Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Convertible on 2040-cars

Year:1973 Mileage:17000
Location:

Innisfil, Ontario, Canada

Innisfil, Ontario, Canada

 This is a 1973 Caprice Classic Convertible that has been in my family since the mid 70's...we are the second owners...mileage is actually about 117000.

I grew up in this car and wanted my children to do the same, that's why when I started the restoration, money was no object...I wanted the car to be as close to original as possible, so they would experience the car as I did...But as the saying goes, s_ _ t happens! 

In 2009 after spending over $28,000(including labor) to get the car to the condition you see in the pics, I had to stop the restoration before it could be finished(physical and financial reasons). Car was being restored to be a very clean driver, not a trailer queen.

The car still needs to be gone through. It hasn't even gone on it's maiden voyage yet to get all the kinks worked out. The way you see her in the pics is the way I got her back from the shop when I had the restoration stopped in November 2009. She still needs finishing touches and the new owner will have to do a little work but the majority of the hard work has been done and with your added small investment you will have a great deal for half of what I put into it.

As noted above, during the restoration the cowl tag was loose and got lost

Anyone familiar with the 73 Caprice knows it doesn't share certain parts with other years and they can be expensive. When just over 7000 were produced it doesn't help when those parts aren't supported by the restoration industry(at least when I started the resto). For example: Cost to rechrome front and rear bumbers and polish brightwork...$5500, NOS grills...$1100 and NOS wheel well moldings...$700.

I have a lot of extra parts, some that still have to go on the car, that will go with the car...original, used and NOS...it's a few boxes...about $1500 worth.

Here is everything done to the car that I can remember:

MOTOR is the Numbers Matching 400 2bbl and was rebuilt from top to bottom(air cleaner to oil pan). Other new parts in the engine bay include:

 - new hoses, belts and tower style clamps, under hood insulation

 - new wiper motor, washer pump

 - new master cylinder, power booster, alternator, battery and starter

 - new rad and A.I.R. injection pump

BODY has all rust free panels, fenders, doors, trunk lid and hood. The quarters are reproduction. Car was painted the original shade of dark green, looks great on this body. Front grills are NOS, tail lights are mix of original and NOS. Front and rear bumpers along with the bumperettes were rechromed and all trim was polished except the trim at the base of the convertible top. Lower body trim has been cleaned, just needs the painted black stripe applied. I never had them installed because I found 2 NOS pieces and was looking for the other 6. Buyer can finish as he/she pleases as they will get all the pieces.

CONVERTIBLE top frame was cleaned up, painted and had a new header bow added along with the new original style convertible top material, glass window and new well liner and weatherstrip pieces. Instead of buying a new electric top motor I had the original electric top motor rebuilt because the housing has a date code stamped on it...new top relay was also installed.

INTERIOR floor has a patch put in on the drivers side. The floor was then cleaned up and sprayed with rust preventative paint before adding the new factory style sound deadening under the new original style carpet. The front and rear seats were covered in NOS material I found at SMS Auto Interiors and finished in the exact pattern of the originals. The rear side panels have holes cut in them for speakers that my father had installed years ago...don't know if I still have the speakers, might have lost them in the resto, I will include them if I find them.

TRUNK was cleaned up, had a small patch put in and then covered with GM splatter paint.

SUSPENSION items that were worn out were replaced.

BRAKES are new front and rear...new pads, shoes, rotors, calipers, wheel cylinders and brake lines all the way up to the master.

TIRES are new and you also get 3 sets of the original hubcaps...the original set, a very nice used set that looks NOS that is on the car and an NOS set.

List of items I noticed need to be finished or addressed:

1 - top worked before the resto and once the new top was added but about one month after I got the car back, I tried to put it down but the top only moved about 8 inches. I sent the electric motor out to Hydro-e-lectric and they told me the motor was a little week but still good...I had it rebuilt anyway and also a new relay added but it still only moves about 8 inches. I remember never having any problem with the top so it has to be some kind of adjustment but I can't afford to have someone look at it...remember that's why we're here at auction.

2 - shifter is a little sloppy going into gear...don't know if it's adjustment or vacuum or ??

3 - turn signals need bulbs.

4 - plastic piece between front bumper and header panel has spiders in paint(see pic)

5 - some light scratches the size of a 50cent piece at the bottom of the passenger side door right where the lower body side molding goes...so it would be covered.

6 - there is a leak in the small A.I.R. injection tube that goes into the drivers side exhaust manifold.

7 - stereo needs to be connected...speakers are missing...I will include them if I find them.

8 - sill plates need to be installed

9 - needs the cowl screens

As I said above, the car still hasn't had it's first ride down the two lane blacktop to work out all the kinks...just cant afford to finish and insure her...that's why we're here. 


I have sold a couple of rare cars on ebay and both buyers said the cars looked better in person over my description. Maybe I'm picky but I try not to leave anything out in my description as I don't want the buyer to have any surprises.


If I have missed anything or you have any concerns, please ask and I will try my best to answer your questions.


I reserve the right to end the auction early as I have the car for sale locally.

Buyer is responsible for paying and arranging for vehicle pickup.

Car is sold AS IS, NO WARRANTY included, implied or sold.


PAYMENT


All moneys must be transferred into CANADIAN FUNDS.

DEPOSIT - A NON REFUNDABLE $500 deposit is due within 24hrs of the end of the auction....You may use PAYPAL ONLY FOR THE DEPOSIT!

BALANCE - is due within 5 days of the end of the auction and must be via WIRE TRANSFER, CERTIFIED CHECK OR CASH IN PERSON.....NO PAYPAL FOR THE BALANCE!

In case of Wire Transfer or Certified Check, the car will be released once funds have cleared my bank.

Thank you and good luck bidding.

 

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IIHS: High numbers of drivers treat partially automated cars as fully self-driving

Tue, Oct 11 2022

WASHINGTON — Drivers using advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla Autopilot or General Motors Super Cruise often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving despite warnings, a new study has found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry funded group that prods automakers to make safer vehicles, said on Tuesday a survey found regular users of Super Cruise, Nissan/Infiniti ProPILOT Assist and Tesla Autopilot "said they were more likely to perform non-driving-related activities like eating or texting while using their partial automation systems than while driving unassisted." The IIHS study of 600 active users found 53% of Super Cruise, 42% of Autopilot and 12% of ProPILOT Assist owners "said that they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving." About 40% of users of Autopilot and Super Cruise — two systems with lockout features for failing to pay attention — reported systems had at some point switched off while they were driving and would not reactivate. "The big-picture message here is that the early adopters of these systems still have a poor understanding of the technologyÂ’s limits," said IIHS President David Harkey. The study comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is scrutinizing Autopilot crashes. Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations involving 18 deaths in crashes involving Tesla vehicles and where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla says Autopilot does not make vehicles autonomous and is intended for use with a fully attentive driver who is prepared to take over. GM, which in August said owners could use Super Cruise on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023, did not immediately comment. IIHS said advertisements for Super Cruise focus on hands-free capabilities while Autopilot evokes the name used in passenger airplanes and "implies TeslaÂ’s system is more capable than it really is." IIHS in contrast noted ProPILOT Assist "suggests that itÂ’s an assistance feature, rather than a replacement for the driver." NHTSA and automakers say none of the systems make vehicles autonomous. Nissan said its name "is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on operation.

Bring back the Bronco! Trademarks we hope are actually (someday) future car names

Tue, Mar 17 2015

Trademark filings are the tea leaves of the auto industry. Read them carefully – and interpret them correctly – and you might be previewing an automaker's future product plans. Yes, they're routinely filed to maintain the rights to an iconic name. And sometimes they're only for toys and clothing. But not always. Sometimes, the truth is right in front of us. The trademark is required because a company actually wants to use the name on a new car. With that in mind, here's a list of intriguing trademark filings we want to see go from paperwork to production reality. Trademark: Bronco Company: Ford Previous Use: The Bronco was a long-running SUV that lived from 1966-1996. It's one of America's original SUVs and was responsible for the increased popularity of the segment. Still, it's best known as O.J. Simpson's would-be getaway car. We think: The Bronco was an icon. Everyone seems to want a Wrangler-fighter – Ford used to have a good one. Enough time has passed that the O.J. police chase isn't the immediate image conjured by the Bronco anymore. Even if we're doing a wish list in no particular order, the Bronco still finds its way to the top. For now (unfortunately), it's just federal paperwork. Rumors on this one can get especially heated. The official word from a Ford spokesman is: "Companies renew trademark filings to maintain ownership and control of the mark, even if it is not currently used. Ford values the iconic Bronco name and history." Trademarks: Aviator, AV8R Company: Ford Previous Use: The Aviator was one of the shortest-run Lincolns ever, lasting for the 2003-2005 model years. It never found the sales success of the Ford Explorer, with which it shared a platform. We Think: The Aviator name no longer fits with Lincoln's naming nomenclature. Too bad, it's better than any other name Lincoln currently uses, save for its former big brother, the Navigator. Perhaps we're barking up the wrong tree, though. Ford has made several customized, aviation themed-Mustangs in the past, including one called the Mustang AV8R in 2008, which had cues from the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter jet. It sold for $500,000 at auction, and the glass roof – which is reminiscent of a fighter jet cockpit – helped Ford popularize the feature. Trademark: EcoBeast Company: Ford Previous Use: None by major carmakers.

Recharge Wrap-up: NEDC's NOx problems, autonomous Chevy Volts

Mon, Dec 7 2015

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) found a significant difference in NOx emissions in Euro 6 diesel cars in NEDC and WLTC testing. While 88 percent of the cars tested met emissions standards for NEDC, NOx emissions averaged five times higher under WLTC, with only 27 percent of vehicles under the limit. WLTC is considered to be a more realistic driving cycle, using hot starts and factoring a higher top speed as well as harder and more frequent accelerations than the NEDC. Read more at Green Car Congress.GM Canada will build a fleet of autonomous 2017 Chevrolet Volts. The self-driving Volts will be deployed for testing at GM's Warren, Michigan Technical Center. Employees will be able to use a carsharing app to reserve a car, which will then drive itself to the set destination. The project will allow GM to collect important data and experience to help the company more quickly develop autonomous driving technology. Read in a press release more from GM Canada, or at Green Car Congress.Carwatt is showing an electric Renault Trafic powered by second-life batteries at the COP21 environmental summit in Paris. The lithium-ion batteries used to power the EV were recycled from other Renault EVs. With the electric Trafic, Carwatt – a company that converts vehicles to use electric power – aims to demonstrate the "circular economy" of batteries, which can provide more value through a longer lifecycle. Read more in the press release below. Carwatt presents a unique automotive application for second-life batteries from electric vehicles. On the sidelines of the COP21 summit, in the Solutions Gallery running from 2 to 9 December 2015 in Le Bourget near Paris, Carwatt and its partners —Renault, Paris City Council, BPI France, the Ales Ecole des Mines Engineering School, and the Bobigny Business Campus — are showing a very special electric Renault Trafic. This prototype vehicle, the only one of kind in the world, is powered by second-life lithium-ion batteries recycled from Renault electric cars. Circular economy at work with electric vehicles When, over time, the batteries of a Renault electric vehicle fall the performance threshold specified for their initial automotive power duty (around 75% of initial capacity), they can still provide valuable service in "second-life" applications before end-of-life disposal at a recycling centre. Experiments are already under way on power storage applications, for example.