Newbie buying a 90's Roadmaster ?

CV,
hopefully there is NO leak. if you feel the rear pass footwell for wetness. if the floorpans are solid...leak or no leak ...get it.

blackfoot,

only the tow pack cars are 2:93 the non-tow cars are 2:56. i am non tow pack and have a tranny cooler.

 

Wheels and suspension

Hi Blackfoot and thanks for the detailed explanation and link to the calculator. Now I know that the more important thing for handling isn't the sidewall height but the ratio of height to width. The smaller that number (60, 55, 50, etc.) while maintaining a good width the better the car will handle. To keep comfort while improving handing, you just widen the tire! To cheat you increase rim size but lose out on acceleration as well as comfort. Thanks for turning on that light bulb.

These were built before they galvanized chassis and body panels, so I guess it is even more important to make sure they stay out of the salt. Also, undercoating was recommended before they had car washes which could spray the underside of cars. Today there is the theory that undercoating actually traps humidity and corrosive agents which they are glued to the bottom and take their time to do their damage.

Dual exhaust is the ultimate, breathing freely is what is most needed in 90's vintage full size cars, the factory saving by using small diameter intakes and exhaust. I'll probably want to put shorties on mine if I can find some not too expensive, I put long tubes on the Crownvic and they really help reduce the rear pressure power loss. However, I am actually hesitant to do many mods, as this is a classic which should either be kept entirely original or modified retaining the parts removed so that one day it might be retrofitted by someone else to original shape.

One thing that I'm not too happy about is that the seller swapped the air suspension for heavy duty progressive springs. I love air suspension, for its great ride and its self-leveling feature which is good for shifting loads but also for keeping the car level when accelerating or braking hard. Is it hard and/or expensive to put back in the original air suspension?


Thanks for all the great advice !


Vic

 

Wet or dry, if it's hard BUY IT !

Your wish is my command. I shall.

 

I can only stay out of a Roadmaster wagon thread for so long lol. You've already got quite a bit of good advice, the only thing I can add right now is if you have the vin you can run it here:
http://www.compnine.com/vid.php

This is pretty interesting and will tell you everything the car was built with.

As far as the wheels, I can tell you from experience that 15" tires are getting harder to find. Especially ww's. Seems like now everthing is running 16" and above.

Looks like a nice car - I hope it works out and if you have any questions, ask away!

Jon

 

Yup....compnine is a great site. It tells you EVERYTHING about your car from the vin.
CV....those wheels/tires and springs are not going to give you the ride you desire. I would sell the rims (they look pricey) and go with the stockers, replace the tires and replace the air ride. I have some reservations about this particular car. I don't like the fact that the rims were changed and that he is replacing the carpet when he knows he has an interested party. Also, he changed the rims/tires for pulling. What was he pulling that required that change? I shouldn't really say these things, I suppose, but I would want to see that car and do a look-see. I don't know if you have mentioned the price but these wagons under 100K go for pretty big money. If he is selling it cheap you may want to question why. Just my .

 

Reservations about this particular car

That's the plan, I wish it was less tinkered with as one of the best features of these cars is their plush ride. Plus, the smaller the wheel the harder you accelerate!

So do I. That's why I'm taking my time, discussing it with the seller before checking it out and making an offer. Also, that's why I asked the EXPERTS for help here. It's a big decision, and I want it to be a "keeper" so, best to be cautious...

He says he wanted to find a creampuff and found it in Texas after a one year search. He says it had the towing package but had never been fitted with a tow bar. He then fitted it with one, to tow a camper, he says. How big, how far, in what conditions I cannot know. Now he says he needs to sell it, presumably as most of us these days he's in a jam.


Every used car has is share of stories, some true, some made up. I asked him if he still had the old rims, and he hesitated to reply. When I insisted he said he had them, but they were pretty banged up, whatever that means is anyone's call. I'd have to see them, but maybe he meant they were nasty aesthetically (yeah, I'm trying to keep the creampuff illusion alive). It could be they got damaged in a wreck.

He had actually priced it in an ad for close to $6k months ago, but didn't find any takers. I wrote him but got no reply. Then I saw this Roadmaster pull out on the road a few car lengths ahead, and it sure looked nice. Only a few blocks further it pulled over into a drive-in line for a fast food joint. I pulled along beside him, rolled down the window, and hollered: You don't want to sell that Roadmaster, do you? He said he didn't, but would take down my number. I low balled him, and he replied that if he were selling he'd be wanting close to $5k. Now he's calling me about making an offer.


If it checks out - no rust, good mechanical condition, etc. then I'd probably make a proper offer that he wouldn't sneeze at if he's hurting for cash. I'd only drive the car in the summer, taking good care of this fun, useful and comfortable car over the years. I'll keep the old beat up rusty FWD van for dirty jobs or snow duty.


I am going to ask my local performance shop, where they restore muscle cars and build drag racers, to check it out its mechanicals to avoid any surprises. They have the stuff when it comes to engine analyzers plus they know cars. My regular mechanic is great at fixing things, but not as nifty at diagnostics. The local chevy dealership is offering a 20 point check up for $36 but I doubt they'd find anything more.


Thanks for your help in reaching for the stars.


Vic

 

Making your own whitewalls ?

Hi Jon,

That link should provide a valuable resource, in this case especially to find out just how transformed the car has been.

It seems that whitewalls went out of fashion several decades ago, with only nostalgic retirees buying them back then. Now its mainly a classic or collectors car feature, so the one's out there aren't performance tires. I saw in one of the wagon forums a thread where the member said he had "MADE HIS OWN" whitewalls. I'll have to look at that someday, it would enable conserving the classic good looks while keeping tire choices open.

It sure looks cleaner than the one I saw yesterday when travelling to New Hampshire. Paint and woodie coatings peeling off, holes and rust all about, the interior trashed. But it was the work car for an antique dealer, so it really is used as a work horse, beaten until it dies...


My only one major gripe is going to be rust, having lost a car which disintegrated into a heap. It was a valuable classic, but death was onset and inevitable. So I won't lat a car I am attached to catch that. Salt is for the sacrificial lamb, the beater which gives its life to preserve that of the others. Next comes chassis integrity, the frame not being bent from an accident. Third would be general interior wear which is hard to fix up when its badly mashed. Forth is body panels without rust or bondo, and last is mechanical which can usually be fixed with a couple of twists of the wrench (plus some sweat and parts).


He says he towed only one summer, and then sold his camper. I hope it wasn't a double wide. The mechanics should be able to confirm. Thx for the link.


Vic

 

Vic,

You will not regret buying a Roadmaster wagon, I've had my '94 RMW for a year and a half now and had a '94 Caprice wagon for 2 years before that.
I would recommend that you take the rear cargo area side panels off and get a good look at the insides of the rear quarters. GM liked to put seam sealer over the tiny drain hole(s) in the left side quarter then they fill up with water , dirt, and salt. Then they rust from the inside out. Also the front two body mounts/lower fire wall area is a problem area with rust. Good luck.

That VIN check is pretty cool, it said there is 1 car just like mine. Not sure if that one car is mine or there is/was a twin.

Mike

 

Halting the rust or cutting it out...

Hi Mike,

Thanks for pointing out these extra trouble spots. I may not need to take it to a body shop for inspection with all these pointers.

Vic

 

I was re-reading this thread and this thought came to me. There are heavy duty progressive rate springs available for these cars. The air ride is basically a factory air shock with automatic leveling so it is possible to put the heavier springs in and retain the auto leveling. Check and see if that is still there or it is fitted with aftermarket shocks. There is also a kit available to mate aftermarket air shocks to the factory leveling. Only one of my cars still has the factory system intact and working, one has regular shocks and one has aftermarket air shocks. Honestly, there is very little difference in the ride.

Jon

 

No need to be shocked by its shocks: they're Bilsteins

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the re-read. The reason I was confused is that my 1993 Crown Vic has air SPRINGS, basically an Air Bag which is a rubber bladder that fills with air to keep the car level at all times. It makes for a very secure comfortable ride. You can see them in aftermarket form pictured here:

http://www.arnottindustries.com/part_FORD_Air_Suspension_Parts_yid1_pid9.html


So I thought that the Roadmasters had the same thing. My bad. Roadmasters have air SHOCKS but use regular metal springs. This means that their shocks adjust to loads, which isn't the same as the car being kept level to prevent any tipping whatever the load. For example, in hard acceleration or braking my Ford stays level and doesn't tip forward or back. This probably wouldn't be the case with a Roadmaster, correct me if wrong.


The seller replaced the standard rear springs with heavy duty progressive coil springs. He changed the shocks for Bilsteins. He says they are the uprated ones used in the 9C1 packages and SS Impala. I know these may perform better, but won't this totally kill the plush ride? Hmmm, I guess I'll find out pretty soon, we're scheduling to meet up and I'll travel to see the car.


I'll be running that visual checklist, scouting for signs of rust in all the assorted troublespots. Thanks to your cool recommendations here in the wagon forums I'll know how deep the waters are and how strong the current.


I reserved a time slot at the local performance dyno shop for a half-hour verification of the car's mechanical condition. They won't be going too far in that little time, but it's better than nothing. I'll keep you posted as soon as something new develops, hopefully a purchase. In the meanwhile, if you think of something to ask those mechanics before the inspection, give me a holler.


Best,


Vic

 

If it's got 9c1 springs and Bilstiens the ride should be pretty good. A little firmer that stock but the little you give up in ride will be more than worth it in handling.

Now, I'll give you one more piece of advice: These cars are addictive. You can't stop with one. Make very sure you're ready for this. Your friends will think you're crazy. Your neighbors will crack OPEC or yacht club jokes. Your wife/girlfriend/significant other will call the cars (and you) names behind your back and and tell anyone that asks that they're driving your "parts" car. You'll lay awake at night trying to figure out how to justify another one. You'll regret selling your 93 Caprice wagon and spend days scheming ways to buy it back.. oh, wait, maybe thats just me.

Bottom line - whether this one works out or you find another, you will never ever regret owning one(or 2 or 3) of these!

Jon

 

I have the 9C1 springs and Bilstein shock in my 9C1.
The ride is firm, not soft, but with the potholes in this city it's perfect.
They do not smooth out the little bumps, but handle bad roads really well.

 

And I thought is was a little league commuter shuttle

Hi again Jon,


I figured as much... already got addicted to the 'panther platform' after buying the Crown Vic. Next was a Mustang, then a Town Car and finally the Continental. The wife is making me sell the Conti to buy the Roadmaster, not a bad swap in my book. But she also wants the other Lincoln gone, even though that Town Car ride is like floating she says we need cash, not cars. It is mostly to heal that forthcoming loss that I wanted to start out with a cushy ride in the Wagon. But the glass is half... FULL !

At least I get to keep my 2 favorite Fords. Thanks for the words of warning. While my son thinks that it doesn't look modern , wait until he takes it out for a spin... that may be where the addiction will kick in.

Vic

 

Hi Handy Andy,

Great to hear that the setup on the car is a good one, and that you test it every day!

I don't mind a firm ride if it comes with some compensation. For bumpy ice cracked beat up Vermont roads it should be the deal.

Vic