Caprice engine swap?

[kevm14]

Here is a list of 750iL's that I can afford (under $3k).

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/ ... 93102.html
http://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5371716305.html
http://huntsville.craigslist.org/cto/5386021788.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/5385554815.html
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ctd/5381344191.html
http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/5361577699.html

The one in Norwood is actually something I can test drive without driving for hours, and it's also in my price range. The check engine light is on, which is exciting.

These are still available:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/ ... 93102.html
http://huntsville.craigslist.org/cto/5386021788.html
The "LS swap" one

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ctd/5381344191.html

And the rest under $3k:
http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/5398750670.html
246k

-The check engine light is on and has been for as long as I own the car. This is common for a car of this mileage. I drive the car all the time. There is nothing wrong; no fault codes.

huh?

http://eastnc.craigslist.org/cto/5406137803.html
Could be a good buy if it doesn't have a blown head gasket from running hot...

http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5408043580.html
42k, hydrolocked. Does that mean flood? Or head gasket? $2500, appears to have been very well maintained at least.

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5386504961.html
$1200, "needs a tuneup"

http://westky.craigslist.org/cto/5389766932.html
$1500, alarming amount of typos but seems to indicate zero problems, and only 125k

[kevm14]

Some Fleetwoods.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5369813922.html
1990, looks great, 46k! Only $1,500? I wonder if it is the L05. They usually say because it is a big selling point.

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/5381944421.html
Not much of a description and $3k firm

http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/5352833042.html
Not the one...

http://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/5405500594.html
Limo, comes with horns preinstalled. Literally, as a selling point.

I am actually less excited about these because you can't really buy a nice one cheap.

[kevm14]

1993 Fleetwoods:

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/5409559801.html
A very clean 93 with 94k. $2,800. I see some body damage at the passenger front corner. Also the seller claims LT1, which is clearly not true.

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/5357939948.html
Another clean 93 with 140k. $2,395.

http://onslow.craigslist.org/cto/5395393047.html
Not much description but I guess it is in good shape, aside from being a little blurry. $1,600.

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5397003759.html
$2,800, seems decently clean.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5402906342.html
55k, uses stock photo. $1,500...

1994s:
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/5375651555.html
Ha, drove home from accident.

http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/5405981052.html
Seems clean, $3,000

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/5398829327.html
"cleeean." And then I find rust on the body.

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5382096047.html
$3,000

http://myrtlebeach.craigslist.org/cto/5371688412.html
Appears to be a non-Brougham. Needs tuneup. $1,300.

1995s:
http://macon.craigslist.org/cto/5400658099.html
Seems quite clean, $3,250.

http://macon.craigslist.org/cto/5397638125.html
Another non-Brougham potentially

http://frederick.craigslist.org/cto/5383766228.html

Good condition and runs great

$2,900

http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/5416035944.html

Replace head gaskets intake gasket water pump new alternator new water pump new plug new wires new distributor tires on warrany till june under 1 yr old. Have all receipts from past owners 220000 miles car was drive from ky to fl. Came from olhdam co.

$2,500

1996s:
http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/5407574702.html
Limo! Has the mid-row situation. Maybe this is enough doors for me (6). Great shape, $3k.

http://albany.craigslist.org/cto/5409227543.html
Seems like he started the water pump and opti project and decided he doesn't want the car anymore. Looks nice from what I can see. Oddly has 90-92 Brougham hubcaps. 130k. $1,200, has parts. Could be interesting if I had a way to tow it.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5410578127.html
Seems clean, $2,900.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/5383119261.html
Also seems clean but needs opti. $2,999. Gold package. Guy says he has 3. Also says this one came from Miami (explains the gold package).

http://akroncanton.craigslist.org/cto/5393965161.html
Seems clean but needs rear brake line? $2,500

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/5364477609.html
Another limo. Mid-body jump seats rather than the extra row. Which means insane rear seat legroom. Only $1,400!

http://rockford.craigslist.org/cto/5374451239.html
A major selling point in this one is that the LT1 is "not the trouble some Northstar." $2,800.

Is it me or are these getting priced pretty tightly at the upper end of $2k or around $3k?

[Bob]

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5369813922.html
1990, looks great, 46k! Only $1,500? I wonder if it is the L05. They usually say because it is a big selling point.

Not much info in the ad in general, so maybe they don't know about the L05. Could be a diamond in the rough.

[Adam]

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5369813922.html
1990, looks great, 46k! Only $1,500? I wonder if it is the L05. They usually say because it is a big selling point.

Not much info in the ad in general, so maybe they don't know about the L05. Could be a diamond in the rough.

Its the right color. Maybe you can get them to send you a picture of the SPID?

[bill25]

Wow! That is nice. What would you do with it? Drive as is, LS swap, something in between?

LS swap would be decent money and time, and you really aren't going to have something super sporty, but you would have a very comfortable, reliable, and fairly quick, classy car. I think you would have to be "all-in" with this body-style/car to invest that much time and money into it.

As is will probably be kind of slow and underwhelming. I don't know the stats on this car but they weren't known for performance.

Is there a decent middle ground?

[bill25]

Stats are not very exciting, something would have to be done...

According to Edmunds:

CURB WEIGHT
4283 lbs.

BASE ENGINE SIZE:
5.0 L V8

TORQUE
255 ft-lbs. @ 2000 rpm

HORSEPOWER
140 hp @ 3200 rpm

[bill25]

I guess it could have this:
1990–1992: 5.7 litres (350 cu in) L05/LLO FI V8, 175 to 185 hp (130 to 138 kW; 177 to 188 PS)

Not sure that would be enough.

[kevm14]

Yes, that's the optional L05. They drive great with the L05. In 90, the Olds 307 was the "5.0L." They never fuel injected the 307. From 91-92 the 5.0L was the Chevy 305 w/ TBI (L03). That had 170hp. The L05 is what you want in these cars. Although the L03 is probably miles ahead of the 307, too.

The 80s ones were either the HT4100 or 307. In that case, the 307 was the desirable choice, even though the HT4100 had fuel injection. But the Brougham suffered even worse indignities with a Buick 4.1L V6 in the early 80s alongside the 368 V8-6-4. The 368, by the way, had notable ancestors such as the Cadillac 472 and famous 500 big block. But the 368 had only 150 hp. To get anything of any substance, you have to go back to the original downsized 77-79 D-body. The 425, which was available in 4bbl or analog multiport fuel injection had a halfway respectable 195 hp and 320 lb-ft. The 77-79 had one other notable feature: 4 wheel disc brakes. That was a real oddity because GM didn't offer disc brakes on a D-Body ever again, and it wasn't until the 94-96 9C1 and Impala SS that they offered them on the B-body at all.

Problem with the analog fuel injection is, you don't really get the full benefit of the later digital throttle body systems. The old systems often require TLC to work properly. Also, you were stuck with the ancient Turbo 400 trans. Reliable, but with the long gearing the car wasn't going to be fast.

Contrast that to the 90-92 L05 and you got most of the power and torque of the old 425 but with modern gearing and a 4 speed OD trans. That is why I say they "drive great."

That 90 has got to be the 307. I could text...

[kevm14]

a 90-92 Brougham d'Elegance in certain color combos with the real wire wheels.....oh yeah.

This one is not the d'Elegance but has the wire wheels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2vCnGMDOwg

Of course GM crippled the 90-92 with those BS seatbelts. At least they aren't motorized. Not 100% sure GM really meant for you to leave them buckled all the time...that's just weird. The 90 Caprice had these, too, I believe. Any 1990+ car without a driver's side airbag has some kind of BS seatbelt situation.

The 90-92 Brougham was really the only thing you could buy that was still very much 70s in the interior and styling. But the fanciness that they have (that some folks say the 93-96 Fleetwood was missing) isn't really that fancy. Other than the extra padded seats of the d'Elegance, the wood, for example, was the same plastic crap you'd expect in the 70s and 80s. It looked OK I guess.

They did keep the manual telescoping steering wheel through 1992, which was cool. Also ABS was available, which was surprising given the old school everything else (no airbags ever, no traction control).

Fun fact: these were actually a Cadillac Brougham. They didn't become a Fleetwood again until 1993 when the FWD Fleetwood went away. Brougham became an optional package (which most had).