96 Roadmaster restoration/daily

Hello! New member of the forum and new owner of a 96 Roadmaster wagon. My parents were big into the B Body scene in the late 90s and early 00's and I attended many Daytona Turkey rod runs in my early years. Finally I bought one of my own. Its got some body cancer but the frame is solid, and I am just going for a decent daily driver. Car was 100% bone stock, 150k miles. I have decent fab skills and can do most work myself.

So far list of work done:

KYB gas adjust shocks front and rear
Front end replacement kit from steer box to the wheels
Front and rear speakers changed out to Rockford fosgate
NGK spark plugs and soon to do AC Delco cables
Wheel adapters for 5x5.5 to use free set of new bridgestone dueler tires I had
Fixed the heat (had clogged heater core)
Radiator flush

My biggest issue right now I have is a crack in the top of the gas tank I am attempting repair on. If this fails, I will need to source one, located in Jacksonville Fl.

Thanks!

Sounds similar to what I had with my 96 RMW when I got it in 2013 except no cancer on mine, just some light damage and poor repairs.  I got it for my retirement car, so a daily in the summer and we share a Honda in the winter. When I finally got the handling like I wanted it in 2018 I decided it was a keeper and did the body work and paint in 2019-2020 and the complete running gear in 2020-2021 over the winters.  Finishing loose ends and things like carpet and seat repair this year.

I had the KYB shocks that I put in when I first got it, and they are not bad.  These were the Gas a Just version.  On the rears, there are two that will fit, and one is a bit longer than the other.  Both will work, but I couldn't get the wheel out of the wheelwell on the right rear with the shorter version, which was the recommended one.

If you had a plugged heater core and need a radiator flush, you my also have a sludged engine to some unknown degree.  The 96 was an early Dexcool fill and we all have heard about how that goes.  Mine had a new radiator in it when I got it which was a clue for me.  When I pulled the knock sensors to full out all the Dex and replace it with GO5 nothing came out the holes until I poked in a screwdriver through the goop.  Most of it flushed out well from that area, but I worried about the rest of the the engine.  A year later the water pump crapped and started leaking, and I found that was completely rusted on the steel parts and with some sludging also.  When I rebuilt the engine I was amazed how clean the rest of the engine was inside the water jackets though, so it appears mine had sludged up and someone ran the GM recommended cleaning process through it.  It cleaned up the cast iron well, but the settled areas and other traps were stayed sludged.  The engine stays nice and clean inside everyplace with the GO5 in it, I found when the rebuild was done.

They are fun cars to have, no doubt about it. I am sure you will have a good time, but also spend some time cursing GM for making them hard to work on in a lot of ways.

https://acepickapart.com/ is in Jacksonville and regularly has B bodies in the yard.

Thanks for the info on the coolant @booster, I will look into that.

@buickman1 I have been there and to get a gas tank is hard because they drill holes in them and drain them before putting them in the yard.

That's f#ed up. I get no flammable liquids, but that's lazy. Talk to them and see if they can save one for you.