my 89 Caprice with 520,000km's going back on road

[caprice_2nv]

I have the 89 Caprice at my work right now to fix up the leaking exhaust (new Y pipe cost $33) and run it through an emmissions test to renew the sticker. Then as soon as the snow hits when I'm going back to school I can drive it and not worry about maintenance one bit. I'm doing one last oil change with 5w30 Pennzoil platinum then all I'm doing is top up after that. It will make it easier to focus on school if I save the good car for later on and drive the wreck that I can neglect.

Wish me luck on the emmissions test I'll post up the numbers once it's done.

Last night I ran 2 bottles of water through the PCV to steam clean the combustion chamber, then ran a can of GM Cleens through and let it soak overnight with a heavy dose. That and retarding the timing some should get it through.

 

[mrsilv04]

So.... that's 323,117 miles for those of us south of the border.

Wow, it is almost August and LOOK at all of that snow. It really is the "great white north" up there, eh?

 

[xxch4osxx]

Looks good with the windows tinted!

 

[caprice_2nv]

That's the last time I took pictures of it, lol, towards the end of the winter. I parked it and started driving a 2000 Cavalier but between the higher insurance and cost of paying the car off it wasn't worth it, so I sold it and started driving the Cutlass again in the spring.

Now I have a rust free 83 Caprice that I got for next to nothing, I'm saving it for when the 89 needs any amount of money put into it to stay safe. Front end, suspension and brakes are all good but the body mounts and floor are getting really rotten as is the body. The drivetrain doesn't seem to be getting tired yet though.

 

[caprice_2nv]

btw, this is going to be my first extended drain OCI. I'm going to do a quick drain and refill with leftover cheap 10w30 conventional just to get all the combustion chamber cleaning contaminants out, then drain and refill with PP 5w30 and change filter. This I'm going to leave in through the entire winter which should put about 12k miles on it.

 

[Duffman77]

One of the best cars ever made in a non performance perspective IMO.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
So.... that's 323,117 miles for those of us south of the border.

Wow, it is almost August and LOOK at all of that snow. It really is the "great white north" up there, eh?

You should see February!

 

[addyguy]

Good luck with that old beast - glad to see you are wringing every last ounce of use you can out of it!

 

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted By: caprice_2nv
That's the last time I took pictures of it, lol, towards the end of the winter. I parked it and started driving a 2000 Cavalier but between the higher insurance and cost of paying the car off it wasn't worth it, so I sold it and started driving the Cutlass again in the spring.

Now I have a rust free 83 Caprice that I got for next to nothing, I'm saving it for when the 89 needs any amount of money put into it to stay safe. Front end, suspension and brakes are all good but the body mounts and floor are getting really rotten as is the body. The drivetrain doesn't seem to be getting tired yet though.


Where on earth would you find a 27 yr old rust free Caprice in Ontario ??
By "rust free" you mean the doors haven't fallen off yet.....

 

[caprice_2nv]

The rust free one had only one winter in 27 years, and it was completely oil sprayed before that winter. It honestly is one of the best ones I've seen and I got it for a great deal all because I randomly stopped to give the guy a set of hub caps that matched it when I noticed he was missing one.

I randomly mentioned that I would have bought it when he had it for sale if I could afford it (he was asking $3400 before) and he said well how much could you afford. I told him I was looking at a couple for $1500 but they weren't near as nice. Then he told me he's sell it to me for $1500, so I went for it.

I had just sold the Cavalier for $1500 and my Mom also gave me her old Alero and I sold it for $600. After sending 2 of my Caprice parts cars to the wreckers and getting money for them I almost have the new Caprice paid for.

 

[ekpolk]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
So.... that's 323,117 miles for those of us south of the border.

Wow, it is almost August and LOOK at all of that snow. It really is the "great white north" up there, eh?

You should see February!

Oh yeah, there's a reason I live in Florida!

 

[lexus114]

Nothin is more fun than taking out an old rear wheel drive in the snow !!

 

[antonmnster]

That's a funny lookin speedo.

The pics send a shiver down my spine; it's still july but I know winter is just around the corner. I'd better go check my snow tires in the garage.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: caprice_2nv

I randomly mentioned that I would have bought it when he had it for sale if I could afford it (he was asking $3400 before) and he said well how much could you afford. I told him I was looking at a couple for $1500 but they weren't near as nice. Then he told me he's sell it to me for $1500, so I went for it.

I had just sold the Cavalier for $1500 and my Mom also gave me her old Alero and I sold it for $600. After sending 2 of my Caprice parts cars to the wreckers and getting money for them I almost have the new Caprice paid for.


You should play on craigslist. You can trade a cell phone for a porche!

Your B&W shot looks a lot like a 1985 Buick Lesabre, makes sense, both are B-bodies, I had to look it up: props to GM for disguising that one.

 

[Vikas]

Did somebody say porch painting?

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: ekpolk


Oh yeah, there's a reason I live in Florida!


Florida is nice to visit but not to live...The summers are downright disgusting every day of the week 24/7.

 

[caprice_2nv]

I love Florida in March.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: caprice_2nv
I love Florida in March.


That's about the time I always seem to find myself in Tampa...

I love Ybor City... The food and the cigars.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

That Caprice is the perfect beater!!!...It's probably the most solid car General Motors ever built...I could not kill mine.

If Chevrolet keep the Caprice/Impala that size with a realiable V8 engine and rear wheel drive it still most likely would be their top selling car today as just about everyone I knew had at least one in their family and loved them and most likey General Motors would not have needed a bailout...It was a hot selling car for the general public as well as law enforcement and all other agencies.

When the 91 Caprice came out nobody liked the new design but law enforcement...Most of the general public [and cops] called it a upside down bathtub...I liked the 94-96 SS Impalas and almost bought one [but could not make a good deal as they wanted me to pay full sticker price for it which was around 27K bucks and I was not about to do that] but the 91-96 Caprice sales never sold like the 77-90 Caprice.

 

[caprice_2nv]

Ya almost nobody like the 91 and up as much as the earlier ones.