5k: Old Guys Rule: 1996 Buick Roadmaster Wagon Collectors Edition
What could be better for a daily driver and family cruiser than a big V8 powered American wagon with only 76K miles on the odometer offered for a good price. The Buick Roadmaster Estate may have been a badge engineered version of the Chevrolet
Caprice Estate but it added much needed flair to the B-body platform and is the cool old dude’s choice for a late model domestic wagon. Find this 1996 Buick Roadmaster Wagon Collectors Edition offered for $5,800 in Santa Cruz, CA via craigslist. Tip from Kaibeezy.
This Roadmaster looks like it should be a good
buy as low mileage versions of these are becoming increasingly hard to come by. While these came standard with many of the usual power options, the interior shots show that this one was ordered with the less desirable cloth seats. The third seat is apparently vinyl, regardless of whether the fronts are cloth or leather.
This Estate comes from the last year of Roadmaster production and is the Collectors Edition, which all 1996 models were designated as such. This one looks to have the WB4 wood grain delete option, a plus in my opinion, but many others would disagree. If you don’t like the cloth seats, you could easily find some leather from a local pick-and-pull, but the cloth should last for a long time if you are easy on the upholstery.
The Roadmaster is powered by the LT1, a cast iron pushrod and fuel
injected equipped V8 that was good for 260 horsepower and 330 ft-lbs of
torque, giving it an impressive 5,000 lb. towing capacity. It will be thirsty around the city, but return decent fuel economy on the highway if you go easy on the go pedal.
See a cooler blue classic for less? tips@dailyturismo.com
Apparently the defniton of "cool old dude" is highly elastic.
I'm trying to envision what kind of 'collector' would be interested in this.
Still, it's a seriously useful rig at the right price, and you used to be able to score a set of NOS Impala SS wheels on a pallet for cheap, this thing could definitely use them. The interior might not exactly be sporting, but that hoi-polloi-grade-velour will at least prevent you from scooting around in the corners.