Headers?! 1968 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon
When I do some research on how many 1968 Chevrolets, of all stripes, that we have covered on Barn Finds, the results seem endless. The bowtie had it all goin’ on in that year, full-size, Corvettes, Camaros, Novas, Chevelles, and even the very popular C/K series truck. My, how times have changed! Part of that mash-up included station wagons – there was no shortage of the ubiquitous staple of suburban life and that’s what I have for your review today, a 1968 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon. Looking a bit troubled, this Naples, Florida resident is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $3,350 with the reserve not yet met.
Chevrolet hit a grand slam in ’68 in the full-size (B-body) department with 1.2 M units of all body styles and trim levels emerging from one of ten different assembly plants. Looking at station wagons alone, that outsized total volume included a very healthy 183K copies – they were everywhere. Four trim levels were provided with the top drawer, faux wood slathered Caprice, such as our subject car, followed by everyone’s favorite, the Impala, then the BelAir for the budget-minded, and finally, the bottom-of-the-line Biscayne bringing up the markers.
Today’s find looks like it has spent too much time in the sun. It has some serious fade and surface rust going on, right along with very deteriorated Dinoc wood grain transfers evident. The fiberglass “wood trim” pieces are slowly going away too. Known for rust, this wagon hasn’t escaped that fate with rot in the fender legs, hood, and passenger side floor pan. There’s enough scale and corrosion evident, that this Caprice appears to have caught some heavy hurricane action deep down in southwest Florida.
New for ’68 was Chevy’s 200 gross HP, 307 CI V8 small block engine. It was a replacement for the venerable 283 which had an eleven-year run, and ’68 would be the only year that the 307 was used to power a full-size car. It was never much of a motor and by ’69 the B-bodies had developed enough heft that a version of the 327 was called into action as the standard powerplant. This one looks original, mostly, and tired, and it has had a pair of headers added, how unusual! Regardless, it still feeds itself via its original two-barrel carburetor. Of note, this Chevy V8 is still wearing its added-on motor mount restraints, a real Rube Goldberg solution to the massive 1971 NHTSA recall of all ’65-’69 V8 powered Chevrolets due to separating motor mounts. A Powerglide automatic transmission is in place, though interestingly, GM’s fantastic Turbo-Hydramatic 400 was available, for the first time, with the entry-level V8 engine. I’ve only encountered one so equipped but I imagine there are still some others out there somewhere.
The interior is a mixed bag, though the seller suggests, “interior is nice just one bad spot on the driver’s side seat“. The referenced seat has been patched with something that looks like contact paper and the carpet is either missing or has disintegrated into something other than carpet. It is also stated that this wagon needs a headliner – and that’s a lot of headliner!
This car has a couple of ala carte options, such as its original exhaust manifolds for sale and, “I have a set of Disc brake spindles, rotors, calipers that I will let the winning bidder have for $200 if they want them (I’m sure the calipers will need replaced)“. I’d like to have an idea of where the reserve is on this wagon. My initial thought, considering its condition and uninspired power train, is that maybe it would be more prudent to find a better example. That’s my thought, what’s yours?
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Comments
I agree, keep looking !
My dad had one of these same color with a 327, I had to put an engine in it, it was burning oil like crazy. I liked it, it was a nice looking wagon, that was back in the 70’s
I also had to do some body work on it you couldn’t get the stick on wood grain from Chevy anymore we ended getting some stick on wood grain shelving liner that matched perfect lol
I also had one of these. Great wagon. Rust got it eventually. The 60’s chevy wagons were the best workhorses and family cars!! Good luck and happy motoring.
Cheers
GPC
A needy car but all there, probably a good start for someone if it doesn’t get too pricey. I think the motor mount restraint is on the wrong side .
They were placed on both sides of the engine. I installed many when I worked for a Chevy dealership in the early/mid ’70s.
JO
Our family car for many years was a ’67 Buick Electra. I remember when it went in for the motor mount campaign, but it seems like there was just one restraint installed, and it was on the driver’s side only. But then, that was 50 years ago, and nowadays I forget details after 50 seconds.
I don’t recall any major motor mount issue/recall affecting Buick, at least not to the extent that recalled millions of Chevies, so I can only speak to Chevrolet’s recall and fix.
JO
You could put a recycled 350-4 with a turbo-hydramatic 350 it and drive it as long as you wanted for very little dough. Fix the body or not, that power train is bulletproof.
This was probably swimming 3 weeks ago
Yep, bet it was. Just down there a few days ago & if you think it looks bad on TV, well, you should see it up close & personal………horrible!
Do they only make plug wires in yellow? Black would look so much better.
bought a 68 caprice estate 62,000 mi in 1982 $50.00 from a local farmer with spun bearings. bill jacops chevy in joliet ill.ordered it special to pull his boat the farmer pulled a livestock trailer …427 385 hp, 400 turbo, 373 12 bolt, air bag ride, in dash tack, reese hitch red w / wood grain sides and a spot light. rebuilt the motor with a holly 850 dp, alum high rise and the largest crane bb hyd fireball 300 thumper cam. nothing on the road could come close to it after 120 mph to 165 mph !!! a patch of ice and a small culvert took care of the pan, cross member and trans. i was sick for months after that and still!
A shame it is really past ecomonical restoration. It would be a beauty done up.
Love these old wagons! A good friend of mine recently bought a 69 Vista Cruiser in similar condition and is daily driving it. So cool.
I have a 1968 caprice classic 2 door hardtop 325 cc, 275 HP, Turbo hydramatic trans. Owned it for 44 years. My brother bought it new in fall of 1967 and basically used it on weekends. He ordered every add on he could. The only thing he could not get was hideaway headlights. AC, tilt wheel, ASTRO ventilation which was first introduced in 1968 model. White with black vinal top sets this car off. Never been housed outside. The car is all original and black interior perfect. The material.used then was very durable on the Caprice. The wood look engrained on the interior doors is very rich looking . 1968 was first year for Padded dash, recessed dashboard knobs for safety, and side lights front and rear. The sales and marketing bragged that engineers “used computers ” to help them to know where to place the suspensionThe chrome finish on front and rear bumpers on the Caprice is as nice as new. This 327 V8 is predictable and runs strong. When ideling the 327 makes kind of a “gurgle gurgle gurgle” sweet sound with its original muffler. It is like its warming up for a great ride. The three tail lights in the bumper are a classic look.of “Chevy!” The upper and lower front grill give it a really nice distinctive look and never before or after duplicated. The slightly slanted rear window is one of a kind on this 54 year old classic of which i have a spare. The original Caprice hub caps are rich looking with the name “Caprice” written on each one. The trunk is spacious enough for two sets of golf clubs plus suit cases and other traveling garb. Three people sit comfortably in the front and the back seats. With the replacement coils and shocks on this classic delivers a very comfortable “floating type” ride. If you can find one that’s been cared for inside and out buy it, use it and enjoy.
My dad bought a 68 chevy impala wagon brand new in 1968 summer..I helped drive it home..it was a pale green color .tan.interior..old 396.270 horse motor 2 Barrell and powerglide tranny..nothing special..we went fishing in it a lot.in 68 and 1969.old car got about 8 miles per gallon..good old car..rj
If they would have made Vacation…in the late 1960’s, this could have been the Griswold-mobile.
Clark could have kept up better with Christi Brinkley. Maybe.
The motor strap was a Chevrolet division thing.in 1967 with the ss350 motor.ss camaro.and the camaro z28302 motor..these motors were.tied to the a.arm..because both put out high horse power and was breaking the motor mounts.because of high horse power..not seen any on 307 motors though….the 68 wagon looks bad with the decay of the wood grain panels..not all impala wagons were wood panels..our 68 impala.was not.
They were “tied” because of a December 1971 NHTSA recall that required Chevrolet to do something about separating motor mounts – it had nothing to do with the output of the engine. This car is 307 equipped and has the restraints. I personally installed them on 307 equipped cars, and every other ’65-’69 V8 model Chevrolet, back in ’73.
JO
Wow! Still in the crate