Calling a vehicle a “grandma car” could be considered insulting but not in this case; this is a bonafide, formerly owned by an actual grandma, 1982 Chevrolet Caprice. While 1982 Caprices aren’t uncommon, the coupe body style, as exhibited by this example, is seldomly seen as the vast majority of Caprices produced in ’82 were four-door sedans. Where do you find such a fine ride? Just head to O’Fallon, Missouri; it’s located there and available here on eBay for a current bid of $13,800, 30 bids tendered so far.
Chevrolet “B” bodies, like their cousins at Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac, were slimmed down considerably in 1977 and that redesign launched an enormous sales trend that lasted through its 1990 design cycle conclusion. For Chevrolet, there was a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan available for both the Caprice and Impala models. Station wagons were available for both trim levels too. The two-door Impala, and then the Impala itself, went away for 1985. Curiously, Chevrolet dropped the two-door Caprice after the ’82 model year and then in one of those, “maybe not so fast” moments brought it back in 1984. Production statistics for the 1982 Caprice indicate 123,500 units, all body styles with 12,000 being coupes.
This Caprice is just spectacular! It is finished in a deep, glossy black finish that shows no signs of fading or oxidization while all of the body panels are aligned as designed. Of course, the fact that this Chevy has seen only 14K miles pass under it is one of the supporting factors in maintaining its exceptionally clean appearance. Another is that, according to the seller, this coupe has always been garaged. Needless to say, and the seller states, there is no rust.
I don’t want to be an apologist or an overt critic of GM’s interior material quality employed in the ’80s but the reality is that the fabrics and plastics left a bit to be desired. And after a few years, they generally reflect their inherent cheapness. That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the interior of this Caprice that is visible in the accompanying images. The camel shade contrasts beautifully with the noir exterior but the fact of the matter, grandma or not, camel cloth will reflect dirt from the most gentle, minimal use. That doesn’t appear to be the case here, the interior is spotless and needs nothing. Even the genuine GM floor mats show no wear.
For power, this Caprice has a 305 CI V8 engine, developing 155 net HP. The listing states that this Caprice employs a V8 engine but decoding the VIN indicates this is, in fact, the available 305 motor and not the standard and inadequate 267 CI V8. Mandatory with the 305 engine was the new four-speed, automatic overdrive transmission which means it is more than likely a Turbo-Hydramatic 200-4R. The seller does not elaborate on how well this Caprice runs but one would have to believe it operates exactly as intended.
This Caprice is another conundrum find – once you buy it, you’ll want to drive it and enjoy it. But then as the miles roll up and the condition, regardless of the care administered, rolls down. Yes, the “old cake and eat it too” debate. I like this car and want it, though I’m not sure what I’d do with it as I have a couple of cars already that don’t get used – and it would be wrong to not garage this beauty. The price is a bit rich but there is demand per the bidding activity (2.5 days to go as of this writing) so it should move for a strong price. So, tell me, if you were the successful bidder how would you use this magnificent looking 1982 Chevrolet Caprice coupe?
This is one of the three low-mileage 1980s Caprice Classic coupes from the Donald Pulver collection sold by Mecum at Kissimmee 2019. I bought the white 1984 Caprice coupe; the two black Caprice coupes (this one included) were bought by dealers and have been listed on their sites for about a year now. https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/blogs/under-the-hood/we-won-a-caprice-at-mecum-kissimmee-heres-what-we-paid
Angelo:
Much appreciate the backstory, Thx! Not quite what I initially thought.
That’s a sweet garage you have there Angelo.
They were all moldy and nasty at the auction. Glad to see enough armor all at least hides what was there at auction time. Note: I was at the auction so I saw first hand the mildew and mold and apparent damp condition they were stored in.
Not for nothing but its hard to believe that the seller would present a car with those issues , much less the auction house who makes their money ( + sellers & buyers fees ) off of getting all they can for a particular unit, it doesnt make sense.
They were barn finds, I can’t remember which one, but I know one had nasty mildew on the steering wheel.
Obviously they’re not that popular or desirable or at the right price point, since as Angelo stated the other 2 have been for sale for over a year.
jeez…….folks have really lost their marbles……..13 K…hold on to your Kias!
Such a beauty, it would be a a shame not to drive it only on sunny weekends! GLWTA :-)
You can’t beat black and tan on an 80’s GM big boy, but please ditch those hideous wide whitewalls. Ewwww
I suspect they’ll get ditched and this car will be doinked. Seems a lot to pay to me (14k) but I guess these are getting rare in nice shape, particularly in 2-door form. They’ll be bouncing down the street in unique style!
While you may be correct about it ending up Donked I don’t necessarily think it will. I can’t speak for all of the country, here in Arizona they typically don’t do that to an older car in this price range. Perhaps if they inherit it but usually they get a cheaper, not as nice condition one and spending the money getting it to their own personal tastes.
I don’t know, I’ve seen some pretty nice rods that are near stock doinking around here. You put on the hydraulics, wire rim/tiny tire pack, and the giant stereo and you’re in business! It’d be shaking out some dentures within a week or two.
14 grand for an ’82 Caprice? No thanks.
You would be paying $1000 for every thousand miles it has been driven. (merely stating a fact, not whether or not that is a good deal)
But if “donking” or “doinking means to pimp it out, That would be an abomination for a low mileage original in original condition.
Love this car. I had an ’83 4 door and I loved that car too. Seems pricey, though.
Nicely equipped – sport wheel covers and no vinyl top. These typically had wire wheel covers and a half-vinyl roof. Grandma liked nice things, but apparently didn’t want to go over the top with a Coupe DeVille.
I bought a 1978 Caprice Landau off the showroom floor, I worked in the dealerships parts department and saw the car everyday and being between Corvettes, sold one, looking for another, decided to change my style a bit. Mine was black, had the landau vinyl roof in a saddle tan sort of color that matched the vinyl interior. It was optioned out except for a moon roof. 350″ 4 bbl carb, TH350 automatic, a very comfortable car to drive that performed exceptionally well. I was far from a “Grandmother” ,,,, being a 31 year old bachelor at the time, most of the young ladies that I knew were impressed with the car. If my situation were different I’d be after this Caprice,,,, but besides that it seems a bit too pricey. Nice car anyways.
I to had an 83 4door was a really nice car. It came with a v6 tho not av8 and actually had enough power for me at the time. Lived in Florida….no hills lol. Would love this car the seperate 3 lights in the back looked much better than the 1 piece lights
If grany bought this new, she pry was not a grany in 82👄👵
I’d throw my walker in the back, put on my blue hair and head down to the bingo hall. I like the car but I’ve already done this one, many times.
For a Chevy 1982 buy that grandma had style with color and two door .
If a four speed was available.. i bet granny would of snagged one and chirped the tires..
This is cool, but for that money, the LeSabre T-type is a much better buy and just as interesting.
Great package. My only brand new car was a Champagne Gold ’86 Coupe with a 4.3 V-6. Wonderful car! I had ‘Vette rally wheels on it… quite a good looking car for the time.
That grandma’s car line is getting about as tired as the term patina. My sis n law was a grandma at 33 and had several cars to tear up in her future yet. She t boned someone with the Pontiac wagon, sideswiped someone with the Chevette and drove the 77 Cutlass with no coolant til the pistons melted. Luckily by the time she turned 60 she required at chauffeur lol
I love these. I bought an 84 Landau Coupe in the same condition with about the same amount of miles on it for $1500 back in 1996. Fast forward to four years ago and a friend found an 80 Landau in a salvage yard and took me to look at it. Complete except for a missing radiator. Rust free Arizona car and other than typical parking lot door dings, straight and never wrecked. The price? $600. Only flies in the ointment were a pack rat nest atop the engine with most of the front wiring harness chewed to bits. (It’s a real problem for cars that sit around here in Tucson) and not knowing if it ran. After clearing out the pack rat nest and damage, got the engine (305) running to discover the camshaft was bad. Installed a 350 with new dual exhaust and now am slowly getting the dings out of the body. Other than the sagging headliner and cracked dash( both of which I’ve replaced) the interior needs nothing. I’m guessing that I’ll have about 9k in it when I’m done so maybe the price on this one isn’t so out of line.
This is a great looking car and presents nicely…very nicely. My only problem is the money thing. My first house on cost $14,800.00: 3 bdrm, corner lot, fenced in, 2 car garage. Maybe I’m not mixing the correct ingredients for this salad.
Who was president when you bought that house?
Prob Johnson or Nixon. But really, man, what of it?
I brought my first daughter home in a new 1984 Caprice Landau. It was completely loaded because it was my demo. I was running a Chevrolet store in Kansas.
Basically a box on wheels – the “designer(s)” went home early!
Tho i am impressed with the weight reduction & more interior room compared to the huge ridiculous heavy guzzling ’71-76s that should never have been built. & much better window proportions compared to the “whale caprice” that followed.
Too bad even the 2 door lost frameless glass with this gen. Racing mirrors seem out of place.
Would look better with thinner or even no whitewalls.
Gonna be hard to keep THAT color carpet & cloth seats clean looking.
The bid is up to $14600 with little more than a day left to go on a vehicle they bought for half that… not bad doubling your money on an otherwise forgettable car. I had an uncle that drove nothing but Impalas, he would have loved this car.
My “grandma” next door neighbor had one very much like this, in the late ’90’s. Literally only driven to church and lunch down the street. Less than 20k miles.
I frequently asked her to buy it. When she stopped driving, she gave it to her chain-smoking, degenerate gambling, disgraced ex-police officer son. It was sad how quickly that fine automobile staring circling the drain just like her son’s real life…
Amen, tinted windows too, and last but not least, these cars came w whitewalls, please, they give the car personality, if you don’t like whitewalls you shouldn’t play w classic cars, stick to Camaros and Firebirds
“…this is, in fact, the available 305 motor and not the standard and inadequate 267 CI V8.”
The 267 V-8 was the standard engine only in 49 state B-body station wagons (305 in CA wagons). For sedans and coupes such as this Caprice, the 3.8L V-6 was the standard engine (Chevy in 49 states, Buick in CA). The 267 V-8 was the first optional step up from the 3.8L V-6 in sedans and coupes, followed by the 305 V-8 and the ill-fated 350 diesel. I owned a brand new ’81 Caprice sedan with the optional 267 V-8. I’m sure it would seem pretty gutless now, but at the time I had no complaints or issues with it other than recurring false indications from the CCC system. I was warned away from buying a Caprice with the standard V-6 by a buddy of mine who worked in the service department of a big Chevy dealer due to the fact they were seeing complaints about and issues with the standard V-6 and transmission combo in the B-bodies. It turned out to be good advice.
During those miserable years, of GM scrambling to play catch up with our money and selling loyalist cars that were extremely inferior, the 267, the 260, and the 305, 307 motors were horrible, I owned a new 79 Grand Prix w a 301, it was the best out of all of them, but still underpowered, the 231 V/6 I had in my 80 Grand Prix had blow by since its birth, not to mention the knock sensor problem, brand new car engine pinging, then I bought a new 83 Riviera w the famed Olds 307, what trash, it produced black smoke from its tailpipe while struggling to hit 80 MPH on the open road , I’ve never bought a new GM since
I would not order a Caprice or an Impala with V6 during those years. They did not sell with with a 6.