The Chevrolet Caprice and its competitors are part of a class of American cars that often get tossed aside as being tired workhorses, the ones that we count on until no longer necessary for daily transport. When you find a car like this 1989 Caprice in surprisingly nice condition, it reminds you that not everyone treats these cars like throwaway items. The “Box Chevy” generation has sadly become a target for owners who like to pursue aggressive modifications, which makes stock sedans like this 1989 model listed here on Facebook Marketplace so rare to find. The seller has lost his storage and is asking $6,800.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Zen for this B-body find. When this era of the Caprice was introduced in 1977, it marked a new era for this classic Chevy nameplate. Considered a downsized model like so many other American vehicles entering their next model generation in the 70s and 80s, it still stands out as a large, spacious sedan by today’s standards. The “box” nomenclature isn’t hard to figure out, as the Caprice had the aerodynamics of a brick. Like the Ford Crown Victoria or the Plymouth Fury, these tough four-doors quickly became popular with law enforcement agencies and livery services for their dependability and cheap repairs.
And while there was increasing demand from consumers for luxury and convenience features, the Caprice still made do with things like crank windows and basic AM/FM radios. While more luxury-oriented trims existed, this Caprice showcases how comfort and space was the best feature it could offer a car shopper in the late 1980s. The design did evolve, however, as this model shows with its flush-mounted headlights that demonstrated a modest attempt at reducing drag across the front end. The seller claims his car is mostly stock, but clearly, the sound system has been tastefully upgraded, with a subwoofer mounted in a custom center enclosure.
1989 also marked the year that fuel injection became standard equipment on the 305 LO3 V8 engine, offering 170 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. While those were respectable numbers, power was still routed through a lazy-shifting automatic, and unless you found a police package-spec car with the 5.7L V8, count on a car like this being a smooth operator tuned for everyday performance versus a model you want to improve with performance upgrades. And really, with so few original examples left, this Caprice should simply be enjoyed as-is.
Decent looking car, but that DIY center console has to go.
On FB Marketplace for 27 weeks, you would think the seller would yank that garbage out and lower the price a little. Otherwise, it’s in great shape.
Love the flush headlamps these received in the later yrs. As mentioned the 5.7 cop pkg is one sweet car. Saw a beauty ghost car like that in dark grey, dog dish caps on black steel wheels. Just perfect.
I maintain that the B body cars of this era (88/LeSabre/Caprice) were the best cars made by GM, if not of all time, certainly of that era. I’m partial personally to the 4 rectangular lights, as opposed to the flush style, but these had everything going for them. Size, comfort, reliability, looks, efficiency, and performance. They may not have the excitement/emotional factor, but for what they were intended to be, and what they ended up being, it was a grand slam.
What the B bodies were to GM is what the Taurus was to Ford. Game Changers. Both goes to show what American car companies can do when they take the time and work together to create a great car.
“the aerodynamics of a brick” & “the sound system has been tastefully upgraded”
Quite smile inducing!
Ain’t gettin’ a smile from me but a few groans & a roll of my not-so-baby blues.
That homemade cup holder is sure going to shake up your drinks!!!
“The soundsystem has been tastefully upgraded”. Thats tasteful?
I think it means, when you turn it on and all the fast-food crumbs get bounced around the cabin, you tend to taste a few of them.
Although I have never owned one (yet)I agree with Jonathan I too think 1977 and newer B bodies were the best platform GM ever made. It was the right size at the right time, they were comfortable, durable, efficient for their time and fairly good looking. Countless family and friends owned them and I always liked them.
I am with you 100%.
We were doing pretty good until I got an eye full of that trailer park luxury console.
that console or whatever it is needs to visit a dumpster. then you would have a decent ride.
Now THIS would be something I’d
buy for myself if I were in the market for something nice and comfortable. Sorry sports fans,
but that woofer’s gotta go! The Apple and Android car play can stay though. It would be an incentive to get my niece and SIL
to drive it. All you need for the stereo is 6 Jansen 6X9 inch speakers tastefully concealed in
the doors and the package tray.
Not too sure about the 305 though. They used to bust the
crankshaft at less then 20K miles. Almost bought a ’77 model my neighbor was selling for someone he knew. The price
was right, ($100) but when you need a car like NOW, that was a
real deal breaker for me.
I’d ditch the custom console as well and return the car to stock condition and then just drive it and enjoy it. I like the entire car, even the color.
These are nice cars and hard to find in my locale. A real “granny” Caprice with a box of kleenex between the front seats with a church bulletin, and some residual yakked up milk from the grand baby in the back, is definitely a major score!
The things people will do to cars sometimes amazes me. 🙄
Every 80s GM we owned blew its automatic transmission before 60k miles.