What is it with all of these Buick sleepers lately? First we introduce you to the series on our Regal GS project, then we run a story on our top five factory sleepers, two of them being Buicks. Now we ran across AGearHead4Life’s ’93 Buick Roadmaster project car, featuring a 5.3L LS-based powerplant. Although we’ve seen LS-powered B-body Caprices and Impala SS’ in the past, the often overlooked Roadmaster is a welcome departure from the norm.
With the work being done by AGearHead4Lif’e‘s Mark Burch, and the Buick’s owner Nick, Mark walks us through the necessary modifications that the Buick underwent during the process. It’s a budget build by most respects, but the point is not how you get there, but the end result.
Besides, the 5.3L engine that sits between the fenders of this car now is miles ahead of the 5.7L L05 V8 that tis car was originally equipped with. With only 72,000 miles on the body of this car, it should make somebody one interesting, long-lasting, daily driver or project car. We have a full rundown of the specs and modifications below!
- Stock exhaust; cat delete
- 5.3L; LS2 cam, front cover, cam sensor (still needs tuned)
- Walbro 255 in factory sending unit
- high-pressure rubber hose for fuel lines with two high-pressure clamps
- LS1 fuel rails
- LS6 valvesprings
- 4L60E (nneds rebuilt)
- 1-inch setback motor mount plates
- transmission crossmember set two-inches back
- LS truck manifolds (angled and clocked backwards)
- LS1 F-body throttle cable (bent rod on gas pedal for WOT)
- LS1 F-body intake
- C5 Corvette regulator/fuel filter combo
- LS1 F-body fans
- Upper radiator hose: Master Pro 20893
- Lower radiator hose: Delco lower hose 24111L
- Heater isn’t hooked up; loop hose is a Gates 18743
- LS1 F-body water pump with spacers
- A/C compressor is stock with a ’90s truck A/C bracket
- 5.3L truck serpentine belt (K061120)
- Coil packs will need to be relocated to make room for heater core locations
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
