The third-generation Chevrolet Caprice is an iconic machine these days, a reputation it wholly deserves for putting wagons on the map. The massive estate-bodied variant became embedded in American culture for its ability to haul families and all of their gear along with its trademark woodgrain trim doing down the sides. And, now we know that they even served as mini school buses in areas where standard bus transportation wasn’t an option. This survivor-grade Caprice is listed here on eBay with bids to $11,600 and the reserve unmet.
These were simple machines, prized for their durability and put through grueling daily stress tests as taxi cabs and police cars. The blue-and-white NYPD Caprice is about as iconic as it gets for a cop car, and there’s still a few hanging out in museums. Given they were employed in some of the most taxing fleets in the world, it’s of little surprise that a school department would find it a fitting stand-in for a Blue Bird bus. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn it was utilized to serve a rural school district where only a handful of kids resided, and that rear-facing back seat could be good to use if a passenger came along.
Bench seating, crank windows, and functioning air conditioning – what more do you need? The white paint and hubcaps is a classic municipal / fleet spec, and I’m actually surprised to see a butterscotch interior as opposed to a blue cloth. The seller notes the air conditioning system was recently overhauled with a new fan clutch and A/C compressor, and mechanically, it’s undergone a fair amount of reconditioning. New plugs and leads, a fresh water pump, and fluid changes round out the list round out the list of services. The powered rear window still works, too.
Looking out the dash and seeing the miles-long hood is a view like no other. The Caprice is powered by a 5.0L V8 that generates 170 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque, and the seller notes it drives well with smooth transmission changes. The listing’s best detail is the anecdote about finding children’s drawings and pencils under the seats, lending more credibility to the school bus claims (or it was just used as a family road trip machine.) While there is a temptation to modify this Caprice slightly with Flowmasters and different wheels, I personally wouldn’t change a thing – what about you?
wrong engine. The wagon had the Olds 307 with 140 hp. I’ll never understand why Chevy didn’t use their FI 305 in the wagon. Heavier vehicle with less power I am in….said no one ever!
$11+/- k is the bid take the money and run that odometer has rolled at least once if it was purchased using federal dollars for a school district federal law requires them to keep it 6+ years or 300k miles for this type of vehicle