Rare 454 V8! 1970 Chevrolet Caprice LS5
The Caprice joined the Chevrolet lineup in 1965 as a luxury version of the popular Impala. Sales of the Caprice would continue to grow each year and an estimated 92,000 were built and sold in the 1970 model year. But only 2,500 of them are thought to have been produced with the new LS5 454 cubic inch V8 engine, the most powerful motor offered in the car to date. This automobile is one of them and the numbers are said to match. If the current (and fourth owner) doesn’t sell it, he/she says they will treat it to a rotisserie restoration.
When this Caprice was ordered new, it was a well-equipped Chevrolet. The LS5 V8 set the original owner back an extra $242. Plus, the car has a Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, loads of power accessories, and a vinyl roof (which appears to have been replaced with black paint). This was a $5200+ automobile the day it arrived at the Chevy dealership, about twice that of the Chevy Nova we bought in 1970 wearing the same color of paint on the bottom half.
The photographs may not do the car justice as we’re told it’s drivable though not in regular use. The odometer reading is said to be 107,000 miles and the car has a new aluminum radiator along with a 500-mile set of radial tires. The interior is said to be okay, but what we see of it could use a good cleaning. The car will come with a pair of rear fender skirts, but we’re told they’re not in decent shape (and not pictured). Some extra parts will also go with the car, though we don’t know what they are.
If you’re looking for a vintage vehicle that you might have to search long and hard to duplicate, this Chevy could be it. Most of the 454 cubic inch V8 Chevies we see here on Barn Finds are Chevelles, not Caprices. From Wheeling, West Virginia, this restorable project is available here on eBay for the current bid of $11,100. Is this one worth the effort?
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Comments
500ft/lbs torque. This Chevy will lay down the rubber 😲🏁
What I see on the odometer is 7,539 and 4 tenths of a mile. The condition of this 54 year old car also backs that up. Unless there are more digits not shown even the seller has it wrong.
The dash, carpet, cloth seat covers, cloth door panels, headliner, trunk, paint, underhood, carburetor all point to a low mileage car that’s been driven very little and for the most part been stored in a garage.
I owned a 71 Caprice with the LS5, the original owner was the parts manager at Nickey Chevrolet. I would take this if I had room.
This car cleaned up very nice. One notable thing is the lack of creature features such as power windows and seats which probably wouldn’t be working by now anymore anyway. I can only imagine how much faster and powerful this car would be shedding more weight.
Now That’s a intelligent alternative to those Swiss cheese producing vinyl tops!
The 400 cid FS chevy that year was a stone dog. I doubt this is very much better.
Well I disagree since in that very same 1970 model year the 454 LS6 in the Chevelle SS put down 450hp,the highest hp rating in an American muscle car to date, although it was as all downhill from there
Does anyone else think this still has a vinyl top (vs. a painted roof)? I see what looks like seams in the vinyl on each side front to back.
I saw that also and have doubts about it being painted.
If the roof was painted at the factory it would be white. Cool car that was cool to see when these were new. Spotting the numbers on the fender was the best.
It’s just a very wet vinyl roof. The whole car is wet to give the illusion of a shine.
I like this car. I had a 70 or 71 Caprice. Standard 350 2bbl. Lost it when I got nailed. By a driver running a red light. Much more reliable than the 2 MOPARs I had previously owned but I felt the car was boring. I didn’t really appreciate it until I lost it.
THIS one would’ve been having and eating cake.
I hope someone saves it, and not to be parted out with the LS5 ending up in a Chevelle.
Sold sold sold just a little over 16,000 dollars.
Or did it…..he had a picture in the ad when it was passed over before.
The car sold today, July 1st, with a high bid of $14,122.
Steve R
Back in 1970 the local Chevrolet dealer had a Caprice Custom coupe as a demonstrator. Later in the model year it made its way on to the showroom floor where I got to drool over it. It was triple black with the LS6 engine and loaded to the gills with options. I still remember this car 54 years later.
This is bid to just below 12K and that ****box non-SS Chevelle is almost 28K?
Why do people lose their mind for those?
And it had the ultra rare Electric Rear Defog back glass!
It’s the third one I saw.(I know, I probably missed many but)
How many have you seen with that option?