Hello All I've taken a look at a couple of the larger 1990's era GM wagons, and recently saw an ad for a 94 Caprice with 82000 miles on it. What are some of the things (typical body - I live in the salty Midwest - or mechanical/electrical problems) to look for when considering buying one of these cars. And what about typical values? I looked at the values on-line and saw huge gap $2500 to $4700 for a Caprice in good condition with the miles I listed above. Not sure which one of those values is closer to reality. The car wouldn't be a full time daily driver, it would be used for mostly weekend errand duty. Thanks in advance for any advice you can share.
Those wagons have the same chassis as mine. So you might want to check the fuel lines. Mine were so rusted that when I moved them they developed holes. I can't speak for those years but mine was pretty cheap at $1500. best thing is just check that everything works .
Is this just car for a short time or a secondary car? If not i.e. you will have it a long time and you will treasure it. Then get a good one. Get one that has low mileage and no rust and a very good interior. A really really nice buick 94-96 will cost around 8k and is well worth it. Sure you can buy a cheaper one but the small cost advantage of the latter will never be large enough to justify it. It's very easy to spend lots of money on rust, paint, interior and engine. I got my self a Roadmaster with 45000 miles (when I bought it) and mint interior and exterior to go along with it -- I been very very happy with the wagon... Cheers Dyna
Ditto what Dyna said. Additionally don't be afraid to crawl around and look underneath for condition. Make sure all the dash lights work especially the check engine light when you turn the key to on. It will stay on momentarily. If it doesn't pass on the car. Yes it could be a bulb but just as easily it could be a bulb removed for a reason. 82,000 is nothing for a well maintained car. If you check it out and things look normal, smell normal, drive normal, stop normal and if the price is right buy it. Don't forget to at least look at the tranny fluid, it should be red not maroon or darker. Oil should look fresh. It's always been my habit before I sell a car to service everything. Fluids, filters tune up etc. Good luck.
There is a forum for 91 to 96 Caprice & Roadmaster Wagon's here http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=21 There are tons of these wagon's still around, just find the best one at the price you can afford. Rust is the biggest problem on these wagon's and most of them rust from the inside out. A typical GM vehicle! The Roadmaster wagon's have more problems because of all the electical stuff on them, fully loaded means, fully loaded with problems! Clark No power locks, windows, seats, mirrors, antenna, rear defrost. What could go wrong with my $1500 bargain!
They rust on the bottom of the rearmost(D?)pillar and in the front of the doorjambs/bottom of the cowl. Also the steel the General used for brake and fuel lines in those days corrodes badly.
Another thing to look at is those digital speedometers, the ones that jst display how fast you're currently going. They wear out fast!
Yeah, that's happened to a few friends of mine wtih those year Roadmasters and Caprices. It's a kinda well-known problem from what I've heard.
