It was pretty well loaded. Silver gray metallic, roof rack, cornering lights. I remember my sister saying "it looks like a hearse ". Maybe it did, but I sure liked that car!
I ordered an 85 Buick Regal thru the AAFES (Army/Air Force Exchange Service) when I was returning to the states from a 3 year hitch in the Philippines. USAF.
Steve is one of those guys who can talk about the most boring thing on earth and make it interesting, entertaining and relaxing. I remember watching Barrett Jackson long ago just to hear him talk about the cars. Didn't care much about the bidding drama.
@@randybarnes8454 Hello Randy, Thanks for watching and writing. Funny you should mention me as a car salesman. Waaaaay back in the fall of 1986 (in the spring of that year I graduated from college as an English Major) I got a job SELLING CARS at Ragsdale Chevrolet in Spencer, Mass. The new Tuned Port Injection Z28 was in the showroom, the C4 Corvette was a rock star and some of the front drive Cavalier Z24s and Celebrity Eurosports were half way decent - for the times. But my eye always favored the BIG Impalas and Caprices that didn't sell in huge numbers but always did sell. Few sat around on the lot more than a week or two after delivery - unlike the re-booted Spectrum and Nova econo-boxes we all hated to sell because the profit margin - and salesman commission - was razor thin. Anyhoo, long story short. I only lasted 4 months (November, December, January, February). I found the pressure of "meet-greet-measure their feet" to be very difficult. We worked 9-to-9 five days every week. And never were the two days off in a row! It was stress I never had much chance to recover from with a fat 2-day "off time". Also as a 21 year old KID, I had just about ZERO in common with most of my sales "ups". The objective is to "establish a rapport" but as a KID I had a very small frame of reference upon which to draw. So the "measure their feet" part of getting down to business and SELLING THEM A CAR was a challenge. I will say I managed to sell 43 units during my 16 week stint but a major factory was GM's "ZERO-PERCENT Financing" scheme where the cars pretty much sold themselves. My take away was this: LIKING cars and SELLING cars are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS! Anyhoo, I remained firmly entrenched in the auto industry but more as a historian and journalist and not a as salesman. But lets remember, EVERY CAR had a successful SALESMAN to send it into the world with its first owner. HATS OFF to car sales professionals everywhere! We couldn't do any of this without you! -Steve Magnante
Back around 1999 I bought that identical wagon with the 307 to tow a 19 foot boat I was screwing around with. Long story short, it was the most gutless thing you could possibly imagine. How gutless you ask? First time I launched the boat, it wouldn't pull the empty trailer out of the water and back up the ramp....actually had to get towed out by a guy in a Blazer. Dumped it at the auction a couple of days later and lost money there too.
My friend had three of these (he might still have one), a 1985 with a 305 V8, a 1988 like this one with a 307 V8 and a 1989 Cutom Cruiser with a 307. He bought the 1988 from a coworker of ours and it was a oil burner (that coworker was clueless about cars, but acted like he was a whiz, he wasn't). My friend then put a used engine in the 1988. Not just any engine---it was rumored to come from Barbara Eden's personal car when they swapped the engine for a more powerful one. My friend paid $50 for the engine (which was under a cover outside), cleaned it up, replaced some gaskets and put it in the vehicle. It went another 100,000 miles on that engine. He eventually got rid of it as the body was getting rough. I'm actually speaking to him this weekend, so I'll have to find out if he still has the 1989 Oldsmobile wagon. An Olds club member gave it to him as he didn't need it anymore. DeNooyer Chevrolet still exists at that same address. The then owner of this vehicle lived about 9 miles away in Albany. No Impalas by this time, they had gone away after the 1985 model year. We got the VIN, we win: 1G1 for US made Chevrolet passenger car, BN81 for Caprice Estate wagon, Y for 5.0L (307 CID) V8, Oldsmobile produced (although by then, labeled as "corporate") with four barrel, aka RPO code "LV2", aka "Mini Pocket Rocket", X is a check digit, J for the 1988 model year, R for Arlington, TX assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Arlington, TX plant still operates today and has exclusively produced trucks and SUVs since the last RWD GM rolled off the line in 1996. The 307 V8 is no powerhouse, but it is a bulletproof engine and will run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run and run some more. They are easily known to go 250K without needing anything internal. I have owned several and they are one of my favorite engines. Dillion Chevrolet existed until 2022 when it was sold by the Dillion family and is now McGovern Chevrolet at 54 Main Street in Greenfield, MA. That Meineke shop still exists at the same location as well. It is likely that AP Exhaust was the supplier of exhaust products to Meineke. Correct, the 307 V8 (VIN code "Y", RPO code "LV2") was used from 1980 to 1990 and all of GM's car divisions used it at some point. Yes, always had a Rochester four barrel. Close, but not the same. That mirror is unique to the B body car, not the same part number as the other cars in the line, but yes, similar style. No tag, can't brag, and no SPID wish you did, but this is code 29/WA8970 Dark Blue exterior paint. That "wood" contact paper on the sides is very expensive. My friend bought it from GM to redo his wagon and it wasn't cheap. 3M made it for GM. As Kenny Rogers once said, "It's The Wood That Makes It Good".
I had one of these with the diesel engine. I replaced the original engine with a Goodwrench remanufactured diesel engine and put many trouble-free miles on it. I loved that car!
And you can put a full 4×8 sheet of plywood, sheetrock or OSB in the back of that thing and if you don't use it immediately it'll keep it out of the weather. Actually multiple sheets.
That was actually the "standard" for a wagon back then---if a 4x8 sheet of plywood could fit in the back. We brought home several sheets in my uncle's 1979 LTD wagon to do a paneling job in the house in the early 1980s. My dad is gone and everyone that did the job is, but the paneling is still in great shape in the house and I'll be seeing my uncle this afternoon who helped my dad install it. (He's 85 years old now).
@@googleusergp I still use my 97 k2500 suburban for this unfortunately I can only put rock up to the rear barndoor Windows but on one occasion it was left in there for about 2 weeks and there was plenty of room for saws and tools etc.
@@scottmacleod6301 "Commodious" as Mr. Magnante stated in the past. Sprinter vans are like that, although, when you start out with an empty van and then you have it upfitted with equipment, shelving, etc. in the back, it gets small quickly.
About 20 years ago I bought the rarest of all B-Body 1988 wagons - the Pontiac Safari. We named it Griswold!! 😂. It was in good shape, could hold a flat piece of 4x8 plywood in the back. Complete with faux wood grain & roof rack.
My 96 K2500 suburban was built in Janesville WI. I'm sure of that because I was there. Sadly I believe that plant is shut down now. 99 I believe they were being made in Mexico and Janesville.
@@Henry_Jones They must have been making them in three places then and not every one knew about it. 99 was told it would be in Janesville or Mexico and I didn't have a choice of place it was being built.
Most Chevy trucks are made in Mexico now. I think it's something like 70%. Ram is building their heavy duties there too. That's the reason I prefer a Ram 1500. They are built in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
I remember riding in one of these from Pittsburgh up to geauga lake in Ohio and SeaWorld. We would play Monopoly in the back of the car not even strapped in and pretend we were drinking beer but it was really just glass IBC root beer lol . We thought we were so cool it was so fun putting that back window down. Steve just bringing back amazing childhood memories like it's nothing LOL.
Dad brought home the brand new 1978 Caprice Classic station wagon in dark metallic brown with tan vinyl interior. Lost my virginity in the back of that beast. Good times!
I had a 1977 Olds wagon. Had an early 70s Olds 350. Was a former taxi cab. Odometer stopped working at 340,000 miles. I beat on that car, without mercy for several years. Always started. Never got stuck in the snow. Rear doors would freeze open. Always fun.
In the 1990s, I had 3 of these wagons (a Caprice, a Pontiac and an Olds). Used them when I did archaeology for a living in Ontario, Canada. Waaay cheaper than a used 4 door pickup, and still could haul a crew of six and all our gear.
Sometimes I wonder if "Long Roofs" will ever gain in popularity. (Never saw the C10 rage coming) You just don't see them in the wild anymore. Wagons can hold thousands of magazines and keep them dry! 😆
Steve, as a former LEO, I would love to hear you do something about the geneology of police patrol cars/ radio cars/ pursuit cars/ cruisers etc. Love your junkyard crawls, wishing you personal wellness! You're 30 or 40 years younger than I, but you are documenting the "cars of my life" !
When I worked at a used car lot the car I was driving as a demo got sold (a 1966 Studebaker). Since I had kids I decided to drive a 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Estate. What a luxurious car. It was more like a Cadillac station wagon with all of the options it had. Sure enough it got sold very quickly from the car lot as well.
I liked these a lot better than the jellybean, plastic-fantastic whales that came after. They may have had the LT1, but I prefer the squared off lines and all unique trim on these. Cheers.
Good Morning Steve, Me and my family were looking at photo's from the past, When I was 3 years old My father owned a 55 Chevy Nomad Station wagon,2 door It was 2 tone Teal Blue with white what a Beautiful Car, I never knew, he own 1, Being 1 of 10 children, some thing we never knew. Thought I would share.
Thanks Steve for an informative video on the 1980's Chevy wagons. Wagons are sorely missed by some. I still own two Ford Crown Victoria wagons - a 1987 and a 1991 the last year Ford built the big wagon. Both are daily drivers and attract much attention wherever I go. The 1991 is my summer wagon and the 1987 is my winter wagon with snow tires. I get their bodies spray oiled in New Hampshire every other year to protect the bodies from our salty northern environment. Both are equipped to tow my boat with rear air shocks due to coil rear suspension. Great cruisers!
When I was a kid our family had a '77 Buick Estate Wagon which was a twin to the Caprice. It was burnt orange with tan interior and the fake wood grain and equipped with the 350. It was my first car when it was handed down from my parents.
My childhood memory was in a pale yellow 1986 Caprice Estate wagon. Went to the hospital in Athens Ga and on the way back my Dad took a sip of Pepsi as he was driving. It went down the "wrong way" and he passed out. The Caprice hit a drain culvert and did a 360 in the air and landed in the ditch with the front facing the road. I was asleep in the rear facing back seat. I woke up and looked out the back window and saw pine trees. The car wasnt moving. Scared the devil out of me. I came out with a scratch on my back and a little dirt in one eye. Scary....😂😂
Love this video Steve ! My Dad had 2 Pontiac wagons over the years. He ordered both from them exactly the same. 350, posi rear, towing package and the Tiger Paw tires. 👍🏼
in the 90s my neighbours had his and hers wagons like this! She had an Oldsmobile and he had a Caprice.. my dad called them 'war wagons' because you could haul the whole squad to the meetup spot.
I had an 84 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser diesel wagon. Set up for towing.2 batteries, 9 passenger. Bought it used with over 5k in repair receipts and records. White with wood trim. Such a good truck/car. I actually loved it. Got rid of it in 2002.
Man what a memory! We had a 1990 with the Olds 307 in it and I as a 16 year old drove it work and would do burnouts behind the restaurant right next to the grease vat. Favorite memory was when my father was changing the rear shoes and said it smelled like fried chicken back there :)
The Olds 307 was a very good engine. I had an 85 Cutlass with a 307 in it. It lasted over 400K without any major work, outside of a new water pump, before I wrecked it.
A few guys got on to putting 307s in their modified race cars to run at our little 1/4 mile oval track. Enough power and they were amazingly industructable.
I have a 1 gen newer (the beluga whale style) Buick Roadmaster wagon with the LT1 as my daily driver. Never fails to attract attention wherever I go. Love long roofs, and thanks for the vid, Steve. 😁👍
Great video! I grew up with wagons and worked with them well into the 90's. My high school car was a 1973 Caprice estate with the 400 small block and TBH400, later on I would work for a Taxi company which had a fleet of caprice sedans and wagons. One thing I think you could have added to an already excellent video would be the fact that the Chevy, Olds, and Pontiac wagons were all the same vehicle only rebranded. Every wagon I ever knew in the 1980's had the 307 Olds and it was also the go to motor for Cadillac RWD's of the 1980's of which I own today and is my daily driver (1986 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Superior Hearse). Thanks for the vids! Keep 'em coming!
Same basic chassis with some differences, quirks and different parts, but enough commonality to make them easy to work on and the parts very reasonably priced.
There is a reason GM dominated in the late 70's when they introduced that chassis and body. Nice riding comfy cars, easy to drive. Outside of the notorious GM quality control issues, the design was very reliable. My family had one for many years, more then we should have probably haha. The outside door handles were terrible, at least in northern climates. Made of "white metal"(cast) any freezing rain or ice and the little hinge arms would break. The rest of the body was very resistant to the salt rust compared to a lot of other vehicles and these were on the road way longer then most cars, even the early 80's models. The interiors got a major upgrade in seat materials in the 80's, in my opinion. Pro tip: have someone sit in the very back facing back. Find a snow covered parking lot. Crank wheel all the way to the left, gas it. These cars will firmly plant the front end for very quick cheeri-o's and the guy in the back gets quite the ride. Despite all of it's nice features and how comfortable it was, it is one vehicle I do not miss enough to day dream about finding one. it is the ultimate in utility and function, and they looked nice too. But if I was to get a car on that platform it would be an early 80's Olds 98. I would find an older wagon if I was inclined. I think I am not alone in that, these were around so long they lost their intrigue and appeal for collection. Maybe that will change in coming years as they become more scarce.
My family growing up had Ford products, but my grandparents bought a 1977-78 Impala or Caprice when the small town Chevy dealer started giving them better deals than the local Ford dealer. It was a good car. An aunt & uncle also bought these body styles. My folks ended up with one of them after my the uncle passed and the aunt couldn’t drive - hadn’t for years. They were good cars. 305s as I recall - probably two barrels. I drove 88-89 police versions in the early 90s. They didn’t last long in agency where I worked. I preferred the square body Fords, particularly the 87s because they were more comfortable for me and I got a kick out of their “tail out” handling, but the Caprices with 350 four barrels were faster and handled better when getting down to business.
It was GMs switch to water based paint that killed them . poor prep and the paint would be peeling in 2 years or rusting under the primer . Who remembers the 70s Gold that would fade to pink on the C bodies
That body style reminds me of the police cars when i first started driving... then i think the crown vic slowly took over ... now they drive ford explorers and Tauruses. Thanks for sharing !! 🦮
Man I remember those so well! Very comfortable ride they where! Back then in the mid 80s my wife’s father bought a Pontiac Catalina wagon similar to that! Actually they shared the same chassis and some body panels! That thing was one comfortable land yacht! And you’re right about the mirrors in those they where basically the same mirrors shared with other GM’s products! Great video Steve!👌😎👍
Back in 1981 I drove a brand new Chevy wagon like this on the very dark roads of upstate NY with a family friend. He had asked me to drive. We needed the high beams that night. He told me to put on the brights. I didn't know where they were as a 17 year old driver who only knew the high beam switch located on the floor board. He said "Pull the switch OUT on the left hand side of the column." I pulled straight out of the column! Luckily we were able to put it back in place and continue on!
My dad got a 78 Olds Custom Cruiser with the 403ci engine. My brother and I drove it like we stole it unbeknownst to my father, haha. With the ignition timing advanced and two stacked air filters having the very cool Qjet sound, the car was faster than my buddy's Z28, and surprised others as well. The engine surprisingly lasted to 175K miles as well.
Us 'old school' car dudes never used gloves... hindsight being 20/20, probly should have with chemicals and gas. But here i am 'nufin wrong wiff me! LOL.
@@unclebob7937 oh, I understand. When I was young and still able to do my own mechanic work, I rarely wore gloves. In fact, that was about the only work situation on the farm, when I didn't wear leather gloves. But, Steve is putting his hands in places where he might get tetanus or not by a poisonous spider.😁
I agree that gloves are a good idea in many junkyard situations. I'm not much concerned about critters here in Massachusetts but fully agree that in Black Widow Spider states, gloves are mandatory. I spent 17 years in Los Angeles and was often surprised by those crazy, thick spider webs only Black Widows make under and inside dark spaces on junked cars. One wrong move there and you could expect a painful few days and some doctor bills. An old timer with black widows said they rarely kill adults and the sting isn't as big as pop culture makes it out to be. BUT its the very young and very old that are most often killed by the sting. But here in Mass, my only concern is BEARS (yes) and baseball-sized hornet and wasp nests that can appear suddenly inside vans and box trucks. I always do a little "recon" during warm season Junkyard Crawls. But in winter, there aren't really any dangers I've ever encountered. As for the bears, they are a common item at Bernardston BUT only in the wee hours and they tend to "get gone" after sunrise. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
My Dad swapped a 400ci small block from one of these into his '69 Camaro back in the 80's. Still tells stories about how he was the fastest guy in town!
No BS about this. August of 2015 I drove my then 83 Caprice Classic Wagon to a 12.29@108mph in the quarter mile at the then still opened Rocky Mountain Raceways in SLC Utah. I took the wagon as a complete stock unit and did this. 010 cast 350 2 bolt main block. Bored 020 over, flat top forged pistons, Gapless Total Seal Rings (The Best IMO) H beam rods, GM forged steel crank. AFR 195 heads, Trick flow intake, Holly 750 DP, NX kit bolted under the holly with 125 hit plugged into it. A friend of mine that was and still is the GM 700R4 God. He knows how to make these Transmissions handle upwards of 800 horse. 3500 Boss Hog torque converter. Then removed the stock 10 bolt 8.5. Had the rear end shop put in the Eaton limited slip with 4/11 gears. Micky Tompson SS drag radials, boxed upper and lower control arms, coil over shocks with footballs stuffed into the rear coils and pumped up to about 6psi. This wagon blew everyone's mind including mine. The goal was to make the thing hit a 13 second pass. I will never forget how after that first pass when I come back around in the staging lanes how the people was swarming around the car asking me WHAT THE HELL. Even the nice lady at the ticket ET shack when she handed me my time slip saying "I love this car. Such a sleeper." The car met it's demise when I acquired the current wagon. All of the running gear was removed from the 83 wagon and stuck into the current wagon. Was such a fun time with that Caprice. 4100lbs going that fast, yanking the left front tire off the track surface at the hit was a blast. Thank you for this vlog, Steve. It brought back all of those memories.
Wagons are TRACTION MONSTERS! Remember the Ramchargers '63 Dodge 330 wagon, the "Candy Stick"? It was 426 Max Wedge powered and hooked better than the team's sedans! The sour note was the team's use of a T83 3-speed manual transmission (thus the name Candy STICK instead of the usual "Candy MATIC" of the Torqueflite equipped Ramchargers club cars). They were Chrysler engineers and wanted the Candystick wagon to fully load the Borg Warner T85 for analysis. Trouble was, the shifting was balky and wasn't as quick through upshifts as the push button Torqueflite automatic. Anyhoo, wagons DO make great drag cars! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Hey steve..in 77 the wagon was the only car you could get a turbo hydra matic 350..the rest got the T 200..i ordered a 77 caprice the dealer replaced the first one 3 weeks after i got it and it lasted 4 years.aamco put 5 more in it ..i had the lifetime warranty i kept the car for 30 years sold it on 07..i regretted buying the car..General Motors cut a lot of quality from the car..i should've bought a 76..i enjoy your videos every day and look forward to them..keep up the good work you are appreciated..Cheers friend 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great 👍 show ! My parents have owned some of these full-sized RWD cars from GM over the years. These were very roomy, reliable and comfortable cars to own back in the day .
@@THROTTLEPOWER Cool ! Too this day I currently own a 81 Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan lol that's how much I really like those cars. I am not in the crossover band wagon yet .
Learned to drive in a 79 Caprice Estate. Big boat, held all my friends, but could barely get out of its own way. Seemed much bigger than the 65 Nova wagon I have now.
The main reason for leaf springs on those big clamshell wagons was to clear the floor area for a forward facing 3rd seat. The crossmember for the control arms would have taken up all the foot space. The weight hauling advantage was a secondary side benefit.
That and all the water that would collect in the under floor compartment for the tail gate and the gate it self . If the rear window was open even a crack water running down the rear window would be in side . The motors for that window failed pretty quickly and both the window and gate were prone to jamming . I got a 76 from my father in law
We had that exact car, the Caprice Eastate Wagon, in dark blue with wood grain sides. 305, 2 barrel carburetor. Yes great family hauler. After having 3 full sized wagons, we were kinda glad our kids had gotten old enough they didn’t want to or have to go everywhere with mom and dad, and could start driving themselves. And our next car was a Buick LeSabar , what a difference!!
@@googleusergp I could be wrong, it could have been the 307, but not fuel injection. This I am sure of because my 87 Chev pickup had fuel injection and the car didn’t. Guess which vehicle we kept the longest and which vehicle started best ?
@@bruceprentice6441 Yes, the 1987 Chevrolet pickup with the 305 would have been TBI (1987 would have been an R or V Series model, no CK in 1987, it would return as the GMT400 in 1988). What year was the Buick wagon?
@@googleusergp Buick LeSaber was a 4 door sedan, with the 3.8 V6, wish we still had it. One of our boys ran it into a Maple tree. With Blizzak Ice Radials, it was the best car we ever had for winter driving. I think it was a 91. There have been so many family cars over the past 40 years, while I recall the vehicles, some details are lost to time. One thing I do remember is how my boys and my wife smashed them up, somehow that sticks, lol
5:29 Ah the memories. Went to the Chevy dealership with my dad, where he bought a brand new 1977 MT Car of the Year Caprice Classic, in the dark blue with light blue interior shown. Mom got to pick the color. The last brand new car was a ‘surprise gift’ purchase of a ‘74 Gold Duster for my mom. It was a white with black half-top. She was less than enthused about the color choice.
Mr. B. Here ! Morning to all ! I worked on the Oldsmobile wagons & these vehicle were great! I know some folks would say your nuts ! As Steve show case these wagons were the go to vehicles . ☕️☕️☕️ 🥐🥐🥐 ❤️❤️ I would take it with today’s engine’s & transmission .
I'd take it just as-is with the 307 V8 and the THM200-4R four speed automatic RPO code "MW9" it came with, just as it was built in Arlington, TX. A great combination.
@@googleusergp Mr. B. Here ! I have a Cutlass that was built in the same plant . Texas car 🚙 ! Full frame are more fun to drive , some folks stated fuel use was high ; well these vehicle lbs. were 4,200 lbs. That is lite today SUV’s & trucks are at the same weight or higher . That is why I said today’s power plant would work . Not for me , My road trip is all about comforted . 👍☕️👍☕️ !
@@debbiebermudez5890 Yes, Arlington did assemble the Cutlass. It was a branch plant, done when GM believed that a vehicle should be assembled close to its final destination.
Those 1971 thru 1976 full size Chevy's were really bloated and oversize in every dimension so it wasn't hard for them to downsize them. My stepmother's dad had a 1976 Chevy wagon with the 454 and I changed the water pump on it once back in the late 80's and after you unbolted the fan shroud and fan then you could pull the should out. after that you had about a foot and a half space between the pump and radiator. That was why it was easy for them to lose two feet on the 77's. one in the front and one in the back.
I remember these, worked for a couple guys, one had a white one, and the owner had a blue one which was a few years newer - he traded it off on a new Mitchubitchy Diamante.
In 1987 I went to work for a large hotel. It was a new establishment and had purchased two new Ford vans and a Buick Estate Wagon (think that was the model). Anyway was the Buick version of that GM wagon of the time. Also had the. 307. I always thought it was a Buick 307, but nevertheless seemed to be sufficient to power the vehicle for our purposes. When the bell staff didn’t show up to work, I’d get stuck making airport runs. I preferred to drive the wagon over the vans if there were only one or two guests. We had Ford & Mercury wagons when I was growing up, but had ridden in the bigger Chevy, Pontiac, Dodge, and even Volvo wagons of the late 60s, 70s. Each model had its own unique flavor. No one wore seat belts back then, so a five passenger wagon might haul 6-10 kids for some event or activity. Of course years later, we heard from news sources bashing the Ford Explorer and Firestone tires that Explorers with five seat belts and seven passengers suffered deaths - children thrown from the wreck when a tire blew. Anyway, wagons had more style than mini vans, and I think in high school, I would have appeared slightly more cool driving a wagon than a mini van. You could certainly bolt Cragars onto a wagon and at least do something with the exhaust. What I learned from this video is that the 307 Olds motor had brief status in a “corporate” engine role winding up in a Chevy - something I never imagined would happen.
My dad bought a new 79 Buick version of that wagon with the 350 engine. Was a dark metallic maroon with the wood grain trim. Not my cup of tea but he had real good luck with it. Traded it in on a new white Orca Roadmaster Estate Wagon when they first came out. The heated windshield on it cracked and it was $1100.00 then. He should have kept the 79!
I really appreciate those glass sealed headlights, cheap, superior optics to many of the systems that followed, and their performance barely degrades over their service life, and did I mention, they are cheap!
Seating for 8 INSIDE. Additional seating for your mother in law on the roof in an emergency as demonstrated by Clark Griswald, and room for your dog in the case of Mitt Romney. Such versatile automobiles
I almost had one of these back in the day. In 1994 I was moving from the east coast to west coast and my growing family had reached the limit of my 1985 2 door Escort. I wanted a big, safe, reliable car, had limited funds and wan't going to finance. The full size GM wagons with the 307 Olds were high on my list. My wife accidentally tested a well worn, rusty '84 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. What a great riding car and boy was it well within my budget, but that 4100 engine, no. So, we found a very nice '87 Buick Estate in great shape and just over 100K miles. We never make an instant decision and sat on for a bit. On the way home we drove by the Cadillac dealership and saw a silver Fleetwood Brougham that had to be an '86 or newer because of the HMSL in the rear window. These also had the 307 instead of the 4100, I also knew they were normally priced out of my budget. Anyways a salesman came up and said the car was being traded that day, too old for the lot, and would go to wholesale, but he could sale it to me for what he thought a wholesaler would pay. $3K. I usually had seen them for $4.5K and up. Turns out it was an '86 with less miles than the wagon, had been serviced by the dealer with all the receipts since new, and was in impeccable shape. It became our daily driver for the next few years in California until an idiot without brakes ruined it. But that's another story.
Yikes, those are my favorite Cadillacs of that era. My dad sold them new at the local Cadillac dealership. The 307 was a breath of fresh air for both the consumer and the salesmen. It wasn't a powerhouse, but reliability was a sure bet.
@@googleusergp I was hired by a neighbor to chauffeur them to dinner in the father-in-law's 1986 Fleetwood Brougham with the 307. 6 people in that thing. Had to floor it to merge onto the Long Island Expressway. Smooth and quiet but nothing in reserve. I remember a friend's father's 1984 Sedan de Ville with the HT4100 and could only imagine that dog with 6 people in it.
@@LongIslandMopars My parents had a 1983 Coupe DeVille with the HT4100. We bought it new. I can't ever remember more than the four of us (my parents and my sister and I) being in that car. We got rid of it in 1988 after my dad passed away. My next door neighbor's daughter's boyfriend at the time bought it and didn't take care of it. About three months later, it was gone. Apparently, he swerved to avoid a mattress in the road that had fallen off of a truck and wrecked the car, totaling it. We always joked that it was my dad sending down a sign. LOL.
@@googleusergp That was a gorgeous car in need of a proper engine. I remember my dad seeing one at a gas station. Hood was up so he asked if anything was wrong (that was pop). Nothing was; the owner was adding some oil to a 472 that was transplanted into it. Always wish he got that guy's number. I would have loved to own it when I got old enough to drive. 😁
@@LongIslandMopars I can remember them being new on the showroom floor. I went to HS right down the block from the dealership, so I would often walk there after school and wait for my dad to get off work and get a ride home from him. If he was busy, I'd thumb through the brochures and sit a salesman's desk who was off for the day. My father's friend, Chuck, aka 'Mr. Cadillac" was a 20+ year veteran by that time and said, "Your dad has a mind like a sponge. He knows more about these cars than I do after 20 years. He's a prodigy." LOL.
These were certainly the SUVs of their day. I can remember the first time I rode in the back row of one of these vividly. I was maybe 10 at the time and I thought looking straight out the back window was weird and cool. If I’m not mistaken, the 307 used in these cars was the last carbureted engine produced by GM as well as the last Oldsmobile V8. I believe it lasted until 1991 and went out with this body style of wagon. I’ve seen the very last Olds 307 on display at the Olds museum in Lansing, MI. Sort of an unceremonious end to an engine architecture that produced the 455 from the 4-4-2 W-30, but I suppose the vast majority of those engines spent their lives moving families around. Anyway, I always enjoy the content, Steve.
The only car I ever "factory ordered" was a 1986 Caprice Classic wagon. It suited my family of 6 very well at the time.
That's cool, what options did you choose
It was pretty well loaded. Silver gray metallic, roof rack, cornering lights. I remember my sister saying "it looks like a hearse ". Maybe it did, but I sure liked that car!
I ordered an 85 Buick Regal thru the AAFES (Army/Air Force Exchange Service) when I was returning to the states from a 3 year hitch in the Philippines. USAF.
Steve is one of those guys who can talk about the most boring thing on earth and make it interesting, entertaining and relaxing.
I remember watching Barrett Jackson long ago just to hear him talk about the cars. Didn't care much about the bidding drama.
His content during the auctions was one of the main reasons I watched.
Mr. Magnante could read the Manhattan Yellow Pages and make it interesting. He has an excellent presentation style.
Totally agree.
Just listening to Steve and thinking, he'd sure make a good car salesman.
@@randybarnes8454 Hello Randy, Thanks for watching and writing. Funny you should mention me as a car salesman. Waaaaay back in the fall of 1986 (in the spring of that year I graduated from college as an English Major) I got a job SELLING CARS at Ragsdale Chevrolet in Spencer, Mass. The new Tuned Port Injection Z28 was in the showroom, the C4 Corvette was a rock star and some of the front drive Cavalier Z24s and Celebrity Eurosports were half way decent - for the times. But my eye always favored the BIG Impalas and Caprices that didn't sell in huge numbers but always did sell. Few sat around on the lot more than a week or two after delivery - unlike the re-booted Spectrum and Nova econo-boxes we all hated to sell because the profit margin - and salesman commission - was razor thin. Anyhoo, long story short. I only lasted 4 months (November, December, January, February). I found the pressure of "meet-greet-measure their feet" to be very difficult. We worked 9-to-9 five days every week. And never were the two days off in a row! It was stress I never had much chance to recover from with a fat 2-day "off time". Also as a 21 year old KID, I had just about ZERO in common with most of my sales "ups". The objective is to "establish a rapport" but as a KID I had a very small frame of reference upon which to draw. So the "measure their feet" part of getting down to business and SELLING THEM A CAR was a challenge. I will say I managed to sell 43 units during my 16 week stint but a major factory was GM's "ZERO-PERCENT Financing" scheme where the cars pretty much sold themselves. My take away was this: LIKING cars and SELLING cars are TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS! Anyhoo, I remained firmly entrenched in the auto industry but more as a historian and journalist and not a as salesman. But lets remember, EVERY CAR had a successful SALESMAN to send it into the world with its first owner. HATS OFF to car sales professionals everywhere! We couldn't do any of this without you! -Steve Magnante
Back around 1999 I bought that identical wagon with the 307 to tow a 19 foot boat I was screwing around with. Long story short, it was the most gutless thing you could possibly imagine.
How gutless you ask? First time I launched the boat, it wouldn't pull the empty trailer out of the water and back up the ramp....actually had to get towed out by a guy in a Blazer.
Dumped it at the auction a couple of days later and lost money there too.
My friend had three of these (he might still have one), a 1985 with a 305 V8, a 1988 like this one with a 307 V8 and a 1989 Cutom Cruiser with a 307. He bought the 1988 from a coworker of ours and it was a oil burner (that coworker was clueless about cars, but acted like he was a whiz, he wasn't). My friend then put a used engine in the 1988. Not just any engine---it was rumored to come from Barbara Eden's personal car when they swapped the engine for a more powerful one. My friend paid $50 for the engine (which was under a cover outside), cleaned it up, replaced some gaskets and put it in the vehicle. It went another 100,000 miles on that engine. He eventually got rid of it as the body was getting rough. I'm actually speaking to him this weekend, so I'll have to find out if he still has the 1989 Oldsmobile wagon. An Olds club member gave it to him as he didn't need it anymore. DeNooyer Chevrolet still exists at that same address. The then owner of this vehicle lived about 9 miles away in Albany. No Impalas by this time, they had gone away after the 1985 model year.
We got the VIN, we win: 1G1 for US made Chevrolet passenger car, BN81 for Caprice Estate wagon, Y for 5.0L (307 CID) V8, Oldsmobile produced (although by then, labeled as "corporate") with four barrel, aka RPO code "LV2", aka "Mini Pocket Rocket", X is a check digit, J for the 1988 model year, R for Arlington, TX assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Arlington, TX plant still operates today and has exclusively produced trucks and SUVs since the last RWD GM rolled off the line in 1996. The 307 V8 is no powerhouse, but it is a bulletproof engine and will run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run and run some more. They are easily known to go 250K without needing anything internal. I have owned several and they are one of my favorite engines. Dillion Chevrolet existed until 2022 when it was sold by the Dillion family and is now McGovern Chevrolet at 54 Main Street in Greenfield, MA. That Meineke shop still exists at the same location as well. It is likely that AP Exhaust was the supplier of exhaust products to Meineke.
Correct, the 307 V8 (VIN code "Y", RPO code "LV2") was used from 1980 to 1990 and all of GM's car divisions used it at some point. Yes, always had a Rochester four barrel. Close, but not the same. That mirror is unique to the B body car, not the same part number as the other cars in the line, but yes, similar style. No tag, can't brag, and no SPID wish you did, but this is code 29/WA8970 Dark Blue exterior paint.
That "wood" contact paper on the sides is very expensive. My friend bought it from GM to redo his wagon and it wasn't cheap. 3M made it for GM. As Kenny Rogers once said, "It's The Wood That Makes It Good".
I completely agree with how dark those day were!
I really miss the days of full size rear wheel drive full frame, longitude drive line cars.
I had one of these with the diesel engine. I replaced the original engine with a Goodwrench remanufactured diesel engine and put many trouble-free miles on it. I loved that car!
And you can put a full 4×8 sheet of plywood, sheetrock or OSB in the back of that thing and if you don't use it immediately it'll keep it out of the weather. Actually multiple sheets.
That was actually the "standard" for a wagon back then---if a 4x8 sheet of plywood could fit in the back. We brought home several sheets in my uncle's 1979 LTD wagon to do a paneling job in the house in the early 1980s. My dad is gone and everyone that did the job is, but the paneling is still in great shape in the house and I'll be seeing my uncle this afternoon who helped my dad install it. (He's 85 years old now).
@@googleusergp Stories to remember our loved ones and the cars they drove in life. The best.
@@LongIslandMopars Yup, many are gone but not forgotten.
@@googleusergp I still use my 97 k2500 suburban for this unfortunately I can only put rock up to the rear barndoor Windows but on one occasion it was left in there for about 2 weeks and there was plenty of room for saws and tools etc.
@@scottmacleod6301 "Commodious" as Mr. Magnante stated in the past. Sprinter vans are like that, although, when you start out with an empty van and then you have it upfitted with equipment, shelving, etc. in the back, it gets small quickly.
About 20 years ago I bought the rarest of all B-Body 1988 wagons - the Pontiac Safari. We named it Griswold!! 😂. It was in good shape, could hold a flat piece of 4x8 plywood in the back. Complete with faux wood grain & roof rack.
Wow, I didn't know Pontiac still offered the Safari that late in '88! Rare indeed!
The Suburban has taken this cars role since the 90s, and is made in the same Texas plant. Canyonero!
My 96 K2500 suburban was built in Janesville WI. I'm sure of that because I was there.
Sadly I believe that plant is shut down now.
99 I believe they were being made in Mexico and Janesville.
@@edmundanderson657 they moved them to arlington texas after b body production ended in 96.
@@Henry_Jones They must have been making them in three places then and not every one knew about it. 99 was told it would be in Janesville or Mexico and I didn't have a choice of place it was being built.
Most Chevy trucks are made in Mexico now. I think it's something like 70%. Ram is building their heavy duties there too. That's the reason I prefer a Ram 1500. They are built in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Was thinking to myself, " is that a Hudson behind him". . Love this content, very educational.
I remember riding in one of these from Pittsburgh up to geauga lake in Ohio and SeaWorld. We would play Monopoly in the back of the car not even strapped in and pretend we were drinking beer but it was really just glass IBC root beer lol . We thought we were so cool it was so fun putting that back window down. Steve just bringing back amazing childhood memories like it's nothing LOL.
I miss my 72 Olds Vista Cruiser, it was the ultimate family truckster
Dad brought home the brand new 1978 Caprice Classic station wagon in dark metallic brown with tan vinyl interior. Lost my virginity in the back of that beast. Good times!
My mom bought a new 1987 caprice wagon an when I turned 16 in 1990 I lost my virginity in the back of the car lol
I will always remember my aunt had 1 similar going on rides and restaurants sitting in the back with my cousins. Good old time
I had a 1977 Olds wagon. Had an early 70s Olds 350. Was a former taxi cab. Odometer stopped working at 340,000 miles.
I beat on that car, without mercy for several years.
Always started. Never got stuck in the snow. Rear doors would freeze open. Always fun.
Sure hope your healing well Steve, we miss you and hoping for a speedy and full recovery!
In the 1990s, I had 3 of these wagons (a Caprice, a Pontiac and an Olds). Used them when I did archaeology for a living in Ontario, Canada. Waaay cheaper than a used 4 door pickup, and still could haul a crew of six and all our gear.
Sometimes I wonder if "Long Roofs" will ever gain in popularity. (Never saw the C10 rage coming) You just don't see them in the wild anymore. Wagons can hold thousands of magazines and keep them dry! 😆
Steve, as a former LEO, I would love to hear you do something about the geneology of police patrol cars/ radio cars/ pursuit cars/ cruisers etc. Love your junkyard crawls, wishing you personal wellness! You're 30 or 40 years younger than I, but you are documenting the "cars of my life" !
Had a 77 Impala wagon. Bought it with 200 thousand miles on it in 1988. Drove it 2 more years till the timing chain went, then scrapped it.
When I worked at a used car lot the car I was driving as a demo got sold (a 1966 Studebaker). Since I had kids I decided to drive a 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Estate. What a luxurious car. It was more like a Cadillac station wagon with all of the options it had. Sure enough it got sold very quickly from the car lot as well.
I liked these a lot better than the jellybean, plastic-fantastic whales that came after. They may have had the LT1, but I prefer the squared off lines and all unique trim on these. Cheers.
+1 on that.
Good Morning Steve, Me and my family were looking at photo's from the past, When I was 3 years old My father owned a 55 Chevy Nomad Station wagon,2 door It was 2 tone Teal Blue with white what a Beautiful Car, I never knew, he own 1, Being 1 of 10 children, some thing we never knew. Thought I would share.
Family photo albums are a great treasure! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Thanks Steve for an informative video on the 1980's Chevy wagons. Wagons are sorely missed by some. I still own two Ford Crown Victoria wagons - a 1987 and a 1991 the last year Ford built the big wagon. Both are daily drivers and attract much attention wherever I go. The 1991 is my summer wagon and the 1987 is my winter wagon with snow tires. I get their bodies spray oiled in New Hampshire every other year to protect the bodies from our salty northern environment. Both are equipped to tow my boat with rear air shocks due to coil rear suspension. Great cruisers!
When I was a kid our family had a '77 Buick Estate Wagon which was a twin to the Caprice. It was burnt orange with tan interior and the fake wood grain and equipped with the 350. It was my first car when it was handed down from my parents.
My childhood memory was in a pale yellow 1986 Caprice Estate wagon. Went to the hospital in Athens Ga and on the way back my Dad took a sip of Pepsi as he was driving. It went down the "wrong way" and he passed out. The Caprice hit a drain culvert and did a 360 in the air and landed in the ditch with the front facing the road. I was asleep in the rear facing back seat. I woke up and looked out the back window and saw pine trees. The car wasnt moving. Scared the devil out of me. I came out with a scratch on my back and a little dirt in one eye. Scary....😂😂
Love this video Steve ! My Dad had 2 Pontiac wagons over the years. He ordered both from them exactly the same. 350, posi rear, towing package and the Tiger Paw tires. 👍🏼
in the 90s my neighbours had his and hers wagons like this! She had an Oldsmobile and he had a Caprice.. my dad called them 'war wagons' because you could haul the whole squad to the meetup spot.
First car was a '79 Impala Wagon. Great car. Father dragged a camper and the family around. Hit all 48 contiguous states.
These were fantastic like a waterbed riding on wheels
I had an 84 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser diesel wagon. Set up for towing.2 batteries, 9 passenger. Bought it used with over 5k in repair receipts and records. White with wood trim. Such a good truck/car. I actually loved it. Got rid of it in 2002.
Steve, Wagons are always welcome!🤩
Man what a memory! We had a 1990 with the Olds 307 in it and I as a 16 year old drove it work and would do burnouts behind the restaurant right next to the grease vat. Favorite memory was when my father was changing the rear shoes and said it smelled like fried chicken back there :)
These cars were excellent!! The ride was so soft and comfy!!
The Olds 307 was a very good engine. I had an 85 Cutlass with a 307 in it. It lasted over 400K without any major work, outside of a new water pump, before I wrecked it.
A few guys got on to putting 307s in their modified race cars to run at our little 1/4 mile oval track. Enough power and they were amazingly industructable.
Good to see an 80's wagon episode.
I have a 1 gen newer (the beluga whale style) Buick Roadmaster wagon with the LT1 as my daily driver. Never fails to attract attention wherever I go.
Love long roofs, and thanks for the vid, Steve. 😁👍
Awesome! I would think most people notice it even if they aren't car people. Even in 1996 it was an outlier in terms of size and performance.
I have memories of one of these pulling my fathers stock car to the local dirt track, my family went coast-to-coast in that brown wood paneled beast.
i would have loved one of these new today.. bench seats, floating highway cruiser.. and room to fit an 8x10 plyboard in the back.. perfect!
Thanks Steve I think the Dodge Magnum Wagon is sporty
Great video! I grew up with wagons and worked with them well into the 90's. My high school car was a 1973 Caprice estate with the 400 small block and TBH400, later on I would work for a Taxi company which had a fleet of caprice sedans and wagons. One thing I think you could have added to an already excellent video would be the fact that the Chevy, Olds, and Pontiac wagons were all the same vehicle only rebranded. Every wagon I ever knew in the 1980's had the 307 Olds and it was also the go to motor for Cadillac RWD's of the 1980's of which I own today and is my daily driver (1986 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Superior Hearse). Thanks for the vids! Keep 'em coming!
Same basic chassis with some differences, quirks and different parts, but enough commonality to make them easy to work on and the parts very reasonably priced.
Olds 307 durable smooth hood for its mission.
My dad bought a new one just in white. Pulled our boat like a champ
There is a reason GM dominated in the late 70's when they introduced that chassis and body. Nice riding comfy cars, easy to drive. Outside of the notorious GM quality control issues, the design was very reliable. My family had one for many years, more then we should have probably haha.
The outside door handles were terrible, at least in northern climates. Made of "white metal"(cast) any freezing rain or ice and the little hinge arms would break. The rest of the body was very resistant to the salt rust compared to a lot of other vehicles and these were on the road way longer then most cars, even the early 80's models.
The interiors got a major upgrade in seat materials in the 80's, in my opinion.
Pro tip: have someone sit in the very back facing back. Find a snow covered parking lot. Crank wheel all the way to the left, gas it. These cars will firmly plant the front end for very quick cheeri-o's and the guy in the back gets quite the ride.
Despite all of it's nice features and how comfortable it was, it is one vehicle I do not miss enough to day dream about finding one. it is the ultimate in utility and function, and they looked nice too. But if I was to get a car on that platform it would be an early 80's Olds 98. I would find an older wagon if I was inclined. I think I am not alone in that, these were around so long they lost their intrigue and appeal for collection. Maybe that will change in coming years as they become more scarce.
My family growing up had Ford products, but my grandparents bought a 1977-78 Impala or Caprice when the small town Chevy dealer started giving them better deals than the local Ford dealer. It was a good car. An aunt & uncle also bought these body styles. My folks ended up with one of them after my the uncle passed and the aunt couldn’t drive - hadn’t for years. They were good cars. 305s as I recall - probably two barrels. I drove 88-89 police versions in the early 90s. They didn’t last long in agency where I worked. I preferred the square body Fords, particularly the 87s because they were more comfortable for me and I got a kick out of their “tail out” handling, but the Caprices with 350 four barrels were faster and handled better when getting down to business.
It was GMs switch to water based paint that killed them . poor prep and the paint would be peeling in 2 years or rusting under the primer . Who remembers the 70s Gold that would fade to pink on the C bodies
That body style reminds me of the police cars when i first started driving... then i think the crown vic slowly took over ... now they drive ford explorers and Tauruses.
Thanks for sharing !! 🦮
I have a ‘90 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser wagon. Originally had olds 307. Weakest powered car I have ever owned.
I LS swapped it. Now my favorite car!
Man I remember those so well! Very comfortable ride they where! Back then in the mid 80s my wife’s father bought a Pontiac Catalina wagon similar to that! Actually they shared the same chassis and some body panels! That thing was one comfortable land yacht! And you’re right about the mirrors in those they where basically the same mirrors shared with other GM’s products! Great video Steve!👌😎👍
I LOVED my 1990 Buick Estate wagon! 1990 was the last year of the boxy design bodies for Buick as well.
Back in 1981 I drove a brand new Chevy wagon like this on the very dark roads of upstate NY with a family friend.
He had asked me to drive. We needed the high beams that night.
He told me to put on the brights.
I didn't know where they were as a 17 year old driver who only knew the high beam switch located on the floor board.
He said "Pull the switch OUT on the left hand side of the column."
I pulled straight out of the column!
Luckily we were able to put it back in place and continue on!
My dad got a 78 Olds Custom Cruiser with the 403ci engine. My brother and I drove it like we stole it unbeknownst to my father, haha. With the ignition timing advanced and two stacked air filters having the very cool Qjet sound, the car was faster than my buddy's Z28, and surprised others as well. The engine surprisingly lasted to 175K miles as well.
Neighbors had one of these when I was a kid. What a big'un.
I had a 1985 caprice wagon
It was a great for me i was a drummer in a band at the time . My buddy just sold his 1989 caprice wagon
Thanks Steve!
Nice suicide door Lincoln in the background...hint hint.....
My parents had an 84 caprice wagon from 87-92.
It still amazes me that Steve doesn't wear gloves...at least nitrile gloves... the way that he sticks his hands in everything.😁
Us 'old school' car dudes never used gloves... hindsight being 20/20, probly should have with chemicals and gas.
But here i am 'nufin wrong wiff me! LOL.
@@unclebob7937 oh, I understand. When I was young and still able to do my own mechanic work, I rarely wore gloves.
In fact, that was about the only work situation on the farm, when I didn't wear leather gloves.
But, Steve is putting his hands in places where he might get tetanus or not by a poisonous spider.😁
I agree that gloves are a good idea in many junkyard situations. I'm not much concerned about critters here in Massachusetts but fully agree that in Black Widow Spider states, gloves are mandatory. I spent 17 years in Los Angeles and was often surprised by those crazy, thick spider webs only Black Widows make under and inside dark spaces on junked cars. One wrong move there and you could expect a painful few days and some doctor bills. An old timer with black widows said they rarely kill adults and the sting isn't as big as pop culture makes it out to be. BUT its the very young and very old that are most often killed by the sting. But here in Mass, my only concern is BEARS (yes) and baseball-sized hornet and wasp nests that can appear suddenly inside vans and box trucks. I always do a little "recon" during warm season Junkyard Crawls. But in winter, there aren't really any dangers I've ever encountered. As for the bears, they are a common item at Bernardston BUT only in the wee hours and they tend to "get gone" after sunrise. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante thanks for the explanation.
And I never knew that there are bears in that region of the country.
I've been seeing more station wagons turning up at car shows lately. That's pretty cool in my opinion.
I’ve had lots of GM B bodies and my wagons were some of my favorites.
My 84' Buick Estate wagon looked just like that car...Nice cars.. I was 21 when I had mine..307 motor
Love the videos!!!! Have you done one on the red dodge mega cab in the background? We had a club cab growing up. Thanks again for all the information
My Dad swapped a 400ci small block from one of these into his '69 Camaro back in the 80's. Still tells stories about how he was the fastest guy in town!
We had a 77 Olds custom cruiser then we got a 86 Chevrolet Caprice wagon. Both great cars.
We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon
We grew up with a 59 Wagon. 3rd seat, looking out the back. Weirding out other drivers.....
Steve... Still waiting and hoping for a junkyard crawl on the Chevrolet Advance Design pickups.😁😁
No BS about this. August of 2015 I drove my then 83 Caprice Classic Wagon to a 12.29@108mph in the quarter mile at the then still opened Rocky Mountain Raceways in SLC Utah. I took the wagon as a complete stock unit and did this. 010 cast 350 2 bolt main block. Bored 020 over, flat top forged pistons, Gapless Total Seal Rings (The Best IMO) H beam rods, GM forged steel crank. AFR 195 heads, Trick flow intake, Holly 750 DP, NX kit bolted under the holly with 125 hit plugged into it. A friend of mine that was and still is the GM 700R4 God. He knows how to make these Transmissions handle upwards of 800 horse. 3500 Boss Hog torque converter. Then removed the stock 10 bolt 8.5. Had the rear end shop put in the Eaton limited slip with 4/11 gears. Micky Tompson SS drag radials, boxed upper and lower control arms, coil over shocks with footballs stuffed into the rear coils and pumped up to about 6psi. This wagon blew everyone's mind including mine. The goal was to make the thing hit a 13 second pass. I will never forget how after that first pass when I come back around in the staging lanes how the people was swarming around the car asking me WHAT THE HELL. Even the nice lady at the ticket ET shack when she handed me my time slip saying "I love this car. Such a sleeper." The car met it's demise when I acquired the current wagon. All of the running gear was removed from the 83 wagon and stuck into the current wagon. Was such a fun time with that Caprice. 4100lbs going that fast, yanking the left front tire off the track surface at the hit was a blast. Thank you for this vlog, Steve. It brought back all of those memories.
Wagons are TRACTION MONSTERS! Remember the Ramchargers '63 Dodge 330 wagon, the "Candy Stick"? It was 426 Max Wedge powered and hooked better than the team's sedans! The sour note was the team's use of a T83 3-speed manual transmission (thus the name Candy STICK instead of the usual "Candy MATIC" of the Torqueflite equipped Ramchargers club cars). They were Chrysler engineers and wanted the Candystick wagon to fully load the Borg Warner T85 for analysis. Trouble was, the shifting was balky and wasn't as quick through upshifts as the push button Torqueflite automatic. Anyhoo, wagons DO make great drag cars! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
I always thought the 307 was born as as truck engine
Steve is the best thing on UA-cam
Great video Steve! 👍👍💯🇺🇸
Hey steve..in 77 the wagon was the only car you could get a turbo hydra matic 350..the rest got the T 200..i ordered a 77 caprice the dealer replaced the first one 3 weeks after i got it and it lasted 4 years.aamco put 5 more in it ..i had the lifetime warranty i kept the car for 30 years sold it on 07..i regretted buying the car..General Motors cut a lot of quality from the car..i should've bought a 76..i enjoy your videos every day and look forward to them..keep up the good work you are appreciated..Cheers friend 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Great 👍 show ! My parents have owned some of these full-sized RWD cars from GM over the years. These were very roomy, reliable and comfortable cars to own back in the day .
Yes, same here Andre
@@THROTTLEPOWER Cool ! Too this day I currently own a 81 Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan lol that's how much I really like those cars. I am not in the crossover band wagon yet .
@@andregonsalvez9244 Very cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awwwww. My dad was white collar Chevrolet and one of his last company cars was an estate wagon.
My family had a 77 caprice estate 350. 300k miles traded in in 88 4 a escort gl... I still dream of the caprice.
Learned to drive in a 79 Caprice Estate. Big boat, held all my friends, but could barely get out of its own way. Seemed much bigger than the 65 Nova wagon I have now.
Thanks for the memories!
Box Chevy’s 77-90 were the best, I have a 1978 Chevy Caprice Classic 2Door With 27k Original Miles I Love It! 😎
The main reason for leaf springs on those big clamshell wagons was to clear the floor area for a forward facing 3rd seat. The crossmember for the control arms would have taken up all the foot space. The weight hauling advantage was a secondary side benefit.
That and all the water that would collect in the under floor compartment for the tail gate and the gate it self . If the rear window was open even a crack water running down the rear window would be in side . The motors for that window failed pretty quickly and both the window and gate were prone to jamming . I got a 76 from my father in law
We had that exact car, the Caprice Eastate Wagon, in dark blue with wood grain sides. 305, 2 barrel carburetor. Yes great family hauler. After having 3 full sized wagons, we were kinda glad our kids had gotten old enough they didn’t want to or have to go everywhere with mom and dad, and could start driving themselves. And our next car was a Buick LeSabar , what a difference!!
Had to be before 1980, as the 305 would have had a four barrel by 1980.
@@googleusergp I could be wrong, it could have been the 307, but not fuel injection. This I am sure of because my 87 Chev pickup had fuel injection and the car didn’t. Guess which vehicle we kept the longest and which vehicle started best ?
@@bruceprentice6441 Yes, the 1987 Chevrolet pickup with the 305 would have been TBI (1987 would have been an R or V Series model, no CK in 1987, it would return as the GMT400 in 1988). What year was the Buick wagon?
@@googleusergp Buick LeSaber was a 4 door sedan, with the 3.8 V6, wish we still had it. One of our boys ran it into a Maple tree. With Blizzak Ice Radials, it was the best car we ever had for winter driving. I think it was a 91. There have been so many family cars over the past 40 years, while I recall the vehicles, some details are lost to time. One thing I do remember is how my boys and my wife smashed them up, somehow that sticks, lol
@@bruceprentice6441 I meant the year of the wagon that you referenced. What year was that?
5:29 Ah the memories. Went to the Chevy dealership with my dad, where he bought a brand new 1977 MT Car of the Year Caprice Classic, in the dark blue with light blue interior shown. Mom got to pick the color. The last brand new car was a ‘surprise gift’ purchase of a ‘74 Gold Duster for my mom. It was a white with black half-top. She was less than enthused about the color choice.
Mr. B. Here ! Morning to all ! I worked on the Oldsmobile wagons & these vehicle were great! I know some folks would say your nuts ! As Steve show case these wagons were the go to vehicles . ☕️☕️☕️ 🥐🥐🥐 ❤️❤️ I would take it with today’s engine’s & transmission .
I'd take it just as-is with the 307 V8 and the THM200-4R four speed automatic RPO code "MW9" it came with, just as it was built in Arlington, TX. A great combination.
@@googleusergp Mr. B. Here ! I have a Cutlass that was built in the same plant . Texas car 🚙 ! Full frame are more fun to drive , some folks stated fuel use was high ; well these vehicle lbs. were 4,200 lbs. That is lite today SUV’s & trucks are at the same weight or higher . That is why I said today’s power plant would work . Not for me , My road trip is all about comforted . 👍☕️👍☕️ !
@@debbiebermudez5890 Yes, Arlington did assemble the Cutlass. It was a branch plant, done when GM believed that a vehicle should be assembled close to its final destination.
@@googleusergp Mr. B. Here ! I have 76 Sprint 400 cid, out of GA . Love the ride & I can carry plywood ! LOL 😂
@@debbiebermudez5890 Yea, we know how you are. LOL. Yes, built in Doraville, GA.
Those Chevy were nice cars.
That Hudson is so cool.
Those 1971 thru 1976 full size Chevy's were really bloated and oversize in every dimension so it wasn't hard for them to downsize them. My stepmother's dad had a 1976 Chevy wagon with the 454 and I changed the water pump on it once back in the late 80's and after you unbolted the fan shroud and fan then you could pull the should out. after that you had about a foot and a half space between the pump and radiator. That was why it was easy for them to lose two feet on the 77's. one in the front and one in the back.
I remember these, worked for a couple guys, one had a white one, and the owner had a blue one which was a few years newer - he traded it off on a new Mitchubitchy Diamante.
In 1987 I went to work for a large hotel. It was a new establishment and had purchased two new Ford vans and a Buick Estate Wagon (think that was the model). Anyway was the Buick version of that GM wagon of the time. Also had the. 307. I always thought it was a Buick 307, but nevertheless seemed to be sufficient to power the vehicle for our purposes. When the bell staff didn’t show up to work, I’d get stuck making airport runs. I preferred to drive the wagon over the vans if there were only one or two guests. We had Ford & Mercury wagons when I was growing up, but had ridden in the bigger Chevy, Pontiac, Dodge, and even Volvo wagons of the late 60s, 70s. Each model had its own unique flavor. No one wore seat belts back then, so a five passenger wagon might haul 6-10 kids for some event or activity. Of course years later, we heard from news sources bashing the Ford Explorer and Firestone tires that Explorers with five seat belts and seven passengers suffered deaths - children thrown from the wreck when a tire blew. Anyway, wagons had more style than mini vans, and I think in high school, I would have appeared slightly more cool driving a wagon than a mini van. You could certainly bolt Cragars onto a wagon and at least do something with the exhaust. What I learned from this video is that the 307 Olds motor had brief status in a “corporate” engine role winding up in a Chevy - something I never imagined would happen.
Get well soon Steve!!
This generation B-Body is my favorite
The family truckster, and that thing was a couple of Fords LOL😅
I see some funky Pontiac hubcaps in the trunk !
The abuse some of those vehicles endured is one of the greatest achievements of GM.
Enjoyed!!! 👍👍
The drums were the same thing that those on the the 9c1 police caprice I used to have. It was a 1990 and I have it as a winter car.
My dad bought a new 79 Buick version of that wagon with the 350 engine. Was a dark metallic maroon with the wood grain trim. Not my cup of tea but he had real good luck with it. Traded it in on a new white Orca Roadmaster Estate Wagon when they first came out. The heated windshield on it cracked and it was $1100.00 then. He should have kept the 79!
I think every kid of the 80’s rode in the back of one. My mom had a 79 Caprice Estate wagon blue with the wood grain…
I love the caprice I still have one a early 1986 with the 4 headlights I could use that lower rh front chrome lol as always great video
That chrome strip behind the rear doors was new for 1988.
I really appreciate those glass sealed headlights, cheap, superior optics to many of the systems that followed, and their performance barely degrades over their service life, and did I mention, they are cheap!
All kidding a side. These. We’re. Real. Classics. We only know. This. Now. Thanks
Seating for 8 INSIDE. Additional seating for your mother in law on the roof in an emergency as demonstrated by Clark Griswald, and room for your dog in the case of Mitt Romney. Such versatile automobiles
I almost had one of these back in the day. In 1994 I was moving from the east coast to west coast and my growing family had reached the limit of my 1985 2 door Escort. I wanted a big, safe, reliable car, had limited funds and wan't going to finance. The full size GM wagons with the 307 Olds were high on my list. My wife accidentally tested a well worn, rusty '84 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. What a great riding car and boy was it well within my budget, but that 4100 engine, no. So, we found a very nice '87 Buick Estate in great shape and just over 100K miles. We never make an instant decision and sat on for a bit. On the way home we drove by the Cadillac dealership and saw a silver Fleetwood Brougham that had to be an '86 or newer because of the HMSL in the rear window. These also had the 307 instead of the 4100, I also knew they were normally priced out of my budget. Anyways a salesman came up and said the car was being traded that day, too old for the lot, and would go to wholesale, but he could sale it to me for what he thought a wholesaler would pay. $3K. I usually had seen them for $4.5K and up. Turns out it was an '86 with less miles than the wagon, had been serviced by the dealer with all the receipts since new, and was in impeccable shape. It became our daily driver for the next few years in California until an idiot without brakes ruined it. But that's another story.
Yikes, those are my favorite Cadillacs of that era. My dad sold them new at the local Cadillac dealership. The 307 was a breath of fresh air for both the consumer and the salesmen. It wasn't a powerhouse, but reliability was a sure bet.
@@googleusergp I was hired by a neighbor to chauffeur them to dinner in the father-in-law's 1986 Fleetwood Brougham with the 307. 6 people in that thing. Had to floor it to merge onto the Long Island Expressway. Smooth and quiet but nothing in reserve. I remember a friend's father's 1984 Sedan de Ville with the HT4100 and could only imagine that dog with 6 people in it.
@@LongIslandMopars My parents had a 1983 Coupe DeVille with the HT4100. We bought it new. I can't ever remember more than the four of us (my parents and my sister and I) being in that car. We got rid of it in 1988 after my dad passed away. My next door neighbor's daughter's boyfriend at the time bought it and didn't take care of it. About three months later, it was gone. Apparently, he swerved to avoid a mattress in the road that had fallen off of a truck and wrecked the car, totaling it. We always joked that it was my dad sending down a sign. LOL.
@@googleusergp That was a gorgeous car in need of a proper engine. I remember my dad seeing one at a gas station. Hood was up so he asked if anything was wrong (that was pop). Nothing was; the owner was adding some oil to a 472 that was transplanted into it. Always wish he got that guy's number. I would have loved to own it when I got old enough to drive. 😁
@@LongIslandMopars I can remember them being new on the showroom floor. I went to HS right down the block from the dealership, so I would often walk there after school and wait for my dad to get off work and get a ride home from him. If he was busy, I'd thumb through the brochures and sit a salesman's desk who was off for the day. My father's friend, Chuck, aka 'Mr. Cadillac" was a 20+ year veteran by that time and said, "Your dad has a mind like a sponge. He knows more about these cars than I do after 20 years. He's a prodigy." LOL.
Davenport, Mr Griswold ordered the metalic blue Spotswagon !! where is it ?? I don't know, sir ..
Didn’t you order the Wagon Queen Family Truckster in Metallic Pea……..??????
These were certainly the SUVs of their day. I can remember the first time I rode in the back row of one of these vividly. I was maybe 10 at the time and I thought looking straight out the back window was weird and cool.
If I’m not mistaken, the 307 used in these cars was the last carbureted engine produced by GM as well as the last Oldsmobile V8. I believe it lasted until 1991 and went out with this body style of wagon. I’ve seen the very last Olds 307 on display at the Olds museum in Lansing, MI. Sort of an unceremonious end to an engine architecture that produced the 455 from the 4-4-2 W-30, but I suppose the vast majority of those engines spent their lives moving families around. Anyway, I always enjoy the content, Steve.