Such a Deal!?!?!? "Garage Find" '92 Roadmaster Sedan

Eddie took the photos! Or Eddie was driving when Chilton Mike took the photos.

This has been an unpaid safety advisory.

 

I know, I know.....but it was a flat six-lane highway with almost no traffic, and the cruise-control was on. Driving that Roadmaster on the highway with the cruise on is like sitting on your living room couch with scenery floating by....

 

9/8/17 - Friday fun. The plasti-chrome outline trim on the door panels of 92 Roadmaster Sedan was almost totally faded through to the grey plastic. Pulled out my tape and paint pen and took care of it! All those 1/24-scale Monogram car models I built as a kid are paying off here in later life! Ha!

Before pic, chrome outline trim almost gone.









The interior of the car looked nearly factory fresh other than this faded door trim. Fixed!

 

9/9/17 - Someone put totally the wrong battery in this car. Top-post, and too big to fit into the tray. Battery was wedged in between the fender, radiator and was bending the A/C lines and sitting at an angle.



Fixed that with a new Wally World "Never-Start" battery last night. Wiped off the battery tray and cleaned the terminals. I like the Wally World ones because they will warranty them nationwide and Walmart is everywhere now, and always open. I don't believe these are GREAT batteries or anything, but when I've had an issue, getting a replacement was never a problem.


New battery fits and is bolted down correctly.

 

I wonder, are the 91-96 B-Body GM cars the last vehicles to have the behind-the-plate gas caps?

 

9/9/17- Cleaning up Roadmasters for Cars and Coffee Austin on morning. Fun to compare them...the 92 is the first Roady Sedan of the 90s and the 96 Roady Wagon was the last Roady wagon made.

 

9/9/17 - Spent all afternoon and well into tonight first compunding, then using Color-Back and finally McGuire's Cleaning Wax. The paint is far from perfect but it shines now! My arms are dead and I'm exhausted, but the Roady Sedan looks a lot better!


9/10/1017 - Freshly-waxed and detailed Roadmaster Sedan and Wagon off to Austin Cars and Coffee. Both cars GLOW.



9/10/17 - Cars and Coffee Austin in both Roadmasters. 1992 Sedan is looking GREAT!

 

Please tell me you did the paint rubdown and waxing by hand. I just don't like the lack of real luster you get with a powered buffer, and you run the risks of paint burn as well as damaging thin paint. I vastly prefer a hand rubbed and waxed paint coat.

 

I did it all by hand. Polishing, Color-Back and then red-tin McGuire's Cleaner Wax. I started at 7:30pm Sat evening and finished at 12:20am Sunday morning. My arms are still tired...

 

9/12/17 - I'd posted that the '94 Buick Riviera radio that a local friend gave me for this car had lost the right-front band after one week. I had Facebook car friends respond with THREE replacement GM radios! Last night I installed this Delco from Georgia. Could not be happier! This was the top-of-the-line cassette unit in 92, with the graphic equalizer. All the backlights work, all the speakers are working again, and it even still plays cassettes perfectly too! Car folks are the best! Having fun bringing this old car back to life!

Radio #3...went from the most-basic radio/cassette player, to the nicer mid-level cassette unit, to this top-of-the-line equalizer cassette unit. I've never had so many issues with radios in one car, but THIS one looks really good!




I do like the 91-93-style dashboard a lot. The wood and chrome is classy in classic Buick style, the full-gauges are nice, and even like the idiot lights under the climate control that hard back to the 70's and 80's Buicks. This dash is much better quality than the 94-96 dash, that GM just threw together for dual airbags. That said, I don't love the "box-of-Kleenex" airbag wheel...other than the fact that it is fully leather-wrapped, unlike the half-wrapped 94-96. About the only thing I like better on the 94-96 dash is the vents sit higher on the dash so the newer car cools down faster on a hot day, and the folks in back get more airflow in the 94-96 models. Still, really like this early style!


This is such a nice, complete, clean and clear gauge cluster. SO MUCH better than the BORING 94-96 Roadmaster cluster!

 

Now you need to find one of those deluxe cassette cleaner kits with the spinning magnet inside. I had one for years, saved most of my 25- and 30-year-old cassettes I still have. The only problem it couldn't fix was the home-recorded SRV tape my Taurus refused to eject. That took me a few weeks of 'Texas Flood' and 'Live' to eventually force the deck to let it go.

 

I guess if you gotta get a tape stuck, ya can't go crazy with ol' Stevie Ray.

 

WELL IT NEVER ENDS... Power antenna on the Roadmaster sedan broke! Stuck up, motor runs. I just got the radio finally all fixed!! UNBELIEVABLE!! Pulled in my driveway, got out, looked back and antenna was up. Motor runs, bad cable. SHOOT!




There are two '96 Roady sedans at Austin Wrench-A-Part, so will head down there tomorrow and cross my fingers one has a good antenna. I THINK the Fleetwood uses the same one (anyone know for sure?)...hope so, that would open up more chances to find one in the yards.

Two steps forward, one step back.... Old Cars...

-Mike

 

9/16/17 - Found an original Buick owner's manual holder for the 92 Sedan in my stash. It's the little things!




9/17/17 - Round Rock Tx Cars and Coffee - 9/17/17 - Eddie, Tuck, Sabre and took the 92 Roadmaster Sedan and met Dad in the 82 Z28 and Laird and Frank in the Aztek. The Sedan is looking GREAT!









9/17/17 - Ran down to Austin Wrench A Part to see if this 96 had a good power antenna. Nope, but nabbed the trunk lock. Was HOT out there!




9/18/17 - Next project, transmission filter service and rear diff oil change.



More to come!

-Mike

 

There's a wagon version of this Chevy up here in Everett, same color, same trim color, but I'm trying to remember which fly-by-night lot had it, because, as a Chevrolet, I actually like it. If I find it, I'll snap and post pics, but no promises, OK? And Mike, kudos on the car, on the owner's manual jacket, and it looks like you had a great day.