Vehicle Description
In 1965, the Caprice Custom Estate Sedan was a trim option
available on the Impala 4-door sedans, before becoming its own
top-of-the-line model series in 1966. The Caprice Custom line
consisted of four models, with the most recognizable being the
Estate Wagon featuring the simulated wood sides, a long-forgotten
attribute from the 1950's when real wood was still being used. Fast
forward to 1973, and the Caprice Custom was now called the Caprice
Classic, even offering a convertible model for the first time. And
by 1977, massive American cars of the era were due for some
downsizing, and General Motors reengineered the third-generation
Caprice lineup in earnest by reducing them drastically in exterior
scale and overall weight. This was in large part to help make them
more fuel efficient but surprisingly provided more headroom and
cargo space in the process!
Offered here is a very well survived 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
Estate Wagon finished in its factory applied code-11 White exterior
over Tan Vinyl interior. This special wagon was special ordered
from the factory by its original Portland, Oregon owners in May
1979 with all the options they preferred through Lyman Slack
Chevrolet. This included the LM1- 350ci V8-4 barrel engine, air
conditioning, Estate Equipment package with body side moldings,
wire spoke wheels, roof top carrier, bumper guards and rub strips,
power windows with all tinted glass, AM/FM/Cassette radio, special
instrumentation, power door locks, rear air shocks, rear defrost,
remote driver's mirror, carpeted rear cargo area, and floor mats!
They would trade in their 1973 Plymouth in June 1979 and retain
ownership of this Caprice for the next 34 years, then leaving it to
their family estate through 2023. It would finally be sold to only
one other owner in April 2024 with just 102,576 miles on the
odometer!
Provided service history includes having the transmission fully
resealed by Columbia Transmission in Portland, OR at 82,264 miles,
along with the car receiving its last major service with the
original owners at 98,759 miles in January 2010 to include a new
master brake cylinder, radiator with new hoses, valve cover
gaskets, water pump, fresh muffler on the original system, and
drive belts. Sadly, with the lone surviving owner passing on in
2013, the car was driven only sparingly before being stored for
several years in the family garage. In preparation for sale in
2024, a new battery would be installed, brakes freshened with new
front calipers, rear drums, shoes, & wheel cylinders, along with a
full a/c service still utilizing R12 refrigerant. The current owner
would take delivery in Portland where this wagon spent its entire
life, install new whitewall tires, and drive this beauty all the
way back to St. Louis, MO, a distance covering 2,050 miles! Upon
arrival, he would hand it over to his personal mechanic for a
comprehensive service to really freshen the vehicle properly.
At 105,272 miles, the engine would be pulled for a complete reseal
including rear main seal, valve seals, intake manifold gasket,
valve cover gaskets, time chain & cover gasket, thermostat &
housing gasket, oil pan gasket, fresh engine paint, fresh ignition
wires and spark plugs, distributor rotor, along with new front
shocks, upper control arm bushings, full alignment, fuel filter,
rear pinion seal, interior carpet & recovered driver's front seat
(slightly mismatching vinyl color), new front headlights, headlight
dimmer/ turn signal switch, and new wiper blades! Today, it now
shows only 105,823 miles on the odometer, making it ready for a new
owner to enjoy straight from our showroom!
It will come with a copy of the original dealership order form,
1979 showroom brochure, copy of the original title, owner's manual,
and service records dating back to 1981! Finding cars this well
preserved, not to mention fully serviced for confident use, is
becoming very hard to do! Priced very well for the astute investor,
we recommend acting quickly on this one!!
