Chevrolet Caprice - mid 90s ownership

[Fiedka]

Hi all,
First time poster in this sub-forum. Please go easy on me
I have been toying with the idea of completing one of my car bucket list items and using mid 90s Caprice as a daily.
Mpg I am not worried about as I do 2k a year and commute on a motorbike.
Always has a soft spot for these and their burbling V8.
While Crown Vics get frequently discussed and pop up on Autotrader sometimes, Caprice seems to be absent in the UK.
Any experience with them in the UK? How expensive are they to import and convert lights etc.?
Would
Love to own one. Even more so Roadmaster or Fleetwood but those are too expensive even in the US.
Thoughts and advice welcome.

[Fiedka]

Hi.
Thanks for this. I presume you mean desirable?

I was wondering why Crown Vics seem to get much more love than the Caprice. Can get them newer perhaps?

[Fiedka]

Thanks all. I will be on a lookout.
How does parts availability look like?
Everything shipped from US or can one get stuff from UK or EU?

[Fiedka]

Matt Harper said:

Lots of US law enforcement agencies used Caprice for cruiser duties, as well as Crown Vics.

The LT1 small-block with Optispark ignition was 'troublesome' to say the least and there was an inherent design fault in the throttle body (steel throttle plate spindle wearing an ovoid hole in the throat) which caused an unreliable idle due to the resulting air leak. The fix was a bit expensive.

Caprice was a hefty car to be hauled around by those lo-po motors - 700R4 trans wasn't great either at hauling these wide-loads around. Corvette powered SS is still desirable, but everything else is pretty much junk-yard fodder here in the US. A quick look on local selling sites suggest an average of $1500'ish for a 'well-used' example.

That is top advice. Thank you. I was under the impression (illusion?) that a venerable small block would actually be much more reliable and robust than crown Vics once unit.