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PAGE 18, WHITBY FREE PRESS. WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 31, 1990 ChevoletCapice:Newstyling, familiar drivetrain The sculpted, flowing limes of the new Chevrolet, Caprice have beon called trend-setting and contemperary by sôme and ugly and old-fashioned ' by others. Viewed from thie front, the new. Caprice looks quité attractive but from other angles it reminds me ,of some big Amneican cars of the fifties. Whatever youmiht think of the new s ling, tue Ca rice's traditional V8power, boy n- frame design, rear-wheel- drive, and six-seater capacity remains basically the saine as its predecessor. Why did Chevrolet stay with a traditional rear-wheel-drive layout which is heavier, getsO poorer fuel economy, and is less space-efficient than a front- wheel-drive layout? I think the answer lies in the fact that North American rear-wheel cars have proven to be reliable over the long term, are easier to service than front-wheel-drive cars, and have a solid, sturdy ride. The gutsy Caprice cari also pull trailers weig up to 5,000 lbs, somettng few other cars câïi do. It also hs a huge 20-cubic-feet trunk (though the spare tire seems to take up a lot of that room). The new Caprice sedan is two inches longer and an inch and a haif wider than the previous model, but-the wheelbase remains the same at 115.9 inches. New technology is represented in the form of standard ABS (anti-lock brakes) on all four wheels, a very good safety feature on a heavy car like this. Electronie fuel-injection is also standard equipment. By Greg Wlson The 170-horsepower, 5. liter (305 cu. in.) V8 p rides adequate muscle to move the Caprice quietly and effortlessly with power to spare, even though the car %veighs almost 4,000 ibs. This particular Ceneral Motors engine was designed more than 20 years ago, t e t i*i stili one of the smothestlengines of any kind on the market. The engine is mated to a standard four speed automatic transmission (with overdrive) which is equally smooth, except under sudden downshifts. The Caprice"s long wheelbase, wide track and steel-fra'me Whîle the new Chevrolet Caprice's horsepower 5.0 litre V8 engine mated styling has gone from boxy to swoopy, to a four speed automatie littie else has changed. It retains its transmission, seating for six, and a rear-wheel-drive layout. a 170 cushy, big-car ride. chassis with coil Sp.rigs contributes to a comfortabe, big car ride. Ilandling is adequate on smooth, paved roads, -but at higher speeds when traversing bumps and uneven surfaces, its solid rear axle shows some handling limitations. The interior cf the Caprice is also fairly traditional with an elongated speedometer and minimal instrumentation. Attractive artificial wood veneer limes the dash and door trim, and there is a refreshing lack of chrome trim on the dashboard. The bulky steering wheel houses an airbag and it takes a while to get used to rotating this big lump cf plastic. Both the Caprice and the more luxurious Ca ice Classic corne with air condtioning, automatic transmission, AMIFM stereo, power steering and power brakes as standard equipment. A new Caprice station wagon is 'also available. The manufacturer's suggested retail price cf the base Caprice is $21,250 p lus freight charges. The Caprice Classic starts at $24,350. Fuel Econom And Performance System 10w25% BETTER GAS MILEAGE Saves on fuel and maintenance! Can actually pay for itself iReduces polluting emissions! Iraproves performance! Reduces engrne wear! Removes carbon build-up! 60 Day Money Back Guarantee CRUISING ÇLASSICS: Plates with personality FROM PAGE 17 the plate for you -- tapped into a gold mine. Ini North Arnerican society, the car is the ultimate exresinfor rnanypeole Why else do p=eople *smnd rnoney on sticksrs, fancy whssls, secal paints and other goodies? Te personalized plate (also known as the "vanity plate") finishes off the car. The very firet Ontario vanity plate I saw was IM LATE -- and it was on a white Rabbit. Since then l'v. noticed hundreds of clever ones, including BIG CAR (on an 18-wheeler), NO SNOW (on a DeLorean, aines John DéLorean tried to bail out bis car cornpany with money from cocaine deals) and DED CRUZ (in California, where they have seven letters -- it was on a customized 1959 Cadiilac hearse). 0f course net ail of thern are quito that good! Sornetimes people buy them for specifie cars, which are then jiold or written off. Yet they don't want to part with the plate, since it did cost $100. That wil explain the Chrysler you asm driving down the street with something like CAMARO on the plate. And then there's the people who are a littie confused. Last wssk I saw a car with a plate "$ EARTH." Net only did I wonder why as wasn't taking public transit, but I alo thought she might have don. sornething about the black amoke coming eut of the tailpipe. Man Chusese are alo particla about ..their license Plates. Nurnerotoç is vsry popla wth tbem.- At the Scrbrug car dealership where I work, in the csntre of the Chines. community, we are regularly instructed te ask for plates 'with ne fours.Foirsare 6adluck and customers have refused-to talce delivery of new car that have fours in the license plates. Suxes and eights, on the otiier hand, are very good, and custorners are thriiled when these are included. The rnajority cf vanity plates requested by Chusese include these numbers. Sornetimes, though, six letters just aren't enough, and people must then go te bumper stickers. Bumper stickers orignated during the Second Werld War, when they advertised war bonds and wsre wirsd te the bumpers. Ini the 19709 they bcoomed into a billio)n-dollar business and areé stifi very popular. .I have always thought thàt oe of the aillilest is the "Child in Car,-, stiekers, which 'are thankfuly losing their popula ity. I think theyre siily because l'm careful around other'cars whether -they contaun a child, a grandmother or the family dog. And most of the cars I seS with the stiekers don't even contaun a child. But they can be funny too-- as ini the case of one car that had its "Child In Car"' stieker ini the back wmndow, and 'Tht Me, I Need The Money" plastered on the bumper. .Another-I saw had its "Child In Car" in the bock window as well - right over the third brakelight. One day, though, when I win the lottery (is there anyone whe doesnt say that?), l'm going te corne up with the ultmàte bumper sticker. ]?m going te tae my rnoney and buy a Relis Royce. Ites goung te b.e the biggest,; blackest on. they made, with that beautiful silver lady right up' front. I don't want it because itl' expensive, or classy, or any of those things. N.o, I want it because right acroos the rear b er rme n enut en a - a ce t hats y,' othe r a s aba-up old Datsun." i0 1OXoff~ a any shock or strut purhaseI * with coupon * 1240 DUNDAS (westof llhkson)e 668-8392I Technlcal Data 1991 Chevrolet Caprice Clam.lc Price as tested $24,920 Type 4 door, 6 pass.. sedan Layout longtitudinal front engi nelrear-wheel.drive Engine OHV 6.0 litre V8 w/ electronic fuel injection. Horsepower 170 0 4000 rpm. Transmission 4 spd auto (overdrive) Tires P226/70-Rl5 sbr Curb weight 1773 kg13909 Ibo. Length 5438 mmn/214.1l n. Wheelbase 2944 mm/115 .9 in. Width 1966 mmt77.0 in. Height 1440 mm/66.7 in. Trunk pae 678 1/20.4 cu. ft. Fuel economy n/a Warranty Basic 3 yrsi8O,0001km Powertrain 6yrs/160,000 km th uw irBEER muffle & .k enr 3 ml 3 u STORE WE INSTALL & GUARANTEE BRAKES, SHOCKS, STRUTS, TUNE*UPS & GENERAL REPAIR r ------ r------ r --- I1O%00/0 15%. /0of f'20 offI M mpr I omestic 1IIl Ier 'Exhaust Systemsl Exhaust Systemsl I Muffecrs . I(Motar)(ost cars) I((ost ars) _~a __M__Ne UN s iônoh y o .~ ~~WâWaWâWa -3-