The Caprice was the top-of-the-line model for the full-size Chevys back in ’68, measuring nearly 18 feet long and providing seating room for 6. Along with all the comfort the car offered inside, the coupe also provided some sporty looks outside, along with enough engine options to suit just about any buyer. The 1968 model featured a new grille up front along with optional concealed headlights, a neat feature that this Chevrolet Caprice for sale here on eBay is equipped with. This one’s up in Utica, New York, with bidding up to $5,100 so far, but there’s more to go before it gets turned loose as the reserve has not been met.
Fresh out of a nearly quarter-century hibernation, this Caprice was stored in a dry area on an airbase since 2000, with the vinyl top removed at some point and the roof painted black. According to the cowl tag, Grotto Blue is the original exterior color, although it’s not specified as to whether or not the finish is original or if it’s had a respray. The body looks pretty decent overall, although there is some rust in the quarters and front fenders, but the patina sure looks cool and I’d be tempted to leave it alone and just enjoy it as a weekend cruiser, at least for a while. All 4 tires look like they have plenty of treads, but if they’ve been sitting for all those years a new set may be a worthwhile investment.
Under the hood is a 327 cubic-inch 4-Barrel V8, which the seller says runs great, with the car having received some fuel-related work recently. The old gas was removed and the fuel lines were blown out, followed by the addition of a new fuel pump. No word on what kind of refreshing the transmission has received, but it is stated to shift properly, with the owner saying the Caprice is a great driver. It’s also got dual exhaust and a rear sway bar.
We can’t see every angle of the interior from the photos, but what we can view seems to be quite well preserved, especially if it’s all original. There are some nice driver comforts such as a tilt wheel, power seat, plus power steering, and power brakes. We do get to see an assortment of pictures from the underside, and things down below are looking pretty solid, as is the trunk area. I’m liking that this one has the possibility of being a capable driver without too much additional work in the short haul, and if the next owner decides to paint it or make other improvements that the process can be done gradually and at your own pace. What are your thoughts?
It’s a Chevy, so that tells me it’ll be bid about 20% more than it’s worth. Just because it’s a Chevy. (eye roll)
If that’s what it’s bid to, isn’t that what it’s worth?
Touché, 427TurbojetI Well played!
Low Rider.
NO. It’s a survivor. Leave it as is!
Factory 8 track stereo! Not too many of them around. Wonder if there’s a case of tapes hidden somewhere in the car?
First thing I noticed, too!
Resembles the 8-trac I had in my 66 GTO!
I have one of those 8 track players sitting on a shelf. They were available in all the Chevy cars. Pretty cool
Wait, where are the folded matchbook covers for the 8 track player? They should be on the passenger seat.
I watch the TV show Bewitched. Looks like a car you would see at 1164 Morning Glory Circle which is where Darren and Samantha Stevens lived. Chevrolet was the sponsor and corporate tie-in for the show.
Bewitching. Looks like what you see on a rerun of Bewitched.
Some episodes Pontiac Frank.
This is exactly the kind of car I love to buy…for $5000, or less. The styling is killer, and I suspect it’s Bill Mitchell. The bodywork would cost a bit of money.
What’s that you say?, you can’t find a car like this for 5000? OK, you’re right, I paid 6000 for my ’63 Riv.
The hide away headlight option this car has is super rare!
How many here have even seen one in real life with this front end? – i seen just one. & as for, believe it or not, a ’69 camaro RS – with either the 230 or 250 6 cyl – i never seen even one in real life!
Chevy made 2 commercials with a ’68 caprice with hideaways – go figure the sales of that option.
There’s a ’67 or ’68 camaro RS on Bewitched, but i doubt a ’68 caprice with hideaways.
Wonderful seeing the proper wheel covers here.
Again, no cruise control ordered on this big luxury chevy – go figure.
Many years ago a cohort and I scoured junkyards and wherever, especially looking for 60s Chevy optional accessories. My friend got a line on a a loaded 68 Caprice 4 Dr ht sitting in a pig yard on a farm about 50 miles away. It was about this time of the year so was sitting in icy mud. We couldn’t drive out to it so we dragged our tools and a torch set through the barn out into the pen. The 396 and 400 turbo were already gone but we torched the hideaway front end off, cutting the front fenders off above the center of the wheel wells. We got the core support with all the hideaway parts – very heavy. We cut the doors off at the hinges to get the power windows and locks. It even had the fiber optic light monitoring system. In hindsight we should have waited until spring and bought the whole car – would have saved a lot of heavy lugging/dragging through slop and the barn. We did make good money parting everything out, but that car really should have been saved.
@Rex Kahrs
Is there a point to this?
Larry, you sound upset about something. My point was this: non-rusted cars can be bought affordably. This Caprice is cool, but there’s 5K+ in bodywork from the get-go.
Is this hide away headlight week?
Rex Kahrs, the 63 riv was designed to be a Cadillac. Hemmings has a great article about who designed the riv.
Bill Mitchell and Ned Nichols!
Again with the vinyl roof… I know, it had to hide the ‘c’ column. Then change something about the build so we can dump the clunky looking vinyl (plus its added chrome strips that further break up the flow) Such a pretty, smooth, shapely body going to waste. I mean the car! Other than that a nice looking Chevy.
@GREG
The vinyl top wasn’t made to hide anything. These cars could be had without them if so ordered. Vinyl just happened to be the “in” thing for roofs at that time. Here is a link for a ’68 Caprice with a slick top. https://www.grautogallery.com/vehicles/2507/1968-chevrolet-caprice/gallery?image_source=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.dealeraccelerate.com%2Fag%2F1%2F1463%2F114463%2F790x1024%2F1968-chevrolet-caprice
I have a friend who special-ordered a new Monte Carlo in 1971. He still has that car over 50 years later and it is in new condition. But he ordered it in an extra-cost color of Carolina Blue with NO vinyl top. He has told me several times thru the years he sure is glad he didn’t get that rust starter top! How true, how true.
The “hiding” piece of info was replied to my post stating my revulsion to the vinyl top on the ’69 Caprice yesterday. I’ve never met a vinyl roof that I’ve thought added to the looks and/or lines of any car. My visual caressing of the car’s lines is offended by the interruption of the chrome strips and (IMO) ugly vinyl. Smooth and sleek is visually sensual, like a woman’s body (sorry, no misogyny intended, just how my eyes perceive outlines of basically anything). Don’t unnecessarily break up the flow if you don’t need to.
Sweet just the way it is. Worth whatever someone wants to pay for it.
I’m surprised to see a circular driver’s door mirror on the above car instead of a rectangular one usually on a ’68 – driver’s preferred replacement, factory mistake, factory put on what was available/handy/leftover?
Hidden headlite demo – note the door mirror … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPp70YJNAw
Oops my mistake – the 2 piece headlite covers move in the SAME direction.
I’m pretty sure 1968 was the last year for Chev to still use the round mirror on the door/doors……
@JoeNYWF64
Here is a link to another ’68 Caprice and it has the round mirror. And I looked back at another one I pasted the link for on here and they both had the round mirrors. So, I guess that’s how they came.
https://www.streetsideclassics.com/vehicles/1975-dfw/1968-chevrolet-caprice
The rear sway bar isn’t really a sway bar, it’s a panhard rod. It limits the up and down travel and the side to side movement of the axle.
Good to see is the Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission. This car is one of the few examples, beyond a ‘Vette, where the T-400 was paired with a small block engine. The engine is an RPO L30, 275 HP version, a stout performer!
Nice find!
JO
Jim, if I remember correctly, the choices were a PG or a 400 in 68. The th350 didn’t come out until 1969.
Had one of these babies….IIRC it had a 307 V8 that was a pooch. Add to that the lifters kept losing tension and I had to crank the rockers down a little more each time.
I had traded a ’65 Ford Cortina for it, which in hindsight was a big mistake. One of many mistakes my life has seen.
sigh!
The lifters didn’t “lose tension”. In the mid to late 60s, flat camshafts ran rampant in small blocks. Even in a few big blocks, too.
Yeah, ACZ, I agree. The car most likely had low oil pressure that wasn’t keeping the lifters pumped up like it should. It was a lot of years ago, long before my mechanical acumen kicked it. Cheers!
My friend had a ’68 327 4 speed Impala. With manual trans. those 275 HP pulled pretty good back in the day.
SOLD for $16,000.