B Body tips?

Hello all,

Going to look at a Roadmaster this weekend, new enough that it has the LT 1. Anything else I should be concerned with? I know of the pain of Optispark but I'm looking for a large, comfy, sometimes daily and the price is right on this one so far. Any problem areas to look for?

Thanks,

George

nope. they are really awesome cars that are generally overbuilt in every way. and the optispark thing has been so overhyped it isn't even funny any more..

Leaky rear air suspension (if it has it).

Yeah, it has the air shocks so I have been pricing shocks and lowering springs.

HeavyDuty wrote: Yeah, it has the air shocks so I have been pricing shocks and lowering springs.

The Vogtlands are nice for a mild but very streetable drop. B-bodies are great, do it!

novaderrik wrote: nope. they are really awesome cars that are generally overbuilt in every way. and the optispark thing has been so overhyped it isn't even funny any more..

x2.

You try getting 150k from a cap and rotor on any other car. Optispark is one of the best ones there is. The fact that the water pump pukes on it is not its fault.

Look for bubbles of rust peeking out from under the rocker panel/door sill trim. Also look for rust on the front inner fenders. Verify with the SPID sticker that its actually the LT1. All roadmasters should have the LT1, but there is a guy over on the Impala forums who claims to have an L99 in his. They are externally identical in appearance.

Very rarely the rear lower control arms like to develop cracks. Mine don't even though they have rust and 130k of hard use but there must have been a run of stampings that sucked or something.

Buy, drive, enjoy. B-bodies are excellent cars.

the L99 (4.3) was only put in 94-96 Caprices, and you can tell a stock L99 car from an LT1 car by the single exhaust and 7.5 rear axle with drum brakes where every LT1 powered B body had dual exhaust and an 8.5 rear axle with disc brakes. if you think someone may have put the LT1 exhaust and rear axle in an L99 car- or an L99 engine in an LT1 car- you can look at the top of the bellhousing on the engine with a mirror- the LT1 will say "5.7 liter" and the L99 will say "4.3 liter". the LT1 also has a unique code cast into the side of the block, but i forget what it is.

There's a super clean 96 Roadmaster Limited in a car lot here in town, grandma fresh, 69K miles, I think they want just shy of $6000 for it. I'd be on it like stink on crap if it wasn't for the color combo. Maroon with maroon leather. Yuck.

Aren't the transmissions in those sometimes a problem too? I seem to remember that when I was thinking about getting one. I finally drove one though and it was so unpleasant to drive that I ended up looking elsewhere. If you want a big boat car I would suggest driving a w126 Mercedes too, although if you do you wouldn't be able to stand a roadmaster. Lol

Travis_K wrote: Aren't the transmissions in those sometimes a problem too? I seem to remember that when I was thinking about getting one. I finally drove one though and it was so unpleasant to drive that I ended up looking elsewhere. If you want a big boat car I would suggest driving a w126 Mercedes too, although if you do you wouldn't be able to stand a roadmaster. Lol

some of them have problems, but most don't. the 4L60E is a very good transmission- but the torque of an LT1 mixed with highway gears in a 4200+ pound car can be problematic if the fluid isn't changed at the proper intervals.

Travis_K wrote: Aren't the transmissions in those sometimes a problem too? I seem to remember that when I was thinking about getting one. I finally drove one though and it was so unpleasant to drive that I ended up looking elsewhere. If you want a big boat car I would suggest driving a w126 Mercedes too, although if you do you wouldn't be able to stand a roadmaster. Lol

The transmissions are known to be problematic if not cared for, there are a few inherent weak spots that a good rebuilder can address and give you a very solid trans for a long time.

Ive owned a Roadmaster, a Caprice and a W126. I do not concur with your assessment. I much preferred the b-bodies on many levels.

Hmm, well I guess it's good there are different cars for different people. :) lol I drove an lt1 roadmaster wagon, and I thought it was awful, especially the steering feel, but the seats, ride quality, etc. I own a diesel w126 now, and the only things that were better about the roadmaster were the amount of power and the air conditioning. I haven't ever driven a impala SS or caprice, they might be better.

Well this one was a little too rough for me right now, but the search continues! I learned to drive in a Caprice LTZ and then spent a decent amount of time behind the wheel of a SS and it was pretty awesome. Of course that was ~ 20 years ago. I did drive the Roadmaster on a test drive this weekend and it's pretty close to what I remember. A little stiffer shock and it would be a blast.