Awsome Low mile Caprice

[camarojoe]

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Funny...a Caprice (top of the line car) with crank windows, no a/c, and an AM radio! Sure is an awesome car, although I'm not a big fan of that body style.

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Typical options (or lack thereof) of cars in this area. Rare to see power windows or AC in anything unless it came standard. Altoona is right down the road from me, I've probably seen the car somewhere, but can't honestly remember it. There are quite a few ultra low milage/desirability cars around here that appear at local shows from time to time... oddballs for sure, and cool to look at.

[hvychev]

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Funny...a Caprice (top of the line car) with crank windows, no a/c, and an AM radio! Sure is an awesome car, although I'm not a big fan of that body style.

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Typical options (or lack thereof) of cars in this area. Rare to see power windows or AC in anything unless it came standard. Altoona is right down the road from me, I've probably seen the car somewhere, but can't honestly remember it. There are quite a few ultra low milage/desirability cars around here that appear at local shows from time to time... oddballs for sure, and cool to look at.

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Joey, why was that? The reason I ask is that in my neighborhood there were tons of frugal eastern European immigrants that lived here and they did not want to spring for the extra cost options. Most bought totally stripped down models. Was that the same in PA? I know there was a larger Russian population in some areas. Was that so in your area?

[camarojoe]

I don't know "exactly" why, but its pretty much the same way til this day... Central/Western PA was always a rural type area, with steel mills/coal mining/railroads as the main source of employment for most folks in the 50s, 60s, and 70's. People worked hard for their money, and usually were pretty frugal with purchases as well. Not many "highly optioned" cars of any sort came out of the area, although there were a few exceptions.

Another reason I'd guess is simply because it's also COLD here 75% of the year, so frills like AC were rarely ordered, even by dealers for lot inventory. AC was useful for about a month, and needed servicing/recharging annually. Power windows would tend to freeze up in the winter, and they were generally viewed as an expensive hassle to many, therefore that option also seems rare on older stuff around here. In fact, until cars started coming standard with them, they were fairly "rare" way up into the 90's in most cars around here.

As far as the AM radio thing, I think FM was pretty oddball anywhere in the US back then, as most of the best stations were still AM. Heck, FM radio still sucks around here in 2010! So to answer your question, I'd guess cars lacking in options existed as a combination of both frugality and practicality.

[agtw31]

i bet this caprice gets ass kicking gas mileage.

my 1st wife's dad always orderred his cars,they lived in the kent,ohio area.

he got every option available but a/c on his cars.

he told me a/c was a waste of gas,and added weight to the car(he was a truck driver)

he had a Chrysler Cordoba with a 400 in it,and no a/c.
he got 20 mpg on the highway out of that car.
i was shocked,those cars were serious pigs.

[olredalert]

------Stick a 700-R in it and drive it til it disappears in a pile of rust. .......Bill S