Pat Curran

I hear you all guys, but being a Massachusetts native and former ROA New England Regional Coordinator, it is in my blood! Aside from old cars (Riviera's in particular) my other passion is snowmobiling. I just can't get that fix in North Carolina. And I can't forget to mention Lobsta and chowda!!!

I know this sounds crazy Dave, but I actually miss the snow and the associated winter sports. I have 4 more years to go here in North Carolina and then I plan on retiring to the White Mountains of New Hampshire (God willing!). Can't wait!

I sold my 1965 Turquoise Mist Riviera about 5 years ago and I know it has changed hands a couple of times since then. There was a posting on this forum by Matt Harwood on June 26, 2012 listing the car for sale with lots of pictures. I do not recall the VIN. I would like to buy this car back if it is in as good or better shape when I sold it. If some of you could check out the old posting to see if you recognize the car I would appreciate any leads. Thanks! Pat Curran

My 65 turquoise mist with black deluxe interior had a silver headliner and it was original.

Thanks Jason!!

I have a blue steering wheel from a 1997 Riv with the complete air bag assembly still in place. Does anybody know what this is worth? Thanks! Pat Curran

I was looking at this listing and the car looks good but take a look at the Gran Sport emblem on the passenger fender. It is not located in the proper spot but the one on the driver's fender is fine. If the car is legit, the price seems fair. Any one else notice this? The other thing I noticed is that the trunk lock has been shaved and filled in.

I have decided to sell my 1997 Supercharged Riviera with every option for the year. It is Santa Fe red with taupe leather. Just installed new steering column, a serpentine belt pulley and belt tensioner. It has 192,000 miles and runs great with no mechanical issues or leaks. Has perfect factory chrome wheels with good matching set of tires. A/C blows cold. No dents or rust. It was featured on the cover of ROA Riview Vol. 28, No. 4, July/August 2012 and the 2014 ROA calendar month of September. It has a couple of electronic gremlins(wheel sensor and CD player works when it wants to) but other than that it is a very reliable car. I bought the car with 30,000 miles on it and have all service records during my ownership. I am asking $2,400.00. Car is in North Carolina.

Don't put the jack under the side rails. Actually, there are no side rails, just the boxed rocker panels which won't support the weight. The A arms where the shocks mount in the cup or the frame under the engine if you want to lift the entire front of the car are good places for a jack.

I consider the 66 to be the cleanest looking of the entire second generation run but I like them all. The 66 was the final year for the "nailhead" engine and 67 being the first year for the "430." There are a number of other differences as well, some visible, some not. I'm sure you would be pleased with either one. Both are great cars! Do your research and be patient with your search. They are out there but you don't want to spend tons of money on one that needs a lot of work.

Does anybody know the whereabouts of this car? I sold it about 5 years ago and I believe it has changed hands a couple of times since then. I am interested in buying it back. Any leads would be greatly appreciated! Pat Curran

They were junk from the factory and have a high failure rate. I have bought NOS units still in the wrapper only to have them fail in short order. They can be rebuilt with much better materials as long as you have good cores. ROA member Paul Meltzer rebuilt these units for years but no longer has an ad for his services. I had mine rebuilt years ago and they never failed after I had them done. From what I have read, a person by the name of Gordon Wolfgang rebuilds them now. There is an add in the ROA Riview regarding rebuilding services.

Glad to be of help! Pat

Buick offered different rear ends as stand alone options. You could get a posi or a firm ride and handling package without getting the GS option. Pat Curran

I don't think the gold roof was available in 67. I have seen a similar gold on 68's and 69's though. If you could get a close up picture of the roof to see if the grain is GM then that would help. The interior seat inserts are definitely not correct. I have seen fawn interiors but this one looks to have more yellow in it than it should. The lighting could be to blame though. The chrome appears tired and the rear bumper is pushed in a little in the center. What they are asking is all the money for what in appearance looks like a driver quality car.

Just an FYI, Northeast Airlines was acquired by Delta many years ago. They used to refer to their planes as "Northeast Yellowbirds." They would have flights from Boston to Florida and run specials all the time. The commercials would say "come on down on a Northeast Yellowbird." Pat Curran

Thanks Randall. The support is broken on mine. I located a 97 Aurora in a yard in Durham and I am going to see if the column is still good. I have been told that the Aurora column is the same as the Rivs of the same years. Pat Curran

Thanks Ed!

Hi Tom. In looking at owner's photos of other 67's, the stainless moldings are on the cars. Sometimes GM's press photos contain items that never made it into production but the pics of 67's that I have taken at various shows illustrate the stainless moldings. Hope you are well! Pat Curran

Thank you!!

Update..............just found out that the upper column is what I need and the part is interchangeable between 97-99 Riv's and Aurora's.

Thanks Ed! Lateral movement indeed.................this thing reminds me of the swing away steering wheels in the old Thunderbird's!!! I took it to the Buick dealer and the part that is needed to fix the issue is unavailable. I was willing to buy a whole column just to get the part. The dealer has the thing all apart. The car has 193,000 miles on it but runs like a top, still looks good and I don't wan't to junk it. It got to the point where there was so much play in the column that it was no longer safe to drive. Can you send me information on the shop that did the work? I would like to contact them to see if they have any spare parts. Thanks again! Pat

I need a steering column for a 1997 Riv. The unit is no longer offered by GM and the local junk yard did a national search with no results. Are all steering columns for the 1995-1999 interchangeable or is the unit specific to a 1997? Also, would a unit from a first generation Olds Aurora fit? Any help or leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Once the Riviera bug bites, you are infected for a lifetime! You should join the Riviera Owners Association as soon as you can. They produce a great bi-monthly publication that will open up a whole new Riviera world to you. Good luck with your car!

I doubt this very much. The Super Wildcat 465 engine was a stand alone option in 1965 and 454 non-GS 65 Riv's came with this option. It actually makes it rarer than the 65 GS. As you probably know, the early GS's came with small emblems and I believe the change to larger emblems was made sometime in December of 1964. There is always a possibility that the right person had the right connections at Buick to have the the car built without the emblems but unless there was some type of paper trail to prove it, I would be doubtful. I remember seeing these cars when the 65's first came out and the emblems were on the cars. If the VIN is in the 5000 range, then the story doesn't add up. Please let us know what you find out.