I need help buying a 1996 Caprice. What to and not to look for????
03-09-2009, 12:06 PM
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I need help buying a 1996 Caprice. What to and not to look for???? I am really sorry in advance to all members, Mods & Admins if this thread is on its wrong place or if this post is a of the wall subject.
But I use to be a Ford guy, my 03 Cobra got hit by a drunk punk so its totaled.
But now that Ive been with Ford for the longest & owned plenty of Mustangs. I want to join the GM world and convert myself into it.
I want to start with a for now car with a 96 Chevy Caprice. I am using it as a D.D for now and prob beef up the motor eventually.
But in every car there is a list of what to look for and not to look for when buying one.
I know that the Caprice has an LT1 but Idk what gen and from what I know of, there are alot of types of LT1's.
I found one with 160,XXX miles on it.
How far can these engines last with proper maintance, love and care.
And what to look for.
Thanks for the help,
And glad to join the GM world.
But I use to be a Ford guy, my 03 Cobra got hit by a drunk punk so its totaled.
But now that Ive been with Ford for the longest & owned plenty of Mustangs. I want to join the GM world and convert myself into it.
I want to start with a for now car with a 96 Chevy Caprice. I am using it as a D.D for now and prob beef up the motor eventually.
But in every car there is a list of what to look for and not to look for when buying one.
I know that the Caprice has an LT1 but Idk what gen and from what I know of, there are alot of types of LT1's.
I found one with 160,XXX miles on it.
How far can these engines last with proper maintance, love and care.
And what to look for.
Thanks for the help,
And glad to join the GM world.
03-09-2009, 12:18 PM
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Hey, and welcome to the board. Going from an 03 Cobra to a 96 Caprice is quite a change I'd say. Me personally, I would look for an LT1 Fbody as they are lighter, available with a manual transmission, after market is for more plentiful, etc. Now for this particular LT1 watch out for optispark, and just look for overall signs of neglect. May I ask, what is your price range?
03-09-2009, 12:32 PM
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Well I want a big 4 door for now. It was either a 99 Seville or a 96 Caprice but I hear the the northstar engines suck after 100k miles.
The only reason why I am going from a 03 Cobra to a 96 Caprice is because I have a law suit againgst the person who hit me. So I have to wait for my settlement to come in.
But I have $4000 saved and I am car less. My only source of transportation is my motorcycle. And I need a car ASAP. Plus after the accident, it did hurt my back badly. So I need a car that drives smooth. My God this bad, I am 24 yrs old and I have back problems because of the accident.
The only reason why I am going from a 03 Cobra to a 96 Caprice is because I have a law suit againgst the person who hit me. So I have to wait for my settlement to come in.
But I have $4000 saved and I am car less. My only source of transportation is my motorcycle. And I need a car ASAP. Plus after the accident, it did hurt my back badly. So I need a car that drives smooth. My God this bad, I am 24 yrs old and I have back problems because of the accident.
03-10-2009, 01:28 AM
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check out impalassforum.com
I had a '91 caprice - it was hit by a drunk! Great car!! Very safe!
I now have a '96 caprice. I'll give you the basics. B-body's: Chevy Caprice & Buick Roadmaster. Cadillac Fleetwood is a D-body, but is very similar to B, just a little longer. All 3 are body on frame and nearly indestructible. The I see you wanted a caddy so a fleetwood may be the best of both worlds for you.
For all 3 models '94-'96 models can come with the 5.7 LT1 engine. The caprice sedan is the only one that can come with the baby 4.3 V8 engine. I would recommend going for the 5.7 LT1. The engines are identical in appearance so be careful when shopping for a caprice. You have to check the SPID codes on the trunk lid. One of the codes will be "LT1".
caprice year by year
'91-'92 skirted fender 305sbc (5.0) and 350sbc (5.7)
'93 - open wheel well - 305sbc and 350sbc
'94 - added dual airbags and redesigned dash, change to gen 2 engines 4.3 and 5.7
'95-'96 added redesigned folding outside mirrors. These mirrors are much better than the older style.
As mentioned the main issue is the optispark. Once it is running properly the opti can be reliable. Most just neglect the opti issues and think its a poor car. On the forum there are many cars with 200k+, 300+. It is very common for these cars to go 200k on the original engine. The trans is the same 4L60E as in many other GM performance vehicles- some last 75k others last 150k.
Common rust areas: -behind the rear wheels
-inside between the front and back doors.
For $4000 you can get a great caprice with lower miles. I just bought one with 91,000 on it. I would not hesitate to buy on with 150k on it as long as it has minimal to no body rust and runs good.
Mine is a '96 9C1. That is the option code for the police package. I comes with certified speedometer, heavy duty shocks, high output alternator, trans cooler, p.s. cooler, oil cooler, silicone hoses, anti- stab seats, 3.08 gears, and may have other cool stuff like a spotlight, interior ticket light, etc.
If you have some more questions check out the forum or sent me a PM. - Fred
I had a '91 caprice - it was hit by a drunk! Great car!! Very safe!
I now have a '96 caprice. I'll give you the basics. B-body's: Chevy Caprice & Buick Roadmaster. Cadillac Fleetwood is a D-body, but is very similar to B, just a little longer. All 3 are body on frame and nearly indestructible. The I see you wanted a caddy so a fleetwood may be the best of both worlds for you.
For all 3 models '94-'96 models can come with the 5.7 LT1 engine. The caprice sedan is the only one that can come with the baby 4.3 V8 engine. I would recommend going for the 5.7 LT1. The engines are identical in appearance so be careful when shopping for a caprice. You have to check the SPID codes on the trunk lid. One of the codes will be "LT1".
caprice year by year
'91-'92 skirted fender 305sbc (5.0) and 350sbc (5.7)
'93 - open wheel well - 305sbc and 350sbc
'94 - added dual airbags and redesigned dash, change to gen 2 engines 4.3 and 5.7
'95-'96 added redesigned folding outside mirrors. These mirrors are much better than the older style.
As mentioned the main issue is the optispark. Once it is running properly the opti can be reliable. Most just neglect the opti issues and think its a poor car. On the forum there are many cars with 200k+, 300+. It is very common for these cars to go 200k on the original engine. The trans is the same 4L60E as in many other GM performance vehicles- some last 75k others last 150k.
Common rust areas: -behind the rear wheels
-inside between the front and back doors.
For $4000 you can get a great caprice with lower miles. I just bought one with 91,000 on it. I would not hesitate to buy on with 150k on it as long as it has minimal to no body rust and runs good.
Mine is a '96 9C1. That is the option code for the police package. I comes with certified speedometer, heavy duty shocks, high output alternator, trans cooler, p.s. cooler, oil cooler, silicone hoses, anti- stab seats, 3.08 gears, and may have other cool stuff like a spotlight, interior ticket light, etc.
If you have some more questions check out the forum or sent me a PM. - Fred
03-10-2009, 07:29 PM
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This might sound nuts but check out the wheel hubs and pay attention to how the bearings sound. A lot of guys like to put huge rims on those type of cars which is HELL on the overall quality of the car, also don't let whoever is selling it to you "show you the stereo". Leave it off and listen to how the car runs, and if you have not went to look at/test drive the car yet, try to get within 5 minutes of his/her home before you call him to let him know you're coming to look at it. Cars give off a lot more warnings when the motor/transmission is cold rather than already driven for a few miles.
