A 1966 Chevrolet Caprice with a matching-numbers 396 is up for grabs in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and it sounds like the kind of project that could make a big GM fan very happy. The seller is clear from the start: this car has been sitting outside since 2017. It’s not running, and it will need to be towed. Still, the draw here is pretty obvious. this is a factory big-block, two-door Caprice, and that alone will catch the attention of Chevy restorers who have been waiting for the right starting point. It’s listed here on craigslist, thanks for the tip, Jack M.!
The seller notes that the car is a matching-number example and retains its 396 engine. While it hasn’t been running in years, they state that the engine and transmission are not seized or locked up. That’s a key detail for anyone considering bringing this Caprice back to life. The rear end, however, is described as likely being locked or seized, so expect to factor that into your initial to-do list. Because the car has been sitting outside for so long, the seller can’t confirm the condition of the floor or trunk areas, so prospective buyers should go in expecting the possibility of rust or structural repairs.
The Caprice nameplate meant a step above the Impala in Chevrolet’s lineup during the mid-1960s, so even in project form, a two-door model with a big-block engine has built-in appeal. For someone who enjoys a ground-up build, this could be a worthwhile starting point. With the right skills—or the right shop—this Caprice could either be restored to original glory or turned into a custom-built cruiser with that 396 as the centerpiece.
The seller states this one will need a full restoration and doesn’t currently drive. It’s being sold as a complete project or potentially for parts, depending on your goals. A buyer will need a trailer and the willingness to take on a long-term build. However, matching-number big-block Chevrolets aren’t popping up every day, especially in two-door form.
If you’re nearby in PG County and have been looking for a true mid-’60s Chevrolet project, this listing might be worth a closer look. Would you restore this Caprice to stock with its original 396, or would you take the opportunity to build something more customized once it’s back on the road?
Good looking car
This car was listed about three months ago. A lot of questions here is to why it was parked in 2017. It is a 396 engine with a 400 trans with A/C with no belt so it does have potential. The also say the rear end is locked up. Maybe that is why it was parked in 2017. But sitting in the elements for about 8 years is doing it no good.
7500 could buy a lot nicer car than this thing.
I would have to agree with you that the ask is optimistic, but I’d say a more reasonable offer wouldn’t be out of the question. The rearend being locked up could just be the brake shoes froze to the drum; I’ve seen that happen more than once. And this car is certainly worth bringing back to life. But not if it sits out in the elements for much longer.
This car has been up for sale for at least 2 years that I know of. I only live 40 miles away but got turrned off by the “no low ballers” comment from the owner. Fix it so it at least rolls and you won’t get low ballers.
How ya gonna tow it with the rear end locked up? Rust in both quarters and on bumpers, A/C not working, some trim dented & some missing, 122,000 miles -engine & trans will need rebuilt, he can’t even lift the trunk mat to check for rust? $7,500 is a pipe dream. This thing needs a full $60,000 restoration to come up with a $40,000 car.
217000 miles with a broken speedometer? Engine bay sure looks like it! Surprised it made it that far. Sounds like the rearend decided it was done at that point. 7500 might be a stretch. Glwts peace!
$7500obo – NO LOW BALLERS. How do you put that sentence into an ad for a car that looks like that? These guys selling cars like this, hoping someone will buy, dreaming of restoring to concours condition. The engine (which doesn’t look like it was ever cared for) is probably shot, the trans probably needs complete rebuild, the rear end, too. The body is infected with rust and the paint needs to be stripped and repainted. Who can say what the interior looks like. The suspension looks like it’s seen better days. Do all the electrics work?
What about this car makes the seller think he won’t get “low balled” asking a ridiculous price like that???
Just my opinion.
so, its back for another round. i guess the seller still feels it’s worth what they are asking. if it was it would have sold. imo i think 3500 to 4k is the right #. to many unknowns. what you know is what you don’t know. 7500 i don’t think so
I remember when these first came out to compete with Ford’s LTD but this is the first 1966 Caprice that I ever saw without a vinyl top.
Vinyl top was standard on the 66 Caprice but you could order it without the vinyl and they knocked off a few bux. Also bucket seats/console/floor shift was standard but you could order bench seat and column shift for the same price. I bought a used one with the vinyl top delete ~ it looked better that way ~ and bench seat. If I had ordered it new it would have had bucket seats.
Thanks, Joe
I had a 66 Caprice in about 1980. I was at a local backwoods auto salvage yard because I had given a friend who was looking for some part or another a ride there. In a line of derelict cars I noticed the Caprice. It had a 327 4bbl and the double hump heads that indicated to us a “300 horse” 327. Automatic floor shift, buckets, and console with factory gauges. The black interior was decent with no rips or cracks. The car itself had surface patina where some patches of blue paint were missing, but absolutely no rot and no damage. Odometer indicated just slightly less than 100,000.
When I asked, the owner of the salvage yard went and got the keys. He had to jump it. but it started…albeit with a lot of smoke. I asked how much he would take for it, and he told me he expected to get a little over a hundred bucks for scrap but I could have it for $100 and save him the trouble of loading it. It had a clear title. Needless to say, I drove it home.
I didn’t do much with it. I was always more enthusiastic about acquiring projects than completing them. I cleaned it up and fooled around with it some, but it burned a lot of oil and left a smoke screen anywhere you went. I sold it to a friend eventually, and he put a 307 in it until he could come up the resources to rebuild the 327. Which he didn’t do, but did sell the car to my brother who replaced ball joints, tie rod ends, shocks, etc. and made a quite nice driver, but still with the 307. I don’t know what happened to it after that. I have to remember to ask my brother someday. Something tells me he sold it back to my friend he bought it from. If so, my awareness of its further disposition would end there. I went in the Army soon after and was gone for ten years.
Oh the days of mostly sound, classic Chevys that were sold for junk prices.