who-hoo! New longroof owner here(with pics)

What's up gang, glad I found you all. Gonna be picking some brains around here in the coming weeks so get ready. Some topics I would have thought would be "stickied" for sure seem to be missing - There seem to be knowledgeable folk here so I'm assuming the absence is because of the "great crash" I keep seeing mentioned. That sucks!

See below for pics of my new baby. 1995 Buick Roadmaster "Limited" Estate, 210K miles. This will be my daily driver. The old girl is fairly solid, I bought her from the second owner who is a fellow "car guy". Just the kind of person I like to buy from. Many problems typical of these cars at this mileage have already been addressed, but it still needs some tlc here and there. Current plans are for window tint, lowering, de-woodification, exhaust, stereo, as well as a few custom appearance mods I've been pondering.

The good:
-according to the compnine VIN decoder, the car has EVERY available option for 1995. (If I'm reading the output correctly)
-came with SS wheels, what I would have wanted anyway.

The bad:
-significant hesitation/stall for the first minute or two that it runs (tried a new O2 sensor already)
-horn fuse is removed because the horn wouldn't stop blowing (probably a switch problem?)
-cruise doesn't work


These pics are from two weeks ago, during my test drive. I bought the car the day after these were taken, I have done a few minor things to it so far. But basically it still looks like this:







Getting windows tinted tomorrow! More pics later...
Thanks everyone, glad to be a part of this whole wagon phenomenon...
-nowhereman

Cool car. That ol' girl sure is clean for those miles!!!

Welcome to the madness!

Try a coolant temp sensor. The one in the water pump.

And the "great crash" was on the impalassforum.com a few years ago when we lost nearly 15 years of excellent information.

another rare one,.

Welcome to the madness!!

There are two reasons the cruise won't work, first is the 3rd brakelight is out (yes, I know how this sounds, but it's true) and a bad CC module ( less common)

Welcome!! Clean wagon

Chris

Welcome to the group nowhereman and thats a very familiar wagon you have there!
Jim

Very clean wagon, and she looks like she's been cared for mechanically.

Chances are, on the horn that one of the two switches on the top of the airbag (not accessible) have gone bad. You can remove the airbag (torx from behind) pull the two horn leads from the bottom, replace the fuse and then try touching them back one at a time, taping the bad one. I ran with an airbag like that for a year or so and it doesn't take long before you get used to using the right or left side for the horn.

... or get a new one with a center-push

Welcome to the madness!

-Scott


-Scott McGrath
'96 Roadmaster Estate Ltd. - Last of the Great American Wagons
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2762557
ISSCA#2229 BCA#43406 BMD#115

The wood grain on your wagon looks to be in great shape! It makes these cars stand out especially as they get older. It'd be a shame to peel it off. Anyway, welcome and enjoy your Road Monster.

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone...

toomanytoyz wrote:

Cool car. That ol' girl sure is clean for those miles!!!
Welcome to the madness!
Try a coolant temp sensor. The one in the water pump.
And the "great crash" was on the impalassforum.com a few years ago when we lost nearly 15 years of excellent information.

Thanks!
What role does the coolant temp sensor play? I ask because it really only takes a minute after startup and then it runs fine. I'm thinking it would be before the coolant has risen in temperature much at all.
Ah, wrong forum. Oops.

phantom 309 wrote:

another rare one,.

Let me in on the joke - are there many that came 100% optioned?

Krzdimond wrote:

Welcome to the madness!!
There are two reasons the cruise won't work, first is the 3rd brakelight is out (yes, I know how this sounds, but it's true) and a bad CC module ( less common)

Thank you- I feel the madness building already...
Interesting note on the cruise control - I had a nonfunctioning 3rd brake light which has now been fixed. Would have never thought to try my cruise again after such a repair! I'll give it a try, thank you...

brokecello wrote:

Welcome!! Clean wagon
Chris

Thanks Chris!

Flasheroo wrote:

Welcome to the group nowhereman and thats a very familiar wagon you have there!
Jim

Well thankye Jim. You must have one similar?

FlashGumby wrote:

Very clean wagon, and she looks like she's been cared for mechanically.
Chances are, on the horn that one of the two switches on the top of the airbag (not accessible) have gone bad. You can remove the airbag (torx from behind) pull the two horn leads from the bottom, replace the fuse and then try touching them back one at a time, taping the bad one. I ran with an airbag like that for a year or so and it doesn't take long before you get used to using the right or left side for the horn.
... or get a new one with a center-push
Welcome to the madness!
-Scott

Yeah she's not bad at all for 210K miles. I've got all the records to show how much has been done over the years. Good owner heritage!
If I've still got one good switch inside there, your plan is exactly my plan. I've never pulled a modern-car wheel apart - any concerns with unintentional airbag deployment?

Olds Weighty Eight wrote:

The wood grain on your wagon looks to be in great shape! It makes these cars stand out especially as they get older. It'd be a shame to peel it off. Anyway, welcome and enjoy your Road Monster.

I go back and forth on whether to dewood or not. It does make them stand out!

Welcome aboard! Nice looking wagon there. Blue interior in a white woody, nice, don't see those too often.

Nice car! Looks really familier! I like the blue interior, that's different. Most white cars seem to be tan or red inside. That's a really clean looking car for the miles, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. These are great cars.

One fast and easy tip, take some fine sandpaper and then some wet SOS pads to your exhaust tips and they'll really shine up for you.



Lots of good folks on here and all are glad to help with tips or advice with your new toy.

Again, welcome!

-Mike

Welcome! Sharp car, I especially like the blue interior. It's also good to see someone else from NC here.

Jon

welcome aboard. Yes, definitely a different kind of combo. I've only seen blue interiors on blue wagons.

Maybe the original owner was a cop, ha ha ha. White w/blue guts was the standard on 9c1s.

81x11: I'd say that's quite familiar! Even more so after today - just had 5% tint applied to 7 of the 9 windows (front two got 35%, it's the law here). Thanks for the tip on the pipes - after I read they were stainless I hit it with a roloc pad on my die grinder and they shined up nicely!

94x2, Sprocket: And here I was thinking I wish the interior was something that would go with black! I really wanted a black roadmaster but I've had loads of white cars over the years. Now that I own one I pay more attention to them- ALL colors are starting to look good on these cars!

Welcome, looks like you are off to a fine start........

Nice looking ride. I love the white ones.

Man, that car looks great! Welcome aboard.

Since you are so close to Virginia you should try and make it over to Mike's in October.

Cool whip, great pix, and welcome.

Your mileage may vary, but I hate to see a car with great looking woodgrain get stripped. As much as nick jokes about the non-rarity of RMW's - and he's right - there's still something about a hot rodded woody wagon that's too cool - except for Tim's. His isn't a hot rod.

The coolant sensor could be your cold stumble. I wouldn't care why. If Bill says that that's probably it, it's probably it. He's genius like that.

[quote="Bewber"]Cool whip, great pix, and welcome.

Your mileage may vary, but I hate to see a car with great looking woodgrain get stripped. As much as nick jokes about the non-rarity of RMW's - and he's right - there's still something about a hot rodded woody wagon that's too cool - except for Tim's. His isn't a hot rod.

I second that, the wood is half the joke. The wood is VERY popular at the cruise-ins, and as long as yours is in good shape, I'd leave it on. Adds to the "sleeper" aspect. If you want a wagon without the wood, find an Olds!

-Mike

..... or a non-wooded caprice, or a wb4

1993 Roady-man wrote:

Since you are so close to Virginia you should try and make it over to Mike's in October.

What's goin' on at Mike's?

Bewber wrote:

Cool whip, great pix, and welcome.
Your mileage may vary, but I hate to see a car with great looking woodgrain get stripped. As much as nick jokes about the non-rarity of RMW's - and he's right - there's still something about a hot rodded woody wagon that's too cool - except for Tim's. His isn't a hot rod.
The coolant sensor could be your cold stumble. I wouldn't care why. If Bill says that that's probably it, it's probably it. He's genius like that.

Apparently my mileage does vary. When I first got the car I was gung-ho for the de-wooding. But the woodgrain has unexpectedly grown on me. Part of it is the relative rarity of woodgrain these days, but part of it is just plain asthetics- I have gotten to where I like the way it looks! And, I guess I'll try replacing the coolant temp sensor. Gotta get this car running better before increasing muffler volume!

[quote="81X11"]

Bewber wrote:

Cool whip, great pix, and welcome.

Your mileage may vary, but I hate to see a car with great looking woodgrain get stripped. As much as nick jokes about the non-rarity of RMW's - and he's right - there's still something about a hot rodded woody wagon that's too cool - except for Tim's. His isn't a hot rod.

I second that, the wood is half the joke. The wood is VERY popular at the cruise-ins, and as long as yours is in good shape, I'd leave it on. Adds to the "sleeper" aspect. If you want a wagon without the wood, find an Olds!

-Mike

You know, I think I will leave the woodgrain. "Half the joke" is actually a really good way to put it. Hallelujah I have seen the light! (I sure hope the State allows me to have the IGOTWOOD personalized plate I requested!)

Mid-Atlantic WF. In october check out the thread on it in Wagonfet 2011.

Insert "inappropriate zinger about Mike's wood being a joke" here.

FlashGumby wrote:

Very clean wagon, and she looks like she's been cared for mechanically.

Chances are, on the horn that one of the two switches on the top of the airbag (not accessible) have gone bad. You can remove the airbag (torx from behind) pull the two horn leads from the bottom, replace the fuse and then try touching them back one at a time, taping the bad one. I ran with an airbag like that for a year or so and it doesn't take long before you get used to using the right or left side for the horn. ... or get a new one with a center-push

I fixed mine this past weekend with two momentary on buttons from radioshack, a few plastic squares to mount the switches to, and wads of JB Weld to hold them in place.

Welcome to the forum!
Dave
Rochester NY