“Finding the back country is up to you.”

For 1985, Chevrolet’s Blazer SUV gained a new grille and the availability of a color-keyed top, but not many other changes.

The Blazer’s standard powertrain for everywhere but California was the LE9 160 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor mated to a four-speed manual. Mileage was rated at 14 city/17 highway by the standards of the day (12/16 by 2020 measures). With a 25-gallon gas tank, a Blazer owner could expect a range of 315 to 350 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. The heavy (4,846 pound) Blazer was not quick—0-60 took about 12.5 seconds.

Optional power included a $2,730 LH6 130 bhp 6.2 liter/379 ci diesel V8, which came with a four-speed automatic with overdrive. The diesel came bundled with many other features, including an engine block heater, a heavy-duty radiator, an engine oil cooler, and a dual exhaust system. Mileage for the diesel was rated at 17 city/21 highway.

Designated as the Custom Deluxe, the base 1985 Blazer’s price was $11,223—about $27,700 in today’s dollars or almost exactly what a base 2021 Blazer L costs. Standard exterior equipment included a removable fiberglass top and Soft-Ray tinted glass. Mechanical equipment included variable-ratio power steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P215/75R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15 x 6 inch white painted wheels with bright metal hub caps. Inside, vinyl high back bucket seats and a heater were standard—the base Blazer was relatively spare inside.

The $1,015 Silverado trim required Custom cloth or Custom vinyl seats and included Silverado nameplates inside and out, the Deluxe Front Appearance package, the Deluxe Molding package, bright body side moldings, dual horns, a color-keyed console, a cigarette lighter, an interior headliner, and a Custom steering wheel.

Individual exterior and mechanical options included deep tinted glass ($194), halogen hi-beam headlamps ($17), a 31-gallon fuel tank ($43), and 15 x 7 cast aluminum wheels ($299). Inside, all-weather air conditioning ($740), electronic speed control ($195), power side windows ($190), a power tailgate window ($43), power door locks ($135), and an AM/FM stereo radio with a stereo cassette tape player ($298) were all available. Upholstery options included Custom vinyl high back bucket seats, Custom cloth high back bucket seats (available only with the Silverado trim), a second row bench seat ($369), and a Comfortilt steering wheel ($115).

1985 ended up being the Blazer’s best sales year in the eighties, with 40,011 exiting dealer lots—up almost 2% over 1984’s total. This performance helped Chevrolet gain the lead in 1985 sales among manufacturers of light-duty trucks.

Along with other eighties SUVS, Blazers are attracting significant collector interest. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1985 Blazer Silverado in #1/Concours condition is $45,800, with a far more normal #3/Good condition version going for $16,200. Blazers are often available in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors. As I write this post, a Midnight Black 1985 Blazer with slate gray cloth bucket seats and 154,000 miles is for sale on Hemmings for $27,500.

Make mine Midnight Blue, please.

Earlier this week, a two-tone and stock-appearing Caprice Classic sedan turned a few hundred feet in front of me. Time to finally write a blog entry on the four-door Caprice—I have previously covered the coupe and the station wagon.

“… comfort and quiet for up to six.”

For 1983, Chevrolet’s Caprice Classic sedan was little changed. The headline might have been the return of Black exterior paint.

The Caprice’s standard engine was a Chevrolet-built LC3 110 bhp 3.8 liter/229 ci V6 with a Rochester two-barrel carburetor. Options included a Chevrolet-built LG4 150 bhp 5.0 liter/305 ci V8 with a Rochester four-barrel carburetor and a (don’t do it!) Oldsmobile-built LF9 105 bhp 5.7 liter/350 ci diesel V8. The standard engine for California buyers was a Buick-built LD5 110 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with a Rochester two-barrel carburetor. A three-speed automatic was standard for the two V6’s and the diesel, with a four-speed automatic with overdrive standard with the gas V8 and available for the diesel.

Fuel economy with the standard powertrain was rated at 19 mpg, while the V8 was 17 mpg. The diesel was said to get 23 mpg. With a 25.1-gallon gas tank, the owner of a V8 Caprice could expect a range of about 385 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. No matter which engine was under the hood, Chevrolet’s largest car was not quick; 0-60 mph took about 11.5 seconds with the V8.

Standard mechanical equipment on the $8,802 Caprice Classic sedan (about $23,000 in today’s dollars) included power steering, a front stabilizer bar, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P205/75R15 radial tires (a size still available thanks to Hankook and Kumho) on 15 x 6 inch wheels with full wheel covers. Inside, Quiet Sound Group, a full-width front bench seat, a quartz electric clock, and a glove box light were included.

Among the many exterior and mechanical options were Custom two-tone paint ($141) in four combinations, tinted glass ($105), halogen hi-beam headlamps ($10), cornering lamps ($55), and an electric rear window defogger ($135). Inside, air conditioning ($725), automatic speed control with resume speed ($170), a Comfortilt steering wheel ($105), power door locks ($170), and a range of Delco radios up to an AM/FM stereo radio with a stereo cassette tape player and four speakers ($298) were available.

The acclaimed F41 Sport Suspension—Car and Driver stated that it would make you “think that your Chevy came from the Black Forest instead of Detroit”—included stiffer springs, tighter shocks, a thicker front stabilizer bar, and a rear stabilizer bar. The F41 was a bargain at $49 and required P225/70R15 white stripe tires ($159). A CL Special Custom interior ($452) included 50/50 Custom cloth seats and a passenger recliner.

The Caprice Classic and other B platform cars—1983’s B body sedan roster included the Buick LeSabre, the Chevrolet Impala, the Oldsmobile Delta 88, and the Pontiac Parisienne—continued to be well regarded. Car and Driver‘s inaugural 10 Best Cars in January 1983 included the Caprice Classic along with the AMC/Renault Alliance, the Ford Mustang GT, the Pontiac 6000 STE, the Volkswagen Rabbit GTI, and five other cars.

Caprices continued to sell well—Chevrolet sold 122,613 sedans in 1983 along with another 45,154 of the closely related but somewhat de-contented Impala four-doors. The Caprice’s production numbers made it the best-selling of any Chevrolet sedan in that model year, beating out the Cavalier, Celebrity, Chevette, and Malibu offerings.

Eighties Caprice Classics have their adherents, though many have been modified as donks. Hagerty’s valuation tools do not track the 1976 to 1990 models. You see them in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors—when I wrote this post, there was a White 1989 Caprice Classic Brougham sedan with dark blue cloth 45/55 seats, a 5.0 liter/305 ci V8, and 133,000 miles for sale on Hemmings for $7,500.

Make mine Dark Fern Metallic, please.

The inspiration for this blog entry is a loaded 1983 Chevrolet Cavalier CS sedan that one of my frequent readers owned back in the day.

“one of today’s most advanced front-wheel-drive cars”

1983 was the second year model for Chevrolet’s Cavalier compact. The biggest news was likely in the powertrain; a 2.0 liter inline four with throttle-body fuel injection was the new standard engine along with a newly optional five-speed manual transmission. A convertible version of the coupe was a mid-year announcement.

The only engine available was the LQ5 86 bhp 2.0 liter/122 ci inline four with throttle-body fuel injection. The LQ5 had two less horsepower than the previous year’s L46 1.8 liter engine, but notably more grunt—an additional ten lb-ft of torque. The result was a meaningful half-second improvement in 0-60 times, though the Cavalier remained slow (even by 1983 standards). A four-speed manual remained standard, while a five-speed manual ($75) and an automatic ($395) were available. Fuel economy ratings were 25 mpg combined by the measures of the day. With a 13.6-gallon fuel tank, a Cavalier driver could expect a range of about 305 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.

Standard equipment on the 1983 Cavalier was far sparer than it had been in 1982, when many had blanched at the sedan’s $7,137 base price. Still, exterior and mechanical features on all Cavalier sedans did include front-wheel-drive, a front stabilizer bar, rack and pinion steering, power front disc/rear drum brakes, and P175/80R13 radial tires on 13 x 5 inch steel wheels. Inside, vinyl reclining front bucket seats and side window defoggers were included. For 1983, the sedan started at $5,999—about $15,800 in today’s dollars and just a little under what a 2020 Chevrolet Sonic sedan goes for.

Moving up to the $6,484 CS added a glove compartment lock, a colour-keyed instrument panel, a cigarette lighter, an ashtray light, and an AM push-button radio with dual front speakers.

Only available with the CS, the CL package added Sport mirrors, a Custom interior with Custom reclining seats and adjustable head restraints, a three-spoke steering wheel with a black leather rim, and a right-hand visor vanity mirror.

Exterior and mechanical options for the CS sedan included tinted glass ($90), a removable sunroof ($295), Custom two-tone paint with pin striping ($176), halogen headlamps ($10), power steering ($195), and an F41 sport suspension ($49). Inside, power door locks ($170), power windows ($255), automatic speed control ($170), a six-way power driver’s seat ($210), a Comfortilt steering wheel ($99), and air conditioning ($625) were among the many options.

The 1983 Cavalier sold well, with 215,585 exiting Chevrolet showrooms, making it the most popular model in the Chevrolet model line. Of all Cavalier variants in 1983, the CS sedan was the most popular, at almost a quarter of the total—the convertible was, of course, the rarest, with a mere 607 sold. Despite this popularity when new, Cavaliers of this generation have now almost vanished, except for the convertibles and the higher-performance Z24 versions. Amazingly, there is currently a white 1986 CS hatchback with blue cloth bucket seats and 66,000 miles for sale on eBay Motors.

Make mine a Light Briar Brown over Dark Brown two-tone—just like my reader’s car.

The other J platform cars I have written about are the 1982 Cadillac Cimarron sedan, the 1984 Pontiac 2000 Sunbird S/E hatchback coupe, the 1985 Oldsmobile Firenza ES sedan, the 1986 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 coupe, and the 1988 Cadillac Cimarron sedan. Some day, I will write about the Buick Skyhawk.

One of my frequent readers once owned the Maxi-Cab version of the 1985 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. So, here you go.

“America’s ideal pickup.”

For 1985, Chevrolet offered seven distinct versions of the S-10 pickup truck, divided up by cab style (short, Maxi-Cab/extended cab, or chassis cab), engine (gas or diesel), and drive (2WD or 4WD). Beyond that, three of the versions offered a choice of a long or short box, which resulted in a different wheelbase.

Changes for 1985 were few, with the most significant news probably being improved corrosion protection. Also new was an updated version of GM’s “Iron Duke” inline four, which replaced 1984’s LQ2 2.0 liter inline four.

Only the absolute base truck (short cab, short wheelbase, gas, 2WD) came with the smallest engine, which was the Isuzu-built LR1 82 bhp 1.9 liter/119 ci inline four. That engine also was not available in California. Far more common—and standard on all gasoline configurations except the absolute base truck—was the LN8 “Iron Duke” 92 bhp 2.5 liter/151 ci inline four with throttle body fuel injection, which did have 31 more ft-lbs of torque than the smaller four. Optional “power” for all the gasoline trucks was the LR2 110 bhp 2.8 liter/173 ci V6 with a two-barrel carburetor. The single diesel available was the LQ7 62 bhp 2.2 liter/137 ci inline four, which could only be specified with 2WD.

All four engines came standard with a four-speed manual transmission. Every version but the chassis cab could upgrade to a five-speed manual, while all but the two diesel models could option a four-speed automatic.

Standard equipment on the base $5,990 S-10 (about $14,700 in 2020 dollars) was pretty spare. Still, it included P195/75R14 all-season steel-belted radial tires on 14 x 6 inch painted argent wheels with bright metal hub caps, a color-keyed instrument panel, an upshift light, a locking stowage box, a full headliner, and a vinyl bench seat. At $7,167 (about $17,600 in today’s dollars and well under what a base 2020 Chevrolet Colorado costs), all Maxi-Cab S-10s included tinted glass, vacuum power brakes, and a dome lamp. 4WD versions of the Maxi-Cab included a front stabilizer bar and P195/75R15 tires on 15 x 6 inch wheels.

Among the many exterior and mechanical options available for the Maxi-Cab were two different two-tone paint treatments, a sliding rear window ($107), a heavy-duty radiator ($53), and a 20-gallon fuel tank ($49). Inside, a tachometer, power windows ($190), power door locks ($135), electronic speed control ($195), air conditioning ($740), Custom vinyl high-back bucket seats, folding rear jump seats ($215), and an array of stereos were available.

In addition to individual options, there were also three equipment packages for the Maxi-Cab, which definitely made the S-10 ownership experience more comfortable.

• The $334 Durango package included a black and chromed grille, black and chromed headlight bezels, a Deluxe chromed bumper with rub strip, wheel trim rings, reflecting lettering on the tailgate, and (of course) Durango nameplates on the front fenders. Inside, Durango purchasers received a side window defogger, a Deluxe vent system, a courtesy lamp, stowage box and ashtray lamps, a headlamp warning buzzer, a cigar lighter, and a Durango nameplate on the stowage box door. Upholstery included a Deluxe color-keyed steering wheel, a color-keyed floor mat, a color-keyed jack cover, and either a Custom cloth/vinyl bench seat or a leather-grained Custom vinyl bench seat.

• The $605 Tahoe package included everything in the Durango package. Additions and changes to the Durango package included a black grille, color-keyed door handle inserts, black body side and bright wheel opening moldings, a chromed taillight molding, and Tahoe nameplates on the front fenders. Inside, the Tahoe added a full instrument cluster with brushed metal trim, a right hand visor mirror, and a Tahoe nameplate on the stowage box door. Upholstery included color-keyed carpeting, two vinyl jump seats, and a choice of either leather-grained Custom vinyl bucket seats or dual-tone woven Custom cloth bucket seats. The Tahoe required either Special Custom or Custom trim.

• Finally, the top-of-the-line Sport package ($868) included everything in the Tahoe package. Additions and changes included a black chrome grille and headlight bezels, two-tone paint, painted argent styled wheels, and Sport nameplates on the front fenders. Inside, the Sport included a color-keyed lockable center console and a Sport nameplate on the stowage box door. Upholstery included a color-keyed Sport steering wheel with a bright shroud, door trim panels with cloth inserts, and high back Sport cloth front bucket seats.

S-10 pickup trucks from the eighties make regular appearances in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds and on eBay Motors, though many have been heavily modified (small block Chevrolet V8s are common).

Make mine Apple Red, please. If it’s got the Sport package, I’d like it with the Silver Metallic secondary color.

Much of the detailed information for this post—including any hope I had of getting the options packages correct—comes courtesy of the GM Heritage Center. I’ve also written about the 1983 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer SUV.