Update 10/27/20 – After more than a year, this 396-powered Caprice has popped back up here on craigslist with a $3k price drop. Thanks go to Ikey H for the tip!
From 3/26/19 – In 1966, the Caprice became a stand-alone model in the Chevrolet range, as opposed to an option pack on the Impala, as it had been the year prior. It was marketed as the range-topping model of Chevrolet’s full-size car range and has been a car that has tended to slip under the radar a bit when compared to the Impala. This Caprice didn’t slip under the radar of Barn Finder Pat L, who spotted and referred the car to us. So thank you so much for that Pat. Located in Medfield, Massachusetts, you will find the Caprice listed for sale here on craigslist with a price of $12,500.
The owner of the Caprice says that the frame and floors are solid, which is a pretty good starting point on a vehicle of this age. The body also looks nice and solid, with no real signs of any rust issues. There are a couple of dings and dents, the worst of these is just behind the door on the passenger side. The Regal Red paint is looking quite tired, but from the information and photos provided by the owner, this looks like it has the potential to be a fairly easy restoration.
The interior of the Caprice also shows promise. There are a couple of wood-grain trim pieces that are looking pretty sad, the front seat needs a new cover, and the carpet could also stand being replaced. Complete those tasks, and the interior should look pretty slick. We can’t see the rear seat or the headliner, so those are the only aspects of the interior that are unknown quantities.
There’s nothing quite like finding a car like this that is numbers-matching, but that’s what you get with the Caprice. That 396ci V8 should be producing 325hp, which is fed to the road via a freshly rebuilt automatic transmission. The Caprice is also fitted with power steering and power brakes. The owner says that the engine is strong, that it sounds good with no nasty noises, and that the car drives well. He also says that the Caprice has covered a genuine 76,000 miles, but doesn’t indicate whether he has any evidence to back this. Overall, it looks like it is a car that you can drive and enjoy, while you undertake the restoration work at your leisure.
We see plenty of project cars here at Barn Finds, ranging from the pretty horrendous through to the really promising. This Caprice seems to fit well into the latter category and has the potential to be a pretty stunning car once restored. Of course, you could always choose to drive it as it is, which would be pretty tempting. Personally, I’d love to see it restored.
I really like this car. A 4-speed would make this irresistible.
76,000 genuine miles? The seller offers no proof and doesn’t quite suggest it’s actual mileage. If the condidtion of the car doesn’t back up the claim it might be better not to bring it up in the write up.
Steve R
This must be a smooth cruiser! 4-speed is desirable but I’d still drive it with the auto. This new for ‘66 body style has always looked good to me.
Nice car.
Easy resto.
No 4 speed required in a boat this size you need the auto.
Umm, no.
I have a 68 Impala fastback 396 numbers car with factory air it needs restored 3500 would own it
Oh, yeah? Any pics and where are you located?
Lots of pics located in KS timmytea63@gmail.com
no such thing as a easy resto
I think the milage claim is irrelevant. This looks like a clean, original big block Chevy. Priced high in my opinion, with $7-8,000 being fair money. Looks like a good car.
What’s hidden in the rear of this car. All of the pictures seem strategically placed to avoid the left rear corner, and it seems a little twisted from the view of the drivers driver’s side of the car.
Yes, interesting there is not one shot from the driver’s side or the rear end, and there could have been.
Love the car though. Thought for sure when I clicked on it that I was going to see a 4 door.
I agree, a 4 speed would be awesome in this.
If I own one more red car I think I am going to kill myself !!!! UGH! Well, not that bad, but close. About 2/3rds of the classics I have owned were red. Any others (other colors that is) were not worth buying for one reason or another. Dark Metallic reds and maroons are my favorite but I have owned one too many bright red cars.
Let me correct myself ……AT LEAST IT IS NOT GREEN !!!!!!
The photo of the dash clearly shows the odometer reading. 76,xxx
I was looking at the left 3/4 rear in the write up and to my eye, there looks to be a large circle of rust on the quarter panel. I’m wondering if it surrounds a big bondo job that’s about ready to fall out.
Had a blue 66 Caprice in 74 that we bought for my wife to drive to work. Hers had a 327 linked to 4 speed transmission. It had black leather bucket seats and was the first car I ever had with a factory console. The gauges were square and were stacked up the front of the console. Had factory air and as I remember, a factory rear seat speaker that was mounted in a notch between the rear seat backs. I loved the notch in the roofline that distinguished it from the Impala. I remember my wife bought a set of Keystones and white letter tires for it. (That was a crazy extravagant purchase for a young family with a new baby on the way, but it made a great looking car!) Sadly we sold it along the way, saw it on the road every now and then for a couple years and it still looked great. Brings back memories, really miss that car.
I figured by 1966 they would have been using a dual chamber master cylinder. Other makes beat GM to the punch, including Rambler
Who besides rambler beat them.
Studebaker
Cad had them in 62, I believe. Not the rest until 67.
IIRC, the dual circuit master cylinder didn’t become mandatory until 1968. My dad’s 67 F100 was single circuit like my mom’s 66 Delta 88.
I could be wrong, but I thought the dual chamber master cylinder was federally mandated for 1967.
My ’66 GTO was a single pot master cylinder.
When did five digits become the starting price for a common car that needs everything?
Thank-you!
Fix the seat on the passenger side, take it to the local car show and ice cream joint, do a burn out or two
Price seems kind of high, no A/C, no bucket seats, no gauges.
I’d say no more than 10K.
My uncle had a 66 caprice very similar same colors 396 ps pb pw oddly stick on column . I was 14 at the time when he sold it. Man , I loved that car !
I’ve got one exactly like this…except it’s a 427 4spd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MYqqu5Dkpc
My first car was one of these, same options, blue with a black vinyl top. I put Thrush mufflers on it and G70 Polyglas tires. It was a 2.73 open rear. I won a lot of street races, it ran 14.96 at an NHRA track. I agree the price seems high, but the car is way more complete than a lot of them we see here, it does not have the usual hillbilly mods of aftermarket bolt-on gofasters.