Got a wagon question? Start here!

[sherlock9c1]

ATTENTION: UPDATES TO THIS THREAD ARE WELCOME AND ARE BEING ADDED HERE.

Welcome to the wagon section! This section focuses on the wagon-specific differences from the sedans. The following links are provided for your assistance. I will be adding links as I can find them or as they develop. Please PM me if you have an idea for a link, and I'll be happy to add it.

So how common are the wagons and the sedans?
All parts between the wagons and sedans are common except in the areas listed below. This includes engines, transmissions, driveshafts, engine bay, and all front suspension.

TOTAL PRODUCTION FOR EACH YEAR.

WAGON DIFFERENCES BY YEAR.

1A2 POLICE PACKAGE OPTION: Came with 9C1 electrical accessory wiring, ticket light over the front seat, green silicone coolant hoses, external oil and transmission coolers, and 9C1 rims (optional). Very rare, only several hundred made over all 1991-1996. Possibly two made in 1996. 1993 was highest production at 270 cars.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION / DRIVESHAFT All 94-96 LT1 engines, 4L60E transmissions and driveshafts are identical to LT1-powered Caprice sedans and Impala SS. All performance mods will work on wagons. Transmission crossmember is identical. T56 manual transmission swap procedure is identical.

EXHAUST is identical (except from behind the mufflers; is wagon specific). Exhaust manifolds, catalytic converters, intermediate pipes and mufflers are identical. All sedan headers & cats will fit wagons.

SUSPENSION is identical except for rear shocks, springs, and axle dimensions. See below.

REAR AXLE: Wagon axle differences from sedan: stronger, wider axle with larger bearings and axle shafts. Center components (gears, differential) are identical to sedans. Upper and lower controls arms are identical with sedans.
info here.
Swapping a sedan rear axle into a wagon?

AUTOMATIC LEVEL - "AIR LEVEL"
good thread here.

WAGON REAR SWAYBAR- no factory option
Option 1: Ford Crown Vic swaybar
Making a sedan rear swaybar fit

REAR BRAKES
All wagons came stock with drum brakes. The Impala SS / Caprice 9C1 disc brake setup does not bolt onto the wagon axle housing due to geometry conflicts. There are aftermarket kits available:
Navy Lifer's setup available for sale
GoldSSWagon's disc brake swap using GM Impala SS / Caprice 9C1 sedan discs.

FRONT END SHEETMETAL / UNDERHOOD
The Roadmaster wagon front bumper cover and bumper support is unique to the RM wagon. The bumper cover is no longer available new from anywhere.
The Olds Custom Cruiser front bumper cover is unique to the Custom Cruiser and is no longer available new anywhere.
Wagon sheetmetal is physically interchangeable with Caprice sedans and Impala SS's except for the wood trim on the fenders, which has fender-specific differences. The underhood is identical except that the wagon has a second windshield washer pump and hose for the rear glass.

ROOFRACK / MOONROOF Roadmasters and Oldsmobile Custom Cruisers had an integrated, nonmovable moonroof over the second seat. Any wagon with a moonroof also got a roofrack. '91-93 roofracks are of a different design than '94-96 roofracks.
Rain leaks from roofrack mounts: The roofrack mounting screws are secured by rivnuts on the inside of the roof that are accessible after removing the headliner. They do tend to spin if one tries to remove the screws without holding the rivnut from beneath.
Moonroof removal: pain in the butt.
Tricks to removing roofrack
Rain leaks dripping from rear grab handles

REAR DOORS & 2ND ROW SEAT
Wagon rear doors are unique and do not slope down like the sedan roofline does.
Modifying 2nd row seat to turn it into a Roadmaster Sedan rear seat or a Pontiac Bonneville rear seat.
2nd row seat fold-down mechanism was changed for 1993 to a one-piece design. Earlier designs had an intermediate panel that covered the gap between the seat and the area behind it while folded down.

LEATHER SEATS
Roadmaster wagons had an option for leather seats. Caprice wagons could not be ordered with leather seats. Front seats are otherwise identical to sedans.

3RD ROW SEAT
GM gave an option to delete the third seat. This is rare.
All 3rd seats are vinyl except for some Olds Custom Cruisers that came with a cloth rear seat. This is rare.

OTHER INTERIOR AND ELECTRONICS
Instrument clusters are unique to wagons for both the Roadmaster and the Caprice as they have "tailgate ajar" indicators.
Wagons also have controls for tailgate popper and rear windshield wiper in the dashboard.

KEYLESS ENTRY, TWILIGHT SENTINEL, POWER SEATS, POWER MIRRORS
Roadmaster Wagons almost always come with keyless entry and often come with twilight sentinel. Caprice wagons did have twilight sentinel about half the time but did not have factory keyless entry available. Aftermarket keyless entry units usually have better range (just a thought).
Any roadmaster wagon without power mirrors will also not have a power driver's seat and vice versa. This is very rare and the door control insert is unique to this configuration.

REAR BODY AND GLASS
How to deal with vent windows at the back
The rear liftgate glass is no longer available new.
How to remove the long rear glass.


REAR AUDIO - please see audio section for more info
Wagon amplifier and subwoofer mounting
rear 6x9 helps

TAILGATE
Tailgate adjustment; factory bushings tend to sag.
CHMSL tricks: if CHMSL bulbs are burned out, the Cruise Control will not work.

TAILLIGHTS
Due to trim differences, the Roadmaster taillights have the highest bottom edge. Caprice wagons have a lower bottom edge, and Olds Custom Cruisers have the lowest. '91-early '92 taillights have a surround plastic that is a very dark maroon, not black.

WOODGRAIN - removal and replacement
http://www.impalassforum.com/vBullet...d.php?t=239504
how to remove
how to replace.
how to remove and polish.


REAR TIRES/WHEELS
275/60/15 on a wagon
largest diameter for a wagon

GAS FILLER / TANK
Fill pipe location and gas tank inlet is on the side instead of in the rear. Capacity slightly less.

WAGONFEST 2010 INFORMATION:
Saturday July 31st, 2010 in Waterloo, NY. More info here.

ATTENTION: UPDATES TO THIS THREAD ARE WELCOME AND ARE BEING ADDED HERE.

Other good links:
Gerry's LS7 Wagon project
linky to other thread