Newbie buying a 90's Roadmaster ?

Discussion in 'General Station Wagon Discussions' started by Crownvic, Jun 19, 2010.

  1. Crownvic

    Crownvic New Member

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    Hi Guys & Gals,

    I am new here, and would be thrilled to join you at the Wagonfest at the end of next month. But before I can do that, I need to buy my first wagon.

    Right now a seller is proposing a '95 Roadmaster Estate and any advice would be most appreciated. I have already arranged for an inspection at a dealership, but it is a quick once over, better than nothing but it won't tell all.

    The issues I've hear of are the transmissions not shifting smoothly, bad water pumps, faulty ignitions and slipping window holders. Of course there's bent frame rails and Bondo work, but I don't know what else to look for.

    Thanks for any advice!

    Vic
     
  2. rancheronut

    rancheronut New Member

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    :Welcome: and :cheers: to your 1st wagon.
     
  3. Crownvic

    Crownvic New Member

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    Hi Rancheronut,

    Thanks for the greeting! BTW, are those YOUR bunkbeds? The setup sure looks cool. Those lifts probably wouldn't work in a garage without a foundation, so I'll have to stick to a single wagon.

    Best,

    Vic
     
  4. Stormin' Norman

    Stormin' Norman Well-Known Member

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    The other Roadie owners are gonna be all over me for this, but I'd suggest you jack up the horn and put a Ford under it!:evilsmile::biglaugh:

    Nah, seriously, they're a fine wagon. Ride like a cloud and go like stink! Good luck. (y) :Welcome:
     
  5. silverfox

    silverfox New Member

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    :Welcome:to the wagon train, cv. The water pumps are not necessarily bad. It's just that if they start to leak they leak right on to the Opti Spark (distributor) and cause expensive problems since the opti goes off at around $700 now. Not to mention it is not easy to replace....water pump has to come off etc. But there are easy precautions to prevent these problems. The entire Opti replacement is rare. It is, after all, just a distributor and the cap & rotor will need replacement occasionally. The rest of the unit is pretty much a non wear item. Look for rust on the rear door sills and rear quarters and on the rear floor. Also on the rear gate and, of course, on the underside. The tranny is not a bad tranny as you suggest but the window guides ARE. There are replacement rollers for the windows and, while it is time consuming, they can be replaced with the new roller design. This is something that WILL come up. They are great cars and, as Norm points out, they ride like a cloud and have plenty of snort for a big wagon. The engines are pretty much bullet proof providing you take care of them and fix things as needed.
     
  6. a1awind

    a1awind Tiki God

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    ill add that you need to check the firewall and make sure the down spout for the a/c is still there. this is a weak point and can cause and interior water leak in the car... in fact this is more often than not the cause of soft floor pans in these cars. if you turn the A/C on on a hot day and you don't get a puddle under car....pull the carpet on the pass side.

    1995 is a great year. you get the big mirrors and the ECU and O2 sensors are OBD 1.
     
  7. silverfox

    silverfox New Member

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    Good points, A1.(y)
     
  8. Crownvic

    Crownvic New Member

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    Hi Stormin' Norman,

    That's exactly why I regret not having a foundation: with 4 Fords to park the Wagon could sit above one! :D

    Vic
     
  9. Crownvic

    Crownvic New Member

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    Wheel Question

    Hi Silverfox,


    I'll make sure I take preventive measure to keep that from happening, as I had to change out 2 COPS on my Town Car due to a coolant leak...



    I will definitely check the rust having already had a car that broke in half when it was towed! :slap:


    The seller says he already replaced the clips that hold the windows in place, but that isn't exactly what you'd call the guides? I'll ask him if he changed the rollers too.



    This is why I'm looking at this wagon: years of driving full size cars with air suspension have spoiled me for most others, I can't stand to ride in a German car (audi/benz/bmw) due to their unibody peanut shell ride. And I like the snort too. Actually the heads on the wagons are better than the Corvette heads because they deliver more of what we need: torque for acceleration! :dance:


    What I'm wondering is whether the wheels on this car are keepers:

    To tow a camper the seller mounted truck rims with high load 235 65R 16 Avid TRZ tires rated 700 Treadware with temperature A and traction B. I don't know what this means, only that I don't find the rims look as good as the stockers. I won't be towing much but wondered whether this is "the deal" or maybe overkill at the expense of the wagon's classic looks?

    [​IMG]


    Thanks for an opinion on the tires and wheels. To me the stock units look even better on the woodie style long roofs than even Impala SS wheels, but I'm not about to swap them if they're the best for ride and grip.


    Vic
     
  10. Crownvic

    Crownvic New Member

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    Rusted Floorpans !

    Ouch!

    The car was down South, where they run the air conditioning year round. And the seller says the carpets need changing although it has low miles. Uh oh... :outtahere:


    So the way to check for this is by pulling out the carpet - not exactly easy with a seller staring at you not wanting their car messed about until it is sold. I'll see if I can get the inspection station to check this for me for a charge, that way it will be a GM professional and not some nosy buyer snooping around.


    Thanks for the warning, as this may be the Achilles heel of the one I'm about to buy.


    Vic
     
  11. a1awind

    a1awind Tiki God

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    my roadmaster was a snowbird car...(and the same color as the one your looking at) feel the carpet...if its wet or stained black in the back passenger footwell....good chance you have a leak. you dont need to remove the carpet...just crawl under and bang on the floorpans...if they're soft say buh bye! if not let the a/c run for a while if you see water on the ground..your golden, if not...look into it but dont make it a deal breaker unless the floors are soft. Stock carpet is cheap (about $130 shipped) and it actually only takes about 30 min and 2 beers to remove the interior(had mine out twice).

    i love mine. glad i bought it.
     
  12. Blackfoot

    Blackfoot Wagonless Soul

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    I like the wheels, I say they are keepers. If you don't like them, make me a swap for my stock 15" aluminums with new BF Goodrich Land Terrain 235/75 LT 15's. Having 2 Roadies myself, though they are a 92 & 93(though my 93 is now totaled from a deer and is a parts donor) with L05 TBI 350's and not the LT1's, they are excellent cars. Check the rear quarters behind the rear tires, the spare tire well in the passenger rear quarter and around the rear hatch glass and tailgate jam areas for rust or repair work due to previous rust issues.
     
  13. Crownvic

    Crownvic New Member

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    Checking for rust


    Hi A1,


    Thanks for making it simple. So I just open the rear right door, sit in the seat and feel around the carpet edge to see if it is humid or darkened. Then to make sure the floorpans are good, I bang on them to test for softness. With a bit of luck there's a leak but not enough to have attacked it too bad. The car has under 100k miles so it would be a shame to pass it up for that. I'm glad that new carpet is only $130, on some cars it is way high. When the time comes, I'll ask you where to buy it.


    Thx.


    Vic
     
  14. Crownvic

    Crownvic New Member

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    15 inchers VS 16 inchers ?


    Hi Blackfoot,


    It's a Texas car, so it shouldn't have the rust there, but it is still important to triple check, thanks for pointing out the main extra locations. Also, I figured that they were good enough quality for somebody to want to trade, but was mostly wondering how they would differ in ride, safety and comfort from standard wheels and tires. If I do decide to switch I'll keep you in mind.


    Wheel size isn't so small an issue, but something I became accutely aware of when I tested out new cars and ended up buying one with 15 inchers instead of the Handling and Performance models with 16 inchers. The reason being both comfort and acceleration, which were better on the one I chose, also thanks to its double exhaust and towing axle. But the comfort was not in the same league. Oh, and in case you're wondering, it was a Crown Victoria LX (towing package = pursuit package) thus my name... ;)


    Vic
     
  15. Blackfoot

    Blackfoot Wagonless Soul

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    There will be nothing but cosmetic gains from the tires and wheels on it vs the stockers. Between the 225/75/15 stock size and the 235/65/16 size that is on it, there is so little difference in size that the speedo will only be 0.6mph faster difference at 60mph.

    225/75/15 is a 28.3 in diameter
    235/65/16 is a 28.0 in diameter
    When your speedo is saying 60mph you will be actually going 59.4mph.

    This site is the bomb for comparing tire sizes!
    http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

    As for being a Texas car, my 92 was a Florida resident until I bought it from the grandson of the original owner in March of last year. It has only seen one winter and that was this last one, I undercoated the piss out of it in fall with motor oil and still ended up with a rot hole in the rear quarter and a small blister near the rear hatch glass in the pillar where the roof seam is at.

    The rear gear ratio in that is a 2.93 I believe, vs the 3.23 in the 91-93 non LT1 wagons. Both mine have tow packages that come with posi rear ends and air leveling susp standard. Dual exhaust is standard on ALL 94-96 RMW as well as their sister, the Caprice wagons. To know for sure its a true tow package car, it look for a mechanical fan and shroud under the hood as well as tranny cooler infront of the AC Condensor. If it does not have a mechanical fan and tranny cooler, its a non tow package car that someone just tossed a hitch under.
     

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