WANTED: 1971 or 1972 Buick Riviera

[OzBro]

I am going to buy a 1971 or 1972 Buick Riviera sometime in the next 6 weeks.

I apologise for the long post, but I am just trying to think of everything that could influence my choice of car.

My family and I are from Australia and will be going to the USA later this year, arriving in Los Angeles and will then spend 2 months touring as much of the USA as possible , and have decided that we are going to do it in a 1971 or 1972 Buick Riviera.

Yes, its a long trip, but after 10 years of hard labor, my boss has given me long service leave, so we are doing our "trip of a lifetime". Lots of people have said "forget it...too difficult to get insurance, etc..just rent a car"..but there is absolutely no @&*#!%@ way that we are going to do Route 66 in some little tin can 4 cylinder hatchback!

At the end of our trip, the car will be shipped to Australia, where it will become my daily driver.

The holiday itself will not leave much in the piggy bank for the Rivi, so I'm not looking for a show car or big $$$ restoration, but a solid driver that will be able to do the 10,000 mile roadtrip.

The Wish List:

*GS - (hey....who doesn't want a GS?!?! but i doubt that I can afford one)

*Good mechanical condition - it has to do a 2 months 10,000 mile trip.

*Not green - (we have a green car now, and the wife does NOT want another one)

*prefer a '71 - not only because I prefer the styling, but also because a lot of "Australian design rules" were intorduced in 1972, and when the car is brought to Australia, it will have to be tested and modified to comply with all the desigh rules for its year of manufacture, and there are only a handfull for 1971.

*Aircon - driving for 2 months in the american summer, the aircon must be working or repairable for a reasonable cost.

*Nice interior - as above, we are going to spend 2 full months in it.

I prefer buckets and a console, but the wife likes the bench.... odds are that she will be happy.

*Factory sunroof - no practical reason, I just like them.

*Passenger side mirror - in Australia we drive on the left side of the road, so a mirror on the right would be very useful

When we get it back to Australia, it has to pass a "Road Worthy Certificate" test, which tests for:

No oil, water or other fluid leaks

Steers straight without holding wheel

Brakes straight without holding wheel

Emergency/park brake holds car on a slope

No play or excessive wear in suspension and steering bushes, balljoints, tie rods, mounts etc.

Lights and lenses must be free of chips, cracks and discoloration

No exhaust leaks or visible exhaust at normal operating temperature

Windscreen must be free of cracks, chips and scratches

Wipers and washers must work

Chassis must be free of rust, cracks or damage

Door latches and hinges must be free of play

Gas filler cap must seal

There is a bunch of other little things they check, but the above are the main ones.

If anyone has, or knows of, a suitable Rivi for sale, please contact me via email:

thorftp[put that "at" symbol here]gmail.com

Thanks for reading this far. I hope I end up with a few to choose from.

Gert

[OzBro]

oops.... looks like I may not have made myself as clear as I thought.

Basically I am after a '71 or '72 boattail that can do 10000 miles without self destructing, has a decent interior, aircon and is not green.

The "WISH LIST" is just like the list you send to Santa, you hope to get as many things as possible off the list, but you know you are never going to get them all.

[Guest imported_65gs76limited]

Gert,i believe 72 was the first year for a sunroof in a riviera.Buckets seats is a very hard to find option also. See i've narrowed your list down quit a bit already.Tom

[Guest BJM]

Gert,

You'll need to provide a price range. You can get a comfortable, safe mid size rental in America you know - no need for a small car. Also, consider gas mileage. Boattails, the best you are going to get is 16 mpg, probably more like 12 mpg. Also, you can buy more car if you take a rental and get 25 mpg. Not trying to change your mind but I have old cars and I'd much rather do a trip like that in a new Buick LaCrosse.

For what you are looking for, with the demands of 10,000 miles plus an Autralian side inspection that is bound to be tight, you are looking at at ;east an $8,000 car, with the more you spend the better chance you have. There are so many variables. Boattails represent a relative bargain on ebay and in other markets, but the recent January auctions will push prices up 5 to 15 per cent.

Not all ROA members check in here, so becoming a member of ROA will be important. the time will go by faster then you think before the trip. ebay is a bad, bad choice in this instance, even with good feedback ratings. Buying a car to make this kind of trip takes an ROA or BCA member selling it, IMO.