Repair-It

1992 Chevy Caprice Classic sedan - $1500.00 Solid, good handling, nice riding car with 110K miles. Engine runs strong and body is good. Spring coils and body mounts just redone. Other recent maintenance include brakes, fuel pump and filter, air filter, and plugs and wires, all-season tires (1 yr old). Usually drives well, but currently bucking. (Tim)

The engine is the V8 350 (5.7). The rear panels look pretty good, although there could be rust. Looks good from the trunk side.

Attached is a picture. Someone had hit and cracked the rear bumper in a parking lot as you can see in the picture, shortly before my daughter decided to sell it.

The Caprice - in all models - is available with only one transmission: GM's four-speed overdrive automatic, one of the best automatics available. The gear ratios, combined with the engine's ample torque, allow for energetic departures from stoplights as well as relaxed cruising.

The LTZ packs two major surprises: performance and handling. It's unexpected when something as unwieldy looking as the Caprice performs as well as it does.

STEERING, HANDLING

Rear-wheel-drive cars weighing more than 2 tons traditionally have handled about as well as a barge. The Caprice Classic LTZ is a rear-wheel-drive car that weighs better than 2 tons but can slice through curves without squealing tires and without tossing occupants and cargo from side to side. The LTZ's handling is tight, smooth, predictable and solid.

Much of the difference between the LTZ and the regular Caprice is in its suspension system. The LTZ basically is a police car - minus the high output 350 V-8. (Chevrolet is not offering the 5.7-liter 350 engine that is in the police Caprice to the public.)

''People have been asking us why we don't refine the police car and make it available to civilians. So we asked ourselves, why not,'' said Jim Perkins, Chevy's general manager.

The LTZ's rear-end ratio allows the car to accelerate quicker than regular models. There are also heavy-duty brakes, a heavier frame, different tires, a bigger radiator and a transmission oil cooler.
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Before you write off the Caprice because you don't like its looks, take the LTZ for a test drive. You may be surprised.

Standard equipment includes anti-lock brakes; power brakes and steering;

driver-side air bag; air conditioning; automatic transmission; power windows and door locks with keyless remote function, so all you need do is push the ``lock`` or ``unlock`` button on the key fob to open or close the doors;

dual power mirrors; AM/FM stereo with power antenna; 15-inch speed-rated Goodyear Eagle GT+4 steel-belted radials; intermittent wipers; visor vanity mirrors; tinted glass; trip odometer; bodyside moldings; and Scotchgard fabric protection.

Options on the test car included an electric rear-window defogger with heated dual outside rear-view mirrors for $195, and option package No. 2 for $1,683 that included a Bose sound system, power seats, cruise control, tilt steering, twilight sentinel headlamps, illuminated passenger`s vanity mirror, reading lamps, compass in the inside rear-view mirror, color-keyed front and rear floor mats, and inside trunk opener. Two-tone paint ran $141. The sticker read $21,314, plus a $535 freight charge.

A word of warning: The LTZ isn`t for everybody. The bulk of Caprice owners are past the age of 50 and may not relish the stiff suspension and higher-effort power steering.