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Are There Any Guides To Purchasing Riviera Late Models?

J3Studio

By J3Studio
in Buick Riviera

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1965rivgs 25,000+ Points

1965rivgs

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58 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

OBD2 is a threat. The systems and components are easily understood, diagnosed, and repaired. The monitor readiness is a real problem and the internet is full of bad experiences. With no codes or broken parts the monitors can go to the "not ready" state and require an exacting "drive cycle " sequence to reset. Sometimes they just will not reset and you don't pass emissions tests.

 

In New York state readiness states must be set for all OBD2 cars regardless of years. OBD1 is OK. As you car ages as a collector car a low battery during storage or a power disconnect repair may leave you with a car that must be junked because the monitors will not reset, though nothing is indicated as failed.

 

Prudence may put the maximum year for a collector car at 1994, with 1972 and older the lowest risk for governmental meddling.

 

Don't let this stuff surprise you. Tampering IS a crime and no regulation is without a monetary penalty.

Bernie,

  While it is true the majority of the monitors must be set, with the evap monitor being the most finicky, Illinois uses a graduating scale based on model year. I dont remember the model year cutoffs but I can clear a check engine light with my scanner while in line at the testing station in my `96 (OBD2) Suburban and still pass because the state allows a greater number of monitors not be set as compared to later model vehicles. I seem to recall 2 out of 4 monitors on the `96 and 4 out of 6 on 2002 and newer? Or something similar....the evap is always the most stubborn but generally all the monitors do not need to be set for the vehicle to pass here in Illinois

Tom

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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15 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

Randall,

  They dont charge for inspections here...the expense I was referring to is what it sometimes takes to pass....cats, oxygen sensors, etc....

Tom

 

I know we shouldn’t hijack John’s thread, BUT I’ll add this …

 

It must be nice not to pay for inspections, I’m out over $100 every year for them here in NC.

 

NC does have a loophole in their inspection system though … If you have an OBD II vehicle that does not pass the emission test, and you try to get it fixed, but it will still not pass, you can get a waiver good for one year so you can get a plate on it.

 

I think it is around $200 max spent to get the waiver, so maybe after a few years at $200 a pop, the problem will be fixed?

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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34 minutes ago, J3Studio said:

A question: I assume that eighth generation Rivieras have a Service Parts Identification Label. If so, where is it usually located?

 

Yes, they have the label.

 

On my '95 it is stuck on the inside of the right rear quarter panel, behind the trunk lining. On my '99 it is stuck on the underside of the spare tire cover.

 

I can't say for certain about the other years but I would guess in either of those locations. 

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J3Studio 5,000+ Points

J3Studio

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16 hours ago, Rivman said:

On my '95 it is stuck on the inside of the right rear quarter panel, behind the trunk lining. On my '99 it is stuck on the underside of the spare tire cover.

 

I can't say for certain about the other years but I would guess in either of those locations. 

 

Wow—they hid them. Interesting …

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John_S_in_Penna 25,000+ Points

John_S_in_Penna

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Posted (edited)
On 7/2/2019 at 6:47 PM, J3Studio said:

Since some kind folks are already keeping an eye out for me, here's what I think I'm looking for:

  • 1996-1999 (I want ODB-II)...
  • ...Leather bucket seats (I know they were optional in 1996/1997 and standard in 1998/1999)

 

Mr. J3, you say you want leather bucket seats.  

They will be very easy to find.  My 1995 Riviera has

the standard cloth seats, split 60-40, with the gear-shift

on the steering column.  I find that that arrangement 

makes the interior seem more spacious.  And the cloth

doesn't show the wear, whereas leather creases.

So don't limit yourself to leather bucket seats!

 

Ever since the 1995-99 Rivieras were new, I have only seen

TWO other cars with the 60-40 front seat.  Mine has "mushroom"

(tan) cloth;  one I saw had light blue cloth;  and another I think

was tan leather.   Just how uncommon is the 60-40 arrangement?

Does anyone know in percentage terms?  Was that arrangement

available in leather too, or am I remembering incorrectly?

 

I got my car specifically because of its low mileage and those

seldom-seen seats.

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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6 hours ago, J3Studio said:

Another question: are there production numbers available for eighth generation exterior colors?

 

I'm sure there are but, that is one that I can't answer for certain.

 

I could venture guesses, but that's all they would be. An example, at the 2008 meet in Galena, IL, there were 20 of the last generation cars, and mine was the only black one in the bunch.

 

Like I said, I'm sure the numbers exist, I'm just not sure where to located them.

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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4 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

Mr. J3, you say you want leather bucket seats.  

They will be very easy to find.  My 1995 Riviera has

the standard cloth seats, split 60-40, with the gear-shift

on the steering column.  I find that that arrangement 

makes the interior seem more spacious.  And the cloth

doesn't show the wear, whereas leather creases.

So don't limit yourself to leather bucket seats!

 

Ever since the 1995-99 Rivieras were new, I have only seen

TWO other cars with the 60-40 front seat.  Mine has "mushroom"

(tan) cloth;  one I saw had light blue cloth;  and another I think

was tan leather.   Just how uncommon is the 60-40 arrangement?

Does anyone know in percentage terms?  Was that arrangement

available in leather too, or am I remembering incorrectly?

 

I got my car specifically because of its low mileage and those

seldom-seen seats.

 

Your car sounds like an interesting one!

 

I'm sure they are very rare even though the cloth bench was standard the first few years of production, just not that popular. Most probably took the upgrade to buckets.

 

I have seen one cloth bench, I believe tan, and I have a blue leather bench on its way to me right now.

 

1702938093_AdriaticBlueMetallic002.5.thumb.JPG.e64a31c2da26a0c29ed0777fa7bf1c3a.JPG

 

I have been looking into these cars since 1996, and have only seen a couple, so that gives you an idea of how rare they are.

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J3Studio 5,000+ Points

J3Studio

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In other news, I built a visualization of the eighth generation colors, using scans of the PPG chips. I haven't attempted to adjust the darker colors, so some of them are really dark. Titanium Blue is in italics because there doesn't seem to be any certainty that any Riviera actually shipped with it.

EightGenerationColorsCombined.png

Edited by J3Studio (see edit history)
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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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6 hours ago, J3Studio said:

 

Incipient GM cheapness?

 

Agreed about the cheapness! I have noticed other things, even just from the '95 to the '99 Riviera models, that were done cheaper as the years progressed.

 

 

I’ll add one more observation about the steering wheel wobble …

 

I know there is no way to tell how a car had been cared for when buying used. But, from what I’ve seen of the cars with a broken fitting, the “bumper,” circled in the picture below, was pretty much crushed, and the cars with the fitting not broken, it wasn’t crushed. My guess is that if the owner took care to NOT just release the tilt lever and let the steering wheel “slam” up, the fitting lasts longer?

 

499340866_SteeringColunm018-2(1280x958).thumb.jpg.d59a37d5f399098496398f644c7da9a9.jpg

 

Obviously, I can’t say that is the case for certain, just stating what I have observed over the years.

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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8 hours ago, J3Studio said:

Thoughts on this 1997?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-Buick-Riviera-Supercharged-29-000-miles/303227687792

 

It does look pretty good to me. However, there are a couple of oddities in their CARFAX history? They definitely list every item ever looked at on the car, that’s for sure.

 

Interior trim check in 2002 and 2003? The clips on the back of the seats are known issues, maybe that was the problem? Inspected after an accident or other incident, damage to right rear in 2003? Windshield replaced, and A/C recharged in 2011? Front struts, thermostat, and radiator hose replaced in 2011 at 25K miles, that seems a bit early?

 

The seller kind of misrepresents it a little in his description … “This vehicle is factory original and has never been in any accidents” and “All the glass on the vehicle is original and stamped.” These comments just differ from the CARFAX report? Can’t really see any paint mismatch from the pictures so hard to say what was damaged on the right rear?

 

NADA puts the value at $3,800, and KBB puts it a bit lower at $3,100. I might go above those values, but I am not in the market either!

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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On ‎7‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 7:14 PM, DShip said:

Just be aware that 1997 Riviera suspension is a "one-year-only" design.

 

I had forgotten I did this suspension picture until Mike asked me a question about it.

 

This crash manual page shows the different suspension parts from the ’95 thru the ’99 production years.

 

605461661_95-99SUSPENSION-2.thumb.jpg.337c055666f183d047e63806c25ed43c.jpg

 

The struts, springs, and lower control arms are the one year only items. It looks like the ’97 used “some” of the same suspension components as the ’95 & ’96, and it used other suspension components from the ’98 & ’99.

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Barney Eaton 25,000+ Points

Barney Eaton

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I was unaware that the supercharged engine was standard in 1998 and 1999...... does anyone know how many or what percentage of the earlier cars were supercharged?

From the BCA Roster,  they list the following number built for each year (are their numbers correct)

1995 = 41322

1996 = 18036

1997 = 18827

1998 = 10953

1999 = 2154

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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21 minutes ago, Barney Eaton said:

I was unaware that the supercharged engine was standard in 1998 and 1999...... does anyone know how many or what percentage of the earlier cars were supercharged?

From the BCA Roster,  they list the following number built for each year (are their numbers correct)

1995 = 41322

1996 = 18036

1997 = 18827

1998 = 10953

1999 = 2154

 

Sorry, I can't say what the percentage of supercharged Rivs is.

 

According to the Silver Arrow brochure, printed by the Buick Motor Division, the numbers are as follows …

 

1995 - 41,422

1996 - 18,036

1997 - 18,827

1998 - 10,953

1999 - 1,956

 

The 1,956 in 1999 included the 200 Silver Arrows produced.

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J3Studio 5,000+ Points

J3Studio

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A question for the folks who've seen this all before: how unusual is an eighth generation Riviera as nice as this particular one, currently sitting at $4,150 with a little over a day left?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-Buick-Riviera-Supercharged-29-000-miles/303227687792

 

In other words, am I likely to see one that meets my picky specs fairly often, or is this one unusual, despite it showing up only a couple of weeks after I entered the market?

Edited by J3Studio (see edit history)
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J3Studio 5,000+ Points

J3Studio

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6 hours ago, RivNut said:

With only 29,000 miles, not too often.  Other wise I see 100K cars in the $1500 - $3000 quite often. Then there are the dreamers who are asking a small fortune for a run of the mill car.

 

Thanks. I have bid—we'll see how it goes.

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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20 hours ago, J3Studio said:

A question for the folks who've seen this all before: how unusual is an eighth generation Riviera as nice as this particular one, currently sitting at $4,150 with a little over a day left?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1997-Buick-Riviera-Supercharged-29-000-miles/303227687792

 

In other words, am I likely to see one that meets my picky specs fairly often, or is this one unusual, despite it showing up only a couple of weeks after I entered tThis he market?

 

I was going to leave this alone and let others have some input, but ...

 

I would say this one is pretty rare as far as the miles. I have a '95 @ 60K and a '99 @ 76K, so there are some out there under your 100K limit, but locating them would/could be the problem. Then to find a low mile one in great condition that is one of the colors you desire would make it even more difficult.

 

I will say this one is getting pretty close to "everything it is worth", it just depends now on how much YOU want it?

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Pat Curran 5,000+ Points

Pat Curran

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It is a nice looking car and it is clean.  This shade of blue is not seen that often but it is a nice combo with the taupe interior.  The Prestige Package came with a contrasting pin stripe as standard equipment however, the pin stripe could be deleted if desired.  It looks like this car had it deleted which probably makes it somewhat rare.  Not sure about those red horns under the hood but it must provide the car with vintage "4 note" sound.  The cornering light lenses look really good as well.  They yellowed from the inside early on and NOS ones don't exist.  It's hard to find a last generation Riviera with clear cornering light lenses.  

Keep us posted.  I hope you get it!

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J3Studio 5,000+ Points

J3Studio

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Somebody bid $6,802 to win this auction—it was not me. I bid multiple times, but dropped out when it hit $6,200. At the end, there were three different very interested bidders; I'll bet the seller was happy.

 

I learned a lot—both in this thread and in the auction process. As my wife states: there will be other cars.

Edited by J3Studio (see edit history)
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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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10 hours ago, J3Studio said:

Somebody bid $6,802 to win this auction—it was not me. I bid multiple times, but dropped out when it hit $6,200. At the end, there were three different very interested bidders; I'll bet the seller was happy.

 

I learned a lot—both in this thread and in the auction process. As my wife states: there will be other cars.

 

I was watching it to the end, I noticed the bids going up and up at the end too.

 

I kind of wondered how far you might go.

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Rivman 5,000+ Points

Rivman

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John,

 

I noticed there was an updated classifieds list on the ROA website, thought I would let you know.

 

Some of these meet your requirements, or are close at least?

 

1997, Green, taupe interior, 93K, Supercharged, chrome wheels, wood dash kit, upgraded sound system, non-smoker, $12,500. Private, 954-279-5493, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

1997, White, gray interior, 90K, naturally aspirated, chrome wheels, wood dash kit, $3,995. Dealer, 920-247-2336, Waldo, WI.

1997, White, taupe interior, 102K, naturally aspirated, SE Prestige Package, moonroof, $4,995. Dealer, 719-545-5700, Pueblo, CO.

1997, White, burgundy interior, 90K, Supercharged, SE Prestige Package, moonroof, chrome wheels, REDUCED $2,600 since last Riview, $8,990. Dealer, 309-686-1179, Peoria, IL.

1997, Beige, taupe interior, 90K, Supercharged, SE Prestige Package, moonroof, $4,990. Dealer, 309-686-1179, Peoria, IL.
1998, Black, taupe interior, 75K, SE Prestige Package, moonroof, chrome wheels, wood dash kit, aftermarket stereo, $4,495. Dealer, 510-528-1244, Richmond, CA.

1999, Silver Arrow #155 of 200, 86K, loaded with all available options. $8,995. Dealer, 865-981-7441, Louisville, TN.

1999, Black, gray interior, 113K, SE Prestige Package, moonroof, chrome wheels, $5,000. Private, 617-733-6611, Holden, MA.

 

If I had ANY need at all I might be interested in the black/gray ’99, but alas, I do not.

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rodneybeauchamp 10,000+ Points

rodneybeauchamp

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Posted

Hi all,

this has been an interesting read for me as I am contemplating the purchase of a ‘98 or ‘99 Riviera in the near future as our LHD laws have been relaxed allowing 25YO cars to be registered here (South Australia).

 

I will need to sell one first as I don’t have garage space for three Buicks, and as much as I appreciate the Silver Arrow collellectabilty, Silver is not my preferred colour option.

 

Did anyone have any further information on what to look for in these years. Must admit a bright diamond white pearl with red trim took my fancy a few weeks ago. Hmm wonder why 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

 

Any information would be much appreciated 

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

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