VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1965-1970 1966 Caprice 2-dr with 3-speed & overdrive

How rare is that?! I've never seen another '66 Caprice with 3-speed column shift and overdrive. I just traded for this car. It is a local car since new (Bonham, TX. area) but the second owner let it sit outdoors for a few years of neglect. The car has the 283, 4-barrel, dual exhausts, no power accessories whatsoever, original paint (not too good) and original upholstery (really bad). Runs & drives and has a good, straight body. Does any supplier make the correct seat upholstery kits for the '66 Caprice? I know they do for the Impalas and for earlier Bel Airs.

Pete Phillips
Leonard, TX.

Pete,
Your Caprice was probably built at the Arlington Assembley Plant if it has been in the Bonham area all of it's life. It will have the letter R In the ID no. We started building Chevrolet at the Arlington Plant in 1963. I would say the 3spd. with overdrive and few accessories would be pretty rare. If I remember correctly most Caprice's were built with several accesories, including the Comfortron A/C.

DD (formerely from Telephone, TX.)

Indeed, it has an "R" in the middle of the vehicle ID number, so built in Arlington. Thanks for that info.
Pete

That has got to be incredibly rare! How do we find out how many '66 Caprices were built without an automatic? I have never, ever seen one.

I would venture to say the overdrive option would have been more popular in Texas and other states with flat. straigt roads. While either AC was available it was far less commom up here in the north than in the hot south.

Do we have the ability to find out how many manual shift '66 Caprices were built?

The only number I can find is just the total number of Caprices built in 1966.

Does anyone else have a clue as to how to find out this production number for our new G&D Editor?

Maybe....Ask the Vintage Caprice Club of America??????

hee hee....

Bill,

Do you know their website? Ha! Ha

Finding those numbers will be tough. I know this info is available for my old Chevelle :(.

Here is a link to some Caprice info.
1966 Caprice

Here is a link to the GM Heritagae Center where you can find and reequest Chevrolet Information Packages. Chevy Vehicle Info Kits

Nice find,Pete!I would say it is on the rare side for a '66 B-body.I am looking through my B-car reference info,but nothing that directly calls out a specific production count for Man trans Caprice models.

FWIW-107,047 2dr Caprice's were built in '66.And 73,962 4dr Caprice's were made.
For a comparison-using the following Impala SS V8 production numbers,I feel we can assume that the Caprice numbers would be much less.Mainly because the Caprice was Chevy's luxo barge!

Here's the Impala SS specific 283/220 w manual/overdrive trans production numbers.There were 102,619 V8 Impala SS cars built.Of those, 29,876 had 283/220(RPO L77).Only 6,245 had the 3-speed Muncie overdrive trans(RPO M10).

I'll keep looking for Caprice specific. Jim Downum

I had a '68 wagon that was either a caprice or a bel air model. It had a fully syncroed 3 speed with o/d and a 4 barrel 327. It was a coast car that the rear qtr panels had just about rusted off by the time I got it. I was restoring a '65 el camino at the time so took the leaking auto out of the elky and installed the three speed w/ o/d in it. It got about 26 mpg with that set up. I never could find out how fast it would top out at. At about 115 and 3700 rpms the car would get real light and squirelly in the front end. When I moved to Portland for work that elky got hit about 3 times. I traded it in on a '78 SS w/ a factory 4 speed car w a/c, another rare example. I have not seen another.

Beachbum, that sounds like a rare '78, too.
Does anyone know if the '66 Caprice upholstery (seat covers/door interior panels) are in reproduction? Someone told me that CARS has it, but I called them and they do not--only for Impalas.
Pete Phillips

Try Ciadella Interiors.

As far as non-automatic 66 Caprices I've owned two, both 4 speed, 325 hp., 396's. They were both factory. The first pic is the first one I owned way back in 69 - note the 8 track tape player. The second pic is the one I owned more recently. I've never seen a 3 speed though!


impala

ALL HANDS ON DECK... Hello fellas , just joined and I need your help.I have a 1966 Caprice 2 dr sport coupe 396,factory 4-speed and a 12 bolt posi in back.It's black with a blue interior but I'm not sure which blue.It looks like the blue in the first picture that someone posted...Is that Bright Blue ? Here's the kicker,my trim tag says 832 ??? The Biscayne lists a #832 in blue but I can't find #832 anywhere for a 1966 Caprice. The car is #'s matching and I'm at a loss. What do you think ?

I have one of those Saginaw 3-speed, all syncro Overdrive transmissions. I always loved 3-spd and overdrive. 'Best part of both worlds. 'Wish I could get it into my '41. It needs it!