What could cause an 88 Caprice to lose all its power instantly while driving making you pull over then be unable to restart the car when no noises were heard in the engine and the car still turns over?

Quite possibly a failed fuel pump. What you would have noticed was the engine misfiring then stalling. It happens pretty quickly and you would not hear a thing. vbd that or running out of fuel. could also be that your throttle valve cable near the carb needs to be adjusted or replaced. this would cause your car to lose power and/or delayed shifting of the the transmission, usually accompanied with a loud noise when pressing the gas pedal