(The images for this post were taken from Google image search)
I was looking to replace my 9C1. I knew I wanted another B-body, and I was very impressed by the utility of my Roadmaster Estate wagon. Searching online, I found a brown 1988 Chevrolet Caprice Estate with fake wood siding and 44,000 one-owner miles. I was immediately intrigued because it reminded me so much of my first Caprice.
The car was at Wigder Chevrolet in East Hanover, New Jersey, where it had been purchased and serviced since new. Its original owner was getting on in years and needed something smaller, so she’d traded it in for a brand new Malibu Maxx. Aside from a small dent on the driver’s side fender, the exterior was in nice shape. The paint was still shiny, and the fake wood looked fresh. It was obvious that this was a garage-kept car. Underneath, there was some rust, but nothing unusual for a nearly 20-year-old car in the Northeast.
The cloth interior was in excellent shape. It was not at all faded, the carpet was mint and there were no rips in the upholstery. The car was fully optioned out with power seats, windows, locks and antenna, plus a premium sound system. It also came equipped with three details I thought were available only on Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Cadillacs: It had Twilight Sentinel, exterior cornering lamps, and a tiny spotlight that shined directly on the headlight switch so you could see it at night when you started the car. To be clear, the switch was not backlit; there literally was a tiny spotlight that highlighted the headlight switch when you started the car. I had never before seen such a classy-broughamy detail on a Chevy.
The other feature I really liked was the power-operated rear window. Unlike the Roadmaster, the rear window was not held up by failure-prone struts; it rolled neatly into the tailgate. I loved how you could roll the window up and down by using the door key, and that the window could also be controlled by a button on the dash.
While my Roadmaster was nice, it obviously was used; this car, on the other hand, appeared to be very lightly used. What’s more, it met the criteria I’d set at the end of my last COAL, it was V8 powered, and it had a third row of seats in the event that we had to transport guests. So a deal was struck, and after I’d handed over the 9C1 plus 700 bucks, I was the new owner of this survivor and near classic.
The car was equipped with a four-speed automatic with overdrive, and powered by an Oldsmobile 307 V8 rated at 140 HP and with 255 lb./ft. of torque. This engine was put in new GM B-bodies until 1990 and was the last carbureted engine GM put into a car sold in the U.S. Ninety percent of everything I have read about this engine is not kind–in fact, it’s often referred to as a “dog.” Sources list its “theoretical” top speed at 103 mph, a 0-60 time of 13 seconds and a 19-second quarter mile– unimpressive for such a large engine. The relatively better performing Chevy 305 was offered as an option, but my car was not so equipped.
I experienced the problem driving it home: the car was S-L-O-W and seemed vastly under-powered, although I did appreciate how smooth and silent the engine was. Remember, I was coming from a 260 hp, LT1-equipped V8 car. I was on it pretty hard, but it did not seem like it was straining at all. It did not get loud or harsh or feel like it was going to explode. It was just S-L-O-W. On the highway, it was difficult to maintain 70 MPH. I was beginning to think that I’d made a big mistake.
I took it for an emissions inspection, which it failed. I was not surprised, since the engine was literally covered with emissions-related hoses and equipment! So, the plugs and air cleaner were changed, the carburetor was serviced (incidentally, this was the last carb-equipped vehicle I owned), and the EGR system was overhauled.
After its time in the shop, not only did it pass inspection but performance greatly improved. It did not accelerate like the 9C1, but it did accelerate like a proper V8 and no longer struggled to cruise past 70. In fact, on interstate trips I could cruise in the far left lane the entire time and cars actually moved over to let me by.
I have been told that the 307 had a lot of potential, but had been deliberately detuned for the sake of smoothness and longevity. I do know that despite its leisurely performance, this engine has a reputation for lasting upwards of 300,000 miles. While I was OK with its performance, fuel economy was another story, as I was getting between 16-18 mpg on a good day.
Its utility did not disappoint me. I regularly used its third-row seat as well as its impressive cargo-carrying ability. It was around this time that we sold our house and moved into an apartment while we searched for our new home. That meant a lot of our things had to go into storage until we found a house we were interested in buying. I discovered one of those cargo bags that you secure to a roof rack on an SUV which, along with the 87 cubic feet of space in the cargo area, really simplified our move. In fact, most of the move was done using this car and my buddy’s (and my former) Roadmaster wagon. I am reminded again about Robert Kim’s experience with his Olds wagon.
One other thing: B-body wagons have an almost 50-50 weight distribution, which made it awesome in snow. Indeed, that car handled deep snow better than many of my front-wheel drive vehicles. I was afraid that its carbureted engine would make cold starting difficult, but that was not the case–two pumps of the gas pedal prior to starting was all it took for reliable winter starts. I’ve also read that the “mild” gearing (for fuel economy), combined with the mild 307 engine, contributed to its surefootedness.
The car was my daily driver. Fuel economy aside, it was comfortable, practical and enjoyable to drive. There is, however, one unfortunate thing I’ve not mentioned so far: I was the only one who could stand to sit in its luxurious interior. Why? The cabin had a foul odor that was hard to describe. The odor could best be described as smelling biological–hair, sweat, vomit, feces, spit and urine. The smell was there when I bought the car, but I thought I could take care of it and it would eventually go away. Boy, was I wrong! We tried everything: baking soda, shampoo, air freshener, pouring perfume on the seats, even driving with all windows open (at 80 mph) for a week. Nothing worked. I remember picking up my mother in law from the train station one time. Within ten seconds, she remarked, “Oh my God, what is that smell?” The worst thing was that the smell would stick to your clothes, so pretty soon you were carrying the odor on your person, just like in the Seinfeld episode.
So I began a passive search once more. It did not take long before I encountered what was to me, at the time, the ultimate B-body….the Holy Grail (and I don’t mean an Impala SS)…and the subject of next week’s COAL.
Nice car… sorry about the smell. I just wanted to point out an interesting fact about the GM B body wagons (I pointed this out before in another post). Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevy and Pontiac all used the Chevy body for their wagon versions, but with specific front fenders, hoods, grills, and bumpers that made them kind of look like their sedan counterparts.
The most obvious is the 1977 to 1979 Buick Estate wagon. If you look at the top of the door where the rear view mirror is, you will see a sheet metal filler panel that covers the Chevy body line in the door. On Estate Wagons with the wood grain, it’s not very noticeable due to the chrome trim on top of the wood. But on cars without the wood, it looks ridiculous. On cars not equipped with a passenger side rear view mirror, the filler panel sticks out like a sore thumb.
I guess this was a way for GM to save money. The sedan and coupe versions of these cars also shared doors (Chevy and Pontiac shared the same doors, Olds and Buicks shared the same doors).
Exactly…You are one of the few that picked up on that….the filler piece above the ventiports. The Chevy’s don’t have that indentation so in order for the Chevy doors line up with the Buick fenders that piece was tack welded on..
The next generation B body wagon only changed the grilles…That’s why the Roadmaster grile is so different on the Buick sedan and wagon
I wonder if you found some sort of 89 9C1 or 9C3 with a 300HP engine
That’s unfortunate about the smell, although your reference to the Seinfeld episode put a huge smile on my face as that was my thought before I even got to the end of the paragraph. You truly can relate almost anything in life to a Seinfeld episode.
About seven years ago, my cousin purchased a 2001 Plymouth Neon from a gas station. It too had a smell that never went away the several years he owned the car. It wasn’t as bad as the one you described, more of just a musty mildew smell, but he could never get it to go away either.
Use an ozone generator. It will take most any smell out of an automobile. I used to work for a dealership and once had a man call very interested in a GMT800 Silverado. It had been a cow farm truck all its life and stunk so bad I thought for sure he wouldn’t purchase. I took it to the detail guy and he put the ozone machine in for an hour with the windows sealed… smelled factory fresh.
The smell was probably a dead rodent in the HVAC plumbing. It happens alot here in the northeast. When it gets cold the mice try to find a warm spot to build a nest.
Again a well written story!
About the smell: trust your nose. The source of the smell was probably exactly what you described. We once owned a used Chevy Cavalier station wagon. I pulled the front seats out and used a Bissell carpet and upholstery cleaner on it. With it you sprayed a hot water solution of cleaner on the upholstery and then vacuum it out. I spent a whole day cleaning the upholstery and emptied at least eight, maybe 10 vacuum buckets. Even the last one was black. The reason is that the dirt gets sucked up by the foam under the velour and stays there.
I used the trusty Bissell also after buying a used Pontiac Vibe. I even pulled the carpet out and washed it with the garden hose and Bissell machine. I liked the results enough to do the same on my wife’s Ford Contour.
I noticed in some pictures the Caprice wagon has a rear spoiler and in others it is missing. Are the pictures of different cars or did the spoiler go AWOL?
All photos are from GIS searches.
The actual car did have the “rear spoiler” or air diffuser. I believe it’s purpose was to use air flow to keep moisture from the rear window in lieu of a rear window wiper. Not sure if this is true but I never needed a wiper for that window.
Not much movement in a decade. That could have been my 77 Impala. Great cars!
Smelly interiors can render a car almost unsalable. A smoker’s car is the worst now, with less than twenty percent of the public smoking. A friend in the low-end used car business bought an ’01 LeSabre which, other than the stale ashtray interior, was in decent shape.
That car, no matter how much cleaning and deodorizing was done, retained the strong, stale interior stink. As the price lowered, people still walked away once they smelled it. Finally, a smoker and his wife who heat with wood happily bought the Buick, couldn’t discern the stench, their olfactory senses long since disabled!
Nice car , I really like the rear snow picture , brings back many memories .
As I read the Heading of this thread , I immediately thought ” third seat carpet puke ! ” =8-) .
If not a dead mouse then you’ll have to remove the seats & carpets, shampoo them all then laboriously hand clean the painted floors whilst the interior dries in a nice shady place…
Typical used car fodder , reminds me of the Death cars I’ve had .
-Nate
One thing I’d love to do with that Caprice wagon is install either a 350 or 454 with TBI. Those engines would cure the lack of power that the Olds 5.0 was putting out. IMO, Between 1987-90 I’d take a Suburban over a Caprice Wagon since most of them had the TBI 350 with 700R4. Some of them have the TBI 454 with the TH400. Which gives you plenty of power to spare.
whew…really? this gigantic wagon was being driven by an elderly lady???
Yea, older and old folk often drive full sized cars and I would see a lot of that in Florida. Some of them drive Minivans, SUVs, or Pickup Trucks, it really depends.
The older and smaller the person, the bigger the car they drive, and the slower they go once in traffic. It’s like a Law of the Universe, or something.
My mother – 63 years old, 5’1″, 100 lbs. on a good day – drives a 2010 Grand Marquis. Definitely a law of the Universe.
(Of course, in her 46 years with a driver’s license, about half the time she’s driven full-size cars, so it’s not age in her case. Just preference, and the “smaller the person” thing definitely applies!)
It’s a safety thing, you know.
http://www.laweekly.com/news/reseda-crash-old-woman-in-station-wagon-plows-into-dentists-office-injures-six-2397718
I’m beginning to like wagons a lot. Too bad about then odor, never something I’ve encountered in a used car.
Regarding the poor performance I suspect because the car was never driven very fast by the previous owner it was probably “carboned up.” Once upon a time our young family had a 74 Dart Sport that was passed along from my parents that they bought from a senior they knew. The engine pinged a lot even on mid-grade gas. I went to a mechanic who said he could cure that in a moment. As I stood there, he took a pop bottle of water, got the engine revving at a higher rpm, and slowly poured the water down the carb throat. The entire bottle of water was used and the engine brought back to normal idle. We went to the rear of the car where he pointed out the black soot that blew out the tailpipe. The Dart ran just fine on the way home and for the rest of the time we had that nice hardtop.
Gotta be careful doing that, though, pour too fast and you can hydrolock the engine.
Same principle applies with seafoam–it’s supposed to clear out the carbon buildup.
“The relatively better performing Chevy 305 was offered as an option, but my car was not so equipped.”
Was the 305 actually available as an option on these? My understanding is:
–Officially, all 1987-90 B-body wagons came only with the 307, including Chevrolets; they were all built on the same assembly line, an that assembly line used 307s.
–Officially, other Chevy B-bodies from that era equipped with V8s came only with the 305. (No Chevrolet ever came with the 307 except for the 1987-90 B-body wagons.)
–GM would occasionally build a run of models with the opposite of what is stated above (e.g., wagons with 305s) depending on what quantity of each engine they happened to have available at the moment.
The 305 was NOT available on the 1987-90 GM B-body wagon of any make. The 305 was standard issue up until 1986 for Chevrolet and Pontiac wagons. At about November 1986, the Chevrolet/Pontiac wagons switched to the Olds 307, like the Olds and Buick. From that point until 1990, all wagons were 307 only.
Further, some Canadian market 1987 Caprice sedans came equipped with 307 Oldsmobile engines.
Thanks…good to know.
My belief that GM would occasionally build a run of models with differing engines, depending on what they happened to have available at the moment, was based on having seen numerous internet claims of cars that allegedly came new with the “wrong” engine. Based on Bill’s information, I have to wonder if at least some of those aberrations were early ’87 Chevy/Pontiac wagons built before they switched from the 305 to the 307, or ’87 Caprice sedans of Canadian origin with 307s.
I do remember reading that somewhere also.
It was the 1986 model year when Chevrolet and Pontiac wagons switched from the Chevy 305 to the Olds 307. I checked my info, I made a mistake on the date for the switch over for the engine. So the date was November 1985, not November 1986. 1986 seems to be the only year with both Chev and Olds engines in the wagons.
For 1987 onward, the 307 was the only wagon engine. Supposedly the 307 HO (rated at 170 hp) was also available, although I have never actually seen one. There were some Cadillac’s that got this engine though. Chevrolet sedans/coupes always had the 305 Chevrolet. The only exception seems to be for the 1987 model year when some Canadian market sedans got 307 for some strange reason.
I have never seen a factory installed 305 Chevrolet in a wagon for 1987-1990 MY. Maybe some people have 305’s in these cars, but it may not be a factory install. If some anomaly exists, I have yet to see any proof it was a factory install.
Was the HO 307 the same as in the RWD Cutlass Supreme coupes that were nearing the end of their run?
The 307 also appeared part way through 1986 Pontiac Parisienne sedan production along with the Pontiac and Chevy wagons whereas the Olds and Buick versions already had the 307 from 1980/81 on up.
The ever elusive vin code “9” HO 307 was last used on the G-body 442 before it was offered on the Cadillac Broughams. I never heard of this or has it ever been mentioned that this engine was also available on any wagons. Heck I have still yet to find a 1987-1990 Brougham with this engine to this day which makes me think this was a super low production option reserved for a very few select limos. There is not even any mention of a higher output motor in any of the Cadillac brochures even with the trailer tow package but if you look up parts for these cars at the parts store both engines show up.
As far as I know the HO 307 is the exact same 170 Hp engine that was used in the 1987 442 minus the dual snorkel air cleaner.
As already mentioned, the the 307 HO was the same as that offered in the Cutlass 442. Like the regular 307, it was a dog. The 307 HO was not a good performer, but better than the “Y” code version. I have seen one or two commercial Caddys with this engine, but that’s it. If GM did put them in the fullsize cars, it seems like it was only a handful.
I forgot about the last Parisiennes having some 307 installs. It almost seems like there was a surplus of 307’s nearing the end of the 1980’s.
We had an ’86 Parisienne Brougham that had the 307 rather than the 305, so maybe ours was a late-production car. (Bought it used and never thought to check the build date). It certainly wasn’t fast, but it also wasn’t the dog some folks on here make it out to be. I guess it had been taken care of pretty well before we bought it. (We bought it private-party from the manager of one of the local GM dealerships, it had been his mother’s car, and perhaps he’d kept up with the service as he probably got it discounted or free…)
JerseyFred,
I have enjoyed your COAL articles over the last few months.
However, I had to ask the inevitable question – I know you’ve had several GM B-body cars over the years, but have you also owned any Ford Panthers or Fox-bodies? I grew up in three different Fox-body sedans over the years so I am very familiar with most of them.
Hi PJ,
My parents had three Fords (Zephyr, Tempo, Escort) and Ford partners (Mazda 626, Mazda 323, a Volvo sedan). Mostly we were a Buick, Oldsmobile and Chrysler family.
A future COAL will cover two Fords:
1) A Lincoln MK VIII that I did not buy but came close to getting. 2) A Panther but my experience with it was not typical.
I was offered a Colony Park once but my requirements were different at the time.
One vehicle that I always wanted to get but never had the opportunity is the Fox bodied “baby” LTD. I would love to read a COAL on that car. I have not seen one in person since the early 90’s.
I am curious about the Mark VIII. But if not familiar with that model it could be disastrous
And that’s exactly why I didn’t buy it.
They’re fantastic cars (if I ever get around to writing any COAL articles you’ll see the one I owned) but they can get expensive quickly if not taken care of. Still one of my all-time favorites though.
My brother as well as my dad each had a fox body LTD, both with the V6 well into the ’90’s. No rust on either, both CA cars. But it is hard for me to muster the enthusiasm to do a write up on either 🙂 Maybe I can convince my brother to do one, I think he got his in high school, had it through college and then took over our Dad’s after college for a year or two until he got a company car.
I look forward to reading it.
I had a beater 87 Caprice Estate for nearly two years and I loved it, but I thought 1988 was the first year for fuel injection. Mine was a stripper without a clock, but it had the power tailgate window. Cannot remember whether the headlight switch was backlit, but I could always find it and the door chime would ring if I had the headlights on, the doors were closed, and the engine was off. That was a bit annoying so I would turn the key to accessory mode if I had it on me then remove the key out of the slot if I needed the key ring. Yes I could remove the key while driving, the Caprice was 22 years old when I got it.
My folks 05 Kia outgassed until 2007 and it was good we bought it in the Summer so we could open all the doors and windows for about two months. Sucks that your Caprice smelled, I do not think I could handle it.
I think the later Chevy 305s had throttle body fuel injection but the 307s were carbureted until the end came after the 1990 model year when they were replaced by the restyled rounded wagons like last week’s COAL.
1989 was the first year for the 305 cid L03 TBI fuel injection in the Chevrolet Caprice. This was only available in Caprice sedans. Wagons stayed with the 307-4bbl exclusively until 1990. The new style 1991 wagons went to a L03 305 TBI engine like the sedans.
The LB4 4.3L V6 was available from 1985 as the base V6. This engine was only offered with TBI fuel injection in the Caprice/Impala.
My 92 T Bird was previously owned by a heavy smoker. It STANK.
A consumer expert I worked with told me what to do.
Get some ammonia, pour it in a cereal bowl and put it on the floor overnight with everything shut tight.
The next day, take out the bowl, disconnect the battery and open all the doors to get the ammonia smell out. Let it air for a few hours, then shampoo the interior and carpets.
Worked pretty well.
My Dad’s ’77 Caprice Estate Wagon suffered the same fate – a half-gallon of milk had somehow leaked out onto the back seat carpeting. He tried everything to get rid of that horrific smell but it never went away. That car always seemed doomed to me – it ran great (the 350 V-8 was a powerhouse) but it always had some kind of issue – broken power windows, hubcaps that flew off, moldings that wouldn’t stay on the car….etc. etc. etc…..
Interesting about the Twilight Sentinel option – my 1987 Century Limited with the “T” package had it which I never saw on another Century. The smaller, more obscure luxury options seemed to have been ordered only by specific owners, whereas dealers would order the more common options – power windows, locks, tilt, cruise, a/c, etc…. My neighbor had special ordered the Century after owning several Cadillacs. It even had rear seat reading lamps, full gauges and the white and red door courtesy lamps that were more common on the full-sized luxury models. I loved that car – it was fast, reliable and comfortable.
Driving in (big/deep) snow with this full-size rwd wagon has surprised me in positive way. It handled it lot better with the standard 15″ wheels than the same aged mid-sized rwd wagon. When these had been driven in my family, after a period I realized that for winter the full-size wagon is the only safe option. The mid-size’s snow/ice performance with the 14″ wheels was so so poor. A buddy of mine who owned at that time a mid-sized rwd wagon too, he had tried to make it safer for winter by installing bigger rear tires…
The smell was probably some animal that got into the car in the winter and died.
You are right a stench in the car can kill interest in it. I went looking at a nice low miles Chevy Colorado work truck with stick at a dealer but the former owner was a smoker. I opened up the drivers door on a hot summer’s day and the stench was over powering.
My first Caprice wagon was a twin to the yellow one in the sales brochure. It too, had odor issues, but fortunately I was able to overcome them. I bought it in the middle of winter, so it wasn’t easily discernible for months. It smelled STRONGLY of dog, and as an added bonus, the third seat carpeting smelled equally as strong of cat urine.
Much, much cleaning managed to abate that issue. That was only one of the things that was not disclosed by the seller, but at least the mechanical woes weren’t offensive like that! Still miss that car, my replacement Caprice, which is an absolute bare-bones model, just isn’t the same.
Really cool car. I love woodgrain station wagons, even those with 4 doors. I have a ’72 Pinto woodgrain wagon about the same color.
http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u415/suitcasejefferson13/Jerrys73Pinto002.jpg
I like wagons but not the fake wood exteriors. I’ll take my wagons sans wood and sans roof rack….and those are hard to find. In fact, they were hard to find even in the 70s.
I specifically like woodgrain wagons. I’ve liked them ever since the late ’60s, when I saw the real Ford Woody they used in “The Mod Squad” The personalized plate on my Pinto says “72 WOODY”
http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/u415/suitcasejefferson13/Jerrys73Pinto003.jpg
wait…
You have a Pinto station wagon?
Ralph Nader says that car will explode if you tap the rear bumper.
I concur with the statements on the 307 (I once had an ’84 Olds 98), and it was smooth and long-lived, but not a powerhouse. I could, however get in the area of 24 mpg with cruise control on long trips.
My auto tech tells me he once had to pull the heads on a 307 with 99,000 miles, and the machining marks were still visible in the cylinders.
I’ve heard that Olds engines are known for the durability of the inner parts. Something about having more nickel content in the iron/steel.
I have always thought these were among the most beautiful full-size wagons ever made, far, far ahead of the downsized big Ford wagons, which looked like boxes on wheels. Shame about the smell with this particular car, would definitely make it a no-go place for me.
We used to stock a 3M product called Woodgrain Vinyl Remover for body shops–used to sell it all the time but I can’t remember the last time we sold the product.
I worked a dealer some time back that had a deionizer, and that thing worked wonders for getting rid of odors, especially tobacco odors. Of course the cars we used it on smelled like they had been hit by lightning for a while… 🙂
For the 1988 model year all the B-body wagons and Cadillac Brougham switched to a 2.93:1 rear gear ratio in place of the former 2.73 so that is a slight power upgrade on this car. It’s also possible to find these with the optional trailer towing 3.23 rear gears which helps move these out a bit better but reduces mileage some on the highway. I always try and locate the spid label out back usually inside the spare tire cover or under the trunk lid on sedans and find out what gears I’m dealing with. A GU5 would be a 3.23 and the std 2.93 would be a GW9. You should see 23-24 MPG on the highway, especially if you have access to non ethanol gas. And important and sometimes overlooked aspect of rebuilding the carb and tuning up the 307 or any C4 equipped car is dwelling it out. Note that your oxygen sensor needs to be in perfect working order to make this adjustment with no vacuum leaks or other internal carb leaks. Using a dwell meter set on the 6 cylinder scale make sure your seeing a reading of exactly 30 degrees. If your not seeing this figure you will either be running too rich or too lean causing MPG to take a hit. To adjust the dwell you will need access to the two primary mixture screws which should have had there caps removed when the carb was rebuilt. This little adjustment made a world of difference on the MPG of my 1990 307 equipped Brougham!
My absolute favorite car, ever.
CC Effect ! .
I was over picking up pars in Burbank the other day and spotted one of these barges parked in a driveway . flat tires , faded paint , looks o.K. but prolly has a crispy interior from the sun .
-Nate