built with something smaller. Located in Clearwater, Florida, this Chevy land yacht is available here on eBay, where the reserve is unmet at $1,525 (so far).
This Caprice was built to haul people as well as cargo. With its factory three-seat setup, you could easily fit eight or nine people into this wagon. It presents fairly well after 53 years, thanks to a repaint in 2014 and indoor storage thereafter. The shade of green selected doesn’t strike me as a ’73 Chevy color, but it’s nice and shiny with no visible rust. As a Caprice Estate, it could have been ordered with faux woodgrain siding, but that’s a guess and none is there now. And the wagon appears to be sporting Buick wheels.
The “R” in the seller-provided VIN decodes the Chevy as having a 400 CI V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor. But that’s not what’s here now, as a 454 was shoehorned over time (sometime before the odometer reached 64,300 miles according to the odometer). We’re told the 454 has had some upgrades, but they aren’t specified. The car runs and drives, but since it sat for a while, perhaps some tinkering is needed.
Given that the interior is original, most things inside the passenger cabin are okay. The dash is cracked, but that’s not unusual for the vintage. This Chevy once had factory air, but some of that hardware is missing now. A new battery and water pump have been added, but a new fan shroud should be hunted up. And if you want to listen to any tunes, you’ll have to find and hook up a radio. Big wagon, anyone?
The VIN indicates this car was delivered with 145 HP 400 CID engine.
Where’s the back window & tailgate? I know they don’t retract underneath!
Yes it’s a retractable tailgate. ..It was called a clamshell tailgate.
tailgate dropped into the bumper, rear window retracted into the roof. Reliable when new, tough to repair when older, especially if there was an accident.