86 caprice classic sedan

i just got an 86 caprice classic sedan - for free. the car seems to run strong, but there is some physical rust. the trunk has some spots where the rust has eaten through, but not bad enough that i can't fix myself. the engine bay is where i'm concerned. the wheelwells are rusted fairly bad - but most of it is severe surface rust. there are very few spots where the rust has eaten through the body itself. also, i need to replace the front door handles on each door. what is the simplest way to do this? the window handles in the front of the car move, but the windows don't go down - is this b/c the windows are off of the track? also, the tail lights only light up when the headlights are on. the brake lights themselves do not operate at all. is this just a fuse? where is the fuse box located? how much horsepower am i looking at with this car, and how fuel efficient is this car? it was free - and i plan on putting some money into it to make it a badass car. thanks for the help guys. i'll post pics as soon as i can get them on my computer.

If it's a V8 305 engine, it'll get 22-23 mpg highway and 14 city. That's what I get in my 85 Caprice V8 305. My window came off the track once and fell down halfway, didn't get stuck in the "up" position like yours.

Wow, lots of issues here. Let's have a look.

i just got an 86 caprice classic sedan - for free. the car seems to run strong, but there is some physical rust. the trunk has some spots where the rust has eaten through, but not bad enough that i can't fix myself. the engine bay is where i'm concerned. the wheelwells are rusted fairly bad - but most of it is severe surface rust. there are very few spots where the rust has eaten through the body itself.

Rust = Death

There's no part of a car that cannot be fixed as long as you have the $$$. When you have rust that you can "see", you need to look even harder in the places that you can't readily see. Floorboards, inside door panels, rockers, etc. It's not gonna be cheap if you want the job done right.



also, i need to replace the front door handles on each door. what is the simplest way to do this?

Interior or exterior door handles? Exterior handles bolt on from inside the door panel. Interior door handles are riveted. Neither are difficult to do.


the window handles in the front of the car move, but the windows don't go down - is this b/c the windows are off of the track?

This could be something as simple as a window crank handle not engaging with the regulator splines (new window crank handle = $5).

It could also be as complex as a broken regulator. Pull the door panel (be careful because it's kinda fragile), and remove the access panel. Start cleaning the window tracks and the regulator mechanism. Lube w/spray lithium.

My guess is that's the problem because the car obviously spent a lot of time in salty conditions.


also, the tail lights only light up when the headlights are on. the brake lights themselves do not operate at all. is this just a fuse?

Could be several things. The easiest would be to make sure the headlight switch is working properly. Just pull it out and push it in really fast (do it about 30 seconds). This will clean the switch contacts. Also rotate the dimmer left/right real fast. Failing that, my guess is that with all the rust you speak of, you have a grounding problem.


where is the fuse box located?

Driver's side, under the dash, just to the right of the emergency brake pedal.


how much horsepower am i looking at with this car, and how fuel efficient is this car? it was free - and i plan on putting some money into it to make it a badass car. thanks for the help guys. i'll post pics as soon as i can get them on my computer.

The 305 is good for about 150 horsepower (it's a real slug in the station wagon). When my wagon was new, I got 23-25. When it died (20 years and 367k+ miles later), I was lucky to get 14.

Good luck