Shopping for the Roadmaster continues
I’m digging through loads and loads of different rims trying to find something that suits the Roadmaster. My intention is to keep it as stock looking as I can. The woodgrain will remain for now and I’m going to restore it as best as I’m able. I’ve grown fond of the colour of the wagon so that won’t change either. I really like the smooth ride of a big car so I won’t be making dramatic changes to the suspension or stance, and I hate this absurd trend of putting massive sets of rims on cars with very little rubber around it. Based upon all of this, I expect that my rims quite possibly won’t be chrome or at least not too much chrome, will be something that will look appropriate to the car as it is now, and won’t be larger than 17″. I’m fond of the look it has now with the snow tires installed and 
the snows have a pretty hefty sidewall. That huge sidewall looks a little bit funny with a 15″ chrome rim and seems a little dated, even more so than a ’94 station wagon. I expect that I’ll be looking at something in the 16″ range but haven’t made my mind up about the level of shiny that I want. I would very much love to find a set of classic Buick Rally rims but they are starting to get a little scarce. A few Roadmaster owners have these on their wagons and I really like the look. User “jusntime” over at the GMLongRoof forums has them on his wagon and it’s pretty sharp as you can see on the right.
While I was at the Toronto International Auto Show, I spotted a Ridler 675 rim hanging on the wall in a rim booth. I was quite taken by these. They have a similar style to the Torque Thrust II’s that are so common among the B-Body set but are just different enough to make it clear that I’m not trying to follow the pack. The Torque Thrust II rim looks fantastic on these cars, but there are so many of them out there, that I want my car to be a little more personalized. I think the 675 looks great as a new style rim but lends a slight tip of the hat to the Buick style Rally rims that I would so love to have.
While my Photoshop skills are barely adequate, I was able to mock up my Roadmaster with some photos of the Ridler 675’s in 
Chrome. I think the Silver in a matte finish, like the one shown here from www.jdwheels.com, would suit the car better with the Adriatic Blue paint on the body, but I haven’t found a decent picture of the 675 in silver and I don’t have the skills to change the chrome picture that I have. I’ve darkened it slightly, but it still doesn’t blend as well as it should. Nonetheless, my craptacular ‘Shop’ing is sufficient to let me know that this is definitely a rim for my short list and will remain in consideration unless something pushes it out of contention. 
Here are the results of my graphic design work. This is the same car just two different cameras so the paint looks a different shade. One photo has the Ridler 675 in chrome at 15″ and the other at roughly 17″.
I can’t say as I’m completely sold on either, but I’m definitely leaning towards staying at 15″ or 16″ at least with this style of rim. Feel free to share your opinions.
My vote is for the 675 in matte silver in a 17″ diameter.
Then run the same size tires as the Impala SS.
Did you notice much difference in the ride of the Roadmonster when you went up to 17″ wheels? I really love the smooth ride of the Roadmaster and I don’t want to give up that cushy rubber. I learned my lesson when I installed those Monroe Severe Service shocks in the rear. I find the ride very stiff in the back end now and I want to get it back to a more comfy ride. I’m planning on a full set of Bilsteins all around as soon as possible.
I am running 18″ wheels & 285 40 18 tires.
I like the ride, but I didn’t really like the stock “Dynaride” all that much…
The RoadMonster handles really well, and I still consider it a comfortable ride.
That said, it’s hard to tell how much difference the wheels & tires made, as I changed the springs, shocks, & replaced ALL rubber bushings with poly-graphite, at the same time.
I don’t know how you would like the ride.
Have you ever ridden in a stock Impala SS?
I wonder what you would think of the SS’s ride.
This subjective stuff is difficult to describe on line.
I wish you were closer! 😉
I’m not entirely sure how the Dynaride was originally. When I bought the wagon the rear shocks were shot. Needless to say it was pretty floaty on the drive home. Sufficiently so that I got pulled over in a safety check. I read that a lot of people liked the Severe Service shocks and my love of police vehicles led me to make a snap decision…and it was a poor one.
Yeah, suspension really is a subjective decision. I’m hoping to get the Roadmaster driving more like my Parisienne. Canadian roads have lots of potholes, and the Parisienne rolls over those like they don’t exist.
I’ve never ridden in an Impala SS or a Caprice. I bought the Roadmaster based on my love of wagons and the LT1. I figured it would be at least as nice a ride as my Grand Marquis or my Parisienne.
Yeah, it would be pretty cool if there wasn’t so much distance between Ontario and Oregon. I’d love to get a closer look at your rides and pick your brain even more than I do now.
Potholes…
I think I have a better idea of what you want.
I change my vote:
15″ wheels.
I really like the look of the Buick Rally’s.
Hard to go wrong with those.
Forgot to add:
I think you would LOVE driving my wife’s Denali.
It doesn’t handle corners well, BUT, potholes…
Well, potholes simply do not exist. Period.
It is our most comfortable ride.
I’ve often wondered what I would think of the Denali. I like big roomy vehicles and they don’t get bigger or roomier than that.
The Denali is SUPER comfortable.
The heated leather seats are like driving the most comfortable couch in the world.
I also think it’s cool that:
1) It’s the same color as the RoadMonster.
2) The interior color is the same too.
3) It was built in the same factory as the RM (the GM Plant in Arlington Texas).
The biggest drawback is the 10 MPG city.
That said, we will never sell her.
Never.
Heated seats would be a very big plus for me. My intent was to have heated seats and mirrors in my next car. Somehow I managed to pick a car with neither. I pondered hunting for a donor car with heated seats when the wife reminded me that I don’t plan on ever letting the Roadmaster see snow again. I was hoping to find a 4×4 for winter before we decided to sacrifice the Pontiac to the rust gods. I’m hoping at some point, when the Roadmaster is further along in it’s cleanup I’m hoping to replace the Pontiac with one of these:
Jeep Wagoneer