49K Miles: 1972 Chevrolet Caprice
Gorgeous in green, this 1972 Chevrolet Caprice has just over 49,000 miles on it and it appears to be in superb condition. This beauty can be found here on eBay in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, even though the eBay listing says Great Falls, Montana. So, plan on some logistics if you’ll be taking it south of the border into the US. The current bid price is $7,500 and there is no reserve. Someone will be very happy to get this car. Let’s check it out.
The only thing that isn’t perfect about this car would be the photos. They’re a mish-mash of out of focus and/or blurry photos, most of them snippets or parts of the car with only one overall photo, the opening shot of the driver’s side 3/4 view. But, in the collection of unusual cropped, grainy photos, what comes through crystal clear: this car looks like it’s in unbelievably nice condition. It’s hard to argue that at least visually this car is a grand slam.
How many vehicles like this are still hiding out there? Thousands? I’m surprised every time someone sends in a tip for a car in such fine condition as this Caprice is in. My dad had a company car in 1971 that was a Chevrolet Biscayne, about the cheapest model possible without just driving a bare chassis around. But, it was a great car and it was dark green. To have had the automotive green paint concession in the 1970s may have made Jeff Bezos look like a pauper.
The interior, in keeping with roll-your-own, so to speak, luxury, or lackthereof, doesn’t have power windows or power locks. I mention that every time but this was it for Chevrolet in the luxury department and to see manual windows in their top car always surprises me, even for 1972. I’m hoping that the steering wheel cover is just to keep the original wheel from showing any wear, rather than covering up wear. I can’t imagine that with just 49,054 miles there is wear, really anywhere on this car. It sure doesn’t look like there is.
Other than the red hoses, and I won’t go on and on (and, on and on) about those damn things, this engine compartment almost makes me openly weep it’s so beautiful and beautifully-preserved. The seller gives almost no information about this car at all other than the mileage and that a former bidder won the car not long ago and then backed out. There is no VIN listed which is rare for an eBay ad, but they list the engine as being a 400 cubic-inch V8 so that’s good. It had a mere 170 hp in 1972, so that’s not good, but it looks pretty much like new. There is literally not one word on the operating condition but let’s assume that it runs as good as it looks. If that’s the case, Hagerty is at $13,000 for a #3 good condition car which this one certainly seems to be, if not #2 excellent condition, which would be $16,700. With no reserve and less than a day left, this could end up being an absolute flipper’s dream car. Have any of you owned a second-generation Caprice? How about shipping a Canadian car to the US? Easy? Hard?
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Comments
No A/C sweatbox
A/C was not that common on Canadian Chevrolets in the early ‘70’s. We don’t get that much summer in Canada. Most people that wanted a/c moved up to an Oldsmobile or Buick.
If the red hoses aren’t enough to spin you out, the excessive use of Armour All under the hood certainly will!
The owner has achieved that elusive satin luster finish many others only dream about!
When 1 of my cheaper quality black hoses sprung a big leak in the middle of nowhere, i was mad i didn’t spring for the more expensive heavy duty red ones.
The hubcaps look to be from an Olds. Other than that, It looks fantastic. I had a ’72 Chevelle in this green paint/top/interior combo, a 4 door with a 307. I loved that car, and this would be a great cruising survivor. The red hoses, while not my favorite, don’t bother me. My Chevelle had them too. It’s what you used then….
Yeah the hubcaps are from the Oldsmobile brand. I hate when owners of classic/old cars put mismatch caps on their cars. Do you know how many Oldsmobile Ninety Eights and Delta Eighty Eights of the 70’s and 80’s I’ve seen with Buick sport rims on them.
Ironically, I was just watching the short-lived Paul Lynde Show and he drives a ragtop version of one of these in the credits, though I think it was an Impala version. Hard to believe this is nearly 50 years old!!
I still love it even though it’s a Caprice because it’s a 1972. Not a darn thing wrong with a Caprice but I’m more of an Impala guy when it comes to these older Chevys. This will make even more people think I’m as crazy as I truly am. I’d LOVE a 4dr 1972 Impala!
Did he spray engine and inner fenders with tire shine like a gallon. These engines leak oil as fast as the Titantic sank. I worked on these cars new. 10 mpg at best. 400 a total boat anchor.
A few are commenting about the “tire shine” used under the hood. Yea, a little overkill, but how many nice presentable cars do we see here on B/F that are a complete disaster under the hood? I absolutely love the body style of these. A good friend of mine had a 71 Impala, 2 door hard top, butternut yellow color, no vinyl top, it was absolutely beautiful! This is a sweet example! GLWA
11.1 mpg combined per Automobile Catalog. Not good. Amazing to think about how people afforded fuel back then. A new large sedan like a Camry or Accord goes more than twice as far on each gallon.
https://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/chevrolet_usa/full-size_chevrolet_8gen/full-size_caprice_2gen_hardtop_sedan/1972.html
Fuel was less than 50 cents per gallon when this car was built, it didn’t matter
Depending on the source, allowing for inflation, about the same cost per gallon as now.
Gasoline was cheaper than than it is now even adjusting for inflation. But not by that much.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-915-march-7-2016-average-historical-annual-gasoline-pump-price-1929-2015
An 11 mpg car still had to hurt! This thing makes a 485 horsepower Charger Scat Pack practically look like a Prius by comparison.
But the average Joe was only making about $2.00 an hour, (and I’m being generous..) so a $160.00 pre-tax 80 hour paycheck didn’t really get alot of families too far once you paid for basic necessities and a roof over your head. So .50 cents a gallon wasn’t cheap…
Terrific car, I have always liked that concave back window. But I have to say that the 1977 is my favourite it too has a concave back window and a much more chiseled look about it. As for fuel economy a 700r trans would make a big difference. And would bolt right in. Back when this was built there wasn’t even lock up converters yet little own overdrives. It would also help to change out the cam and shave the heads a bit. These engines worked well on propane which was cheeper to buy and gave us much better emissions at the tail pipe. I’ve always wondered why the auto makers didn’t spend more time going to propane, and a diesel will run quite well on natural gas.
Auction update: this Caprice sold for $7,800!
Scotty, thanks for providing these updates. I try to do them whenever I can, it kind of gives closure to the conversation, knowing what someone paid.
Thanks for catching them when you can, PRA4SNW. If they go too long than the eBay link goes away and if someone comes back to this, they’ll never know what it sold for.
Scotty, sometimes when I’m bored and a car really struck my fancy, I will go into completed auctions and search for the car. You usually have a couple of months that you can look back and find what something might have sold for.
That was a steal!!
I agree, Hoos! Expect to see this at an auction house in the near future.
I owned this exact car in Black in the early 90’s. One of my all time favourite cars to drive, it would just float down the 401, but my god it was thirsty! The 400 didn’t have a lot of power, but sure sounded like it did! I would say this was very well bought, and hopefully by someone who will enjoy it, not flip it.
I had a ’73 Caprice Estate Wagon in ’76. It had p/s, p/b, auto, power tailgate and tinted windows, 400 engine. That was it. No p/w, locks or seats.
Bought a Caprice off the showroom floor in 72 and the sticker on the window was five thousand dollars which at the time seemed crazy. It was powered by a 350 instead of the 400. With the 350 it was very underpowered. Traded in my Chevelle Malibu with a 307 and was a much better car than the Caprice.
The 72 Caddy DeVilles had a sticker price of $5k. Smart decision not to buy. Especially with fruit roll-up manual windows.
A 1970 Ford LTD was $4500… was a Caddy two years later only $5000? A ’73 Monte Carlo loaded was about that much. I remember because I was looking at buying one. Even a fairly stripped ’73 Monte Carlo was a little over $4000 then.
The 72 was a very pretty body style but the 71 was better.