Over-capitalizing on a project build is a piece of cake. Been there, done that! That is the story behind this 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Estate. The seller purchased the Wagon as a family joke, but they have since sunk thousands of dollars into it to address its shortcomings. It isn’t perfect, but lifting its presentation would not be difficult for an enthusiast with reasonable painting skills. It is the ideal candidate for someone with a growing family, but its sale involves playing a game of chance. The seller doesn’t want to overprice this classic, nor are they willing to give it away. They have set a price of $8,500 but say they will drop that figure by $250 per week until it sells. That leaves potential buyers with a dilemma. Do they strike immediately or roll the dice, hoping that it will remain available at a lower price? The Estate is listed here on Craigslist in Paoli, Pennsylvania. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Richard L. for spotting this exciting proposition. Why not look at what this Wagon offers, then decide on your approach to its price?
The seller admits they purchased this Caprice eighteen months ago as a family gag. Their parent owned an identical car when they were a child, and they decided to buy one as their transport to a family reunion. They don’t indicate how the joke was received, but their quest for perfection has seen them sink considerable cash into this classic. They admit the original Light Briar Brown paint is well past its best and that a cosmetic refresh would be their next task if it remained in their workshop. They have already replaced the faux woodgrain, and an attack with the spray gun would add the ideal finishing touch to the exterior. The panels are straight, and the only visible rust is a small spot developing near one back window. Attacking this quickly would prevent deterioration, and doing so now wouldn’t add significant time or cost to this cosmetic restoration. The bumper fillers have seen better days, but replacements are readily available and surprisingly affordable. The seller replaced the rubber seals, and window felts, meaning dust and moisture don’t stand a chance of finding their way in. The chrome and glass look acceptable for a survivor, and the wire hubcaps come with their original removal tool.
The 1983 Caprice Estate isn’t a muscle wagon, although its 305ci V8 delivers 150hp and 240 ft/lbs of torque. The driving experience should be effortless due to the inclusion of a four-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The four-speed joined the Caprice range in 1982, and its impact can not be understated. It improved fuel economy enormously because while a three-speed Caprice struggled to achieve 14mpg on the open road, this one should effortlessly hit 19mpg. If the new owner plans cross-country adventures, it means less time spent sitting at gas stations. The list of work the seller performed during their eighteen months of ownership is enormous and almost deserves its own book! They replaced the fuel pump, sending unit, vapor canister, and vapor purge valve. They bolted in a new catalytic converter, mufflers, and exhaust pipes. The Wagon received a wheel alignment, new rear brakes shoes, a complete set of vacuum hoses, a smog pump, a rear axle seal, and the radiator was flushed. They have sunk a five-figure sum into parts and labor and hold receipts verifying the work. They include these, along with the original Window Sticker, Build Sheet, Owner’s Manual, and other associated documentation. The Estate runs and drives perfectly, and potential buyers should consider it a turnkey classic.
The seller’s spending spree didn’t end with this Estate’s mechanical components because the total mentioned includes significant interior work. They replaced the sunvisors, numerous components for the wipers and washers, replaced parts for the power seat, cruise control, and various switches. The factory radio made way for a retro-style unit, the instrument cluster received a rebuild, and the air conditioning was rebuilt and recharged with R134a refrigerant. It blows ice-cold and is one of the luxury touches in this classic. The winning bidder receives power windows, power locks, a power driver’s seat, a power rear window, cruise control, and a tilt wheel. The interior isn’t perfect, but its condition is impressive for a family Wagon of this vintage. The cloth and vinyl upholstered surfaces show no significant wear, while the carpet is only lightly faded in spots. The rear cargo area has some bumps and marks on the plastic, but it remains acceptable for a survivor-grade classic. However, its party piece is undoubtedly its third-row seating. That makes this Estate a genuine eight-seater and the ideal candidate for taking the whole tribe on a cross-country vacation.
This 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Estate isn’t perfect, but lifting its presentation to a higher standard would be a rewarding task for its new owner to tackle in their home workshop. Enthusiasts with growing families risk being left out in the cold when the subject turns to classic ownership, but this Estate removes that obstacle. It is undoubtedly affordable and will become increasingly so as time marches on. However, that leaves potential buyers to make a tough decision. Would you risk losing it to save a few dollars or strike while the iron is hot?
They bought it for the right reason. We had the identical oldsmobile, but a diesel. It was everything everyone said the Diesel was, good and bad. And I’d get one in a heartbeat. If it was cheap, that is…
Dropping the price $250 a week, why it’s just like Filene’s Basement!
I love the comparison, but unless I’m really wrong here,anyone outside of Massachusetts wouldn’t remember the famous basement or Santa’s Village or the most important part of the experience, their blueberry muffins! Thanks for the trip down memory lane
Pepperidge farm remembers. And I believe that Santa’s Village and the Blueberry Muffins were Jordan Marsh, and not Filene’s.
Love to drop in the new 3L Duramax Diesel into this wagon.
277hp/460ft/lb
I might be a player in about 30 weeks.
Write up says “It is the ideal candidate for someone with a growing family.” Wrong.
It’s really the last thing some young hardworking sap needs. Try selling the cool factor on the kids. Or anything about it to the Li’l woman. If you didn’t write your class A mechanic’s ticket the year this came out you’ll earn it soon enough with this “family joke “
IF, a big IF, he can find anyone interested at all, maybe $4000-$5000. It’s a toy, and one that will be a headache, because GM cars in those days were not well made.
I would love this as a daily driver and work vehicle, delivering groceries for Whole Foods and packages for Amazon. Gas Milage is better than m Tahoe
You would hate it
Jordan’s Furniture took bought the Santa’s Village from Filenes bankruptcy after an uproar from people who had very strong memories and feelings of going there decades ago, long before Jordan’s Furniture in the 70s
I had one, got it super cheap with a sickly 305. The rest of the car was virtually impeccable! Replaced it with a 350. Loaded, I believe it had every option and was super reliable.
I had a 1977 Chevrolet Impala station wagon, 6 passenger, with the 350 engine. Well tuned with AC Delco spark plugs, premium fuel, and the tires set to 34 PSI, driving 60-65 on the highway, 20 MPG was very achievable. And that was with the TurboHydramatic 350 transmission, a simple and robust piece of engineering. I have always wondered what it would have done with a later 700-R4.
I have a thing for wagons, and this one is a good basis for a project car. I just wish the owner hadn’t spent the money to replace the phony wood stickers, because that’s the first thing I’d lose if I owned this puppy! The second thing I’d lose would be the stock 305 motor, I’d swap in an LS or LT series crate motor instead! Imagine this car with 400hp! Whee!
I have a sedan version of this that has been reliable and faithful for 25 years now. At 260k, the car works like new. Set the cruise at 60 and let it go. We just used it for a road trip a few weeks back. I bought it with 87k on it. To me many individuals think everything should go from 0 to a 100 in 3 seconds. These don’t but they also don’t take 5 minutes. If you maintain these properly, don’t race everything and just cruise along, aside from rust and and idiot hitting you, this car and many other malaise units will roll indefinitely. Replace the 12 miles of vacuum hoses, keeps them smooth and for me the most expensive thing I did to mine was the ac overhaul. Right now these aren’t sexy but they sold millions and love them or hate them, these will likely have a solid following in the years to come and parts are dirt cheap. I have the Oldsmobile version in wagon form, a low mileage one I have stored away. Like said above 3,500 to 4,500 is the likely safe target for this.