I am such a wussbag.
I’ve always had irrational lust for the final B-body wagons. I can’t tell whether I like the Chevy Caprices best for their clean lines or the Buick Roadmasters for their sheer audacity. (I can take or leave the Olds Custom Cruisers.) I see a lot more Roadmasters on the road than Caprices, though. Such was the case a few months ago when I was in Terre Haute; as I headed for home I spotted this Buick Roadmaster wagon in a parking lot with a big For Sale sign in the window. Of course I pulled over for a look. And of course I didn’t buy it. Because I’m a wussbag.
Did this one ever look cherry. And it wasn’t white, like most of the ones I see still on the road. I think this is Medium Adriatic Blue Metallic, and this Roadmaster wears it very well. And look, none of the plasti-wood is peeling. I would have loved to hear its LT1 V8 burble.
This bent Collector’s Edition hood ornament was the only cosmetic flaw I could find on the car. It told me that I was looking at a ’96 Roadmaster, from the last year they were built. All ’96 Roadmasters wore this swan-song hood ornament.
As I looked it over, my mind started right in on the usual litany: “Where would you put it? You already own two cars and the biggest of those, a little Toyota, almost doesn’t fit in your tiny one-car garage. And how would you get it home from Terre Haute? You’d want your mechanic to look it over before you buy it anyway, and he’s all the way back in Indianapolis. You don’t know anything about what gremlins this car may hold. It’ll probably be a money pit. And the owner probably wants too much for it and won’t negotiate. And as soon as you buy it, something will go wrong with the house or one of the other cars and you’ll wish you had this money back. Or you’d come upon a better deal on a car you want more. No, it’s best to just pass this one right on by.”
I hate my mind sometimes. So I snapped my pictures and drove on home. It showed up on Craigslist a couple months later with a $3,500 price tag, which seemed like a grand too much.
Oh, look: Here’s another Roadmaster wagon, this time a ’92, on my local Craigslist for just $2,500. Check out those dog-dishy hubcaps. And isn’t that Save the Whales sticker a cute touch?
Sigh. Let the wussbaggy litany in my mind begin anew.
The chrome trim on the craigslist car really needs its rub strip re-installed. To my eye without it it looks kinda out of place. Love the steel wheels, trim rings and dog dish caps though.
Wide steelies are cool.
Want it long enough and you’ll eventually just buy the right one. Start preparing for the change. But you didn’t mention fuel costs in your rationale 🙂 (I assume it realistically doesn’t get any better than 18 mpg).
I bought a 1994 Caprice Estate a little over a month ago. It’s been consistently pulling 25 MPG in the flatlands of northwest Minnesota. Great car, and the LT-1 burble is almost as nice as the V-4 of my Yamaha Venture Royale.
Ah! The owner helpfully attached the original stickers.
Oop, and right there on the sticker it says this car is Dark Jadestone Metallic, not the Medium Adriatic Blue Metallic I guessed. This car looks more blue than green to me though.
Dark Jadestone was a nice color on these, as was the dark cherry, I would have picked the alloy wheels instead of the wires.
COME ON, MAN!
Honestly I love all the B-wagons and the Fleetwood.
Interesting that so many of these survived and really did turn into “Collector Editions”. The one without the rub strips has a unique look, and it makes the metal easier to polish.
Be patient.
I looked at XJ, ZJ and WJ Cherokees for for a good 8 months before I found the right one, a low mileage RV tow behind on its 2nd owner that was the friend of a coworker.
I would feel more comfortable buying through connections like that. That’s how I came to own the Focus you see in the background of one of the photos above — it was my dad’s and I knew its, uh, provenance.
These days I find myself with a lot of time to check out Auto Trader, dealer sites etc. I own three cars,my wife doesn’t drive anymore. I might put a total of 12000 KLMS [7500 miles] a year.
I’m forever calculating,and thinking up different,buy,sell,trade scenarios. I know the trade in value of all three. I have a pretty good idea, of what I could get on a private sale. I’ve worked out costs of safety checks,and E tests,and all the stuff one needs for the private sell.
The scatch pad beside my lap top here,is covered in pros and cons lists, Mostly for some deal I’ve completly forgot about.
Then I think it through, and as Jim says maybe its best to pass by whatever deal I’ve cooked up. I say to myself thats it, I’m standing pat,and making no moves.
Sure enough a couple of days later, I find myself on Craigs list,or Auto Trader,and scribbling down numbers.
I think I need a fresh scratch pad.
I find my self playing out different scenarios and surfing Craigs, Autotrader, etc.
My version of the scratch pad is an excel spreadsheet I’ve built.
My version of the desired but unnecessary and ungarageable 3rd vehicle is a MJ Comanchee Pickup. I’d also want to engine swap it for a VW 1.9 TDI or make it an EV conversion.
I have one alot like it. And I love it!
Great wheels!!
My God you can fit TWO Sonics in there!
The inflation calculator tells me the Buick cost $40k +/- when new. Ouch.
And a brand new one with all the features would be worth 40K! Too bad GM doesn’t build cars like this anymore. Well not for US consumption anyway.
In 1996, 882 were sold in Jadestone metallic. Around 9100 Roadmaster wagons were sold that year.
They were 15×7″ steelies pulled off a junkyard 80’s GM wagon. I painted them black and added vintage style narrow trim rings and ” spider caps” for the centers.
@Mike…Nice work with the wheels, it gives the car a whole different look.
If anyone were to publish a story on the 80s Electra Estate wagon, I’d be thrilled. I used to watch a certain 80s movie just to see this car (a beautiful Eldorado made an appearance as well).
I just saw a black Fleetwood down the street from us. It’s been raining off and on, and the water beaded up on that nice paint job looks great.
Interesting that it has zero options on it. I’d have to have the leather and then I’d consider it. As far as price goes $3500 isn’t bad if the miles and condition are right. The $2500 one just looks bad with the baby moons and the fact it has the the lo-po engine alone accounts for the $1000 price difference.
Does it have Roll up Windows? That would kill it for me if it did.
As For sunroofs, could you get one over the driver seat as well?
Yes, a sunroof up front for the driver was available in addition to the vista roof for the back seat passengers.
By roll up windows do you mean non-power, if that is the case then I think no. I’m not sure if even the police version of the Caprice had non-power widows. I know they went away all together on the Panthers with their Aero restyle. If you are asking if the rear door windows go down then yes but I don’t know if they go all the way down.
GM stuck with cranker windows right to the end. When I briefly (thank god) worked for them in 2004 I was astounded to find how many didn’t have power windows. I even saw Whale Caprices with cranker windows. These were DND cars so I am not sure of power windows were standard on 1991 and up Caprices. The ones 1977-1990 all had optional power windows.
I have seen lots of Cobalts with cranker windows. Why not, less to break.
The very base whale Caprice still had rollers, but outside of police or taxi variants, I hardly ever saw a civilian one. The Roadmaster had standard power windows from the get go.
Carmine, I’ve also seen a Caprice with a MT ’91 Car of the Year emblem with black trim around the windows. Are those common?
I’ve never seen a Caprice with cranks that was a ’91 and newer! Did not know they existed!
Josh Echt
This is the other shot.
I’ve even seen a ’97 Expedition without tinted windows and cranks too. It was an XL. Very rare.
I feel your pain. Yesterday I came across a 97 Town Car with 72K miles and all of the hallmarks of being a long-term old guy car (AAA and Shriner stickers). Even that dark metallic teal color. No price on the sign, though. And no leather. Do. Not. Need. Another. Car.
Come on it’s time to upgrade, though I agree I couldn’t do a TC w/o leather, heck I won’t buy a lesser Panther w/o it.
It did, however, have the chrome luggage rack on the trunk. 🙂
Luggage rack, no thanks.
Jim I do that all the time. I look for old Cadillacs fom the 70s mainly and have seen some nice, inexpensive rides. But I never buy…
Best one I’ve seen so far, by the way, was a 76 Sedan DeVille with only 11,000 original miles. Light blue color worked really well back then.
But again, I didn’t buy it.
The whale wagons cannot be called beautiful in any objective way. However, they are incredibly comfortable road trip cars that just eat up the miles. Low to mid 20’s MPG is definitely realistic on the highway (better than most contemporary SUV’s), and the LT-1 drivetrain does a pretty good job of motivating these beasts. Also, these are probably the last non-truck, non-SUV vehicles that could be set up for serious trailer towing.
The problem is these cars are getting old. The chances of buying a used on that doesn’t need work, especially front end work on these, is pretty low. Were I to buy one of these, I would budget at least $2000 in fixing just to start. The B bodies didn’t have the strongest front ends to being with and the Whales were even worse due to the extra weight. It’s all easy to get but the last Roadmaster was made seventeen years ago so fixing is part of the program. That said, it is all straightforward and even shade tree types can do a lot of it.
Then all the fluids, belts and very likely brakes and tires. Before you know it, your $3500 car is now double that.
Lots of the ones around here don’t have much more than 100K mi or so, so it is not like they should need that much work. It shouldn’t cost that much to bring one into tip top shape as parts are really cheap.
I agree with you Eric, that the parts are cheap but unlike yourself, I do not have the place, tools and knowledge to do the work myself.
In my long experience of B Bodies, right around 100,000 miles is when stuff starts to wear out. This is in fact really good service but the cars are getting old. Were I to buy one for $2500, I would set aside another $2500 to get it up to snuff. But’s that’s just me; I tend to replace stuff before it breaks.
Well I know that prices are different north of the boarder but $1000~$1200 should get you a complete new front end, w/alignment as well as change the rubber bits underhood and fluids at a good independent shop. Chances are however that some of that stuff has already been done though. I appreciate wanting to make it right but on the other hand no sense in replacing parts that are still in good condition and possibly are pretty new. Many of those $3500 Roadmasters I see listed on CL state that they have had 1 or more of the following; front end work, water pump, distributor, brakes, tires, shocks ect, done fairly recently usually indicating receipts to back it up.
See, yeah, this is exactly where my brain was going when I nixed making the call to the owner.
Love that sticker! I like the box sedans a lot more than the whales but on the wagons it’s pretty close. Too bad Cadillac never did a Brougham wagon, after all they did SUVs, trucks and crossovers later on.
I always liked those down turned dual tailpipes on the Roadmasters, they said LT1 performance to me.
I have a ’94 (LT1 power) Roadmaster Estate Wagon and love the car.
Mine has alloy wheels, leather and is jadestone with woodie delete – a rather unusual combo I imagine.
Car is used for four passenger trips down the interstate and is ideal for that. Apx 24mpg on these ventures. Turns and parallel parking are to be avoided.
Rub strips are often missing and I had to replace the one on the tailgate. By design windows in rear door do not go all the way down. Power steering pump replaced. Owned the car ten years now.
Woody delete! Now you’re talking.
Ever since I was a little kid I always found these final B-body wagons intriguing. I think it’s their sheer size and shape. They look a lot like a hippo. I know that sounds funny.
I love these cars. The size, the power, same or better FE than a SUV or minvan, and they have tons of low end torque that almost all new cars don’t have. That is the only thing that I scratch my head about this site…I would bet that many people come to look and appreciate at all these sweet cars (me included) on this site have a totally boring (NON-CC worthy) Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, or Scion Xwhatever in their driveway. You only live once, why not drive something neat everyday? I do!
Well, sure, having a cool car isn’t the price of admission for being here. We just appreciate them. And dream.
I drive a Focus every day. About as anonymous as it gets.
Limited1 –
It really depends on your definition of ‘neat’ is. I for one am mesmerized by the simplicity of 4 cylinder sedans, especially the Accord (except the last fat Elvis generation). There’s a competence I appreciate in what they do without grandstanding. They just get it done.
On the other hand, when I saw the pictures of your and Mike’s whales in what appears to be suburban settings I thought…”wow – cool cars”, and then “what a PITA it would be to navigate those monsters around in the city…..”.
I guess it’s just perspective from the vantage point of circumstance….
Anyway – cool car!
Dave M.
I agree with you. I have only had two “plain jane” cars over the years…my favorite was my Chevy Celebrity with an Iron Duke 2.5L I-4. I bought it mainly because I like the sound the Iron Duke makes while running…they just purr like a cat! It had a very unremarkable 90hp, but boy did I enjoy driving it.
Believe it or not, my Buick makes a 35 mile per day commute from suburbia to the metro and into corporate Americas parking garages. Yes, it may be a bit lonely for my Buick sitting amongst a sea of new cars…
For better or worse, I enjoy having the power of the LT1 in a metro area. Quite regularly, other drivers (in the wrong lanes) believe they are going to easily cut me off while getting on to the freeway. While I don’t seek out these stoplight drag races, I do enjoying winning them!
Anyone know what the actual 0-60 and quarter mile times for the lt1 powered b body wagons were? I’ve never been able to find a road test of one but car and driver did test the roadmaster sedan at 7.8 and 16 second respectively.
That’s all I’ve ever really seen. I do remember that they made one of their testers dress up like a “Little Old Lady” for the drag strip test of the Roadmaster because, in their eyes; “Buicks are old people cars.”
The headline was:
“The Perfect Car for a Granny with an Attitude.”
The test featured a guy in a blue dress with a blue wig doing burnouts at a drag strip.
It was crazy funny but in our PC world we aren’t going to see anything like that again.
Go for it! Nothing drives like one of these or will ever again now that the Panther is dead. Here is my lone piece to CC over a year ago.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/my-curbside-classic/my-curbside-classics-1996-impala-ss-1996-buick-roadmaster-woody-1995-cadillac-fleetwood-brougham-the-lt1-holy-trinity/
I would hold out for one with the Trailer Towing Package and the Limited Trim Group. Makes the wagon so much tighter and gives you the split frame seats like in the Fleetwood Brougham. Mine stickered new for a little over 31k. The Trailering package may cut down a mile or 2 per gallon. Mine usually gets 22 to 23 Hwy. My SS and Fleetwood get a little better. Just watch the water pump. Mine died on me a couple of weeks ago out of town with no noticeable warning. It fried the Optispark Distributor which is located under the waterpump. Cost me nearly 2000.00 to fix by the time they went ahead and replaced wires, plugs and a few other things. But in over 8 years of ownership and 140k miles showing that is really the only repair besides wear items it has needed.
Ouch, the Ought to Spark distributor combined with the traditionally crappy SBC water pump which kills the distributor is one of the reasons I shy away from a Roastmaster.
$3500 is the normal asking price for a most lt1 b bodys these days….in Boston I’ve seen them posted for more. They were the last full size american wagons and had the best v8 of the time. The nestalga and performance factor sends value way up. I lusted after one for a while but after reading an old c&d review of the sedan where the best quarter mile time they got was 16 s I decided to go panther instead.
I had a 1994 Roadmaster Estate for a few years. One of the best cars I’ve ever owned. I only averaged about 21 mpg, but it had the trailer tow package and I was using it to drive from PA to Kentucky most weeks (1,000 mile round trip) and setting the cruise control for about 80 mph the whole way.
Mine had a reflashed PCM that firmed up the shifts on the 4L60E – for longevity more than anything – and advanced the timing to the point that it needed to be run on 91 octane. Combined with the resonators removed from the intake, and a set of Dynomax Ultraflow mufflers, it was pretty darn quick for what it was. I never took it to the strip, but in comparing it to known quantities among my other cars I’m sure it was in the low-to-mid-15s in the quarter mile. People never failed to be impressed by the way it would pull, and the 4L60E shifted like a proper GM Hydramatic should – it would bark the tires going into second.
I put over 50,000 miles on it in three years. I only sold it because I was preparing to move to California and didn’t want to take any Rust Belt cars with me.
I’ve always vastly preferred the style of the box wagons, but the 307 doesn’t stand up very well against the later FE V8s in the puffy ones.
There is always LSx FTW and the lower weight of the boxes certainly helps all around performance. On the other hand no vista windows in the boxes.
All the front end stuff and especially brakes last much longer in the box cars.
What’s not to like about a RWD V8 woody?
That beast needs a LS3 + 6L80E swap.
Not a fan of the woody thing. Mine would have a rocket badge.
The rear end always reminds me the Commodore/Omega wagon that came later.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/1999-2000_Holden_VT_II_Commodore_Acclaim_station_wagon_03.jpg
I love a good wagon. I really could use one of these right now also.
My non-woodie ’94 Roadie wagon. Carries three bicycles inside with no problem.
Perfect!! That’s the way God intended a wagon to look: fake-woodless.
Oh my. I think it moved.
That looks great! I remember seeing one or two “woodless” Estate Wagons when they were still available, but they were rare.
I like these, but to me the ultimate Buick woodie will always be ’87 piloted by Elizabeth Shue in “Adventures in Babysitting”. Everything from the bluff grille to the awesome wheels makes for a better design.
Babysitter > Buick
I forgot to ask – does anyone know the name of that wheel style on the babysitter buick and what years it was offered?
That dished alloy wheel came out around 80-81, it was available on the Electra and Estate Wagon, maybe the LeSabre, I think they were available until the end of the square Estate Wagon run in 1990.
I love that movie, and love that Estate Wagon too!
Love the old Estate Wagons and Country Squires. Feel the pain of wanting to buy but not having a place to put it or fix it. Since I hate new cars, it pains me to know that when I move back to the surburbs I’m either going to have to bite the bullet and buy a newer car for daily use, or buy like 6 curbside classics so that at least 3-4 at a time are not in the shop.
Literally the only reason I an old car as my sole car right now is because I live in NYC and don’t need to drive it that often; thus, if something serious goes on it, it’s not the end of the world. After using two “CCs” (an 80s Brougham and Crown Victoria) as daily drivers, I learned the hard way that you just can’t use a single old car as a daily if your daily involves anything more than a very brief commute. There’ll always be some leak or issue to deal with if it’s getting driven 10-15K a year.
Still driving my 10th B-body, a 1991 Caprice wagon with about 175k miles on it, original motor & original transmission. First wagon I ever had, I didn’t think I’d like it, turns out I like it better than the sedans.
I was very lucky to get a 95 dark metallic cherry Estate Limited with every option except CD for $1000. That was in 2005 when these still cost $6k! My professor knew I admired it and practically gave it to me… only ever failed me a few times, owned it 5 years and put 80k miles on her… unfortunately people kept banging ito the old girl and when the VATs system stsrted acting up I parked her to properly fix later… I got really ill the next year and couldnt get under the car to work on the transmission sensors that wentfrom sitting.. soadly sold her for pennies to someone who hopefully would fix her… mine was a special order tow package and had a rebuilt trans when I got her… ant 100k. I miss that csr every day, as I wanted to keep it for ever.
May they live forever. I have a 95 and a 96. The 95 keeps letting me down, yesterday in -15 F weather here in Ottawa, Canada, but for some mad reason I keep fixing it. It’s kinda like being married to Marilyn Monroe. Gorgeous and impossible to live with, but…got a better idea? Me neither.
I bought my ’96 Roady Wagon in 2007, sold it in 2012, missed it horribly, and thankfully was able to get it back from the friend I sold it to. I will NEVER let it go again. These are just so fun, comfy, quick (no joke), and they get amazingly good mileage (mid-20’s highway, vrs 16 on our family Suburban). They also are like nothing on the road anymore.
Mine is now just a weekend cruiser, and it always gets attention at the cruise-ins. I hope to keep it forever. Get them while you can!