I have a 96 Caprice with 330,000 miles on it. It still has the original engine and transmission. I've never had an overheating problem and the optispark runs like a fine watch. 99% of the misfiring issues are caused by shorted out spark plug wires and negative battery cable grounding issues. The spark plug wires MUST be routed in the factory holders and 1/4" plastic loom used the entire length to prevent the wires from touching the block and/or shorting out against each other. In 2014, I purchased another low-mileage 96 B4U Caprice. It had misfiring issues that the previous owner/repair shops could not solve. A new set of plug wires and two new O2 sensors and it was good to go. I stole that car dirt cheap because nobody could fix it.

94,95,96 impala ss.one of the best cars ever

Thanks for another entertaining and informative video. I've owned my 1994 SS since new, and yes those rear window clips do break even when the car has been garaged it's entire life, but otherwise it's been a good car with a total of 82k mikes as of now.

My 94 Impala has well over 200k. No problems other than having to replace an opti and a waterpump. It leaks, but hasn't died on me and is still running strong.

Added the Bailey LS1 coil conversion on my 96, everyone with an LT1 needs this conversion kit!!!

I had a 94 9C1, the car had hideous, cold-sweat-break-out power. Everybody guessed that police modified it somehow, but the only thing the dealer noted was a 200 deg. thermostat. The car overheated fast in slow traffic - and then started to go 35-40 mph by itself. I just stepped on the brake time-to-time to slow it down in LA traffic. I never witnessed any power like that before or after in a car. When the transmission failed at 75K, that was the end of it. Dealer overhauled it but they said it can't be done as it was from the factory. The 4L60E transmission is what ruins these cars.

I think the B body SS is definitely a classic muscle car..the styling..horsepower..and comfort makes a a contender with some of the best out there even by today's standards. The drivetrain is a moderately dependable setup with issues sure to arise if improperly maintained. This is to be kept in mind when purchasing a 20 year old car of its caliber. With patients and time a well preserved SS is obtainable and definitely worth the extra coin to acquire versus a well driven and meagerly maintained one. Not to brag but my SS is a stellar example of what one would want in this beautiful car.

The 4L60E is essentially a 700-R4 with electronic control instead of a tv cable pulling on a valve to control valve body pressure. Unfortunately the 700-R4 had to run the gamut of a huge lineup of cars and perform equally well in all of them, from pony cars to pickup trucks. And as soon as they released the 4L60E, just more electronic shit to fuck up instantly, especially since the engine's computer now controls the transmission, instead of the transmission controlling itself.

I have a 96 impala ss and I love it but you are 100 percent right about everything lmao

Thank you man I need to use this video to convince my wife that this car is not a drug dealer car.

I've learned on the ignition system, to only replace the Opti with a AcDelco factory reman Opti when it goes out. Do not get a knock off Mallory or MSD pos opti. and the ignition wires don't have to be routed to factory nightmare locations. Just make sure the new wires are routed and kept away from the manifolds. And I've heard that the LT1s don't like aftermarket plugs, even though NGK iridiums are an excellent choice for other cars, these only like to run Delcos.

the opti spark comment is awesome and so true.

Appreciate the review saving for my impala currently

The 1994-1996 Caprice LT1 is not an ugly car. In fact, they are downright cool, today.

So, I bought my 1995 Impala ss new. It was $25,500 with tax. it currently has 200,000 miles and runs strong. For years I would use the car all day, starting and stopping. It was a workhorse, I have yet to see one for sale with a bad engine. They usually have 200 too 300k and they are still going. My transmission is original. The biggest problems I had was when it was new was the one off BF Goodrich soft compound z rated tires. In 1995 the selection of tires was not like it is now. These tires would wear out quick and get tons of punctures. The cost for a new one..$254. I think I had about 15 plugs in one back tire. And the second biggest problem was a tune up- $1000. They had to take the whole front of the engine off... I got around this by just telling them to change the opti-spark...for some reason this was only a 4 hour job cutting the price to $400. The whole reverse flow colent system is shit.....the water pump is above the opti-spark. so when that went, it would leak out of the weep hole right on to the opti-spark..The guy who designed this iron block Lt-1 which is not the same as the corvette LT-1 said they bench tested the iron heads and they flowed better than the aluminum heads. He said the car was really putting out 300 horse but GM would not let them rate it same as the vette and they thought it would scare off older buyers This would explain how they got one to go 6.6 seconds in the 0-60 while weighing 4200 pounds plus driver..Yeah, the gauge cluster wears out, nylon clips in the electric windows wear out and when new, the parts where expensive. Which is kind of interesting because these were fleet cars. But I still love it and have started driving it every day again.

It's now a classic and I'm glad I kept mine. Dont forget the drivers side window is a pain in the ass. After a few years plan to replace the inner workings.

nice looking impala, just a few more years and it will be a classic. I have a 96 9c1 caprice, actually prefer it to my old impala because the 9c1's were built with heavier duty parts on about everything that matters. Like the look of the impala a bit more, but the 9c1's last forever. I even have stab proof seats from the factory lol. The trick is to look for a 9c1 from a small town police department, they have all the maintenance records but never install any of the cage... gotta love clean stock interiors

Fast,handles around corners like a sports car,hard to believe.very comfortable on highway,quiet smooth.roomy inside.yes it does have the optispark,needs bilsteins shocks,boreing interior.great car.

Took full year work out all issues on my 95 Caprice. Radiator is plastic, spark plug wires melted causing over heating issues. Optispark had oil on sencer so it couldn't read timing disc 2 oil rings on shaft optispark let oil in. Fuel pump melted, I fried digital dashboard. I had fuel starvation issues I throw in low pressure 1991 Caprice pump well she didn't like that. I blamed injectors, egr valve, pressure regulator. I just started throwing parts at it and reading others story s

the key to the 96 impala is to look after it and keep it in good running order .and don't get behind on repairs...i own one .and it's funny how at least 3 time a week someone say's the love that car and if i would like to sell it.......ps if my car looked like yours i'd sell it ..and there is a shit-load of bad ass ss impala's out there (572--ls7--383--so on ) as a GM tech for 30 plus years this is one car that,s easy to work on.---lt-1 engine is nothing to work on if you know what you're doing.----and that's the point

My 95-9c1 impala ss clone has its original engine and trans as well. Trans rebuilt at 220,000 it’s at 245,000+

Hahahhah man i love this video you where dead on point

Don’t be bad mouthing my baby I love my 95 Chevy Caprice

I don't care what anyone else thinks of it cause everyone has their own opinion. If you don't like the car, why are you watching the video? I have a 96 and 95. I love the car, it's easy to fix, all of these problems other people are mentioning I don't have.

The 9C1 used MORE bolts to bolt the body to the frame,used much thicker front brake pads, the 95,96 9C1 had bigger, stronger ball joints

Your latest video brought me to this one to have more info on the 1996 ss impala which I like also. You call yours a boat I call mines a land yhacht.

I'm picking up a 95 SS Impala clone this week. It has a Ls engine with a super charger.This car has the complete interior from a 96 Impla. It is a Beast to drive. Look for it on you tube this spring. I'm only buying it because The General won't be making Impalas any more.

glad you posted this video. I want one soon

Cool video man. These Impalas had their share of issues but luckily there's a wealth of info on how to fix up and modify them. Mines due for a trans swap now at 115k BTW did ur $200 steering work tighten it up? I got a bit of slack in my steering.

No problem here with the95 9c1 but yes interior is plastic shit and windows always comes out of the clips. But when you slam the load pedal and it chirps second gear at closes to 50 mph it's worth it.

Thinking of getting one. 1996 green metallic 17K miles looks cherry. For 25K. What should I look out for?;(

I remember you said the transmission goes out around 150k miles

"Looks like they lost a fight with Freddy Kruger" 😂

I too have a yearning to own a "super sedan" eg 90s Chevy Impala, Buick Road Master, Mercury Marauder, Ford Crown Vic Interceptor, etc ... Chevy SS, Dodge Charger (with stick conversion), and Cadillac ATS V/CTS V are also options.

Good review of this car. One time bomb I read about was some thing to do with the rear axle seals. Seems the factory ones didn't have some way for the lub to flow properly....missing holes or something in the seal or gasket. I don't remember exactly. What I do remember is reading that the rear axles and their bearings burn up at about 70K. Fun car to drive though. Just don't take a corner.

If you like the car overall, do yourself a favor and ditch the LT-1 for am LS engine. I swapped in an LS2 and it goes like crazy and is far more reliable. Also LS parts are very easy to find. The LS fits in easily.

Have you heard of caprice/impala owners replacing the REAR springs with those from a caprice Wagon,wagon springs are lower and wider,they require wagon shocks. There cheap to buy at salvage yards.

I laughed my ass off. I had all the same issues with my 96. Damn windows. Lots of small annoyances, but easy fixes. I fixed it so my secondary fan comes on sooner. It is a car I hate to love. Get a MSD optipark, they are much better at resisting the inevitably water pump leak

Do the 4.3l v8s (5.0?) Have all the head gasket and opti spark issues that the 5.7l have?

Everything pointed out is so true about my car it makes me wanna cry Lmfdo 😂

youll like this: i just bought a 1996 impala ss without an lt1at a local store and its BEAUTIFUL the only problem with it is its a hotwheels car

I don't know why you are so put off on the LT1 engine. I own 3 LT1 powered GM sedans now, and I have NEVER had an issue with any one of them. They do not leak, they do not run hot at ALL, and they are EASY to work on, as is ANY GM small block....as rouge war stated IF you know what you are doing. Don't know what was going on with your Corvette, but every LT1 I have ever come into contact with (and I have seen a lot of them over the years) were nothing shy of reliable. If you are fortunate enough to own a Roadmaster, Caprice, or Fleetwood that has the coveted tow package, then yes, you do get some of the same suspension upgrades, and performance options that the C91 Caprice's had. My Caprice with the tow package has the bigger front and rear sway bars, big breaks, bigger ball joints, transmission cooler, 3.42 posi (that is where your increased acceleration comes from), 140 amp alternator, mechanical fan with shroud, and a few other odd and ends that the majority of the other cars didn't have (all factory options as verified by the build sticker inside the trunk). The SS Impala and C91 Caprice are the ONLY 2 options in 4 door sedans with the LT1 that were not speed limited to 125 mph. That is why those two came with the Z speed rated tires from the factory because they were capable of achieving 155 MPH. There are several bolt on options to increase horsepower on these engines, while still using the factory ECM. Heads, upgraded throttle body, exhaust, upgraded cam, and a good set of plugs/wires...and you got yourself a motor that will propel these 4200 pound cars down the road with as much horsepower and torque a 2012-2015 Chevy SS has, if not more. The only issue I have with the distributor system is its location under the water pump weep hole. Get it wet, and you might as well throw it away and buy a new one. (complete distributors can now be had for these things for as little as $60 on Amazon) Other than that, it performs well....just make sure to replace your water pump every 60,000 miles, regardless if it needs it or not. Someone said in an earlier post, you have to maintain these cars and keep them in good working order. I suppose that is the key to owning any car. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Sorry, I find these cars (and engines) to be durable, reliable, comfortable, good lookers, and the SS Impala in particular to be a vehicle not only worth owning, but a classic that will only start going up in value. I don't think it is ever going to exceed the value of an Olds 442, or 70 Chevelle SS; however, I believe they are an excellent choice into classic car ownership with a promise of a good return.

Very helpful! Thanks!👍

I had two 96 caprices one thing i figured out about the optispark is if you use less than 50% dexcool (100% water in my case) it creates some sort of electrolisis in the water pump which wreaks havoc with the optispark.

Just got 96 Impala SS, odometer light INOP, and rear window defroster works for a minute, broken black plastic door pull cups, any sources or known fixes. How difficult for modern LS swap, kit available? Best,

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts about the C4 corvette since you brought it up when talking about the LT1. Best looking generation Corvette IMHO

Also, maybe think about an overview like you do of the SS's competitor of that era.......the Taurus SHO. There were 3 generations in the 89 - 99 time frame. I had a 94 (Gen 2) myself. I would just love to hear what you think of the Gen 3 cars and their issues. Do some research. Even you don't have the dirty word vocabulary to do the Gen 3 motor justice.

Great review man and spot on! Just did a search on impala ss and found ya...I've Owned a 95 Impala ss dggm and am convinced it's the best year to own, but no obd2 and only 2 02 sensors as the 96 has 4...Ouch! As of now I own a 95 Caprice 9C1-police model with I wonder if you know about the narrower rear end? I threw in what you talked about a t56 6 speed manual with 373 gears and aluminum driveshaft...I'm definitely over 400 ponies and am gonna do a ltcc ignition upgrade to really not have to count on the opti anymore. Must have went through about 20 optisparks over the years. Started rebuilding em myself after 10...I'll definitely sub ya cause you know what you're talkin about. If ya could get a better mic your vids would hear better, but I know wrenchin budgets...lol

Any opinions, buying my first car, been a dream car of mine, i have the opportunity now, but it has 100k miles, 10k in price good condition no rust from a dealer, carfax checks out with 3 previous owners i live in Chicago wich means am deal with snow and it will be my daily driver? Any suggestions or opinions if i should get one??

After 150k miles the transmission die 🤔🤔. That's why Japan Cars are better. I love 94-96s Impalas but bad news the Transmission die. I have a Standard Transmission a Mazda B2200 ES5 1987 and I have the same transmission and the same motor only change one time the clutch. The speed meter and the tachometer not work, and the last tachometer have a mark 235000k miles and steel running my pickup and steel look good. I have to invest in the Bodywork. But it's a Little Tonka the old one.

I have a 96 impala ss I FUCKING HATE HATE HATE the lt1 also ....it is the weirdest engine Chevy ever made .. Dumb ass optispark bullshit Vacuum hoses like some dreadlocks the biggest nightmare I have ever dealt with.... Saving up For ls2 with bigg ol turbo

funny! I liked this a lot!

My 96 caprice windows stopped working, ac stopped blowing, mph stop showing, fans stopped blowing all at the same time!! Has Anybody had this problem? And how do I fix it

I have one for sale,,medical forces sale of my 1996 SS and 1979 911,,,,41,000 miles,,,second set of tires since new,,all original,,,in storage 3 yrs,,,,will sell 15,000

well you've blown the lincoln to smiderines, is there a good car out there I can buy ?

Just as all great muscle cars of 80,s and 90,s.gn,and impala got axed just in time to stop the up swing in power in horizon.gran national axed one year early, there was no 88 gn but you could get Monte Carlo in 88 .left over gn eng were put in 89 trans am.cause corvette crybaby owners did not like this.impala got canned just s year before the ls1 showed up.in corvette.portect the plastic crap at all cost.

you are absolutely right GM, like to build some shitty car I own 3 impalas.and the door panels piss me off.they will break like nothing just by looking at it.GM should've put a LT1 on LS2 on it.and MANUAL as well.very disappointed on GM.

Anyone know where the alternator fuse is located? New alternator and new battery but alternator not charging battery. Anyone ideas?

I have a 96 SS n in the summer it runs hot cuz of electric problems lol

Shit I got a nice 1995 Impala ss dggm for sale 150k on it original wheels original motor original Exaust

I got the same sled hammers 😂😭😂😭

I got a 94 Caprice B4U and it's a beast

Impala SS is nothing but a Caprice LTZ/9c1 and from the exterior aside from the obvious they are basically the same.

lovely. :)

god do you really think the LT1 is that bad? if you take care of them they hold together better then allot of other engines. if i am cruising and there is air flowing through the radiator my LT1 camaro runs cool about 170 consistently. yes GM did program the fans at too high of a temp and i dont know why. sitting in traffic it gets too hot for my liking. 230K on my car no rod bearing or head gasket failure. the dexcool, long gone from my car i dont trust that crap at all. overall i dont think its a bad engine if you understand it some. yes opti-spark is crap. for fuck sake GM could have used a waste spark ignition like a 3800 from the same time period. it would have been much much better. who ever engineered the opti should have been shot and then who ever thought they should mount the damn thing behind the water pump should be tortured to death.

Dude I'm looking into a 95 with 160,000 miles should I be worried? 😢

I'm looking to buy a 96 Chevy Impala SS as my first car. are they're any pointers someone can give me...

Should have got a '96

nice vid keep it up

is this car easy to find parts for

hilarious

4:51

lol

Well you got one thing right as these cars are very UGLY looking!! Even my parents can't stand the looks of these cars or the other similar looking cars of the 90's era. The may be big on the inside, nice ride and have a lot of power but these were pretty outdated even when they were new. There were plenty of other family 4 door luxury cars that were sportier, better looking and just as powerful than these.