This is something you don’t expect to see: a 1982 Chevrolet Caprice Diesel sedan. Now, that’s not because they didn’t exist in diesel form; they did, but with a powerplant that was known to have mechanical faults. The seller’s has remedied that sour reputation from the Oldsmobile-sourced 350 diesel (literally blamed for the “death of diesel” in North America) by swapping in the factory’s much-improved 6.2L diesel offering found in C/K-series pickups and the Suburban. The Caprice is said to return 25 miles per gallon on the highway and be a great runner. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace for $8,500.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Jack M. for the find. The Caprice used to make a reliable appearance on American roads. In sedan and wagon form, it was part of landscape in the suburbs and cities, at least until the rise of the SUV chipped away at the use of large sedans and estate bodies by families. The availability of a diesel powerplant in a vehicle primarily used as a daily driver still seems like a foreign concept, even today, and it’s debatable whether the issues associated with the Oldsmobile-sourced engine caused the use of diesel in passenger vehicles to fail in the U.S. The LF9 5.7L suffered from head bolt issues and the lack of a water separator, in addition to excess oil consumption.

The seller’s car has what looks like an original “Diesel” badge on the rear deck lid, so it seems like this was a diesel-powered Caprice from the start. The 6.2L engine had far fewer mechanical maladies and was generally known as a reliable performed. The seller doesn’t mention any specific repairs or upgrades made while the engine was out of the car, but does cite a rebuilt 700R4 automatic transmission. The installation in the engine bay looks quite nice and it appears he took the time to paint it before dropping it in. The open element air filter may help the engine breathe better, and it probably sounds pretty gnarly under throttle.

The body looks sharp with the two tone tan and cream paint job, but I think it’s the white letter radials and Rally wheels with the polished trim rings that truly set it off. The B-body, like so many other GM products from this era, is missing the trim pieces that sit behind the bumper and snug up against the body; from what I’ve heard, replacements are near impossible to find. The good news is that despite being located in Connecticut, the bodywork looks quite sound on this Caprice. With an asking price of $8,500, this isn’t the cheapest Caprice out there, but it might be one of the coolest.