1973 Chevrolet Caprice Estate

Discussion in 'Station Wagon Auctions, Craigs List and Other Stat' started by jwdtenn, Jul 28, 2014.

  1. jwdtenn

    jwdtenn Well-Known Member

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  2. 101Volts

    101Volts Well-Known Member

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    $6,000 asking price? I know that's what the ad says but still, is that really it?

    By the way, what would be involved monetarily (depending on what's done) in retrofitting such a car with some sort of other engine to make it get 50 MPG? Yeah I can hear the heads rolling on the floor laughing now...

    :rofl:

    Oh, there goes one! Not mine though. But still, I do believe in 50+ MPG in a 5,000 pound (or close to that) car like this. It's just a matter of knowing how.
     
  3. 1tireman

    1tireman Well-Known Member

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    1973 Caprice with a 454 V8...how to get 50 MPG? Pull it 40 miles and drive the last 10! :p
     
  4. Fat Tedy

    Fat Tedy Island Red Neck

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    It's very simple, put car on jack stands, turn engine on and place in "D" for drive, set idle just before the point of stalling, and there ya go 50 MPG after a couple hours of over heating in the drive way, or drop it out of a airplane! But then again, we don't know if this car has the triple top secrete VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII towing package and the X, Z, some times Y cross over 18' inch dual exhaust let alone over inflated Korean tires and timing set by ear for complete detonation..... if it had that, should eazy get 5 million miles @ 60 mpg uphill both ways....and don't forget the muffler bearings!
    ......happens in Ontario all the time:rofl2:
     
  5. 101Volts

    101Volts Well-Known Member

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    That's one way. Not very practical though, is it?

    I'm aware that some MPG claims just don't work, Thank you Tedy.

    ... But,

    [​IMG]

    I still hold to the belief of 50+ MPG in such a heavy car being possible (somehow) even if it sounds silly; Also that such an engine can be stone cold to the touch but hot inside. I don't know how yet though.

    [​IMG]

    I think a manual transmission + diesel engine can be a good start plus a lot of engine-off-coasting.
     
  6. Fat Tedy

    Fat Tedy Island Red Neck

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  7. 72KingswoodEstate

    72KingswoodEstate Well-Known Member

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    I love this car, I wish my '72 was a '73. Mine also has rust around the windows, very common on these cars. I hope to get mine fixed soon.

    Fuel mileage, lol. Well I drove mine about 65 miles (highway at 55 mph) on Saturday and it used 1/4 tank of gas. :)
     
  8. The Premier

    The Premier Well-Known Member

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    Yes agree, it is a shame about the rust, you can see how much water damage there is to the inside of the trim as well. I think that this would not be pretty once you got started especially around the widow channels but also to add to everything else, the engine bay is a pigsty really as well. It would be interesting to see where this car has been laying around for the past couple of decades just see how much it has been sitting out in the weather. It is a shame but it needs a lot of work, and before you started you would need to be confident that the floors etc. were not hiding any extra surprises either.
     
  9. hullinger

    hullinger Well-Known Member

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    All of that crust in the engine compartment makes me think of two possible scenarios. Either a coolant hose burst spewing antifreeze everywhere or the wagon was stored for a very long time on a dirt floor and the condensation caused the corrosion on the top of the brake booster, air cleaner....

    On another note, these clamshell tailgates and rear windows don't seal well to begin with. I can't imagine how much more water gets in when the tailgate doesn't even align properly. Sheesh!

    Chris
     
  10. Krash Kadillak

    Krash Kadillak Well-Known Member

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    Right now, the only (passenger) vehicles made that would be in that weight range would be the large GM CUV's, like the Buick Enclave. Per Edmunds, the base weight for a FWD enclave is 4,724 lbs. It's mpg rating is 17/24

    A 2015 Chevy Tahoe weighs 5,308 lbs with a mpg rating of 16/23.

    Diesel engines would probably bring these ratings up to around the 24/33 range, but some significant technology improvements would have to be made before you would get in the 50mpg area, if possible at all.

    Size and weight are your enemy. The mpg-improvement investments are going to be spent where they do the most good - smaller and lighter is the name of the game.
     
  11. 101Volts

    101Volts Well-Known Member

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    Design-wise, Having an engine which switches off at stops and is ready to go at less than a twentieth of a second's notice helps too.
     
  12. 1tireman

    1tireman Well-Known Member

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    Chrysler is offering start/stop option on 2015 200's with the 2.4
    Litre and on Grand Cherokee's with the 3.2 Penta star V6 that will
    help with fuel mileage. The engine automatically stops and starts
    in 3 tenths of a second! It is neat, just glad I don't have to work
    on these cars at the dealership anymore!
     
  13. 101Volts

    101Volts Well-Known Member

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    Huh. That is a helpful thing with fuel efficiency, I'm sure that city driving is higher with those than with engines that don't turn off.
     
  14. jwdtenn

    jwdtenn Well-Known Member

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    Price drop just hours ago to $5000. Seller finally appears ready to do some negotiating. :yup: This CE looks worth saving, but the initial price is the issue.
     
  15. 72KingswoodEstate

    72KingswoodEstate Well-Known Member

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    I wonder if he would want to trade for a 100% rust free 1993 Mercedes sedan? ;)
     

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