General 96 Roadmaster thread

[kevm14]

Washed my center caps and applied the Buick decals. I used a square of double sided foam in the middle to give the dished part something to grab onto.

And here it is on my most oxidized wheel, kinda.

Maybe someday I'll get these wheels refinished.

[kevm14]

I just told my insurance company to drop it down to comprehensive only (like the CTS-V during winter).

[bill25]

Is the plan to start moving parts to this? Why so cryptic?

[kevm14]

I really want to put my SS wheels on it! This will have to wait for the weekend as I also want to power wash them.

I regret not making a video of burnouts. I would really like to have that after the car is gone...I still know of no safe place to do it unfortunately.

List from page 18, updated:

Here's a short list of things the Roadmaster could use:
- Idler arm and center link
- Rear axle (and rear discs?)
- Electric fans?
- SS wheels/tires
- Front shocks (if I can remove my Bilsteins without damaging them)

That's about it for things it could use that really jump to mind.

As for a more comprehensive list of things I should save because I might use them on the car at a later date:
- Front control arms, though the bushings are tired (again). The ball joints are still good.
- Front and rear springs
- Tie rods
- Steering box
- Steering shaft
- Front brakes (rotors, calipers, pads)
- Driveshaft
- Bulbs
- Windshield washer fluid tank
- Exhaust manifolds and cats? Maybe the intermediate pipes and mufflers and maybe the tail pipes. Over the axle are getting crusty again.
- Speakers
- Subwoofer and amp
- Battery
- Power lock solenoids
- Front window glass?
- Master cylinder and proportioning valve (may want to grab the booster, just in case)
- Front air dam stuff (assuming it is compatible with the bespoke front clip on the RMS)

Stuff to save and maybe sell because it is not compatible with the Roadmaster:
- Gauge cluster
- Stereo head unit
- Air intake (mainly the Cadillac top hat part which may be hard to find these days)
- Those giant battery cables...maybe try to repurpose them to the Roadmaster

I will grow this list if more things come up.

[kevm14]

Finally. Possibly the last time it'll ever wear these. I have to say the wheels are actually in pretty damn good condition. Certainly better than my SS wheels. That is....a bit perplexing. Also all wheels except for the driver's side rear had lug nuts that seemed way over tightened. It took serious time with my impact to remove them. But no damage. Also, on the right rear, the drum came off with the wheel (lol). The good news is, the brakes on this car appear to be in very good condition. Needs better pads and my rear axle of course.

I think they actually look better on a stock (black) RMS than a stock Caprice at stock ride height. For what that's worth. I think it's because the front wheel arches are a bit squared, plus the rear skirt kind of hides the stock height well. Plus with the black there's a nice monochrome theme that I think accepts the wheels readily. I think this car would still take to a lowering (down to my Caprice height). It might even look good if I had these polished (since they need to be refinished). Unless that is DIY...

Also I like my Buick stickers on the center caps.

Haven't driven yet but there seems to be clearance at the rear skirts. Hope it is good enough to handle turns where the inside tire, at the top, will move outward as the body lifts (more accurately the body will lift up but the skirt will move inward into the tire, since it rolls on an arc and the axle is solid so the wheel stays perpendicular to the road).

I am also really looking forward to moving forward with this "Buick GS" theme. I can envision my 3.42 axle, opened up exhaust, freer flowing intake, and fresh front shocks. Then my Caprice's steering box, and idler arm to fix those issues. This will be fun even with a stock powertrain.

[kevm14]

The pull to the right seems better. Steering response is significantly improved.

But the check engine light came on. Ha. I'll check that when I get home.

Speedo also reads like 2 mph high at 70 on the shorter tires.

[kevm14]

I heard the air pump run on a cold start and the light hasn't come back after a couple errands today.

Also slight miscalculation on the approach to handling with this car...I pushed it on some ramps and while it grips almost as well as the Caprice, I was sliding all over the place on the leather seats. Yeah. I mean this is supposed to be the muscle sedan thing of my fleet so the handling is not the focus.

[kevm14]

I need to examine the alignment. Probably needs more caster on the right side. Not sure what the camber is, either. Also needs my Caprice's idler arm and steering box. When I remove it, I guess I will do that bench adjustment to see if that helps tighten it up a little bit.

They really nailed the big car/big engine drivability with the LT1. Actually, it's even more sophisticated than the old stuff. My Caprice drove more like the old stuff (I imagine they modeled TBI to feel like a quadrajet but better). It has very gentle tip in (but no lag), so you never have an issue taking off softly if you want. But as you press further, it immediately responds with more torque. The tight converter also makes light throttle drivability feel incredibly effortless. A more responsive trans calibration would be nice. Stock 9C1/SS would probably suffice if I could figure out a way to do that.

Drove to work. Still no codes. Fixed forever?

[kevm14]

Here's a shocker. When I scanned for codes just now I did key on engine off. While I was scanning, the air leveling compressor did its short diagnostic cycle. Wow. So this car still has a working pump. Well I don't know if it makes air or even if the exhaust valve works, but it does run.

[kevm14]

Had a little back road fun on the way home from work. Did a 2-1 around a corner and it ripped through 1st and kicked it sideways a bit before shifting into 2nd and bogging.

Also pushed the handling some. Went around this corner in 25 zone at like 55. This lady in a Tacoma coming the other way like flipped out as I passed. I don't think the tires were even squealing. If I can't get away with this, I don't see how way more performance is going to be that useful. I thought the car would have blended in but the thing is, it is pretty large and people notice it. It does not look like the kind of car you'd expect to see hustling around corners.