1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon

This is the slickest, nicest driving Roadmaster wagon out there. I've owned six of them and I'm familiar with their strengths and weaknesses. This is a clean, low mile, custom car that has had a ton of time and money put into it. I'm selling because I just don't drive it anymore. My nest is down to one child and she drives herself places, so time to pass this beauty on. Buckle up; there's a lot to talk about.
There's a video of the car here, and the YouTube comments contain a link to bigger pics on Google Photos:
youtube.com/watch?v=IseHbX3PqFA
General Info
This section is for those uninitiated into the cult of 94-96 GM wagon ownership. If you're already familiar with these cars, skip to the Specific Info section to learn about the car for sale.Wikipedia has a good primer: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Roadmaster#1991.E2.80.931996
Here's the gist: In 1991, General Motors came out with an all new wagon body sold as the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, the Chevrolet Caprice, and the Buick Roadmaster Estate. They all had wimpy engines. The Olds was killed after '92. In '94, the 180 horsepower L05 V8 was ditched for the 260 horsepower LT1 V8, the same basic engine used in Corvettes from '94-'96.Some ads for these '94-'96 GM wagons call them "Corvette engined", but that's not accurate. The Corvette's LT1 in those years made 300 hp. The Buick & Chevy wagon LT1 had iron heads instead of aluminum (heavier but more durable), and a camshaft designed for low-end torque, which is more sensible for a 4500 pound car that seats 8 & tows boats, vs. a 2-seat plastic sports car with no trunk. I'm guessing the wagon's LT1 also has retarded ignition timing as it runs on regular gas, not the premium petrol the 'vette drinks.Regardless, this is a 4500 pound car that goes 0-60 in under 8 seconds. Mileage isn't bad either: 25 highway (I can testify: I took 8 people with luggage on top from Seattle to Chehalis on I-5 with the cruise control set to 68 and the AC on. 180 miles @ 24.8 mpg.) City mileage is rated at 17, but I've never made it that high, probably because I enjoy acceleration.
The Buick version has all the luxury comforts a Cadillac had. The Buick version also has a nicer interior than the Chevy. While these wagons are 18 feet long, the wheel base is only 116 inches and the front wheels turn sharply, making the turning radius very small. These cars are surprisingly easy to maneuver and park.The '95s & 96s have larger & better side view mirrors.
The drive-trains on these cars are bullet-proof. Reliability is excellent. Seats are good. Visibility is good. They drive great. In my experience (I've owned six) their weaknesses are cheap trim inside & out that falls off, roof glass that leaks, windows that go cockeyed because of a cheap $1 plastic part, and rear window washers that fail.
Specific Info
Body
Roof window removed and filled; roof rack removed and filled; side trim, hood ornament, and all badges removed and filled. This car's as smooth as a baby's bottom. That said, the filler on the roof has cracked and should be fixed (see pics). The rest of the car is smooth and glassy with no orange peel. The front bumper cover has slight scuffing, but I'll include a NOS black one with the car so you can replace it if you like.
The car is a driver and does have a half-dozen minor imperfections on it from road rocks and whatnot, but you'll have to get close and look hard to see them.
Chassis
$3000+ on a complete suspension setup tuned by B-Body Performance. Springs were custom-made by Deaver Spring, matching B-Body performance’s precision tuned and calibrated rates to bring the ride height to more appropriate levels. This includes not just springs but control arms, ball joints, all the little bits. Bilstein shocks on each corner. Car corners flat but rides nice. A huge improvement over stock. The car understeers at the limit, but that limit is confidence-inspiring and grin-inducing. It has a self-leveling rear air-suspension that makes it drive nicely when loaded. It handles amazing without being harsh or too low.
Front brakes have cryo-treated powerslot rotors. They will last forever if you keep on top of your pad changes. Cryo treating changes the molecular structure and almost eliminates wear and warping. Police and taxi fleets do this as well as many race cars. Rear brakes are stock with recent shoes.
Super clean and rust-free underneath (see pics).
Drivetrain
Stock LT1 engine & trans. Tow package. Many NOS parts: water pump, radiator, distributor, heater core & hoses, and A/C compressor. The PCM has been tuned by PCMs For Less. All belts and hoses are new or nearly new.
Stainless-steel mandrel-bent exhaust system ($2000+) from Clear Image Automotive. (NO CRIMP BENDS ANYWHERE IN THIS SYSTEM.) Includes stainless Tri-Y headers. New Dynomax Super Turbo mufflers and resonators are installed, exiting at the factory location.
Interior
This is where the previous owner went all out. You're gonna love it. There's $8000+ just in the interior. Leather on the dash, B pillars, column covers, everywhere, with contrasting red stitching. Seats have been redone in MB-Tex that looks great and wears like iron. The seats are heated (even the third row).
The carpet is a mix of 80/20 loop from ACC up front and used black Mercedes Feintuff Velour (FTV) in the back.
The door panels are wrapped in leather, vinyl, and Alcantara. The headliner is all Alcantara.The front door panels have been reconstructed to house dual 6.5" Focal drivers and two cup-holders, and the rear interior quarter panels have been reconstructed to house a 10” Alumimpro bandpass subwoofer and an X-Box, as well as concealing the 2 Arc Audio amps, video matrix/switcher, and power inverter. They have been wrapped in the finest Connoly leather, the kind that is dyed in a vat and not sprayed with dye. It is red-stitched in a diamond pattern (many hours of labor required). Words cannot describe the interior. It looks and smells like a new full leather interior in a Bentley or Ferrari. You will be blown away by the detail.
And NOS window switches, door handles, mirrors--everything that can come off and break was replaced with new. High-quality window tint.
Show-Car Electronics
$10,000 worth of stereo & electronics:
Custom door panels up front hold two 6.5" Focal speakersTweeters in stock location The Alumapro bandpass subwoofer is LED lighted behind plexiglass with a show mirror Two Arc Audio amps drive the speakers Pioneer AVIC Z1-B30T Navigation/DVD head unit X Box with controllers Satellite radio Power inverter Multiple screens (on the rear view mirror, in the dash, and a 15" dropdown on the ceiling for the middle seat to watch movies on the X-box AV switcher Valentine One radar detector concealed display flush mounted in the dashTwin Ipod/Iphone cables, or change them out for your choice; they are standard USB. One goes to the head unit directly and another goes to the A/V switcher/matrix for video control. Viper Alarm system Custom switches mounted in ashtray loacation; out of sight when not needed
The sound, fidelity, and overall experience is amazing. Whether you are showing off, competing, or enjoying this for yourself you will not be disappointed.The car even has a full Whelen police strobe package. (Not legal for street use, but still fun.)
Wheels & Tires
$2500+ worth of NOS Impala SS wheels and center caps, wrapped in Nitto Invo tires. There is some light curbing on the wheels but they shine great and run straight and true. The tires still have legal tread depth, but there is some light cracking in the tread grooves meaning they should be replaced soon (see pics). For an extra $1000, I'll swap the current tires and wheels for a set of American Racing Torq-Thrust IIs with nearly new (less than 3K miles) 235/65R17 tires (see pics).
Everything Else
I just had it completely serviced at my mechanic (see pics for four-page worksheet) to the tune of almost $5K. Everything mechanical and electrical works like new, EXCEPT the cruise control (I have not investigated the cause). This car's ready for you to fly in to Seattle (I'm 15 minutes from Sea-Tac) and drive home to Florida. If you want to ship it, I'm home all day and can assist your shipper. The reserve is an incredibly reasonable $10K. It should sell for twice that because it has four times that into it. (It won't, but it should.)
Well, I'm exhausted. Thanks for reading this far. I can say without a doubt that this car is a head-turning show-stopper. I try to make my descriptions as real as I can. I hate going to look at a car and finding a flaw that was never mentioned or never photographed; it's a waste of everyone's time. If you're local, I encourage you to come see & drive it. It looks and drives unlike any other Roadmaster wagon out there.

Also published at eBay.com