In the automotive world, there will always be opportunists who seek out vehicles as investments. However, it’s somewhat strange seeing these folks gravitate towards vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s that were frequently overlooked until recent times. Barn Finds reader Pat L. found this 1995 Buick Roadmaster here on Craigslist, and while it’s undeniably a low-mile find, it also seems like the seller is cashing in on the ’90s nostalgia craze.
This Roadmaster is available in Murietta, California. The seller’s advertisement lacks both photos and important details, but they do acknowledge that the vehicle was in storage from 2001 until now, and also that it was purchased from the estate sale of the original owner. They also claim the wagon runs, but “needs someone to love it again.”
While it is almost expected from a vehicle that was scarcely driven and stored for approximately 18 years, the interior is very clean. Most Roadmasters have tons of miles on them, and that’s because their comfort-oriented cabin and smooth ride make it a fantastic road trip vehicle.
As you can see, the odometer reading shows just 8,331 miles. The drivetrain consists of a 5.7-liter V8 engine, which pairs to an automatic transmission to drive the rear wheels. Though the seller does not specify, some of these Roadmasters have a towing package, which allows for a towing capacity between 5,000 and 7,000 pounds.
The seller is asking $12,000 for this Roadmaster, which they rationalize by saying “next year it becomes a classic and will only increase in value.” In my opinion, the asking price is hard to justify when the car has been off the road for nearly two decades, and there is no telling what items it will need to be roadworthy again. Would this Roadmaster be your choice of road trip vehicle, or is the “Rad” tax way too much?
I feel like this car will sell but at a much lower price point. I dislike sellers of anything that claim “if you sit on it long enough you’ll get your money back” I call BS! If it’s such a fine investment then why aren’t they hanging onto it? Cash talks- BS walks….
For some odd reason, I like the police wagon below better.
Front bumper, wheels, seat, headlights don’t look 8K miles to me. Maybe just bad storage, but either way it takes some of that away . ..
Looks kind of rough for only 8k miles. A warranty speedometer replacement years ago? Was this a smoker’s car? Carpets look kind of edgy.
A wash job in the driveway, a damp car, and no close up photos leaves a lot of questions. Was the wood siding a “delete” option in 1995? I thought the wood siding was standard.
I note the rubber door edge protector the factory put on for protection during shipping, is still affixed to the right front door on this car. Left one is gone.
The wood siding was standard, but it could always be deleted. You hardly ever saw it. There was only one late B-wagon that didn’t ever offer wood, the one year only 1991 Custom Cruiser didn’t have the option of wood.
8k
Looks good with no fake wood
If I could grab this for $10K, I would. To Hell with today’s SUV’s. This is the last of the true station wagons, and with 8K miles, there are alot of memories to be had in this cruiser. I liked these when they were new and could get real comfy behind the wheel of this.
The listing is gone. I owned the Roadmaster sedan 94, in 2001. They are good cars with the LT-1 motor, car went 209,000 miles before it went to the junkyard but there is no way it is worth the ask.
Here is a 95 sedan for $5K with 56K miles.
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/765756184/overview/
Woodgrain – all dealer-ordered wagons for dealership stock were optioned with the woodgrain, while wagons ordered by a person “wood” have to have the woodgrain option added.
I’ve got a 1996 RMW just like it except 150,000 miles more experienced. Giving it to my grandson who loves the car. With a little TLC my car will last forever.
Your car will last the next owner a very long time. I think the price is spot-on based on what I’ve seen for sale recently.
Does the seller read this ? ? Is it still for sale ?
This is out of range, but posted due to Hagerty noting 94-96 Roadmaster wagons as rising classics last month. I have had three of these, primarily as tow vehicles for my pother toys. WITH the right tow package, they are terrific. I wonder if this one is so optioned (Look for
V92: tow pak
LT1: 350 engine
FE2: HD suspension, should have a rear sway bar.
VO3: HD cooling, or
VO8: HD cooling, W/mechanical fan
GU6: 2.56 gears, or
GW9: 2.93 gears
G80: Posi)
Anyway, this one is not worth the price. I have bought similar for less, though recently bought a beautiful, clean 96 with 29K miles, always garaged (hence none of the typical UV damage as noted on this car), with all the appropriate options mentioned above, and I laid out $15K for that. I expect it may be the last one I ever buy.
I had a gold ’95 Roadmaster that I sold 3 years ago for $5K. It had 105,000 miles and was a great car but I just didn’t have room for it. Best car I ever had for ride, utility, gas mileage, etc.
I’d buy it back today if I could find it.
I have been looking for one of these for 15 years. Most are too much money or have 250,000 miles on them. They have issues. Water pumps leak onto that horrible Opti Spark garbage. The oil cooler line rust and the lower quarter panels rot. That should not be a problem in California. But all in all, a far superior vehicle to the total junk SUVs on the roads. I work at a Ford dealer and can tell you the $50,000 plus Explorers live up to their name called Exploder. Total junk Eco Boost engines. Give me that iron head LT1 any day.