Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: 1991 Chevrolet Caprice

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This 1991 Chevrolet Caprice wagon almost has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde look to it, depending on which wheels the owner chooses to use. It’s either slightly sinister with blackwall tires and dog dish caps, or elegant with whitewalls and wire wheel covers. The seller has this very cool wagon posted here on craigslist in New Berlin, Wisconsin and they’re asking $9,900 or offer. Here is the original listing, and thanks to T.J. for sending in this tip!

What a change! I like both looks but it’s the first one for me, there’s something about blackwall tires, black steel rims, and dog dish hub caps that gets to me, especially on vehicles that don’t normally have them. Which look to you prefer? This Caprice only has 82,000 miles, by the way.

I’m a big fan of police cars, not as in riding in the back of them, but the look of vintage police or highway patrol cars, or any law enforcement vehicles. If it had white doors and a white top, this could have been a modern (albeit not Plymouth) version of what Sergeant “Mac” MacDonald from Adam-12 (William Boyette) drove. Chevy offered the fourth generation Caprice from late-1990 for the 1991 model year until the end of 1996. Along with the Buick Roadmaster, these were the last full-sized station wagons from an American car manufacturer.

A black car with a red interior, it doesn’t get any better than that for me. This car looks like it’s in great condition inside and out, and I’m always wary of cars from the Midwest due to rust issues. The seller mentions that this car has a new exhaust and new brakes, but hopefully, neither was because of any other reason than age. They show a few underside photos and it looks solid, and the corners of the doors look perfect in the photos with the doors open. The back seat looks perfect but the real star of the show is the huge rear cargo area and the cool hidden seating area. I love this car, if I hadn’t just gotten another motorcycle…

This isn’t the 260-hp LT1 engine, those were available in the ’94-’96 wagons. This is Chevy’s 305-cu.in. OHV small-block V8, which would have been rated at 170 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque when new. For a 4,400-pound car that isn’t a lot, but it helped this car get halfway decent MPG for the era. The engine looks ridiculously clean as does this whole car. Hagerty is at $9,500 for a #3 good-condition car and $14,400 for a #2 excellent car, so this could be a killer bargain. These fourth-gen wagons are hot and this one is cool. This may be my favorite car of 2023 so far and I would love to own this one, how about you?

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Connecticut mark

    Looks angry with the dog dish, no whitewalls please. Pep up the original engine a bit. Nice car

    Like 8
    • Timothy Christopher McGraw

      True I like to looks
      And it does have that menacing vibe about it. Now that’s a true sleeper car you’re right retune the computer with a reflash on the computer to get the most out of the engine by using the laptop with the program that the dealers use

      Like 6
  2. Mike StephensStaff

    I love the sinister side, and I want this one too! Great write-up and it’s among my 2023 faves as well.

    Like 8
  3. Jim

    Nice looking! Drove the sedan version for a years on patrol, absolute dogs. Be a good candidate for a motor swap !

    Like 7
  4. leiniedude leiniedudeMember

    More on the new bike Scotty!

    Like 4
    • Scotty GilbertsonAuthor

      Ha! Mike, you’re not supposed to be such a detailed reader! I may do a “Scotty G’s Garage” post on it in the near future, but I wish I could be doing one on this car’s four-hour trip back home to the garage instead.

      Like 3
      • leiniedude leiniedudeMember

        A Scotty G’s Garage post would be very interesting!

        Like 2
  5. TheOldRanger

    I thought this was huge back in the day…. looking at it again, it is still huge. Neighborhood kids loved riding in this one.

    Like 5
  6. Gary Gary

    Absolutely love it! It would fit right in with my 93 Roadmaster.

    Like 11
  7. Car Nut Tacoma

    Awesome looking car. IMHO, it was the best vehicle of its generation. The sedan was nice, but I’d buy the station wagon, particularly with the police suspension package.

    Like 3
  8. ACZ

    Sorry, I’d rather have a 96 Roadie.

    Like 2
  9. Catalina Captain

    My school district had two of these (Black Beauty and Burgundy Betty) from 92-2002 or so to take students places and for drivers Ed in the summer. I took a group of kids to Chicago in 1998 in Black Beauty for a student Council convention. On the way out of the hotel parking garage, the back end bottomed out and cinched the tailpipe shut (which I didn’t know until we stopped for lunch an hour or so later). When we stopped, I found a screw driver in the glove box and tried to pry it open just a bit. The whole muffler just fell off right in the Olive Garden parking lot. I drove away quickly!

    The following year, I was assigned to take Burgundy Betty for the same task. The car died on me on the way back about 20 miles from home with four high school students with me. We were about three miles from the nearest town in a pre-cell phone world. We wound up getting picked up by a farmer and rode into town in the back of his pickup so we could call someone to come get us. Turned out the quarter tank on the gas gauge was actually empty. They forgot to tell me the gas gauge stuck! Those Caprice wagons were hard on me in my early teaching career!

    Like 8
  10. chrlsful

    glad U mentioned “last”, shame (for me, the locals call wagonman). Ford tried selling a wagon model of its popular suv, but didnt pramote or advertse. A great deal more chunky (in a ’50s bulgemobile sorta way) the Flex can never B said to have the style of this model ! BUT…
    would U puta 18 ft car in ur driveway? (might not fit in the garage…
    I went back to the mid-’80’s for a fox wagon (mid sized by term that yr). As
    Goldy Locks sez “& this one is perfecltly sized !” 105 in. WB~

    Like 1
    • Bakes

      Ford missed the boat with the Flex. That thing was screaming for fake wood paneling on the side and If they would have done that and called it a country squire, sales would have been far better.

      Like 5
    • PRA4SNW

      We love our Flex! Storage for miles, and give s luxury ride. Just like the wagons of old.

      We actually get compliments on the looks.

      Like 4
  11. IRISH

    Where is this car at?
    City + State

    Like 1
    • Pete R.

      I don’t think that information is available… 🙄

      Like 3
    • Tom

      Wisconsin. I saw it in the car corral at the Jefferson swap meet last weekend. I only looked at it briefly and it looked clean, but when I saw the 305 I walked away. For that money it would have to have an LT-1, for me anyway

      Like 3
    • Gary Gary

      New Berlin, Wisconsin

      Like 0
  12. PRA4SNW

    The blacked out windows scream out “Keep the dogdishes and blackwalls”.

    Like 1
  13. David McKennaMember

    I’m right there with you. Very cool

    Like 0
  14. Davey Boy

    To bad it doesn’t have the LT 350. THAT’S the only one for me.

    Like 0
  15. Chris In Australia

    White walls and wires for me. Never a fan of dog dishes, and don’t get me started on black wheels. The ^%*@ are everywhere now. I hate ’em

    End of rant.

    Like 1

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