Roadmaster, Fanged Sonic, SilverWing And More: Members’ Rides

Last week we took a look at some classic JDM cars living in New York. I love the JDM scene, and it’s fun to see how a kei car can get as much attention as a GT-R a lot of the time. I hear you all like wagons. Today, we get to look at one of the best! Along with a modified Chevy and a couple awesome two-wheelers

Welcome to Members’ Rides! This is where we share the cars and stories of Autopian Members. The potential to be featured here is a perk for Autopian Members of every level, from the ultra-affordable “Cloth” tier all the way up to “Rich Corinthian Leather.” Click that link and join today!

Did you know that Honda once offered longitudinal V-twin motorcycles a la Moto Guzzi? You did? Well, I had no idea it existed, and I am very fascinated. These bikes are collectively known as “twisted twins” because the cylinders are rotated 22° to keep them out of the way of your legs when riding. It’s such a random feature but one that really shows how the little things matter when designing vehicles.

Today we get to meet Autopian member Alison. Alison is a software engineer living up in Detroit. More importantly, she has fantastic taste in vehicles! She’s got a Chevy subcompact that handles  as well as the JCW Mini she used to own, a V8 station wagon, a moped, and one of the aforementioned twisted twin Hondas. I love them all!

How did you get into cars?

I’ve been into cars as long as I can remember. Some of the first things I read were sales brochures and owner’s manuals to my parents,’ aunts,’ uncles,’ and grandparents’ ZJ Grand Cherokee, Buick Park Avenue, Saturn SL1, Buick Skylark, GMC Vandura, and C124 Mercedes-Benz 300CE. My uncle and grandpa would always take me down to the auto show in Detroit every year.

What do you have in the garage?

• 2014 Chevy Sonic
• 1991 Buick Roadmaster Wagon
• 1985 Yamaha Riva 180
• 1983 Honda Silver Wing Deluxe

How did you decide to replace a Mini JCW with a Sonic?

In the two years I owned the Mini, its valve-cover-integrated PCV system failed, I had to replace the coolant tank after one of the hose nipples snapped off it. Then the pivot between the clutch pedal arm and the master cylinder broke too, so I had to make a temporary repair to limp it home after that. It also spent about 2-3 months in the body shop in spring 2022 after taking a deer to the face. (Most of that time was waiting for parts to arrive.) I traded it in around 83k miles because it was coming up on needing new brakes all over, a new clutch, and not far from the infamous 100k mile timing chain replacement N14s all end up needing.

I bought a house in the fall 2022 that needed some repairs, and I realized I wasn’t going to be able to put enough attention on the repairs the Mini was about to need, on top of what the house needed. I reached out to a few folks on Marketplace who were looking to trade some interesting cars (there was a Miata or two and a GE8 Fit Sport that I remember). They were all too smart to take an R55 with some pretty big-ticket repairs just around the corner.

In spring ’23 I happened upon a local used car dealership with some interesting stick shift cars in their inventory — they had a Juke Nismo RS, the Sonic I ended up with, and (!!) a turbo/manual Buick Verano with the Choccachino brown/tan leather interior. I was really looking for a Verano or a Regal GS with the 2.0T and the six-speed, but somebody had already put a deposit down on that one before I came and checked it and the Sonic out. I still think about the Verano though. If I had ended up with it, I probably wouldn’t miss the Mini’s interior as much.

What have you modified on it?

It all started with white 16″ dealer accessory wheels with Firehawk Indy 500 tires I found on eBay pretty much immediately after purchase.

Next up I went with ZZP lowering springs and rear sway bar in October 2023. I also added the Coroplast fangs zip-tied in the grill at the same time.

In May 2024 I added the red mirror caps. There’s actually a funny story behind these. I knocked off the right mirror trying to back the car into my back gate, then decided to go red after I parked next to a black 500 Abarth with red mirrors.

Then, in July 2024, I added Diode Dynamics SS3 fog lights on custom brackets to fit in the OEM Sonic LTZ bezels.

After the lowering springs, sway bar, and summer tires I’d say it handles on par with my Mini and my friend’s modded Honda Fits. It rides better than the Mini, though, because it’s on 16s and not 18s. It also has way more interior space, even if the materials can’t hold a candle to the Mini. I’ll always miss the Mini because it was the first stick-shift car that I’ve owned.

That’s awesome. Do you have more mods planned?

The next things on my list are the ZZP aluminum thermostat housing and coolant outlet, and probably a CruzeKits PCV bypass kit. The 1.4T engine is kind of infamous for the failure-prone PCV system and plastic cooling system parts (oh hey! just like the N14 that was in my Mini!) so those upgrades will be a bit of preventive maintenance.

What do you love about it?

My favorite thing about it is that I don’t need to be afraid of a looming $1000+ mechanic’s bill like I was with the Mini! The sportbike-inspired gauge cluster with the big digital speedometer is also amazing. Beyond that, it’s in better shape, and way easier to work on, so I’m more comfortable doing things myself.

Anything you don’t like?

The worst things about it are the fact that Sonic enthusiasts are rare, and that the stock radio likes to pretend my iPhone doesn’t exist sometimes. Also, it says it takes 87 octane, but I put premium in it on ZZP’s advice – but at around 33mpg, it’s not that big of a deal.

So how did you come by the Buick?

I’ve wanted to own a big station wagon ever since I was 18, either a B-body or a Panther platform Country Squire, and I started actively looking in the fall of 2021 (took me a decade lol). I found the wrecked Roadmaster at a Copart auction in Lansing which is about 1.5 hours drive away from me in December 2021 with 154606 miles. Before the auction date, my friend and I went to Lansing to check it out. We discovered it was surprisingly clean underneath for a car that had spent 30 years in Michigan.

Did you use a broker to buy it through Copart?

It had a clean title so I didn’t have to use a broker. If I had to do it over again, I probably wouldn’t have gone through Copart. I didn’t have a negative experience, but the auction fees made it not quite as good a deal as I thought it would be.

What did it need to get back on the road?

The Buick needed a new hood, grille, and right headlight, and the tab on the core support that the headlight mounts to was folded but easy enough to bend back by hand. There are still some dents on both right doors and the right front fender is pushed back a bit, but the woodgrain makes all of that damage subtle enough I don’t really care. It currently has nearly 178k miles on it. I’ve taken it as far west as Colorado and as far east as New Hampshire.

Any other plans?

I’d like to put a Class III hitch on it and maybe a slight suspension lift and make it into the closest thing to a truck that I’d ever consider owning lol.

What’s your favorite thing about it?

It’s in good enough condition to look good but not nice enough to be scared of actually using. Also, WAGON!!! The Roadmaster is super floaty, and there’s more than enough room to lay the back seats down and throw a sleeping bag back there to crash for the night. I’d like to get all the windows behind the B-pillar tinted so I don’t have to worry so much about posting up in a rest area. NVH-wise, the Sonic might slightly beat it, especially since the Roadmaster is straight-piped after the cat, but sleeping in a subcompact sucks.

Anything you don’t like?

The automatic climate control does what it wants to when it wants to. I think that might be a minor vacuum leak but I can’t be bothered to figure it out.

What’s the story behind the Riva scooter?

I bought the Riva with 1,963 miles in June 2024, the week after I failed my MSF course by one point. I figured I’d ride a medium-sized scooter around town and get some more practice in, then retake the test. The cops in Detroit have way bigger fish to fry than to hassle somebody riding without their endorsement. I pretty much stumbled across it on Marketplace, did a bit of research, and watched the asking price plummet from $2500 to $1800 over the course of a week. It’s been super reliable in the ~2500 miles I rode it this season, even though I didn’t get a chance to ride it up north. And best of all, my plan to ride it around town and retake the test worked great!

You said you want to take it up to the Michigan north shore? What would that trip look like?

Riding the Riva up north I’d go on back roads. It does about 68mph flat out on flat ground, but that’s not really enough oomph to be comfortable on the expressways especially up in more rural areas.

What do you love about this?

I love the ultimate beigeness of it! The digital dash also makes it feel really modern for a 40-year-old scooter. Now that it’s put away for winter I really miss riding it.

What is the story behind the Silver Wing?

One of these has been one of my dream motorcycles for a while because it’s like, a right-sized touring motorcycle for a solo rider, and shaft drive is cool. I bought it in August 2024 with 50k miles on it, and I’ve only put about 500 on it so far.

Fun fact, when I checked it out before buying it, I noticed that the seller was wearing a familiar-looking jacket, and that led to discovering I had actually taken a photo of him riding it back in October 2023!

What plans do you have for it?

I’m planning on doing a maintenance procedure called the “quadruple bypass” in the twisted twin (CX/Silver Wing) community. Basically, it’s replacing the stator, timing chain and guides, water pump seals, and starter clutch springs. They’re all common points of failure on higher mileage twisted twins, and this one doesn’t have any documentation of them having been fixed.

I’m planning on doing all of this myself, and it’ll be the furthest I’ve ever been inside an engine so far. There are pretty thorough guides on motofaction.org though, and I’ve got a factory service manual too. Also, I should replace or adjust the rear brake light switch because I’m not sure if it’s working properly. I’m hoping to take it at least up to my parents’ place in Northern Michigan in 2025, and hopefully further.

What do you love about the SilverWing?

My absolute favorite thing has to be the wind protection. I was riding with some friends on naked bikes in about 50°F (10°C) weather and they were complaining that their hands were cold, but mine were feeling just fine behind the fairing.

Most bikes with longitudinal crankshafts spin the engine and transmission the same way, so getting on the throttle in a corner can cause it to either stand upright or lean further over. But the Honda twisted twins have a counter-rotating transmission, which cancels out those forces. Honda also rotated the cylinder heads to bring the carbs closer together between the rider’s knees. It’s so cool! I love how Honda comes up with unorthodox but well-executed solutions like that.

Thanks Alison!

Are you an Autopian Member? Don’t miss out, we have a lot of fun and you could be world famous and see your cars plastered all over the best car site on Earth! Click Here to learn more and become a Member today!