Haven't had a chance to read this yet but thought of you, @Frosty

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a39721793/buick-roadmaster-roadmonster-remembered/

Thanks Ringo.

I love driving the Roadmonster. It floats like no other car I own. While not a torque monster high performance car, it will get out of it's own shadow and there are both performance and suspension parts for these big cars still available. So making it a total sleeper is very, very doable. The LT-1 engine is often forgotten or overlooked but it is a capable small block engine. I'm not likely to give up my Roadmonster anytime soon.

6 hours ago, Frosty said:

Thanks Ringo.

I love driving the Roadmonster. It floats like no other car I own. While not a torque monster high performance car, it will get out of it's own shadow and there are both performance and suspension parts for these big cars still available. So making it a total sleeper is very, very doable. The LT-1 engine is often forgotten or overlooked but it is a capable small block engine. I'm not likely to give up my Roadmonster anytime soon.

There's something quaint about the way some US manufacturers insisted on holding onto what used to sell, way after those things became largely irrelevant. Woodgrain panelling on wagons always makes me chuckle. I remember as a teenager reading about how US cars were being forced to downsize and amongst them, Cadillac were whining about having to reduce the size of their V8. As an Aussie, we all laughed about this because even the smallest Caddy engine dwarfed most of our local offerings for size. The fuel crisis in the 70s really hit the US hard and forced monumental change - most of the changes weren't very well executed - think Mustang II! 

Anyway, Frosty's Monster is a good looking car - nicely rounded off, immense size and to hell with the environment and the cost of fuel - get out of the way, peasants!

For a land yacht that big Fitzy, she is also remarkably fuel efficient. The 90s era LT-1/LT-4 engine is often forgotten being saddled between the small block Chevy and the LS1/LSx generation of engines. This boat gets 22-25 miles per gallon. My dad use to brag how well he did mileage wise. I use to say "Aw BS Dad, it's a whale". Well I drove it to West Virginia last year in it and I averaged 24 MPG. She has 117K miles on it too.

This car reminds me what a "big car" was when I was young. It's body on frame construction, rear wheel drive, V8, automatic luxury cruiser. It is the last of what Detroit produced from the 60s to 80s. I simply love it. My wife and kid don't get it.

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

For a land yacht that big Fitzy, she is also remarkably fuel efficient.  My wife and kid don't get it.

Wife drives N SUV N the kid rolls in a HUMMER.  Who doesn't get what???

15 hours ago, Frosty said:

For a land yacht that big Fitzy, she is also remarkably fuel efficient. The 90s era LT-1/LT-4 engine is often forgotten being saddled between the small block Chevy and the LS1/LSx generation of engines. This boat gets 22-25 miles per gallon. 

That's pretty good mileage. The US gallon is smaller than our old imperial one so would probably equate to about 18-20mpg in our old measurements, which was spot on for an older large car. My GP gets 18.8 miles to one of our old gallons, so can use just a bit more than your Buick. Once those big tanks get up to speed and with the engine just ticking over and riding that fat wave of torque, they can be surprisingly efficient.

I remember Imperial Gallons vs. US Gallons. An Imperial gallon was 5 quarts, the US gallon is 4 quarts. I could relate to that, then the rest of the bloody world lost their minds and went metric. Now a liter is not the same as a quart.

I have a problem with the Roadmonster. The HVAC blower motor stays on even with the key off. I disconnected the battery to keep it from draining it.

I first tried replacing the blower motor relay with a new one. The relay is located under the hood, on the passenger side, up against the firewall. No luck.

Next I had to crawl under the passenger side dash, remove a cover panel, and find the blower motor resistor. I found it by becoming an upside down contortionist. Then getting these freakingly small metric screws (either a 4 or 5 mm) holding it in the air path.

I purchased a new resistor but it turns out that the Caprice/ Impala SS/ Roadmaster / Fleetwood had two different HVAC control systems. One is the manual control. The other is a digitally controlled system. I ended up with the resistor for the manual system but I need the digital one.

This is the new manual resistor. But it’s the wrong one for the car. Notice the difference in electrical connections.

However I need this one.

The manual resistor costs about $30. The digital one is a minimum of $152-266! Ugh. Of course most parts store don’t stock the digital one. Special orders only!

I was able to find the black digital module online on eBay for $40, closer to $50 with shipping and tax. It should be here by Friday.

Edited April 20Apr 20 by Frosty

The digital blower resistor module came in the mail yesterday. The new module came with heat sink plaster (e.g. adhesive). I removed the old module. I cleaned up all the oxidized aluminum on the heat sink on a belt sander, cleaned it with wax and grease remover, and then spread the plaster over the heat sink and module and put it together.

Old on top, new on the bottom. Same DELCO part number!

Spreading the plaster!

Viola! Everything is back together!

The module is in, I connected the battery and the fan doesn’t run anymore without the key ! Yeah!!!

I started another interior project on the Roadmonster. The driver’s door needed some attention. The sound deadener / jut material in the door was hanging out below the door panel. The problem is the white plastic locating pins are busted or the mount the pine go in are busted. Only one pin works.

My wife is accusing me of spending too much money this month so i didn’t want to incur more of her wraith, so I tried to used what I had lying around in the shop.

I used the J B Weld to secure the plastic pins in their general location. Once it was dry, I used my chaulk gun to further fill up and secure the pins in their place.

Driver’s door disassembled

.

Driver’s door panel

Notice the line white pin? There should be five of them! I have new pins but the retaining tabs in the door panel itself are busted up, hence the need to glue them down somehow.

Right now the chaulk is drying. It should be set by morning. Then I will put the door back together.

Edited April 24Apr 24 by Frosty

Well done mate 🍻🍻

What you need to do

Is learn how to circumnavigate the boss and her watch on the bank account watch !

My first suggestion is cashies …,

Do some work that’s … not any where near your bank account !

This generates an amazing amount of progress on projects that YOU want to move forward with … 😜

Second

Write expenses off in shops that could be classed as “other “

As in …

Hay dear , what’s this on our mitre 10 account ( New Zealand home depot shop ) answered with … oh that’s blah blah for the chook house 😜😜😜😜😜😜😜

9

You’re a genius Kiwi! Thanks mate!

Looks good bro

Edited April 24Apr 24 by Wrongway

I finished the door up tonight. Everything works. AC works as it should. I reconnected the battery and started the car briefly. I then put the car cover back on it

If I find the time, I'd like to clean and detail the engine bay wash, clay bar. RainX and wax the car, and give the interior a good cleaning. I would also like to change the spark plugs and plug wires, but I sorta dread that job - given the age of the original Opti Spark distributor. I don't need it failing on me. The car is very reliable at this point. I don't want to mess up a good thing.

Edited April 26Apr 26 by Frosty

4 hours ago, Frosty said:

I finished the door up tonight. Everything works. AC works as it should. I reconnected the battery and started the car briefly. I then put the car cover back on it

If I find the time, I'd like to clean and detail the engine bay wash, clay bar. RainX and wax the car, and give the interior a good cleaning. I would also like to change the spark plugs and plug wires, but I sorta dread that job - given the age of the original Opti Spark distributor. I don't need it failing on me. The car is very reliable at this point. I don't want to mess up a good thing.

Well ! do it !!!

do you have work on monday ???? nooooooo !

I trust you have a couch, and a fridge at your workshop

Edited April 26Apr 26 by 64 kiwi boni