What year roadmaster should I buy?

[Spudster]

I've been looking to buy a 94-97 roadmaster sedan, going to do a performance build, what do u guys recommend for the best year to buy? Any problems with specific years?

 

[sittnick]

If you want OBD-II, you will have to go newer than '94. If you don't want OBD-II, '94 should be OK.

 

[Spudster]

What differences between the two in tuning and making power?

 

[ilgoldstein]

I don't remember the particulars, but the 96 has a couple of more sensors than the 95, and in my book more sensors mean more things to go wrong. The 95 has a more advanced transmission, bigger side mirrors, and I like the trim better. I also think the Opti on the 95 has better venting. 94+ has the LT1, which is a beast. Pre-94 has better instrumentation, but that LT1!

 

[Dirtybob]

'96 is the only year for OBD2 and also the last year for production of the Roadmaster. 2 post-cat O2 sensors and a crank position sensor are the biggest differences from 94/95 IIRC.
94/95 have free tuning software available. Tuning options for the 96 are limited and a lot of people will convert to a 94/95 pcm to get around this.
All the LT1 powered B bodies (94+) use the vented opti.
95 (and newer?) transmissions have PWM (pulse width modulation) control on the torque converter clutch lockup.

What do you mean by a performance build? If you're talking about bolt ons then I would be looking for a 94/95 car first then a 96 car and a spare obd1 pcm.
If you're wanting to get a bit more serious I would consider ditching the (poorly supported) LT1 platform (or at least the opti & ecm), in which case the only thing I would be looking for in a used Roady is that it has the 8.5" rear since everything else is coming out anyways.

 

[HotZ28]

OBD1 PCM uses an removal E-Prom for programming, where as the '96 is a very simple OBD11 flash download. Home can do both and they are the best tuners of the LT1 that I have ever dealt with. In my collection of LT1's, I have an 93-Z28 LT1 (highly modified), & '96 RMS (somewhat less modified) & the RMS was flashed into an OBD11 PCM's tune from Alvin & Brain who are the best tuners in the nation IMHO!!