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1966 Chevy Caprice Sitting in an Open Barn Needs Love More Than Anything Else

Back in 1958, Chevrolet embraced a strategy that worked like a charm. The GM brand launched the now-famous Impala as a version of Bel Air, giving the new nameplate the right exposure in the automotive market.
1966 Chevy Caprice 8 photos
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/eBay seller johnnsullende5
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Bel Air was already a superstar, so by making Impala part of the same family, Chevrolet was almost certain customers would eventually check it out.

And they did, with the Impala becoming an overnight success, eventually evolving to a full series only a year later. In 1965, Impala was crowned the king of car sales in the United States, shipping more than one million units in a single year.

Chevrolet tried the same approach one more time with Caprice. Sold as an Impala version in 1965, Caprice was promoted to a separate series a year later. Unfortunately, this didn't work exactly as planned, as Caprice never matched Impala's market performance. If anything, Caprice more or less cannibalized the Impala, causing a drop in sales because it was no longer part of the same family.

A first-year Caprice is here to prove to us the stand-alone series status was totally deserved, though as you'll discover by just looking at the photo gallery, it won't be able to do this without major fixes.

The car has been sitting in what looks like an open barn for a very long time. A car parked on grass can mean just one thing: rust has probably invaded the undersides, so expect massive damage on this front. In fact, the seller themselves admits this Chevy Caprice needs completely new floors, but you should also be prepared for major fixes in the cabin and in the trunk.

This 2-door hardtop has probably been abandoned for quite some time, so it probably needs some love more than anything else. But if it ever wants to get on the road, it also needs an engine, as the original unit is long gone. It most likely donated the powerplant to another project, so now you'll need to find a worthy V8 to help breathe new life into this once mesmerizing Caprice.

The good news is the car is likely to sell for cheap. The auction published by eBay seller johnnsullende5 starts at $999, but a reserve is also in place, so the selling price is probably higher. However, it can't be much higher given the current condition of this Caprice and the missing parts (including the engine), so I wouldn’t expect the car to sell for more than $2,000. The vehicle is parked in West Union, Ohio, for anyone who wants to see it in person, and anyone thinking of taking it home also needs to take care of towing due to obvious reasons.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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