I know there are some good things and some bad things about the caprice. what do you think?

I actually like the 9C1 better than the Impala SS. I think the ride on the 94-96 SS is a little softer than the 9C1. That is probably a trade off for luxury.
Of course you want to make sure that you get a 5.7 9C1. The 4.3 just isn't the same. Of course the interior of the 9C1 is a LOT less comfortable than the SS. But that can be remedied with a couple of trips to the junkyard.
When I got my '91 they were still new and in use by all the major police depts. I believe the numbers were that 3 of 4 police cars were 9C1s. That was a MAJOR perk, since I was NEVER pulled over for anything. But now that they are almost nonexistent as police cars, that is not a plus.
Of course you have to contend with those who think you got the car to look like a policeman. Mine was an undercover car from Mich with two spotlights.
But if you like cruising down the freeway at high speed, there is no better car IMHO.

9C1 Caprices are geared towards performance as opposed to luxury (Impala). Interior is fairly sparse/simple but under the hood its a monster. While not the fastest thing on the road, its got a big engine (5.7L or 5.0L) that will put some wanabe hotrods to shame. I do not know of too many 9C1 with 4.3L, atleast in the early 90's, probably found mostly in civilian Caprice.

The LT1 powered 9C1 gives Impala SS performance at a fraction of the cost. A definite pro.

In my opinion the #1 con would be the poor reliability of the 94-96 models.

What reliability problems do the 94-96 models have? I heard it might having something to do with the distributor/waterpump location???

I wish Chevy would re-release the 1990 model 9C1. The newer, aerodynamic models look nice, but they are not the same. The boxy just screems "police." But any Caprice, espically a 9C1, is a magnificant vehicle.

Distributor/waterpump location is a problem. Other low mileage, high failure rate items:
transmission
G80 diff carrier
axles and bearings
steering system components
a/c components
cooling system components
cooler lines(oil,trans,steering)

Poor quality control resulted in grossly misaligned door/body panels, incorrect wheel alignment, incorrect or missing gaskets, electrical gremlins and lots of other gripes.

I base my opinion on my experience(94 lt1 9c1) my neighbors(96 SS) and reading everything I can get my hands on about these cars. Check the many automotive forums online and I think you will agree that reliability is poor for these cars.

One last comment. I love these cars! Bet you didn't expect me to say that.

In reference to the statement about poor quality, are you referring to just the '94 to 96' model, or all Caprices?

HLandin,

My research and experience is limited to the 1994 - 1996 models. Do not know about previous models.

i know of many 9c1 caprices going well over 200,000 miles without being much of a headache. I think thats reliable.

I know of many 94-96 b bodies that did not make it to 100k without needing major repairs. I think that is unacceptable.

Dodges are real pieces of shits if you ask me.

Dodges are real pieces of shits if you ask me.
What do you base this on?

I think everyone needs to be a bit more specific when making posts. General statements like "I think Dodges are a piece of shit" are too vague. What information/experience is that statement based or is it just pure speculation?

LOL. Lighten up guys. I wasn't myself at the time. Put today's dodges have poor quality.

LOL. Lighten up guys. I wasn't myself at the time. Put today's dodges have poor quality.

You will notice that I did not disagree with you, I just wanted more info.

I was not disagreeing with the statement, either.

I love the 91 and up Caprices. I had one I totaled, which was a 91 Classic with all the options and a few mods. I was smoking my friends 96 mustang when I hit a big pine tree doing over 85 mph. The only injuries I had were a bumped head and brused ego. I walked away from that but the car was undriveable. Oh! and I got a couple tickets too!!
I bought former cop car. A 92 caprice with the 5.7 engine and all the cop perks. I just took the entire interior, dash, jeather seats, carpet, and all the panels out of the 91 classic I totaled and swapped it with the crappy cop interior. I added new 19in rims and Im in the process of getting it painted.

^^^Pics, man, pics!

94-96 9C1's are definately the best for the best price, very reliable too. only problem i have ever seen with one is tune up which is not the best thing for the wallet, but i saw what needs to be replaced and considering the work involved is almost worth it. lifetime silicone hoses definately a plus, dont hafta worry bout one of those blowin out. also the oil and tranny cooler are also a plus, help the car out in the performance area. these cars are clearly built for cruisin, and its a damn shame they dont make them anymore.

Agreed, but only major changes between 94-96 and pervious years was change from L05 to LT1 engine. It was the same size, different method of fuel injection (throttle body verses multiport injection) to improve performance. Oil and transmission chillers/coolers came with police package since the 80's.

The comment about Dodges must be about the new ones, all my Mopar Police cars I have owned, (about 20 of them ) were screamers, and extremely reliable. Now about the Chevy 9C1 's I have had just 3 in the last 10 years, a 1990 the I purchased new from the dealer, I sold it at 75K and the new owner is still driving it with about 190K. I did have a tranny go at 40K. But from the police mechanics at my garage they say thats normal, they either go at 30-40k or never go bad. I also had a 1991 9C1 wagon with over 285K, never had anything major go with the engine or trans, the alternator bearing went at about 185K, but I had to retire it, because everthing was rotting out, after I replaced the brake lines, the gas tank fell out, so that was that. I purchased a used 1992 9C1 for my brother in California, he drove it out there in 1998, and we just brought it back last summer. It has about 165K on it and most of the problems have been minor. Same problem with rotting out, replaced the radiator, exhaust, and the tranny speedo gear, minor problems with the rear windows. Car still has original water pump, replaced the alternator,because it was making bearing noises. As with most cars, the police cars are the same, either you get a good one or a lemon.
Now going back to the Dodges, I can't wait for the 5.9L monster that they are supposed to build on the Intrepeid chassis!

by the way, the spotlights and the little thing that makes the speedometer turn off for undercover are kicka$$ too :)