Buick Roadmaster/Caprice Wagon

I'm looking into either a miata (not much luck, drift taxed to hell around here. Thanks military town...), a Buick Roadmaster/Caprice Wagon, or open to suggestions for a first car. What do you guys think? I found a white caprice wagon with the LT1 and 177K miles for $1500 obo. Only issues with it are it's missing a front bumper. Weight reduction bro lol. But I'm 17, confused on what to get, and in dire need of a car so I can stop relying on my dad.

Sounds like a good call to me. Lt1 road masters are fun. 

In reply to Catlas_Se7en :

First off, welcome to the forum.

Second, yes the B-Body, bubble butt wagons are awesome, especially the LT1 variety.  Lot's of love for them here.  Check out this build thread for inspiration: Wagon on a Whim

I had an Impala Sedan (that's what Caprices were called back then) when I turned 16, and an Impala wagon in college.  Both were great cars for me because they survived abuse well, held tons of stuff and were cheap to fix. The big-old V8 seemed to run no matter what I did to it, and rust was the eventual downfall of both. That said, I can't say that I would recommend a Caprice today.  They are just a little too old and there are better options out there. 

The Jeep Cherokee XJ offers a lot of the same benefits—spacious interior, easy to work on, cheap parts, dead-nuts reliability, cheap purchase prices–but also offer the ability to take it camping or through the snow. Plus, there are tons of ways to fix up an XJ if you want. 

While the Miata is certainly the answer, the Mazda 3 is a much better option for a first car.  It has the practicality of a hatchback, is reliable, and it is great to drive even in base form. With some minor mods, you can really enjoy it, and the insurance won't kill you compared to something known as a sports car. 

Another option is "whatever fits your budget best". Determine what you have to spend, which includes the cost of insurance and title and registration and some basic maintenance items it will need, then buy the best thing you can find for that amount.  Maybe it is a rust-free CR-V with high miles but an impeccable service record driven by a little old lady. Or maybe it's a Kia Optima with only 50,000 miles. Or a 5-speed Cobalt that just got new tires. Find something that is solid and will get you around, then find ways to connect with it. 

In reply to pinchvalve :

Thanks for the quick responses, that goes for everyone so far. This caprice is a 1996, so about 23 years old. Still too old, in your opinion? I'm not crazy interested in jeeps because I prefer autocross over offroading, plus I wanna be a bit unique with my choice. Many many brodozers at my school. My two main choices in my $2000 or less budget are a rust free, almost perfect 1992 E36 BMW 318is that needs the door panels redone with 200K miles or the Caprice Wagon with the LT1 that only needs a bumper with 177K miles. Both are "Cheap" on insurance for me at $109 a month for both without collision as they are so cheap it's not worth me putting it on there.

As much as I love big Chevys I may lean towards the bmw if I was planning on autocrossing it.  My impala was fun to beat on but gas and tires were cheaper then and went through quite a few of both when it was pushed hard.

In reply to Wally :

But is it going to be reliably enough to daily drive and not kill me in maintenance? It's a 5 speed, in green. And I'm really debating on them both. 

Catlas_Se7en said:

In reply to Wally :

But is it going to be reliably enough to daily drive and not kill me in maintenance? It's a 5 speed, in green. And I'm really debating on them both. 

Short answer is "yes", but the LT1 Roadmaster/Roadmonster will be easier and cheaper to maintain. And it would put up with neglect a lot better.

I cannot recommend a 91-96 B Body wagon enough. I had a 92 Oldsmobile with the TBI 350 for three years. They're fast only in the classical sense, but are an absolute hoot to autocross. If it's equipped with the factory tow pack, it'll have 3.23 (the 91-93s, anyway) gears with an LSD. RPO code G80. 

Double check the SPID sticker with all the three-digit codes for the actual LT1 option.  Many of them got the L99 which looks identical to the LT1 on the outside, but it's a 4.3L, not a 5.7L.  Most of the wagons will have the LT1, but it's no guarantee.

LT1s are great.  I have a 96 Impala SS with 150k and it is mechanically 100%.

You can tow things and camp in a big wagon.

I had a 92 318i. It was fun but I got tired of the interior falling apart and didn’t keep it very long. I also had a 318ti with the simpler (sturdier, IMO) interior and liked that a lot better.

Buy the wagon. American, V8, RWD and not another full size GM truck (the trucks are great, I own one but they’re so common as to be boring)

Old is relative because so much of the car may have been replaced by now, there’s no telling how old it is.

In reply to Jordan Rimpela :

It does have the tow package, and according to the owner in his words "This car has the same package as the SS Impala, it has the LT1 engine, dual exhause, posi rear, digital dash, with the tow package

A B-body wagon is pretty high on my list of "dream" cars. Seriously. If that's what tickles your fancy, I say go for it. They're robust enough to hold up to teenage abuse and all that space in back could certainly come in handy.

That E36 isn't a bad choice either, and they're not THAT bad to maintain, but I can pretty much guarantee it will be more expensive than a GM product and if the door panel is coming apart, the rest of the interior likely is as well.

Catlas_Se7en said:

In reply to Jordan Rimpela :

It does have the tow package, and according to the owner in his words "This car has the same package as the SS Impala, it has the LT1 engine, dual exhause, posi rear, digital dash, with the tow package

Good news! That posi will make it a hoot in the rain. The wagons got a pretty robust Auburn LSD, so it should still be working. When I sold my Olds with over 200k on it this past May, it was still operational.

Catlas_Se7en said:

In reply to Jordan Rimpela :

It does have the tow package, and according to the owner in his words "This car has the same package as the SS Impala, it has the LT1 engine, dual exhause, posi rear, digital dash, with the tow package

Well, two red flags there.  Impala has a lot more than just those things; springs, shocks, additional coolers, and a few other things.  The other thing is, a 96 should have the analog dash.  Digital dash went away after 95.

Ah, I missed that it was a `96.  To confirm the LSD, the RPO code is G80. the RPO codes should be on the tail gate, unless my mind is failing me.

In reply to Curtis :

You're right. It is a 95, I just checked the ad. And that is all he said, I could check what I can to be sure, right? 

this is it

This is the E36

Wagon looks rough, but it should be a good bet if it was maintained well.

I wasn't a big fan of the E36 so I'll keep my mouth shut.  I'm more of an E30 or E46 type of guy.  The e36 to me was more of an appliance than a fun car.

The nice thing about the wagon is the cheap parts.  If the transmission blows, buy a junkyard tranny for $350 and put it in on the weekend.  The LT1 has a lot of internal parts that are identical to a traditional small block.  The rear axle and brakes have been around on a lot of vehicles for years.  I bought rotors for my Impala for $18.  Good brake pads are $25.  I had to do a coolant temp sensor and it was $14.  In fact, very little has changed on that B-body since 1972.  Buick/Olds/Pontiac/Caddy B-bodies have even more in common back to about 1964.  Parts are plentiful and cheap.

Find this sticker and then go to this website to decode all the options.

I don't know where you're located ....

...or what your budget is; but have you considered a Pickup?

Very functional, higher driving altitude (new driver?) and they seem to hold value.  I recently sold a 1995 Chevy wagon, nice car but it was a tough sell.  I only owned it a few months before deciding it was a PITA and not going to fulfill my needs, took a good hit financially.  It took a while for the right buyer to find it.  If you're an ambitious sort, a pickup can actually make you money.

Shamu.

The BMW is the car I'd want, but the wagon is the car you probably need.  And the wagon puts you in the category of "i dont need a ______ car to be cool"

I love Buicks, so I would recommend the Caprice... Or a good used Honda. My 97 Accord was my first car and I still have it. Bought with 195K in 2008 and up to 251K in 2019. My mom's husband has a shop that specializes in German/European cars and the prices on parts are insane. If you were 25 with a good job and looking for a spare fun car, BMW wouldn't be bad, but I wouldn't recommend one for a first car. I like BMWs but would probably never own one myself.