It took a while to find this one. The Roadmaster is quite rare, and most have been fully restored, or are beyond salvation. We discovered this one sitting in the desert in Arizona. It had languished for decades, with the owner always planning to get to it, but it never happened. We were lucky to have found it, and honored to be able to buy it. We hunted this down for a client who owns multiple ICONs, and had decided it was time to do a Derelict. Built to be a daily driver here in SoCal, we talked with the client and due to our great working relationship, he pretty much let us do our thing. He simply asked us to build it as if it was our own. That was easy, because that is how we approach all of our projects. He did not want to bother with A/C, because the top will always be down. He did have us design our first dedicated iPhone dock system for voice-to-text, navigation and digital audio. Big job, but a blast to figure out!
• Art Morrison chassis • 505HP, 475TRQ LS7 fuel injected motor • GM 4L85E automatic transmission • Wilwood power disc brakes (6 piston/4 piston) • Custom stainless steel fuel system • MIL Spec wiring harness, built from scratch • Modern heat • Modern wiper system • Polyurea coated body underside and floors • Extensive use of Dynamat sound deadener products • All new weatherstripping • Power windows converted to electric, controlled through stock switches • Unique Moore & Giles weathered leather and “Boar Hide” stamped cowhide interior. • German Haargarten wool carpet • Mercedes brown canvas top • Hidden digital audio system with integrated hidden iPhone dock, four speakers plus amp & bass
Existing dents and dings not only add character, but they relieve you from the stress of being the first one to create them! Note the cool stock amber lights integrated into the front bumper. Those are all original other than LED bulb upgrades.
Here you see our favorite approach to the wheels. ZR rated tires on CNC'ed 6061 powder coated aluminum wheels made here in California. Then spun stainless hub caps into which we acid etch "Buick" in the classic font style. We let the acid stay on too long so that it starts to eat into the stainless, then we airbrush the letters with paint that has some iron particles in it, to create a patina and aged affect!
This detail shot gives you a better sense of this unique leather. Crafted in Mexico, this Moore & Giles unique stamped cow hide has the surface effect of Wild Boar, with the pliability of leather. These hides added great character and detail to our build.
We followed tradition and kept the original door panel panel design, other than crafting them in marine rated board for better longevity, plus the fine leathers and modified power window master switch. Speakers hide behind the panel, and still give you good sound quality through the perforated leather.
Another little but important interior detail. The ropes across the back of the front seats were replaced and upgraded to this woven leather. The hardware is all original.
While this car did originally have power windows, they were hydraulic, and there were only single switches on each door. When you put the top down and wanted all windows down, you were either an Octopus or inconvenienced. We sourced a four-gang master power window switch from a later model Buick, converted the windows to 12V electric, and now all is well!
The stock gauge design is magical, so we simply cleaned the elements you see, then replaced all of the movements behind the scenes with modern electronics. Stock steering wheel fit on collapsible, tilt column with CNC's knobs that match the style of the car seamlessly. Hand stitched leather wraps the original wheel grip.
Here you see the center dash panel in the closed position. Looks stock at first glance, but all knobs have been machined and redesigned to fit modern switches, and the center section articulates down with a tap at the top. Inside sits the Digital audio controls and dock for the iPhone.
Once you tap on the closed panel door, it articulates down slowly due to the gas shocks, then an authoritative click as it reaches the bottom due to imbedded magnets (to stop potential rattles). The two large stainless round knobs at the bottom? The one on the left is master volume, the one on the right slides over to release the phone from it's anchor. The tiny amber buttons are for fine tuning the audio system.
Modern throttle-by-wire gas pedal and a 1958 Buick Power Brake pedal was modified to fit. It looked better than the small original pedal and provided a larger surface for your foot.
As always, the trunk is as detailed as the interior. Polyurea coated, then Dynamat, then marine-board inserts wrapped in leather. Removable carpet matt backed in rubber. We also hid the battery and integrated the audio amps and bass back here.
Here is a detail many builders fail to consider when engineering modern systems in old cars, the fuel fill neck and cap. Often times, vintage cars do not get along well with modern gas pumps. You end up sitting there trying to get it to fill, click... click... click. It is very annoying. To solve this, we design a modern fill neck with a sealed cap, which is also better for the earth!
This client did not like the look of the modern, plastic intensive LS7. Neither did we. So we sourced an old steel aircleaner from a 442 Oldsmobile, then extended it to further cover the intake. Next we applied an extra old hood ornament, and then hand painted the assembly to match the body. The fonts used were inspired by the original fonts found on the original engine. Next, we tunneled the intake plenum through to behind the front grill. Not only is that the best place for cooler intake air, but it also helped with the old school look we were going for.
Here is a nice shot of the assembled chassis, waiting for the body to be united. All MIL spec semi-gloss powder coat on the chassis, which was media blasted to create mechanical tooth that compliments the chemical tooth of the powder, for a super durable finish. Ceramic coating on the exhaust system. Highest quality components all the way down to the nuts & bolts used.
Here is a detail shot of the chassis after final assembly. The LS7 is a great motor. Slightly complex to fit due to the dry sump oil system but well worth the effort.
One more chassis detail shot, showing the rear suspension and fuel system. Stainless steel, TIG welded tank with in-tank pump and baffles. All stainless plumbing. Note the Johnny Joints used on the suspension arms, instead of Heims Joints. These isolate vibration better, and give you more rotation too.
