If you’ve been paying attention to social media much at all lately, you might have ran across Dax Shepard’s ’94 Buick Roadmster that’s been creating something of a buzz. This wagon is something of a sleeper; with its unassuming woodgrain paneling and gallons of white paint covering the body, it looks like the car our parents drive in the ’90s. There’s even a recent State Farm commercial depicting a similar car as something of an unwanted hand me down relic.
As most of us know, the ’94-96 Buick Roadmasters (sedan and wagon) were only available with a 5.7L GEN-II LT1, that was borrowed from the Corvette. It was a decently quick car for its size, weight and shape of its time. But Shepard’s car isn’t a standard-issue Roadmaster wagon. In fact, it’s anything but, because under that massive hood, is an aluminum and supercharged LSA crate engine from Chevrolet Performance. Packing 580hp, it generates over 300hp more than the original LT1 that it left the factory with 26 years ago.
Dax has been using the car for the last few years as a road trip/family hauler for the wife and kids, but after a wheel, tire and brake upgrade, he felt that it was time for more power. Similarly, our favorite retied talk show host, Jay Leno, also has a Chevrolet Performance crate-engine equipped Buick Roadmaster — just one that’s 40 years older. Packing the famous “LENO 572,” it shows up to the party with roughly 700hp on tap.
So Leno and Shepard apparently connected the dots, reached to each other and setup a showdown between the too Chevy-powered throwback Buicks. It ultimately let to a ride along in Dax’s car, and an 1/8-mile drag between the two Buicks at Irwindale Raceway.
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.
