1987 Chevrolet Caprice Estate

Check the 10th pic in the ad. You got the overdrive tranny!

 

Looks like a great wagon. Good luck!

 

I totally (and obviously) missed that! I was so over the odometer reading. Thanks fmlm83!

 

Thank you pyasher! Fingers crossed all goes well.

 

With low mileage like that, I'd suggest you get a bypass filtration system to keep the engine like new.

 

Stock filters don't filter everything and are called "Full-flow" filters, because they don't restrict oil flow through the engine; this system has both a full-flow and "bypass" filter, which in short is the secondary filter which cleans the oil more than a full-flow filter but at a slower rate. They're called "Bypass" because (for most systems) these second filters don't go where oil is mainly pumped.

A short article about it:

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/29026/engine-bypass-filtration

I have read a case where someone who had one of these ended up losing an engine because the hose (it was a different system than the one I posted) came loose, though. Still, even if you decide to not get a bypass unit Amsoil's full-flow filters are (according to what I read) the best on the market though about $18-$20 per filter. They're said to filter down to 20 microns at a 98.7% capture rate, and can last a year or 15k miles when used with the company's synthetic oil. That's a lot cleaner oil than a $3-$8 filter will net you, which may end up being in the 30-50 micron range.

 

Interesting idea, and thank you, but I'm a wee bit hesitant to add things on if they're not absolutely required. Honestly, I didn't know such a device existed!

 

I can see the value on a taxi, commercial truck or other commercial vehicle but not on a collector car that is driven so few miles. Just my opinion...

 

I am sure they are totally awesome, but I have yet to get less than 200-250k miles from an engine just using conventional oil and regular Purolator, Fram, Delco, and Motorcraft filters in my cars. I'm not saying you can just dump whatever in your engine, but I think it is more about vigilant maintenance than using the most expensive oil and filtration system you can find. Most of my cars have rusted out around perfectly good running engines.

 

It's all in what you mean to do with what car you have. I've been slow in buying one (I don't have one yet at this time) but have been considering one for the 6.5 Diesel mainly to reduce potential engine repairs by not wearing it down much more than it already is, wherever that may be.

 

That would be the correct application....

 

Wow, a real beauty. Enjoy it!!

 

Well, it arrived two days earlier than expected and I am SO excited! The weekend couldn't get here fast enough. Yesterday I spent the day cleaning it, testing things, etc. It's raining today, so I pulled it out of the garage and let it sit in the rain for about five minutes. Tested the wipers and they too work perfectly. Sounds silly, but it gave me the excuse to wipe the car down again lol. She's not yet street-legal, so driving it out on public roads is not an option yet. Tomorrow morning I am heading to the DMV to file the title transfer and get a temporary registration; immediately followed by taking it in for a smog check (required for permanent registration & plates). This is the only part that has me nervous, as I've never had to smog check my classic cars before. More to come on that. Wish me luck, please?

From driving it around the block, I can say she starts, runs and stops like a champ. The engine is amazingly clean, save some possible evidence of head gasket leakage (oil crud on the block). She has no fluid leaks whatsoever. Everything so far seems to verify the odometer reading of just under 25K original miles (including the CarFax report I pulled before buying it).

Almost everything works, including the radio, power seats, all lights including the "idiot" lights and even the AC! I've obviously not yet tested the cruise control. The engine temperature gauge is not working (knew that before buying it) and one of the window switches does not work. The driver's side power door lock switch unlocks but does not lock the doors. When I use the passenger side power lock switch, all but the two rear doors lock, which has me thinking those two locks might need lubricating (a bit stiff to push the lock down manually).

More to come after tomorrow. Have to say, it feels good to be back in the "wagon game" again.

 

If I get one I'm aware I won't have to change oil as much either, since it'll keep the oil cleaner. The additives wearing out is another detail though, it does still need changed eventually.

If your car fails the smog test, maybe you should Seafoam it. And by that I meanremove the spark plugs, put that fluid in the piston cylinders, let it soak for a while, remove the fluid and repeat if the fluid was dark and then after the fluid's out, put the plugs back on, start the car and watch the fluid burn off the cylinders out the tailpipe (you may want to remove the catalytic converter for this; the smoke comes out white) and after all of that's done, try the smog test again. I noticed a big improvement doing this on a snowblower, though before treatment it was blowing black smoke upon startup and I changed the spark plug and gasoline-laden oil at the same time.