Faults:

Everything works like it just left the show room!

General Comments:

Found this car on-line from a dealer in Cincinnati. 1 owner trade in, kept up in excellent condition by 90 year-old lady. Mostly in-town miles when purchased.

This was a dream car that most enthusiast would kill for. Haven't changed a thing. Not sure where to start with the mods!

The best $3000 I spent on a car. Its huge too! Compared to the F150 and Ranger I drove before, this is an awesome car.

Faults:

Water pump blew at 110,000 miles. Replaced it myself for $30.

Radiator showed signs of wear at 112,000 miles. Replaced it hoping to prevent a breakdown. Ratiator cost me $100.

General Comments:

This car rides like the Cadillacs of old. The rear-wheel drive format, long wheelbase, and wide car make for a ride unmatched by any Lexus or Mercedes today.

This car redefines the term "roomy". There is more room in this car than you could ever use. Inch-for-inch, this wagon is longer than a suburban of the same model year.

The handling of this monolithic wagon is better than one would expect. It feels a bit loose, but it is responsive.

The Caprice's performance is severely lacking. The 305 just cannot put out enough power to move this car. Acceleration is OK around town, but severly lacking at highway speeds. You will often find that even with the pedal on the floor you can barely accelerate up hills. Forget passing with this car, you will need a long stretch of road and plenty of time. My 1983 Delta 88 (307 V8) blows this away on the highway. For a big V8, this car should have more power than it does. Its slower than your everyday 4-banger escort or neon.

Faults:

* Inside Hood Release. Repair shop couldn't fix it. I removed the cable & associated parts and installed hood pins (<$20). They're much simpler, faster, etc.

* Tape player started eating tapes 18 months ago. I'm planning to replace it with another tape player & kit for $60.

* Fuel Pump ($400 for parts & labor; 1 month ago)

* Starter (replacing today)

* Replaced the standard Champion spark plugs (unknown age) with Bosch +2s and had a significant improvement in performance and fuel mileage.

* There is much carpet wear, but that's to be expected after so many miles.

* There is a front alignment problem that's not fixable without excess parts replacement. It's cheaper to replace the tires every 6 months as they wear out than to spend the thousands to get it fixed. I doubt the car will last another 5 years.

General Comments:

This car has been used for everything from its initial purchase by my wife's elderly grandparents to its sale to my in-laws to its presentation to us.

Even in the last few months, when everything seems to be going wrong, it's overall condition must still be considered to be quite well for its age and excellently reliable for its lifetime. I'm more confident in driving it from Denver to Miami than to the corner store.

Lots of play in the body, esp on turns, but it's quite smooth riding.

Fuel mileage is usually ~20mpg on 85 octane.