Chrome Show: 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon – Sold?

January 10, 2023, Update – We confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride is “Sold?” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

The saying goes, “This is not your grandmother’s Caprice.” For all the Caprice Estates we see come up for grabs in stock or near-stock condition, we don’t see many that are modified to any significant degree (at least not consistently). The seller of this baby blue 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Wagon has decided not to stick with the traditional look of woodgrain side panels and hubcaps over steel wheels, opting to live that wagon life on 22-inch chrome wheels with an upgraded stereo inside and Flowmaster exhaust outside for some additional boom-boom. Do you like your Caprice wagon with some additional attitude baked in to dispel the grandma notion, or is bone stock the only way to roll? We spotted this Caprice in November 2022 on Craigslist near Los Angeles, where the Caprice was once listed for $8,500. Comparing that price against the Classic.com model guide shows us that the seller is not far off with an average sale price of $7,583:

A conundrum can affect owners of desirable classic and vintage cars, and that’s the decision to modify what has become a vehicle that more and more owners are leaving (or returning) to bone-stock condition. The reason for this is the belief that a car that looks completely stock is more desirable to more buyers; that is, the majority of the car enthusiast community prefers a virgin example over one that’s been personalized. There was a time when a vehicle like a Chevrolet Caprice estate wagon wasn’t impacted by whether it was stock or not; it was just a used car after a certain point, and you could shove it over the side of a major water crossing, and no one would lose much sleep. That’s all changed in recent years as the Caprice and its corporate siblings from Buick and Oldsmobile have emerged as legitimate collector cars, the last of the breed of long-roof dinosaurs that many of us of a certain age recall being carried to school in. Here’s the conundrum: for the time you own a certain car, if modifying it brings you joy, should you distract yourself with what the purists think?

The MotorWeek Retro Review YouTube Channel features this vintage test drive of the 1991 Chevrolet Caprice station wagon:

So, this Caprice presents a dilemma because part of me really likes how the seller pulled off building a modified long roof that isn’t a European model. Sure, we see Audis and Mercedes all day long slammed on oversized wheels, and no one says a word. But to see a Caprice wagon get to play dress-up? That never happens. Now, the question about this example is the quality of the modifications, as we see some questionable choices: blue window tint is never OK, even if your ride is blue. And while it has some aftermarket amps that are sure to help with the audio quality in the cabin, the amps themselves look like they’ve been haphazardly chucked into a storage compartment. That said, even though they are somewhat flashy, the wheels capture a look that walks the line between excessive and period-correct for a big-body domestic. The seller also mentions that it has a Flowmaster exhaust and a rear end from a 1996 Impala SS. The interior is super clean, the paintwork looks better than decent, and I love rolling through town in a bad-ass Caprice wagon. What about you?

Here’s the seller’s description:

“Clean caprice wagon. lots of custom, from the steering wheel, spoiler sunroof, sound system with amp’s,eq,and subs,blue tint all around(windshield also),flow master’s with dual chevy tips,1996 impala s s rear end with blue calipers and slotted and drilled rotors all around.new a/c compressor,22″irocs tires like new.a head turner for sure.only selling for a business venture.“

Custom touches: would you drive this Caprice wagon as-is or ditch the seller’s modifications before taking the wheel?