I am officially taking the Roadmaster Rallycrossing

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
04/01/2016 at 08:00 • Filed to: Rally all the things!

Apparently I’m not the first lunatic to rallycross a Roadmaster, but maybe the first to rallycross a Roadmaster wagon.

I actually registered last week to go racing with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but it’s been a crazy week and I didn’t have time to post about it. I’ve never rallycrossed and it’s been over 15 years since I’ve autocrossed, so I’m a bit nervous, but i’m mostly very excited.

I’m on spring break this week, and I had three days planned of working on the Buick, and my truck, and my house. Unfortunately due to my daughter getting strep throat (she’s much much better, but couldn’t go back to daycare today), that wrenching time got reduced to four hours yesterday. Fortunately that was enough time to change the leaky oil cooler lines in the Beastmaster and change it’s oil. Hopefully I can find the time to change the rear shocks which are completely blown and useless before then.

It’s happening next Sunday, the 10th, in Byron, IL. Come on over and say hi if any of you are there, I think you’ll be able to find the Roadmaster wagon with the Oppo sticker on it :)

DISCUSSION (49)

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 08:04

I have a feeling you’re gonna seasick from all the body roll!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 08:04

You good sir are an American Hero™.

Master Cylinder > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 08:24

Awesome. Make sure someone is getting photos/video. And have fun!

fryguy > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 08:25

Good sir - please explain the rallycross concept/objective. Spent some of my youth at the dragstrip just to the north and have been fully irradated by the Byron Nuclear Generating Plant. Just down the road from Byron is my dad’s hometown - Leaf River, IL.

vondon302 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 08:36

Damn I want to take my crown vic to rally cross soon! Between you and Montegoman I got the itch bad. Never gone before either . Let us know how it goes and good luck!

LOREM IPSUM > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 08:39

Something makes me think that a welded diff might make this just a little more fun than it’s already going to be for you.

Visualize that concept for a moment... I can see it already!

shop-teacher > LOREM IPSUM
04/01/2016 at 08:55

Haha! My wagon has the towing package, so it has an LSD :)

shop-teacher > vondon302
04/01/2016 at 08:56

Will do!

shop-teacher > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/01/2016 at 08:56

Why thank you! Should be fun!

shop-teacher > Master Cylinder
04/01/2016 at 08:56

I’ll see what I can do!

shop-teacher > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/01/2016 at 08:58

Haha! Especially if I don’t have time to change those shocks :)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 08:59

I’m seriously thinking about picking one of these up, doing an LS/MT swap, replacing the worn suspension bits and calling it my truck/hauler/highway mile-eater for life.

shop-teacher > fryguy
04/01/2016 at 09:01

It’s a short “road” course on dirt/gravel, run one at a time, for the quickest time. You’re welcome to come with, if you want to blow a Sunday :)

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 09:02

Roadmaster wagon rallycrossing? This is at least five of my fetishes.

shop-teacher > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
04/01/2016 at 09:04

Hahaha! Mine too :)

shop-teacher > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/01/2016 at 09:06

That would be awesome!

Mine has way too much rust to put that kind of money into it. I’ll just repair it when needed and drive it.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 09:25

Being in Florida, I’m surrounded by cherry low-mileage garage-kept never-seen-winter ones that the kids just want to get rid of after moving Dad into a nursing home that are dirt cheap.

fourvalleys > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 09:27

Hm, there’s a chance I’ll make the trip out there. A very small chance, but we’ll see how it looks next weekend.

shop-teacher > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/01/2016 at 09:32

Well then, if I decide to buy another I’ll have to take a trip down to Florida :)

Find one with the towing package. It gets you an LSD, heavy duty cooling, and some other goodies I can’t think of. They give it a 7k pound tow rating.

shop-teacher > fourvalleys
04/01/2016 at 09:36

Hope to see you there!

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 09:38

If I can convince my girlfriend to spend one of her days with me next weekend watching idiots like me throw their cars around on some dirt, I may ask you for a ride along. haha

shop-teacher > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow
04/01/2016 at 09:43

I’d be happy to oblige! Hope to see you there :)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 09:45

http://sarasota.craigslist.org/cto/5487807547…

shop-teacher > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/01/2016 at 09:50

I am drooling over that! That’s my favorite color that they offered on the Roadmaster.

fourvalleys > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 09:56

I hope I can make it! Where in Byron?

shop-teacher > fourvalleys
04/01/2016 at 10:00

There’s a map to the location on the Stateline Rallycross page I linked to.

PartyPooper2012 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 10:25

Bitch, don’t kill my ride.... Give me your buick! please? I miss mine

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 10:27

wonder how many people they’ll let you do a ride along with at once...

there are more records to be set

shop-teacher > PartyPooper2012
04/01/2016 at 10:37

I don’t plan to keep it forever, so perhaps you can buy it someday ... I’m not even going to give a car to my own children :)

shop-teacher > uofime-2
04/01/2016 at 10:38

Ha! The rules say only one rider, with a helmet. Maybe they’ll let us load it up for an exhibition run!

fourvalleys > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 10:41

Oh, duh. Byron Motorsports Park. I feel like an idiot!

PartyPooper2012 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 10:44

Every time I see one of those on the road, i drool and tell my wife how much I miss my 1992 Park Ave. She rolls her eyes and says BUT WHY? It’s so ugly...

That’s when I pull over and tell her to get out.... but she stays... I can’t win

shop-teacher > PartyPooper2012
04/01/2016 at 10:46

Hahaha!

My wife’s response to buying the Roadmaster was, “Why the fucking fuck do you like this hideous thing?” She hates it, but tolerates it because it keeps me from bugging her to drive her car.

PartyPooper2012 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 10:51

I’m afraid of asking what she drives...

There must be a website for wives where they decide what car is “cute” and what car is “hideous”... and then like a copied cassette they repeat it to us

That should have been the marriage question. Do you like Buick Park avenues? No? out you go!

shop-teacher > fourvalleys
04/01/2016 at 10:52

Haha! No need for that.

shop-teacher > PartyPooper2012
04/01/2016 at 10:53

She drives a CX-5. I quite like it, actually. I’m OK with her not liking my Buick, so long as she tolerates me having one.

PartyPooper2012 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 10:57

never drove one of those. I know mazda makes cars with some cool features... 929 with the swiveling air vent. I forget now what else i’ve seen only in mazdas... but yeah

However, tho... no mazda can compare with buick park ave of the 90s

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 11:04

I know, but as long as there’s enough seat belts, what the problem?

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 11:37

1 - Find cheaper one (can regularly be found ugly but fine for under a grand)

2 - Remove engine and transmission

3- Remove rear seats (all of them)

4 - Replace with engine

5 - ....? Still have more space and functionality than a modern unibody wagon?

6 - PROFIT! (by profit, I clearly mean “be awesome”)

shop-teacher > PartyPooper2012
04/01/2016 at 11:45

The CX-5 doesn’t have any unique features, it’s just a really nicely designed and built vehicle. It has a nice compromise of ride and handling. Of course it’s no Parke Ave though :)

shop-teacher > uofime-2
04/01/2016 at 11:46

Probably insurance ... Lawyers ruin all the fun.

shop-teacher > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/01/2016 at 11:47

Why remove the seats? They fold flat.

uofime-2 > shop-teacher
04/01/2016 at 11:52

That is a fact.

That One Kid in HS > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/01/2016 at 13:07

I JUST DROVE THAT ONE YESTERDAY!

Was looking at it for my grandpa

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > That One Kid in HS
04/01/2016 at 13:53

You’re doing it wrong, kid. It’s the ultimate High School vehicle, and if you disagree, you’re wrong. You can fit seven of your buddies in it comfortably for a clambake, you can beat the ricer bro’s civic because RWD V8, and the rear seats fold flat and are big enough to fit a matress in.

Jobjoris > shop-teacher
04/05/2016 at 03:23

Haha, we need everything from that event: Pictures, footage, sound. Keep us posted! (and I got SIKU 3112 for ya!)

shop-teacher > Jobjoris
04/05/2016 at 07:10

Will do! Birddog offered to bring his Go Pro, so there will be footage.

And woo-hoo!!!

Jobjoris > shop-teacher
04/05/2016 at 07:31

Haha, are you gonna let the Go-Pro face the road or facing the car’s driver? That ought to be good!!!

shop-teacher > Jobjoris
04/05/2016 at 09:05

Nobody wants to see my ugly mug!