1966 Chevrolet Caprice 2 Door Hardtop  

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 nicely equipped 1966 Caprice hardtop with a rebuilt 327ci small block, A/C, power windows, power brakes, a single repaint in the 70's or 80's, factory gauges, and the original interior.  This well optioned example was the top of the line for Chevrolet offerings for 1966, has been lowered for that slow and low look, (which it certainly isn't), comes with its build sheet, and is a standout among the stars here in our overstuffed Hallowed Halls.

Exterior
Fairly straight panels are holding on to this car's framing with well minded gaps, and a  wonderful respray of the correct Marina Blue paint.  Some bubbling of rust and prior bodywork is noted in the lowers and we see light bubbling and chip offs at the bottoms of each of the long lean doors.  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 with factory correct black painted pinstriping 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 hardtop feel.  A hardtop covered in correct black vinyl 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.  Rarely seen 16-inch Chevrolet Rally wheels are wrapped by thin white sidewall Continental tires from the 24th week of 2021 all around.  Even with the flaws in the paint the finish on this car is looking good.

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 and buttoned rectangles make up the door panel which is in black.  A band of chrome trimmed wood appliqué surrounds the entire door, knobs pulls, and window cranks are installed from the factory and looking factory condition.  Inside, a split back front bench seat is dressed to the nines with tuck and roll charcoal inserts with buttons for some extra texture are all in black 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.  Black carpeting is flooding the floors, and above an all original dash is affixed just below the windscreen.  Clean gauges along with the factory tachometer and more black paint for the dash front dance with rectangular and square deeper bezels to house the gauges and horizontal speedometer.  In front, a 3 spoke steering wheel is affixed, but the original wheel comes with your purchase.  Noted in the center of the dash, a black trimmed aftermarket AM/FM radio resides and just below are the factory AC/heater slides.  This divides a bank of applique that runs under the steering column holding a few knobs and pulls and to the right is dressed under and on the face of the glovebox door.  Above is a black headliner which is pristine and nice and tight.  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 rebuilt consignor stated 350hp, rebuilt by R&R machine in Boyertown, PA, 327ci V8 all buttoned up in a very clean and fully detailed engine bay.  A Chevrolet orange/red block and ribbed aluminum valve coverings have shiny black and silver bolt ons and supple wiring and hoses.  No corrosion even on the A/C components within this engine bay is seen.  A single Holley 600cfm 4-barrel carburetor feeds this small block via an Edelbrock intake and we note Edelbrock E-Street aluminum cylinder heads.  On the back a Powerglide 2-speed automatic is strapped on and is original to the car.  Way back we note a 10-bolt 3.36 geared rear axle.  For the AC system we note a new retro-fit compressor, new lines and a new condenser, dryer, and receiver all within the last year.

Undercarriage
Some surface rust and patina along with some road dirt are noted on the stamped steel flooring, inner rockers and solid frame construction of this undercarriage.  All is structurally sound, and a Tru-Ram exhaust manifolds with glasspack equipped dual exhaust system is now installed.  A power front disc brake conversion has been added onto the front 3" drop spindles, tubular control arms and Aldan America coil springs and shocks.  In the rear we note a 4 link arrangement with cut coil springs and power drum brakes for the suspension and braking.

Drive-Ability
She fired right up and idled without a sound, well with the exception of that menacing gurgle from the dual exhaust.  Off to the test track where it did very well on the acceleration, exhibited bias free braking, and provided very adept 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 nearly all the options available for the time, and some power to whisk you down the superhighways for the present day.

166476Y175696

1-Chevrolet
66-Caprice V8
47-2 Door Hardtop
6-1966
Y-Wilmington, DE Assy Plant
175696-Sequential Unit Number

TRIM TAG

02C-3rd Week February
STYLE 66 16647-1966 Caprice 2 Door Hardtop
B)DY BW05705-Wilmington Body #
TRIM 817E-Black Vinyl, Black Top
PAINT F-Marina Blue
C60-Air Conditioning

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 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.