1966 Chevrolet Caprice Coupe

The Chevrolet Caprice is a full-sized automobile produced for the 1965 to 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular American car in the sixties and early seventies, which, during its lifetime, included the Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala. Introduced in mid-1965 as a luxury trim package for the Impala four-door hardtop, Chevrolet offered a full line of Caprice models for the 1966 and subsequent model years, including a "formal hardtop" coupe and an Estate station wagon. The Caprice name was coined by Bob Lund, (Chevrolet's General Sales Manager), after a classy restaurant he frequented in New York City. Some say the car was named after Caprice Chapman, daughter of auto executive and influential Indy-car official James P. Chapman.

For consignment, a 1966 Caprice fully loaded with a 396ci big block, A/C, power windows, power brakes, bucket seats, factory gauges, and an AM/FM Multiplex stereo. This well optioned example was the top of the line for Chevrolet offerings for 1966.

Exterior
Straight rust-free panels are holding on to this car's framing with well minded gaps, and wonderful respray of Willow Green paint. Typical of bow tie designers of the era, the dual headlight raked inward front grille is nice and shiny as are the bezels and bumper below. A small crimp in the metal just below the belt line runs the length of the car and adds just a slight highlight to the sides. As with the stainless rocker covering which is in beautiful rust free mounted on condition. An extra long hood and trunk make this a performance car with a large sedan feel. A hardtop painted Willow Green with nice surrounding glass trimmings and rust free, is covering the passenger compartment. On the back wrap around taillights curve and grab the corners of the rear quarters and have horizontal bands to trim them out. Badging is all correct and very nicely preserved as is the rear bumper. Standard dish wheel coverings are wrapped by thin white sidewall tires all around. Overall, for the paint, just a few nicks and scratches but overall...excellent!

Interior
A swing of the doors and it's a walk on the wild side with the snazzy design that's going on in here. Several horizontal padded stitched rectangles make up the door panel which is in Medium Turquoise. A band of chrome trimmed wood appliqué surrounds the entire door, knobs pulls, and power window toggles are installed from the factory and looking factory condition. Inside bomber style buckets wear tuck and roll inserts and buttons for some extra texture are all in the Medium Turquoise vinyl and are excellently preserved. In back a bench of the same genre is affixed and stretches from side to side. A metal grid speaker is within the center of the top of this bench. Blue carpeting is flooding the floors, and above an all original dash is affixed just below the windscreen. Clean gauges and more Medium Turquoise paint for the dash front, dance with rectangular and square deeper bezels to house the gauges and horizontal speedometer. In front, the original steering wheel is affixed. Noted in the center of the dash a cluster of square gauges cascades towards the console on the hump which has more wood appliqué the chromed T shifter, and radio controls within the lid of the glovebox that is also in the middle. Above is a dark blue headliner which is pristine and nice and tight. As noted, PS/PB/AC/AM/FM Radio and power windows are all factory installed options on this survivor which is no worse for the wear, considering its age. The trunk shows its original spatter paint, and even has the hard to find unmarried cardboard inserts for the sides of the trunk.

Drivetrain
Under the long hood is a 396ci V8 all buttoned up in a very clean and fully detailed engine bay. A Chevrolet orange/red block and valve coverings have shiny black bolt ons and supple wiring and hoses. No corrosion even on the A/C components within this engine bay is seen. A single 4-barrel carburetor feeds this big block, and on the back a TH400 3-speed automatic is strapped on and is original to the car like the engine. Way back we note a 12-bolt 2.73 gear rear axle.

Undercarriage
Some surface rust and heavy patina are noted on the stamped steel and unibody construction of this undercarriage. All is structurally sound, and a new Gardner exhaust system is now installed. Power drum brakes are all around as well as some newer looking shock absorbers within coil springs for the suspension.

Drive-Ability
She fires right up and idles without a sound. Off to the test track where it did very well on the acceleration, bias free braking, and handling. All functions were working perfectly, and one cannot help but feel an overall mood of “cool” when attracting attention with this survivor bow tie from 1966.

A truly excellent car with mostly original factory parts and all looking great right out of the 1966 showroom. A high-end car with all the options available for the time, and some power to whisk you down the superhighways for the present day.

VIN DECODE
166476C101428
1-Chevrolet
66-Caprice
47-2 Door Sport Coupe
6-1966
C-Southgate, CA Assy Plant
101428-Sequential Unit Number

TRIM TAG
09E-5th Week September Build
STYLE 6616647-1966 Caprice 2 Door Sport Coupe
BODY BC781-Southgate Body #
TRIM 848-Medium Turquoise Vinyl
PAINT KK-Artesian Turquoise
ACC C60-Air Conditioning

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.