Hey guys!

Welcome new members, please make your first post in this section. Say hello & tell us a little bit about you and your car. We're happy to see you here!
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Welcome new members, please make your first post in this section. Say hello & tell us a little bit about you and your car. We're happy to see you here!
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Chef
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:29 pm
Location: RI

Hey guys!

Post by Chef »

I just joined the forum after browsing for around a month or 2. I'm currently saving for a caprice.
In the months prior I was pretty set on getting a marauder or lx sport crown vic since I really love big body rwd sedans, and there's plenty of them around, but I'm not much of a ford guy and the marauder is sort of a collectors car now. I had considered getting a g8 in the past, as I loved how they looked and performed but couldn't justify the price for their age. Meanwhile in my neighborhood there was a g8 and a similar looking police car at a body shop that I had only recently taken note of, and after reading about them for a while, I ended up here. Turns out the caprice is what I've been looking for, and I'm on track to check out a few soon and most likely purchase one in the next 3 months.
As for the car itself, what do you guys like most about em, or what drew you to one in the first place?
11' Stock 9c1 with a red wrap that's starting to grow on me
HoldOn SV

Re: Hey guys!

Post by HoldOn SV »

Likes:
1. LS2 with LS3 heads.
2. RWD
3. Purpose Built Performer (albeit debatable, technically speaking, ie the Holden Statesman, *etc.)
4. Wheelbase (comfortable 4-seater w/ample trunk space).
5. In particular for the PPV, apart from the *Caprice LS, LTZ, SS, & Royale (Middle East), the Holden Statesman & HSV Grange (AU), and Buick Park Ave (ROC); the PPV is inherently utilitarian.
Dislikes:
1. Active Fuel Management.
2. Upfitter/Defitter issues w/SEO's.
3. 2.92 rear diff (upgradeable).
4. Radio features disabled. See: https://www.whiteautoandmedia.com/produ ... apriceppv/
5. RPO: "RC3" (fleet keys common). Not helpful once retired (unless you own the fleet, I guess). 😉
GammaFlat
Posts: 259
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 9:26 am
Location: NW Indiana

Re: Hey guys!

Post by GammaFlat »

Welcome. These Caprices are a lot of vehicle. Very spacious back seat. Huge trunk. Great Engine. Great Trans. Great suspension. They have interchangeability with other GM cars (on some components). What more could you ask for?
In terms of variety there's the 2011 thru 2013 models and the 2014 thru 2017. The latter years have a more current interior including a better stereo/backup camera/blue tooth. They are also more rare.

They all have either an V8 - L77 (362 hp) or a V6 (301 hp). Most have the V8. The V8 is a weird bird (in a good way). It is an LS2 with an LS3 top end which includes rectangular port heads (ports are higher volume and valves are bigger on the rectangular port heads compared to "cathedral port heads" that come on the 6.0 and smaller LS engines). The LS3 has a slightly larger bore. So, again we have a "de-bored" LS3. LS3=4.065 bore, LS2=4.000 bore. LS3=376 cubic inches. LS2=364 cubic inches. In summary, it is a phenom platform that has plenty of potential for more HP. Lots of folks on this forum are seeing over 500 HP. The engine wants to breathe. Cam change, valve springs, new lifters, exhaust all conspire to make some huge ponies. Drivetrain changes do require programming to make everything work correctly. Some folks raise the stall (new converter). Most that are looking for performance change the rear end out for a 3.27 or 3.45 (factory is 2.92). "Swap out" rear ends are readily available from junk yards from 2010-2015 Camaros.

Out of the box, these cars will do high 12's in the quarter mile with an electronically governed top speed of 158 mph.

You'll find this forum full of great information and methods. There's also great build threads. There are links to auctions (most likely place to find one) on this site.

Are you convinced?
Current: 2013 9C3, deeper trans pan, 12VoltSolutions Remote, Class III hitch, Android Auto capable radio
User avatar
Chef
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:29 pm
Location: RI

Re: Hey guys!

Post by Chef »

GammaFlat wrote: Sat Dec 04, 2021 12:19 am Welcome. These Caprices are a lot of vehicle. Very spacious back seat. Huge trunk. Great Engine. Great Trans. Great suspension. They have interchangeability with other GM cars (on some components). What more could you ask for?
In terms of variety there's the 2011 thru 2013 models and the 2014 thru 2017. The latter years have a more current interior including a better stereo/backup camera/blue tooth. They are also more rare.

They all have either an V8 - L77 (362 hp) or a V6 (301 hp). Most have the V8. The V8 is a weird bird (in a good way). It is an LS2 with an LS3 top end which includes rectangular port heads (ports are higher volume and valves are bigger on the rectangular port heads compared to "cathedral port heads" that come on the 6.0 and smaller LS engines). The LS3 has a slightly larger bore. So, again we have a "de-bored" LS3. LS3=4.065 bore, LS2=4.000 bore. LS3=376 cubic inches. LS2=364 cubic inches. In summary, it is a phenom platform that has plenty of potential for more HP. Lots of folks on this forum are seeing over 500 HP. The engine wants to breathe. Cam change, valve springs, new lifters, exhaust all conspire to make some huge ponies. Drivetrain changes do require programming to make everything work correctly. Some folks raise the stall (new converter). Most that are looking for performance change the rear end out for a 3.27 or 3.45 (factory is 2.92). "Swap out" rear ends are readily available from junk yards from 2010-2015 Camaros.

Out of the box, these cars will do high 12's in the quarter mile with an electronically governed top speed of 158 mph.

You'll find this forum full of great information and methods. There's also great build threads. There are links to auctions (most likely place to find one) on this site.

Are you convinced?
I'm still in awe at the fact these cars exist in the states, and I could not be more excited to get one. For the same price, I'd be getting a v6 camaro, medium mileage marauder, or a clapped out charger, and I'm looking for neither a pony car, collectible or mopar, so it seems I've hit the jackpot. The amount of mods alone that can be had for such a low price is mind boggling for me. My car has a k24 and even as good as they are, you'll probably spend $5k to get 300whp. I don't have many questions since I'm sure there's plenty of threads to browse with the answers in the meantime, but seeing that I live in New England, how do these cars handle the snow? I'm planning on garaging mine during the winters, but just in case, I wanna know for emergencies. Also what kind of longevity can I expect out of these cars? I've seen a few past 200k miles with nothing wrong with them it seems.
Thanks for the breakdown of how awesome this car is! I'm already starting to fear how much of my check every week will end up in the engine bay of this beast
11' Stock 9c1 with a red wrap that's starting to grow on me
GammaFlat
Posts: 259
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 9:26 am
Location: NW Indiana

Re: Hey guys!

Post by GammaFlat »

Between your cam, pushrods, lifters, seals, timing chain, gaskets, water pump, oil pump, HPTuners, Tuner guy, extra tools you might not know you need, I'd say you're into 2k to 2.5k. If you want to cheap skate it and buy used stuff or only replace the part time lifters, you can get that number down a lot. If you want to go more, you can by a 4 inch crank (1000), rods (400) and pistons (500) for an instant 40 hp with no other changes (and you end up with a "square motor"). 'Zaust will set you back from 800 to 2500. Camaro rear end from junk yard: 500.
Help me out guys, did I get this right?
Current: 2013 9C3, deeper trans pan, 12VoltSolutions Remote, Class III hitch, Android Auto capable radio
User avatar
Chef
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:29 pm
Location: RI

Re: Hey guys!

Post by Chef »

So here's an update finally
I just purchased a 2011 caprice 6.0 with a hair over 100k miles. It had a blue and white police livery so its been wrapped in red. It came with both the steelies and some g8 wheels which are currently on the car. All said and done I paid $8500 for it. The engine sounded great on it and the oil looks like its been changed fairly recently. These next few weeks I will be spending gathering stuff to clean both the exterior and interior (it smells like weed and getting pulled over in a wrapped car with weed smell sounds terrifying for a 19 year old with a clean driving record). Long term I'm looking into getting it painted a dark blue or gray and taking care of any imperfections like holes in the roof or other spots on the car. Overall its pretty sound mechanically, and doesn't have any real rust, so I'm satisfied. I will also be getting together the parts for a dod delete, since I'm unable to see the idle hours being that its an 11'. I do have a family friend who was a master gm tech, so hopefully I can get in touch and be able to get that done either by the end of this winter or next winter. For now I'll grab an afm disabler to keep it in 8cyl mode. I was very pleased with the performance during the test ride for it, and I can't wait to have everything sorted out. I'll be posting pics soon
11' Stock 9c1 with a red wrap that's starting to grow on me
User avatar
Chef
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:29 pm
Location: RI

Re: Hey guys!

Post by Chef »

here's the photos I took earlier today
Attachments
Mycaprice6.jpg
Mycaprice6.jpg (3.63 MiB) Viewed 1157 times
Mycaprice5.jpg
Mycaprice5.jpg (3.7 MiB) Viewed 1157 times
Mycaprice4.jpg
Mycaprice4.jpg (3.8 MiB) Viewed 1157 times
Mycaprice3.jpg
Mycaprice3.jpg (3.27 MiB) Viewed 1157 times
Mycaprice2.jpg
Mycaprice2.jpg (3.83 MiB) Viewed 1157 times
Mycaprice1.JPG
Mycaprice1.JPG (3.08 MiB) Viewed 1157 times
11' Stock 9c1 with a red wrap that's starting to grow on me
GammaFlat
Posts: 259
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 9:26 am
Location: NW Indiana

Re: Hey guys!

Post by GammaFlat »

I like your wheels. My car is black and I know where all the flaws are.. drives me nuts. I want to paint mine too. I have some 20 inch Camaro wheels that look awesome but don't really play nice with the rear fender wells. I may need some G8 wheels as well.. or 18 inch Camaro wheels.

If you want to go way cheap on the cam upgrade, there are probably plenty of folks around here (most folks that did a DOD delete replace all lifters) that will have 8 "standard" length lifters to replace your long ones for a song and a dance (or maybe the cost of shipping). Then, just get a factory GM cam off of the LS1Tech.com forum. Again, someone that pulled their LS3 (or LS7 or LS9 or LS?) cam in favor of an aftermarket cam. LS9 cams are regularly going for 75 bucks. LS3 cams more but nowhere near new prices. Don't forget to manage the DOD towers under the valley cover. A friend of mine bought an engine that had them "not managed" and could never get any oil pressure. There are kits to do this - the cheapest of which is allen set screws. A valley cover that "covers" the top of the towers is around 100 bucks I think.

In terms of the interior smell, maybe changing out for some G8 seats would help. I got some leather G8 seats (front) for 350 if I recall correctly. The only other thing that I'm guessing would hold the smell is the headliner :shock: . I'm betting you don't have carpet.

Good luck and keep us posted!
Current: 2013 9C3, deeper trans pan, 12VoltSolutions Remote, Class III hitch, Android Auto capable radio
User avatar
Chef
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:29 pm
Location: RI

Re: Hey guys!

Post by Chef »

GammaFlat wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:20 pm I like your wheels. My car is black and I know where all the flaws are.. drives me nuts. I want to paint mine too. I have some 20 inch Camaro wheels that look awesome but don't really play nice with the rear fender wells. I may need some G8 wheels as well.. or 18 inch Camaro wheels.

If you want to go way cheap on the cam upgrade, there are probably plenty of folks around here (most folks that did a DOD delete replace all lifters) that will have 8 "standard" length lifters to replace your long ones for a song and a dance (or maybe the cost of shipping). Then, just get a factory GM cam off of the LS1Tech.com forum. Again, someone that pulled their LS3 (or LS7 or LS9 or LS?) cam in favor of an aftermarket cam. LS9 cams are regularly going for 75 bucks. LS3 cams more but nowhere near new prices. Don't forget to manage the DOD towers under the valley cover. A friend of mine bought an engine that had them "not managed" and could never get any oil pressure. There are kits to do this - the cheapest of which is allen set screws. A valley cover that "covers" the top of the towers is around 100 bucks I think.

In terms of the interior smell, maybe changing out for some G8 seats would help. I got some leather G8 seats (front) for 350 if I recall correctly. The only other thing that I'm guessing would hold the smell is the headliner :shock: . I'm betting you don't have carpet.

Good luck and keep us posted!
Yeah so far on my list of things for upgrades, I'm thinking an ls9 cam, camaro rear subframe, g8 seats/interior pieces, and probably a nenno center console if not custom. I'm gonna look into a custom headliner as well, since I'll probably be replacing most of the interior anyway, if not giving it a deep clean and sending it to a detailing place. And yes, I do have rubber floors. would it be worth it to try and fit g8 carpet to it? or would it just be best to get a few mats and keep it rubber? I've kind of heard mixed ideas on cleaning rubber floors.
Thanks for the advice!
11' Stock 9c1 with a red wrap that's starting to grow on me
GammaFlat
Posts: 259
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 9:26 am
Location: NW Indiana

Re: Hey guys!

Post by GammaFlat »

If you can get your hands on a rear cradle from a Camaro, I believe it will fit but I'm not sure it's necessary. You probably want the center section from a Camaro and maybe upgraded calipers and rotors... The entire cradle might cost more and be unnecessary. There's also a possible problem with the emergency brakes (electronic on the Camaro maybe?!).
I like the looks of the Nenno consoles. My brother is looking at Caprices and that would be the first thing he'd do.
I don't know anything about headliners but I'd bet an interior guy could do that.
Here's a guy that goes over how to shape a flat carpet (customize) to whatever shaped floor you've got: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xt-BbaXBXE
A G8 carpet is very do-able but it's a tad short near the front corners of the rear seats (G8's are a little shorter than the Caprice - both are Zeta platform). If you go carpet, take the rubber out and you get extra credit if you put sound deadening down before the carpet: "Kilmat Sound Deadening".
Current: 2013 9C3, deeper trans pan, 12VoltSolutions Remote, Class III hitch, Android Auto capable radio
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