Newbie buying a 90's Roadmaster ?

What a bummer, but good on you to walk! I don't know these wagons so...I had no input although I've watched this thread with interest. You mentioned that old boat smell....Thats a get the hell away from the car ASAP. Thats mold your smelling, bad stuff and it only gets worse when the smell starts going away because it's becoming air born....your breathing it.

Every thing you described isoh so familuar with a west coast car from my home, dam good decition to walk away from it, once they have that smell, there done.

 

You said it guys!

This is why some of these wagons stay on the market the better part of the year until they decide to keep their treasure chest or to accept an offer. The worst case is when the seller was himself oversold the car. They bought it too high sometimes being led to believe it would be a profitable investment To sell at a lower more realistic price would be the end of that dream, even the end of their self-worth.

Silverfox used to be a pro, and knows that used cars aren't for amateurs, even if we can sometimes fix them up ourselves. In a car's life there are so many variables that no two are alike after enough years. Unless you re-manufacture them in an off body restoration which is almost what this one is starting to sound like.

On the good side, they upgraded for free my discounted car rental with coupons, so we're tooling around rain drenched Florida in a brand new Dodge Charger. I never liked the way these cars looked and thought they handled like the Grand Prix I rented a while back, but its got a very interesting balance of precise steering, firm but comfortable suspension and a generally good balance. You can tell the Germans went through its chassis, but it's still made for American roads. If the magnum rides like this I can see why some like it. Even if it isn't a GM Longroofer.

Vic

 

Hi Tedy,

That''s true, IF you don't go the full route of gutting the interior and using the very latest products to recondition the car. Given the analysis given by members here I think it must have had a leak for years, and since this is the rainy season when the sky opens like an emptying bath it's only getting worse. Mold is alive and hard to kill, and even smells once dead. That old car needs saving, but with what this seller's asking it won't be happening soon.

I may stop by to look at another one on the way back up North, but sort of promised the kids they'd get to see some sights and don't want to deprive them of a chance to see new States to tire kick old cars. The nice things about this vintage is that there are still a few good driver cars out there that don't need restoring. Otherwise my son says "Let's tackle that cheap 73 Plymouth Roadrunner for sale next door!"... and it's got no mold.

Vic

 

It doesn't take years of moisture to do damage. All it takes is to leave a accidentally window open in a rainstorm. And now you have a puddle in the floorpan that's not going to go away.

 

True. But one of the inherent problems to look for in these wagons is leakage through the screws in the roof. Doesn't occur often but it does happen and when it does it can be a problem. I think Vic mentioned that the seller had fixed one of these. The water from one of these can leak over to the rear window areas and start rust inside around the windows and down into the high quarters. It can also get to the floors and, unless you smell it, it can rust through the rear floors without knowing it from looking at the car's underside. It's good to look at the rear door sills on these cars for signs of rust. And, of course, feel the carpets. A1 mention the possible AC drain problem so you should check the front floors too. With the smell in this car and the rusted out jump seat hinges as described by Vic, however,....I'm wondering if this car is a flood car?

 

What's puzzled me is the glued-down carpet?

 

LOL...lots of things about this car are not right. That's why I don't like it.

 

Well, there was a leak in the Texas Roady I checked out in Vermont that ad filled the rear left locker with a couple of inches of water, it had a plastic liner but there may have been more underneath. But that car didn't have even a hint of humidity in its interior.

This entire car was drenched, as if it had been under a waterfall. It wasn't soaking when you touched its interior, but it was very damp and humid. I also think Silverfox may be on to something when he said that the A/C could have backed up its circuit into the car, it was beyond simple stagnant rain water. The smell had the harshness of aggressive mold, but also it smelled of rot, decay and something going bad. This is why I think that it had been a while. Nothing rots quickly, it takes time to decompose fabrics and other materials to the point the mutate.

I was saved by the unrealistic seller. Had his asking been low, I might have gotten onto quite a roller coaster ride trying to bring this one back from the brink.

Vic

 

There are some excellent waterproofing products used to repair screw holes in ship decks. These are constantly battered by waves in addition to rain, so they need some serious sealants. If someone wants to know I'll look up the secret recipes.

Vic

 

Geeze....from your description I wonder if someone died in that car and they have been trying to clean it up ever since?? Still....a flood car smells just like what you describe.
There are fixes for the roof bolt leaks, Vic. Takes certain screws etc is all.

 

Moldy mystery mush

Hi again Andy,

This is fairly clear to me. The only reason for doing this is to prevent what is beneath it from becoming exposed and visible. If it is just worn carpet, no need to glue it down. The floor mats would cover it enough. So it can only be that rust was penetrating the carpet at the front passenger floorboard. The A/C might be the culprit here. I had consider the possibility of a flood damaged car but the underside wouldn't have been intact.

Conclusion: when there are several unexplained problems, buyer beware.

Silverfox had that figured from the beginning:

 

Glad to know there is already a tried and true fix that has been shared here in the GM Longroof community.

That someone may have died in the car occurred to me as one other thing I had wondered. But I know well that having had to 'rescue' a neighbor too late after his demise. It was not that lingering acidy scent that clings, but far closer to the rotting wooden boat fungus. I actually think that it may have been the same variety of fungus the boat I visited had been stricken with. That boat was in Palm Beach and had spent the previous years in Cuba. This car wasn't so far away geographically for the same fungus to not be found.

The side trim was gashed all along its length every half inch or so, which can't have been caused by grocery store parking lots. More likely the car being dragged against trees by rushing waters? His brother in law's body shop would have taken extra care to replace or smooth out the body panels, leaving it up to him to dry out the sponge...

Vic

 

A flood car's underside can look perfectly fine after clean up. Some people can clean them up and switch some things and the whole car will look pretty good. It's the smell that is usually the give away with these fixed up flood cars.

 

Here is a decent looking RMW in Upstate NY in the Finger Lakes region.
http://rochester.craigslist.org/cto/1787349243.html

 

Hey Vic,

Another '96 Chevy Wagon, wow 2 for sale within a few weeks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996...iewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item43a05ab910

I won't say another word about it.

Mike