Newbie buying a 90's Roadmaster ?

Hi Mike,

I was in Baltimore yesterday, part of the 3,000 mile trek resulting from the wet gray one in Florida. Shame I didn't know before driving through town. Today I drove 700 miles round trip to drop of my daughter in summer camp, so no more driving for a bit. Timing wasn't good either here. Plus bidding gets silly as others are carried away even if their buys fall thru. I prefer Autotrader with a fixed price or Craigslist in areas without floods.

It sounds like one of his bidders talked up his car so we can expect a high reserve. See you once I recover from the lane changes...

Vic

 

Glad to have you back, vic. Take a break, rest up, clear your mind and we will get you into a car yet.

 

Waiting for a rare roady

Mike, this is why I traveled far and had that long ride home.



The autocheck on the above car shows it spend its entire life in Pennsylvania so it may or may not have issues. Thanks for the lead, but I think I'll wait for the rare one which is a closer match to the ultimate dream given the lengths and distances you have to go to find one with the right features. A non woodie Roady with tow package. Not with red interior, and with leather and power as most were. So I'll wait the time it takes until one magically appears.

Cheers,

Vic

 

hmm, may be this is the reason my North Dakota wagon is virtually rust-free.

 

So in that map, the 'clear' states don't use anything on their roads?
Surprised that California uses salt, but then again, not many roads where it would be a big problem - mostly up on hwy 80 around Tahoe, and maybe the Northeast corner of the state......

 

Dodge Charger WAGON ??? Anyone ?

Let's remember that there are also people who own multiple cars and don't drive all of them in the winter. This is especially true for more recent cars because people have taken to buying 4WD SUVs for use in the snow, making these the rust buckets of the future and protecting the nicer rides from all that corrosion. The trick is then to buy your Roadmaster Estate or Caprice Wagon from a SUV owner.

I will now be glancing with a more carefree eye at wagons for sale, for 2 reasons. First, I went a bit too far hauling to a distant location for a bum steer. Second my son who was dragged there with me saw what I was ready to pay for what he calls an old wagon (what does he know) and he's the one dragging me to see muscle cars. Today a 73 Charger, tomorrow a 73 Roadrunner. Try to haul a load of plywood in those! :banghead3:

So I think it's going to have to be a wagon falling on my head and coming on to me like a supermodel in heat before I haul off again to the far end of the Earth. That drive home combined with a whirlwind sightseeing tour really finished off my enthusiasm... for this week, so bid away on those other cars guys, I'll wait until a normally constituted seller with a fresh untampered clean car is asking adequate real money for theirs.

If in the meanwhile I have to settle for the crackling and gurgling of a 440 slurping up everything the local gas station got delivered, so be it. That's why I like these GM Longroofs, because with them you can haul your load to the bar and with the change left over from the gas station you're the one who drinks.

Vic

 

Hi Krash,

You will want to take that map with a grain of ... SALT.

I've heard that Minnesota, which shows up in Red, doesn't use salt on roads because it becomes ineffective below minus 20 degrees. It won't melt it any more. This may be an outdated map, or one which is inaccurate. I don't know its source.

It does show some states in clear where it is likely that there isn't a need to use anything, although with Climate Change helping they may be using snow chains in Florida before long.

I think that running an Autocheck or Carfax on a VIN will show where the car was registered, helping a bit in a remote location. But nothing beats a hands on inspection to detect rust, repairs, flood damage and so many types of wear and tear which can turn a dream car into a beater.

Vic

 

Vic,

Believe me, I understand, my wife and I flew down to Arlington Texas from NY. in '01 to pick up a '95 Chevy Beauville van (12 pass. window van). My old van rotted away from salt and didn't want to go through that again, so I searched eBay for a few months and one day there it was, just what I wanted, as if I went back in time and ordered it from the factory that way.
You will find "your" car eventually. Just remember the southern sun is hard on interiors, and weather seals. I like mid-Atlantic cars south of the mason dixon line, that being said I found my car in New Jersey, so you never know were you might find you perfect car. I would say stay out of the rust belt, but then again that is were a lot of snow birds live.

Mike

 

That is very true about salt, after a certain temp it will not do anything. At times the salt chunks used on roads that are to frozen have been know to act like ball bearings....ball bearings on ice, just what you want to drive on

 

When shopping used cars, it's good to know some history but,....if you know anything at all about cars....the car will tell you everything you need to know. That's why it's difficult to buy online.

 

Used cars ... where are they hiding ?

How true Silverfox. Only to add that ... if you know anything at all about people... the seller will tell you everything you need to know by how they behave. The car and the seller are all you've to going, and online photos and descriptions are only alerts that somebody is selling some car somewhere.

This is why I steer clear of online bidding wars. It is bad enough to compete with another buyer when the seller uses this to drive up the price. But warring against people who are all bidding on an unseen dream is just crazy. Multiply the number of wishful thinkers and give them a keyboard and mouse and you get an eBay motors auction. Enjoy.

Autotrader isn't as bad, although sellers usually use it to get the highest national coverage price for their car, usually advertised for less locally. Then you get Craigslist which brings in crowds of locals wanting to get a deal bypassing the middleman and used car dealership margins and double talk. Here's where some deals can be made, but as my experience in Florida attests, it all boils down to the car and then only the price.

Truth of the matter the only truth you're going to get is the truth the car holds for its buyer. Getting an ounce of that truth before purchase is what the battle is waged over, sellers glossing over and buyers kicking tires and poking screwdrivers.

First is to know what you want, which exact car and options, then required condition and work or cash ready to bring it to standard. Then its the long trek to find the right car. Keep it shorter than my last one if you can, as it isn't my first such distant trip but it was the first where I dragged others along.

You get to meet interesting people, some nice and some nastier yet than the beaters they're selling. But all in all its the game being played on the tiled checkerboard of garage floors where dreams crash harder than at a demolition derby.

So let me know if a condition 3 or nicer solid color RMW with LT1 and tow package is out there asking where I've been all these years. Waiting for her while hauling plywood in an old rusty minivan...

Vic

 

Only 7 hours to react. This one may be a steal if it isn't a rust bucket. Black is rare.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170510501954

 

That is a deal. Looks like it wouldn't take much to make it a nice car.

Jon

 

If this car stayed around that money (which I doubt) and it was closer to me I would snap that up in a heart beat. In fact...if someone went and looked at it for me I may just buy it anyway. It would cost a lot to ship but it may still be worth it. Depends on the condition of the car.

 

Another cheapie. I can't tell what color it is.
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1828439410.html