In The Market for a Caprice Wagon, I would like some opinions and guidance..

Helloo all, I'm new to the Wagon Forums and hopefully I will soon be a proud new member of the Wagoneers. I'm in the market for a Caprice Wagon from the 80's (box style) although I could be persuaded otherwise, because right now in my area I can only find a good deal on a 93 and 95 Caprice (one with the LTI corvette engine).

I currently own an 88 Caprice Classic sedan (Blue with silver trim) 125,000mi that I love and is running strong but had some rust when I bought it which has now started to eat through the frame and sadly, it will no longer pass the ma state inspection.

But on the bright side, now is the perfect time to get the one thing I've always wanted out of my Caprice: the ability to sleep in it.

I couldn't believe it the other day when I checked out one of the Caprice Wagons, the way the seats fold down so easily providing so much space in the back, much better then a minivan where the seats have to be removed and not to mention the lack of durability and the numerous safety issues associated with minivans.

These Caprice wagons are like a dream come true! It will afford me the ability to travel without paying for motels, and also take my mom camping in the white mountains which she likes to do but because she has arthritis and it's hard for her to get in and out of the tent, she doesn't like tenting-out.


The problem is I know next to nothing about checking out a used car before purchasing and the only ones available within my price range (under $2500 hopefully more like $1500) are 5-8 hours away. So, it will be hard to take it to my local mechanic to inspect it.

I did change the alternator, belts, and replaced the brake pads and tailpipe on my caprice but I don't know how to inspect a car and know it's value.

So this post is getting too long already let my try to get to the point:


-What is the approximate value of an 86-89 caprice in good condition?

-There is one 6 hours from me that is $2495 which is in very good condition all around (engine, exhaust, brakes all good and no rust) and has the 307 oldsmobile engine which replaced the original (engine and tranny were replaced at 152,00mi and car now has 176,000mi with all paperwork), this sounds like a good deal right?

-My current Caprice Sedan has the 305 H V8, the less powerful one but it has been the most reliable engine I have ever driven by a longshot..

-Is the 307 oldsmobile engine as reliable as the chevy V8's ?


-Is an 89 Caprice Wagon who's engine, exhaust, brakes, and interior are all very good but has couple small rust spots starting to get bad on the fake wood paneling which is slightly puffy and some bad circular rustpots on the bottom of the car floorboards (otherwise just a small amount of surface rust on the bottom) worth $4000? ...

^to me it seems a bit overpriced considering the power windows controls are loose (replaced by aftermarket from a cadillac dealer) and the tape player does not work, combined with the rust spots described above (and other light surface rust on gastank for instance).

-If you were to purchase a used Caprice Wagon which is located quite a distance from you, would you take it to a local mechanic around that area to have it checked out first?

How do you know if you can trust just any mechanic?

(I realize many of you actually know how to inspect cars yourselves, but I mean for people like myself who are not knowledgable enough yet to make a good assessment)


I have a couple other questions but getting too tired to type coherantly at this point so I will ask those tomorrow, I welcome all opinions and suggestions on how to safely purchase a used caprice which is in another state about 5-8 hours away.


Thanks for reading!

 

important questions are bolded if you don't feel like reading through all my rambling, thanks!

 

Trusting Long-distance Mechanics? If you've got AAA, they might tell you. Just know way to tell who's good or not without meeting them. Stop at a nearby truckstop, and ask the locals having a coffee at the coffee counter?

My last Chevy was a 396 in a 1969 ragtop, way back in the mid-70's. Other's will have to chime in on the engines.

Good luck with the mechanic and the car.

 

to the wagon train, backseat. You can widen your horizons a little since the GM box wagons 86-89 were all pretty much the same. They are getting harder to find in good shape so the prices vary by seller. I wouldn't buy one that has rust starting under the wood. In fact, I hate rust period. It's a car's worst enemy. I really don't know what to tell you about having a car inspected. Some people have the gift of knowing a good car when they observe it and some don't. You can always show plenty of good pix of a car you are looking at and we can look at it cosmetically and discuss the mechanics here. Might even be someone in your area from the forum here that's qualified to inspect the car for you. I have had box wagons, built them up and they are still some of my favorites. I would be a good person to inspect for you but I am in WI. There are others here that would be good too. Getting to a car to inspect it would be the problem.

 

to the madness. Wagons are addictive.

 

Thinking about your parameters....I think you would be really happy with a 91 or 92 Buick or Chevy or Olds wagon with the FI 305. A little roomier, faster and a little better wagon all around AND they are pretty cheap since they aren't an LT1. You may very well be able to get one of these in great shape for less than the disappearing box wagons. For a wagon daily driver they would be hard to beat. There is more room in the back for sleeping too. You can get 4 X 8 sheets in the box wagons but in the 91-92's you can close the gate with those sheets in it while you cannot in the box.

 

I'll tackle this one, anyway.

I've got two B-body wagons with the 307, an 84 Custom Cruiser and an 86 Caprice. The 307 is reliable but underpowered. The two biggest problems are the finicky CCC computer controlled Quadrajet carb and the weak 200-4R transmission. The CCC system works great once you get it dialed in correctly, but adjustment requires strict adherence to the adjustment procedure in the factory service manual. Few mechanics today know about how this system works and even fewer want to take the time to adjust it properly. There are also about five miles of vacuum hoses on the motor and a leak in any one of them (or the parts that they attach to) will cause the system to run poorly. It took me a month of weekends and evenings to study the factory manual and finally get mine adjusted properly, but it runs great once you do. Note that the Chevy 305 used the same CCC system (with the same problems) until the TBI motors were installed in 1989-1990.

The 200-4R is a different problem. I've killed two now with a stock (optimistically rated) 140 HP 307. The good news is that these transmissions were also used in the Turbo Buick cars and that community has found and fixed all of the weak points in the trans so that lots of information and aftermarket parts are available.

Depending on the need for emissions testing where you live, a larger Olds motor (350, 403, or even 455) bolts in place of the 307.

 

YES the 200R4 can be built to take a beating. I have a 700R4 in my 92 Olds wagon BUT may go to the 200 as we "step up" the engine performance wise. Damm this car is HUGE !! I needed something that could hold a 4X8 sheet of plywood in.

 

The Old Cars Price Guide lists the values of Caprice Classic station wagons in #3 condition (good restored condition both cosmetically and mechanically but not showroom condition) as follows:

1986: $3,020
1987: $3,150
1988: $4,050
1989: $4,730


Olds Custom Cruisers of the same years are listed at

1986: $3,240
1987: $2,480
1988: $3,380
1989: $3,380

What's with that strange dip for 1987? Something bad happen that year?


Pontiacs are shown as follows

1986 (Parisienne): $2,610
1987 (Safari): $2,480
1989 (Safari): $3,240

For 1988, the Guide doesn't show a Safari wagon as being available. Is this correct? The largest wagon offered apparently was in the 6000 line, value listed as $2,480.


Buick wagons are shown as follows

1986 LeSabre: $2,700
1986 Electra Park Avenue: $2,790
1987 LeSabre: $2,750
1987 Electra: $2,790
1988 LeSabre: $2,970
1988 Electra: $4,370
1989 LeSabre: $4,140
1989 Electra: $6,080

 

I had the Pontiac version of this wagon from 2000-2008... It was the Safari wagon, loaded to the max. It was a 1989 model. Interior was excellent, had beautiful dark blue metallic paint, nice woodgrain, NOT even a speck of rust... there was not even any surface rust on the frame or floor pans. It was a southern car, had never even seen salt. It had high miles though and the engine was weak (low on power). Even down in the spare tire area it looked like brand new.

I advertised it everywhere... even on here. Practically tried to give it away for $700 and no one even wanted it. I ended up trading it for a 89 BMW 325iS and turned around and sold it for $1800, then bought a 84 Mercedes 190D, then sold it for $3200. I miss the wagon though... the man said he wanted a larger car, but in the back of my mind after I traded it to him, I wonder if perhaps it didnt end up as a derby car.

 

Welcome to the forum, BackSeat.

My suggestion would be to find the best wagon you can in your price range, and don't worry about what engine it has. It can always be changed later. Also don't get fixated on just the Caprice. All these GM box wagons are pretty much mechanically the same. Limiting yourself to only one brand limits your selection, and nice ones are getting hard to find. I always liked the Pontiac Safari's, but there are hardly any left now. Look at the Olds Custom Cruisers, and especially the Buick Estates - they have a very nice interior - at least 2 steps above the Chebby.

Don't be afraid to venture a bit away from home to find the best wagon. You may have to 'take a chance' and fly there to see it in person, but we've heard from quite a few who've gambled on one and never regreted it.

We're pretty spread out all over. If you find one that's near one of us, we may be able to go give it a look-see for you.

I've got all of Oregon covered for you......

 

wow, thanks for all the responses! my internet connection wasn't working last night and I don't have time to respond at present, I will have time to read and respond later in the evening hopefully!

Thanks!

 

Is anyone here from South Jersey by chance, in the area of Trenton or surrounding?


Thanks to everyone for the valuable info given to me here, I'll be back later to respond.

 

I'm impressed! Oregon isn't exactly small!

 

Well, I just put 400+ miles on yesterday for one assignment, and the same last Thursday, so I'm just getting to know the territory.....