1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic

The full-sized Chevrolet Caprice was produced from 1965 to 1996. The third generation was introduced in 1977 and it was drastically downsized, both in exterior dimensions and weight. Despite is smaller footprint, its headroom and rear seat legroom increased, as did the trunk. An impressive accomplishment considering over 600 pounds had been shaved and over 870 for the station wagons. The 1977 coupe and sedans were 10-inches shorter with the station wagon being 14 inches smaller. The width decreased by 4 inches.

Styling changes and refinements continued for 1979. The base overhead valve six-cylinder engine displaced 250 cubic-inches and delivered 115. The 305 CID V8 was given a smaller Rochester Durajet carburetor in place of the larger Rochester 2GC carburetor, resulting in a loss of 15 horsepower.

Exterior changes included a 'ladder' style grille with square holes flanked by square lights with chrome surrounds. The parking and signal lamps were restyled and the side marker lamps became narrower with horizontal grid detailing. New colors included soft blues, greens and browns.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019