1981 Caprice with 4.4 Litre Motor - $800 - Rochester, NY

No pics but the ad says the seller will send some if asked.

http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/4298781490.html

 

4.4 ltr. V8!? I don't think I knew until now that Chevy ever put so feeble a V8 in the Caprice wagon (other than the diesel, that is). It must be an absolute slug with that engine - a measly 115 hp.

From Wikipedia:

The base V8 engine was new for 1980. The 4.4 L 267 cu in V8 rated at 115 hp (86 kW) and was the standard engine for station wagons. This engine had a Rochester Dualjet carburetor, and was not available in California. The 2-barrel carburetor on the 305 cu in (5.0 L) V8 was replaced with a four-barrel increasing the 305's output to 155 hp (116 kW). This was now the most powerful engine option (standard on California station wagons), as the 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 was no longer available, except as part of the police package option. The Oldsmobile-built 350 cu in Diesel V8 was added to the option list for station wagons. This engine was rated at 105 hp (78 kW) and 205 lb·ft (278 N·m). To further increase fuel economy, all transmissions were equipped with an electronically controlled lock-up torque converter clutch.

Could this really weak engine '81 CE wagon look like this?

 

Yes, They were made. I read about it on Automobile-catalog.com once.

 

I'm equally surprised

 

Just try to imagine how impossibly lame the acceleration was on a 1981 Caprice wagon was with just 115 hp.?!

 

I had an '80 sedan with the 267 engine and TH350C (lockup) transmission. It was completely worn out but I thought it was just as good as a 2-barrel 305 (had that in a '78 Impala wagon) or the wheezing Olds 307's in most other B-body wagons.

The purpose for the 267 V8 engine was to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy, so it was made from the 305 (made from the 350). They did the same thing with the Pontiac 301 (265) and even Ford shrunk their 302 (255). They even made cut down V6 engines. 196/198 cid Chevy and Buick V6's cut down from the 229 and 231.

Unlike the Oldsmobile 260cid V8 (available since about 1976-1977) which is not very interchangeable with other Olds V8's (307-350-403), the 267 can use just about any 305/350 part. Does this mean you can take the heads and intake and exhaust manifolds off a late 90s Vortec 350 and slap it all on the 267? Maybe, maybe not. I haven't seen it done, because NO ONE LIKES THE 267.

It's one of those orphans. Like the Dodge/Plymouth Colt Vistas, Daihatsus, Edsels, and every other discontinued car and engine, no one pays it any mind.

 

The one good thing about this engine is it's the traditional Chevy small block. Swapping in a 305 or 350 would be a bolt-in (and most people wouldn't be able to tell just by looking).