J3Studio
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Posts posted by J3Studio
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1 hour ago, BUICK RACER said:
Well, the new owner will find out soon enough that there are virtually no parts for these cars, no body, no interior, no nothing other than engine and trans stuff, this was discussed on V8buick.com and there were no triple black '73s they all had white bucket seat interiors, this one has dyed seats and was a rust bucket as most of the '73 GM cars, malibu, chevelle, cutlass, regals, centurys were because GM changed steel suppliers that year, cheaper, obviously and they rusted out almost immediately. Ask me how I know, I've had 3 '73 Gran Sports and one is still in my garage!
There's a lot of data in this response!
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20 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:
The nice thing about auctions is that we know what someone paid for a specific car. Someone wanted that car, someone else wanted it almost as badly, and they fought over it. That was what that particular car on that day was worth to the guy who bought it.
Without intending to offend anyone, I have found that most hobbyists are typically poor judges of values, particularly on their favorite cars. In most cases, they believe their cars are worth much more than they are or they think cars for sale are much too expensive. The reason is that they're in a bubble--they know what they paid for their similar car eight years ago or what their buddy paid or where there's one for sale in their local area, but they don't really have much of a bird's eye view of the market in general or cars that sell outside their bubble. But seeing them change hands at auction gives you an actual real-world price. Not a price guide algorithm, not some guy's opinion, but someone actually paid that much money to own that car. It's a hard data point. It's irrefutable. Are they all worth that much? Of course not. But now you have another data point to use when you try to get a big picture view of a particular car's value.
Whether that was too much or not is irrelevant. Someone was willing to pay that much and he is the only guy who gets to say whether it was a good value. Everything else is just a gut feeling or a guess. And in the big picture of the collector car world, $29,000 is relative pocket change.Thank you for the thoughtful response, Matt.
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Yesterday, Mecum sold a "triple black" 1973 Century Gran Sport for a $29,000 hammer price:
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0520-430698/1973-buick-gs-stage-1/
—it has a Stage 1 270 bhp 455 ci V8 with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, a floor-mounted four-speed manual transmission, chrome wheels, air conditioning, and bucket seats.
$29,000 seems like a lot of money for a Colonnade, but I'm not remotely expert in this area. What do folks think?
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16 hours ago, Rivman said:
Not ROA related, but temperature related …
My one and only BCA meet, so far anyway, 2012 in Concord, NC, the temperature got up to 104°!!!
It was at the Charlotte Motor Speedway; they did give the judges a break and had us pull the cars into the garage areas for the judging. It certainly was a hot one that day.
I know there were a few other forum members enjoying the heat at that meet too.
It can get hot at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The National Corvette Restorer's Society annual convention was there in July 2010, and the heat is my lasting memory.
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Just a few Rivieras at Mecum's Indy auction over the next eight days. All descriptions as claimed by Mecum and/or the seller.
1970 Glacier White Riviera GS coupe with a white vinyl top, a white interior (not pictured), and 31,000 miles ($14,000 hammer price):
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0520-428788/1970-buick-riviera-gs/
1970 gold Riviera GS coupe with a black vinyl top and a green vinyl bench seat (no sale at $25,000)
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0520-413983/1970-buick-riviera-gs/
1973 Burnt Coral/Burgundy/? Riviera GS Stage 1 coupe with a white vinyl top, saddle vinyl 40/40 seats, and 23,000 miles ($41,000 hammer price):
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0520-414593/1973-buick-riviera-gs-stage-1/
1982 White Riviera convertible with 45/45 maple leather seats ($6,500 hammer price):
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0520-413361/1982-buick-riviera-convertible/—also one ur-Riviera. 1955 Belfast Green/Dover White two-tone Special Riviera coupe with a green/white bench seat ($22,000 hammer price):
https://www.mecum.com/lots/SC0520-428751/1955-buick-special-riviera/
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I spend way too much time here:
https://tiresize.com/calculator/ -
On 7/4/2020 at 8:16 PM, Rivdrivn said:
So, how did that first iteration of the turbo V6 actually run? No intercooler, no sequential fuel injection, last year for the distributor, too. Anyone know?The Riviera's turbocharged V6 gained sequential fuel injection in 1984, so this car has that. Despite my admiration for the turbo Rivieras, I've never driven one, so I'll leave it to those who have to discuss drivability. Here's what I believe is the sixth-generation turbo chronology:
1979-1980 LC8—Rochester Quadrajet M4ME four-barrel carburetor, 185 bhp
1981-1983 LC8—Rochester Quadrajet E4ME four-barrel carburetor, 180 bhp
1984-1985 LM9—sequential fuel injection, 200 bhp
—horsepower figures are not definitive and many sources do not agree.
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5 hours ago, psychostang said:
One of 49 1985 convertibles with the turbo.
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… here's today's:
https://law.justia.com/cases/nebraska/supreme-court/1992/1189-0.html
Short form—a 1992 lawsuit over the rebuilt remains of a stolen and stripped 1983 Riviera that went all the way to the Nebraska supreme court. Operative quotes:
"Shortly after the Warners took possession of the car, several problems developed. The windows did not operate properly, and when they did operate, they caused the interior lights to go on. Also, the transmission did not function properly, and the vehicle leaked when left in the rain. Sometime in late March or early April 1986, the Warners requested that Reagan Buick take the car back, but Reagan refused to do so. The Warners thereafter remained in possession of the vehicle, driving it daily up through the time of trial and, in the process, adding approximately 15,000 miles to the 26,761 miles already on the odometer at the time the Warners purchased the vehicle."
"Several automobile appraisers, testifying as experts, stated that the car contained Buick Riviera parts from various model years between 1978 and 1983 and possibly parts from other makes of cars as well. There was also testimony that the paint was thick in spots, indicating that the vehicle had been repainted. All the experts agreed that it would be evident to anyone experienced in the automobile business that the car was a 1983 Buick in name only. Each expert also testified that the value of the car was substantially lessened because of the amalgamation of parts used and the lack of skill evident in the attempted restoration. In this regard, they specifically noted that bundles of wires were not attached to anything and that the 1979 instrument panel installed lacked a turbo indicator, even though the 1983 model contained a turbo engine."
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9 hours ago, NC1968Riviera said:
Hot air balloon above and beyond the car show display parking lot, early morning June 28th, 2019. No one suspected that Gettysburg would have the highest temperature in the nation that day. What a scorcher!
It was hot, but the cars were gorgeous. Perhaps half an hour later, from another angle:
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On 6/28/2020 at 1:40 PM, BillK said:
Handsome! Blue, Sand Grey Firemist, or something else?
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1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:
Drain 5 to 10 gallons through the carburetor every week and be sure to jostle what is in the tank around pretty good.
Lots of other stuff on the car will benefit as well.
When I was servicing cars I had a customer who owned four old cars I quoted him a price of about $3,000 per year to drive each one 50 miles a week. It was pretty close to the cost of monkeying with stuck and deteriorated parts repaired due to sitting idle.
On a Saturday afternoon I told him I was going to a cruise night 50 miles away. He said "Here, take my '56 Eldorado and see if you can tell what's wrong." He drove me home the next morning after I had run the 100 mile round trip. He still thinks I did something to repair it. Didn't touch a thing but the door handle and steering wheel.
Yep. Drive them—they were designed for that!
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18 hours ago, 71GS said:
Gorgeous!
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4 hours ago, Golden73 said:
I didn't scrutinize and I don't know much about that generation. Not my listing.
I assumed it wasn't yours—I intended no criticism of you for posting the link.
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On 7/18/2016 at 3:00 PM, RivNut said:
The first generation Rivieras came with a type 27 battery. That battery, if installed per the factory, would have the positive post nearest the radiator BUT the post would have been at the front of the battery, in front of the filler caps. The 27F (for Ford), if installed per the folks in the ROA, puts the positive post nearest the radiator BUT it puts that post on the back side of the battery. It's much easier to run the battery cables that way. Keeping the positive post away from the hood and the inner fender is just plain good thinking. It will short against the hood and destroy a whole bunch of wiring; take if from one who's been there and done that. Luckily for me, the short ended at the aftermarket amp meter and didn't get to the entire harness.
Buick came out with a service bulletin after there had apparently been some problems with the bell of the larger four note horns wearing through the insulation on the positive battery cable and causing some damage. They suggested that the positive battery cable be run between the battery and the hold down bolt on the back of the battery tray. All this did was keep the positive cable from coming into contact with the horn bell. Still might be a good practice just to get it out of the way.
Damn … we have folks who know stuff.
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On 6/11/2020 at 2:32 PM, Golden73 said:
This one is in Freeport, in the northwest corner of Illinois, near the Wisconsin border.
https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/d/freeport-1990-buick-riviera/7137297248.html
Handsome in that Sapphire Blue Firemist.
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On 6/11/2020 at 2:32 PM, Golden73 said:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/d/chicago-1981-buick-riviera-convertible/7139415975.html
It lists only a few problems, but doesn't mention the photo where the front bumper is about to fall off. Just FYI.
I am always a little distrustful when the year is incorrect.
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8 hours ago, RivNut said:
Who's going to tell him the engine is painted the wrong color? Anyone else think that when restoring a 63 or 64 that rally wheels detract from the total package? Wire covers or cast wheel covers look just as good and more appropriate. Where do all of these rally wheels come from anyway. Seems like everyone and his brother has a a set. 😊
My rule is always that wheels and tires are easy to fix and shouldn't be a big concern as long as no other changes were made for fitment. Regarding the engine color, I just don't get it—but I see it all the time (and absolutely not just on Rivieras). The information is readily available and a quick consult with this forum would have gotten the restorer quite close on the color formulation:
But, you see this often—so much trouble taken in so many areas along with a few flat-out misses.
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2 hours ago, JZRIV said:
Can anyone tell f this is a 68 or 69. I'm thinking 69.
Doesn't the lack of front headrests make it a 1968? Assuming the upholstery is original, of course.
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You learn something every day—I've never towed a trailer, so I didn't know such devices existed.
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On 3/29/2020 at 9:05 PM, 1965rivgs said:
lots of metallic...makes the perception of shade very dependent on light intensity and angle
That would be correct—especially for darker colors.
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18 hours ago, kreed said:
Beautiful!
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On 5/25/2020 at 7:26 AM, JZRIV said:
I am providing input assisting Ray Knott doing an article on rust prone areas for an upcoming Riview. Does anyone have any pics he could use showing a rotted or rusted battery tray area, windshield A-pillar, base of windshield pinch weld with glass removed, and spare tire well. I've seen and had a fair share of these issues but never took pics specifically.
This sounds like a great article—looking forward to it.
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On 5/29/2020 at 2:03 PM, NC1968Riviera said:
Are these pictures for an article Ray is working on for the Riview? I'd rather not have my car identified if he uses any of my pictures. (it's pretty embarrassing)
Mike will just leave us guessing …
An Idle Question About A 1973 Century Gran Sport Stage 1
in Buick Gran Sport (GS)
Posted
I figured folks on this forum would know.