Rodney’s 1997 Buick Riviera supercharged coupe

[rodneybeauchamp]

Hi all,

would like to introduce you to my latest (and possibly last) Buick, my 1997 Riviera supercharged coupe. With all of us there is usually a story so this is mine.

 

In our Australian Buick Magazine was an article titled “Is this the youngest Riviera in Australia”. The article was about a 1995 imported by John Offer (whom I have spoken to but so far not met)

 

The photos and the article really grabbed me so much that it became the seed of an idea. Unfortunately John’s Riviera didn’t get to the Australian 2022 Buick Nationals in Dubbo NSW so I was not able to see, feel and touch one in the flesh.

 

Undeterred, I started looking for a 1998 with 50K or less miles. I had given myself strict criteria…. It had to be pearl white, it had to have the Supercharged engine (standard in 1998), sunroof and in excellent condition.

 

Once I sold my ‘63 Riviera, the search escalated where I looked everyday and signed up to six million sites to be notified. A few came up that were close, a smart red one took my fancy but sticking to my criteria it took almost six months to find ‘the Riviera’.

 

So without too much more, here she is! 😀😀😀😀

 

 

 

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

This one popped up on one of the alerts I had set up while we were caravanning in Tasmania. Route 65 Car Sales posted umpteen photos, inside, outside, underneath and showed the odometer at 10,883miles. All the photos attested to the authenticity of the mileage. And after a quick email obtained the Carfax report. 
 

The 1997 Riviera has many of the upgrades that the 1998 has including the uprated four speed overdrive transmission,  aluminium suspension components, daytime running lights and more so I decided to pull the trigger on this one.

 

Anyway some photos from the Route 65 Car Sales listing.

 

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

And further photos.

There are many many more and no doubt they will appear here as the story unfolds. The vehicle may still be listed under the ‘Sold’ section at Route 65 Car Sales if wanting to view them all. After accepting my offer we arranged a deposit and wire transfer of the money and I arranged for an Australian importer to ship the Buick. 
 

The sales person Noel Bayne rang me and I also rang him which helps both parties to verify that we were genuine persons and not a scam ( which is always in the back of your mind )

Edited October 4, 2023 by rodneybeauchamp
Extra information (see edit history)

[rodneybeauchamp]

I made the initial inquiry on 28th April 2023, and the transaction was completed a few days later. A week or so later it was collected by the transport company and trucked from Minnesota to Houston where it sat waiting to be packed into the container which happened on the 5th June.  Unable to be shipped until the 11th July, the container went first to the UK, then offloaded to another ship that sailed to Sydney, then offloaded to another that sailed to Adelaide.

 

When it was collected Noel sent me a short video of it running which was a nice touch. Will try to include that some how.

 

After customs clearance, some cleaning and other red tape I was able to drive it home Monday 25th September.

 

A long agonising wait, but we’ll worth it once I picked it up.

 

Not much room once it is put inside a 40’ container along with another car. Both bound for Adelaide (Plymouth Prowler I believe). The loading people must climb out through the windows once inside.

 

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

And some of the paperwork that came with it, including the original window sticker. For some reason the original owner deleted the pinstripe that is standard with the prestige package. Hope he doesn’t mind, but I will be adding one 😀😀😀😀😀😀

 

 

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

And when I drove it home from the shipping depot to home (over fifty miles) I was over the moon with what I had. It drives much like a brand new car, quiet, smooth, comfortable. Buick engineers knew what they were building with this one. Definitely a keeper in my book.

 

Oh, there are a few gremlins which is to be expected with a twenty five year old Buick but I can attend to those over time. Now the next saga, getting it to comply with our South Australian authorities regarding conditional Left Hand Drive registration.

 

Some further photos.

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

[Machine Gun]

What a wonderful find! Thanx for the detailed description of the car and is acquisition. I wish you many years of safe and trouble-free ownership.

[dship]

Fantastic find!  I once owned both a '96 and '97 with the supercharged engines.  You can actually "chirp" the front tires of these cars due to the supercharger.  Good luck with your Riviera.

[NC-car-guy]

Man, that car is clean.  Happy Motoring!

[JohnD1956]

Only 10K on it! WOW!...

[sebastienbuick]

superb purchase, congratulations !  
Here in France they are very rare, I have never seen them !

[rodneybeauchamp]

5 hours ago, sebastienbuick said:

superb purchase, congratulations !  
Here in France they are very rare, I have never seen them !

Thank you Sebastien, here in Australia they are very rare too. There is a ‘95 interstate and my ‘97 that our Buick club members are aware of. Until I collected mine, I had never seen one either.
 

I think that they will start to ease into popularity as time goes on. Perhaps a bit like the ‘63 Riviera which was overlooked for many years. Now the ‘63 - ‘65 command very tall money for a good one.

 

Im very happy with this one, it is very different in my eyes to what we have here.
 

BTW am in awe of what you are doing with your Buick. It will be better than new! 👍👍👍

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

[rodneybeauchamp]

On 9/27/2023 at 11:40 PM, JohnD1956 said:

Only 10K on it! WOW!...

Hi John, was one of the reasons I pounced on it very quickly. My criteria was less than 50K and all the underneath Photos confirmed the mileage. And since it arrived I have driven it a small number of times and it feels like a new car.

 

But my aim is to put some miles on it with some Coffee N Cars events, some cruises and some interstate club events.

 

Not good for a car to sit idle deteriorating. It was one of my concerns that it had been idle, but once all the fluids and filters have been changed and a few other things checked, it should be fine.

 

 

[JohnD1956]

4 hours ago, rodneybeauchamp said:

my aim is to put some miles on it

I used to have a 1995.  It was one of two Buicks I regret purchasing.  Both were beautiful, Both were money pits.  The Riviera was a real expensive car after about 65K miles.  But that was a 95, which is reputed to have a lot of problems.  Mine sure did.  I don't know about the 1997.  I will say that regardless of the repair problems, both of the two Buicks I mentioned here were great to drive when they were running right.  Especially the Riviera!  Those seats are magnificent!  I could drive all day in that Riv without the typical aches and pains of being seated that long.  I could drive with the sunroof open and it was still quiet in the cabin.  I appreciated the guts of that supercharged 3800 especially at highway speeds to pass someone.  That car was like a sylvite tiger on the open road, silent and quick with seemingly unlimited top end. But I had a real love/hate relationship with mine.

I am sure yours will be a lot better than mine ever could be.  And I am looking forward to your drive reports and pictures.  Good Luck Rodney!

 

 

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

Thanks John, yes I’m hoping by 1997 the ironed out all the issues. I see lots on the Facebook site with over 200K and still running fine.
 

And Yes, I can understand that love/hate relationship with a car. Will keep you all posted.

 

Pretty excited to get it past our authorities, a few hoops to jump through but I was expecting that.

cheers

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

[rodneybeauchamp]

Now the fun begins.

 

First thing I did was add a fixed charging wire loom for my battery tender as this is critical for keeping a healthy battery in a vehicle that sees occasional use. This battery is located under the rear seat but Buick supply a POSITIVE battery post on the RHS of the fender.
 

Using this and a nearby ground was perfect. The quick connect plug makes it easy to hook up or disconnect as needed. The bonnet (Err hood) can be partially closed by using a cloth over the catch, reminding me to disconnect!

 

After several hours all the lights indicated a fully charged battery. Pictures below. 😀😀😀😀

 

 

Our Australian authorities are an interesting bunch when it come to LHD vehicles. I have dealt with them twice, once in 1990 for my ‘64 Skylark sport coupe and again in 2015 with my ‘63 Riviera.

 

However my ‘new to me ‘97 is a much tougher ask. What I will explain in this blog are the things I need to do and items that I need to change so it complies for conditional historic registration. 
 

( You can find a full list at MR629 South Australia Left Hand Drive Vehicles fact sheet.)

 

Luckily this Buick already complies in several areas without change such as having two external mirrors, yellow front indicator lamps that remain on when headlamps are on, head restraints for all front outboard seating positions and an effective catalytic converter in the exhaust system. All good so far.

 

Now here is where it gets interesting. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

 

Vehicles manufactured after January 1973 must be fitted with YELLOW front and REAR INDICATOR LAMPS

 

Seat belts for all seating positions complying with our Australian Standards ADR 4D.

 

Child restraint anchorages for at least three seating positions. 
 

An ENGINEERING REPORT supplied that verifies that the vehicle complies with the requirements of ADR 29 - Side Door Strength.

 

No point arguing, it has to meet these standards! 
 

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀
 

Edited October 13, 2023 by rodneybeauchamp
Extra information (see edit history)

[rodneybeauchamp]

After a couple of weeks of mis-information, I now have a clear understanding of what I need to do. 

 

Item 1. Vehicles manufactured on or after January 1973 must be fitted with yellow front and REAR INDICATOR LAMPS 

 

So gingerly I started removing the one piece tail lamp from this pristine Buick, careful not to mark the trim or break any clips. After removing the to plastic cover (screws) and rear panel (push in clips) it exposes a number of plastic retainers that thread onto studs attached to the lamp.

 

Removing the globe sockets and wiring harness frees the lamp and it can be moved out of the way, the globes and sockets resting on protective cloth on the bumper. The Twilight Sentinel works very well as the lights are on.

 

Photos or it never happened! 
Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

[Machine Gun]

Wow, those standards are a cramp. Not so much for what they are, but for how far back vehicles have to comply. I have it pretty easy here in NJ, where no such standards exist for vehicles manufactured prior to certain features being mandated for new vehicles. In other words, if a vehicle complies with the standards in effect in the year of manufacturer it's good to go. It's a moot point for passenger cars manufacturer prior to 1995, in which case motor vehicle inspections are no longer required in NJ regardless of whether the car is registered as an historic vehicle or is used as a daily driver. 

[EmTee]

Rodney, so what's the plan for meeting the amber rear turn signal requirement since the entire lens is red?  Are you going to have to have the lens cut and modified to include amber or white/clear (with amber bulbs) sections?  Do you know whether there are any other cars like yours over there and what the owners did to comply?

[rodneybeauchamp]

3 minutes ago, Machine Gun said:

Wow, those standards are a cramp. Not so much for what they are, but for how far back vehicles have to comply. I have it pretty easy here in NJ, where no such standards exist for vehicles manufactured prior to certain features being mandated for new vehicles. In other words, if a vehicle complies with the standards in effect in the year of manufacturer it's good to go. It's a moot point for passenger cars manufacturer prior to 1995, in which case motor vehicle inspections are no longer required in NJ regardless of whether the car is registered as an historic vehicle or is used as a daily driver. 

Jim, 

 

You are right. Common sense would suggest that but ….. I won’t go there. My ‘64 Skylark (complied in 1990) had to have Amber rear indicators, clear front indicators and park lamps and high/low headlamps that dipped to the left. Put on some ugly orange trailer lamps on brackets (that got removed after inspection 😀) , removed the inner yellow lens on the front park lamps, and RHD sealed beams on the outer headlamps. 
 

Oh and because the US fitted front lap belts were not Australian compliant, I had to REMOVE THEM to comply!

 

With the Riviera, (complied in 2015)  the red indicator lamps were allowed, again all the seat belts were removed, RHD sealed beams fitted ….. all good to go!

 

In our state (South Australia) we do not have annual inspections at all, but all LHD imports must be inspected for engine and chassis’s number identification and then a once only safety and compliance inspection.

 

I and many others would agree that the standards should be made to suit that year’s requirement only. Given that we no longer manufacture vehicles here in Australia, there is no competition and these LHD import vehicles make up a tiny fraction of the Carpark. 
 

cheers

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

1 minute ago, EmTee said:

Rodney, so what's the plan for meeting the amber rear turn signal requirement since the entire lens is red?  Are you going to have to have the lens cut and modified to include amber or white/clear (with amber bulbs) sections?  Do you know whether there are any other cars like yours over there and what the owners did to comply?

EmTee, Am certainly NOT going to cut up such a beautiful rear lens. That is one of the most distinguishing features of this Riviera!

 

Have bought two small Amber lamps with festoon globes that I will fit to brackets attached under the bumper at the support bracket. Am currently trying to work out how to wire them in given the STOP/TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD WARNING scenario on these.
 

Have a post up in Technical hoping for some ideas as I am still waiting on the shop manual to turn up and can’t find a wiring diagram on line. Hoping I can wire the STOP lamps to the centre eye level BRAKE lamp as that does not flash with turn signals. But the flashers are doing my head in a bit. I am usually OK with auto electrical but this one is interesting 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

 

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀
 

 

[EmTee]

Are you required to disable the red turn signals, or can they operate together with the additional amber lamps?  If the latter, then you might be able to use a trailer wiring adapter designed for the Riviera.  Here's an example...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185324578012

 

 

 

[EmTee]

Here's another possibility...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/354260711494

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

6 minutes ago, EmTee said:

Are you required to disable the red turn signals, or can they operate together with the additional amber lamps?  If the latter, then you might be able to use a trailer wiring adapter designed for the Riviera.  Here's an example...

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185324578012

 

 

 

Funny, I thought down the same path. UNFORTUNATELY the red lamps must be disabled as TURN SIGNALS hence my dilemma to get them to function as STOP LAMPS seperate to TURN SIGNALS. 
 

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

[EmTee]

The easiest solution may be tapping into the feed from the high-mounted stop light, as that wire is already in the 'boot' (ha!).  Cut the brake/signal wire at the tail lamp socket and attach the feed from the high-mounted stop light to the socket pigtail you created.  Loop the cut end of the original harness back on itself and bury the cut end under a piece of shrink-sleeve tubing.  You can 'daisy-chain' the brake feed from the first socket to each of the others across the tail panel.  If done carefully, everything should be reversible if someone ever wants to restore the factory connections.

[rodneybeauchamp]

Yes, the stop light wiring is the most simple and the plan is to do that, tap into the centre high level brake lamp. But these indicators have got me stumped. Plan is to mount them up physically and sort out the wiring with more information. May have to dig into the steering column wires!

 

and my plan is to make it 100% reversible 😀😀😀😀

10 hours ago, EmTee said:

The easiest solution may be tapping into the feed from the high-mounted stop light, as that wire is already in the 'boot' (ha!).  Cut the brake/signal wire at the tail lamp socket and attach the feed from the high-mounted stop light to the socket pigtail you created.  Loop the cut end of the original harness back on itself and bury the cut end under a piece of shrink-sleeve tubing.  You can 'daisy-chain' the brake feed from the first socket to each of the others across the tail panel.  If done carefully, everything should be reversible if someone ever wants to restore the factory connections.

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

Well, back to task. Had some time and courage to tackle the seatbelts and child restraint anchors over the last few days. The side trim appeared daunting but came out easier than I thought. Held in with two large 1/2” diameter plastic guide pins and a couple of clips, once the seat is out and the middle belt trim surrounds are removed it comes away toward the rear.

 

Some of the sound deadening material has either come away or was never put in properly. It has gone hard and brittle so I will repair that with materials I had left over from the Skylark. Might add a touch more. 
 

One of the Torx bolts on the RH retractor has been butchered by ??? so that will need drilling out. And had a bit of a fright with the front retractor in the rear quarter getting very warm. It appears the solenoid which is part of the belt mechanism was heating up to a point where you could not hold your finger on it for any time. And it was happening with both belts.

 

I thought it may have been an igniter for tensioning but a call to my go to seatbelt guys and a few photos assured me it was a solenoid. I disconnected the battery as a precaution and will need to find out what gremlins that will produce.

 

Anyway, photos or it ain’t happening 😀 Rodney 😀😀😀😀

Edited October 17, 2023 by rodneybeauchamp
Spelling (see edit history)

[rodneybeauchamp]

AT LAST! THEY ARE ALL OUT! 😃😃😃😃😃

 

What a bear of a job. I am now NO LONGER A FAN of Torx head bolts. Three of the bolts fought me all the way, two located on the parcel shelf which was awkward to get to.
 

Luckily borrowing a longer socket driver gave enough leverage to break the bond on one, the other I removed by using a small cold chisel and tapping it bit by bit to get it to turn. Eventually I was able to use the Torx drive bit to remove it the last few threads.

 

Drilled out the one in the quarter panel, breaking a 3.5mm bit along the way. Then used the same cold chisel process to get it to turn. I think I will be putting good old fashion hex head bolts back it along with some never seize compound.

 

Now these are all out I will send them out to be tested, re-webbed and certified for our standards to keep our authority happy. Time to celebrate this milestone!

 

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

[EmTee]

I think GM used some type of threadlock compound on the seatbelt anchor bolts from the factory.  That would explain much of your difficulty.  So, are the US-spec belts not good enough to meet Australia's requirements?  That seems hard to believe.  Hopefully you don't need to change anything in the SRS/airbag system!

[rodneybeauchamp]

20 hours ago, EmTee said:

I think GM used some type of threadlock compound on the seatbelt anchor bolts from the factory.  That would explain much of your difficulty.  So, are the US-spec belts not good enough to meet Australia's requirements?  That seems hard to believe.  Hopefully you don't need to change anything in the SRS/airbag system!

Thanks for that about the thread lock, it does make sense.
 

And re the US specs not good enough, no that is not the case. I am told the issue is that GM in the US have not applied to have their seatbelts certified here to meet the Australian Standards, because of course they would meet or exceed the standards quite easily. 
 

But as GM vehicles were being made here (Holdens) there was no need for any of the US made belts to comply. And of course the SRS Airbag system is not an issue. 

 

Up until recently we had our own seatbelts companies making belts here. But not sure if they still do or have closed down because of our lack of automotive manufacturing. 
 

Just one more hurdle to jump over, one more hoop to jump through ….. the joys of importing LHD vehicles! ☹️☹️☹️

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀
 

 

[Fordy]

On 10/13/2023 at 10:37 PM, rodneybeauchamp said:

Funny, I thought down the same path. UNFORTUNATELY the red lamps must be disabled as TURN SIGNALS hence my dilemma to get them to function as STOP LAMPS seperate to TURN SIGNALS. 

Hi Rodney - I was behind a new Mustang today and they had red flashing with the amber one and it looks like it is how it was sold here. Perhaps check with Transport SA at Regency Park as to why they allow it on a new current model Mustang but not your Buick. Double standards in play if you ask me.

Steve

[rodneybeauchamp]

On 10/22/2023 at 8:20 PM, Fordy said:

Hi Rodney - I was behind a new Mustang today and they had red flashing with the amber one and it looks like it is how it was sold here. Perhaps check with Transport SA at Regency Park as to why they allow it on a new current model Mustang but not your Buick. Double standards in play if you ask me.

Steve

Once this is passed through our Regency Park inspection station, I will be on the lookout for any imported later modern vehicles that legally use a red flashing lamp. That is when I will approach them and try to gain an exemption.

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

 

 

Another major Milestone. We now have AMBER REAR TURN SIGNALS without the RED 👍👍👍 After a sleepless night I figured out how I would solve the puzzle.

 

As several on this forum suggested 👍👍👍👍👍 I picked up the stop lamp feed solely from the high level brake light as that remains steady at all times. Wired that in and that worked well. I used the ground wire and the power feed as I understand these use a ‘floating ground system’. Regardless, by using the power and ground it all works as I need it ….. a steady brake light.

 

OK, now for the turn signals. I adapted the same principle of using the yellow and dark green power feeds and the common black ground rather than the body ground and wired these to my amber lamps. Still no joy, just a steady amber light but no flashing.

 

However when hazard warning lights were selected, both Amber lights  flashed as they should and reds remained off!

 

Given this Riviera runs 2 globes for each side I tried adding an extra globe in my circuit. You can see in the photo my makeshift testing with two bulb sockets.

 

Ended up using 2 extra 21W globes per side and Lo and behold, we have flashing lights. Problem solved!

 

All I need to do is fabricate some brackets and mount the lamps at a suitable height and our authorities should be happy. It will look awful for now but …. They might fall off one day 🤫🤫🤫🤫🤫 Top photo shows the LH Amber lamp working sans red brake lamps.

 

And to enhance the colour, painted the bulbs a clear red using a water based Tamiya model paint. 
 

And many many thanks to those who racked their brains and responded here.

 

Photos or it ain’t happened yet

Rodney 😀😀😀😀

Edited October 24, 2023 by rodneybeauchamp
Corrections (see edit history)

[rodneybeauchamp]

Well all done and dusted. Made up some simple brackets from strip steel, bent using a vice and a medium hammer. A bit of trial and error but managed to get them close. In the end I swapped them over Left for Right so they cleared the exhaust outlet better. Also put them behind the bumper support bracket to fit closer to the bumper.
 

Used some under hood insulation padding between the bumper and the bracket to prevent rubbing and to keep them steady. They certainly add to the lines of the rear end … NOT!

 

But they will get me past the authorities in a few weeks time… and that all they have to do 😀😀😀😀😀🤫🤫

 

Photos or it never happened 

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

Edited October 28, 2023 by rodneybeauchamp
Spelling (see edit history)

[rodneybeauchamp]

Ok, now that is done decided to tackle the next task.
 

The engineer who is preparing a report on the door side intrusion bars needs to sight them and figured a bore scope camera image was not probably going to satisfy their needs. 
 

So I decided to remove the door trim and send some photos in preparation for the inspection that will happen in the near future. Luckily I found on the Riviera Performance Forum a step by step write up on how to remove and replace the trim. Following this was simple enough and not as daunting as it first seemed.

 

Having it off will give me a chance to clean it properly and to make a slight repair to the pull handle which as broken through the trim backing. Just waiting on seat belts and child seat anchors to arrive so they can be installed.

 

All starting to come together, shouldn’t be too long now!

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

 

PS, thinking these bodies were painted inside and out as inside the doors, rear quarters and body shell is painted white. Have not spotted any patch of bare metal. Were these bodies dipped?

[EmTee]

After all that work, it would be shame if following spirited driving in the not too distant future, those amber lights were to fall-off and be lost somewhere along the roadside coincident with the wiring harness modification reverting to its original configuration... 

[rodneybeauchamp]

21 hours ago, EmTee said:

After all that work, it would be shame if following spirited driving in the not too distant future, those amber lights were to fall-off and be lost somewhere along the roadside coincident with the wiring harness modification reverting to its original configuration... 

The guy who installed them only guaranteed for 45/45. Forty five minutes or forty five miles, then they disappear. Though what I will do is terminate the new wires with a proper connection at the source. If for any reason I have to revert back then it will be a plug and play episode. Hoping not to ever need to of course.

 

Getting closer every day!

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

[rodneybeauchamp]

Well, a few more steps. Seat belts are on their way!

 

And while we had a week interstate in Brisbane catching up with Jo’s son and daughter in law, managed to find the correct metric bolts to replace the Torx head originals that chewed out upon removing them. Supplier had these with a proper Allen head, so am replacing all ten.

 

In the meantime spent yesterday and today doing some repair/tidy up on the sound deadening material on both quarter panels. Seems over time it has either come unstuck from the top or it not installed properly. The original sound proofing was going hard somewhat brittle and refused to sit back on the panel without cracking.
 

These cover two large access holes between the outer quarter panel and the inner quarter so sealing these holes will be critical to keeping it nice and quiet. A few small patch ups with some material I had left over from the Skylark convertible as well as some extra placed over the bare floor under the seat. 
 

At the same time snugged down the wiring loom hold down clips on the Left Hand Side to stop any rattles. These just slip over threaded studs on the floor and hold fast by friction.
 

Not quite finished but almost there!

 

Photos or it never happened!

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

 

 

[rodneybeauchamp]

OK a brief update!
 

We now have 3 top tether child seat restraints fitted in appropriate places. Apparently Mr Buicks locations were not suitable as our code wants them no more than 40mm offset from the centre of the seat positions. So drill three holes in the rectangular metal tube that locates the rear seat cushion, pop rivet in the threaded plate and install the approved anchors.

 

Sounds easy enough until you go to put back the parcel shelf trim. Buick designed the trim to follow the contours of the rear seat headrests which makes sense and looks good. But installing the new anchors meant not being able to use the OEM trim panel. (4” gap from the anchor to the top of the trim 😢😢😢)

 

So make up an interim parcel shelf from thin medium density fibreboard (MDF) to accommodate the anchors. Right! But what about the centre brake light, the authorities will want that. So cut the board to fit the brake light. All done, it looks average but may only be temporary 🤫🤫🤫🤫.

 

 

 

That done, was still struggling with the rear turn signal lamps as they would come on and remain steady when the brakes were applied. Think, think, think, study the wiring, think, think, think.

 

Delving up underneath the dashboard, you need to be an elf with arms an inch in diameter and seven feet long with 360 degrees of rotation. Nope, not going in there again. Let’s tap into the front turn signal lamps as they remain flashing regardless of the brake lamps.

 

Checking the 1997 shop manual suggests to remove the front wheel to gain access to the lamp and wiring. You must be kidding. Well, they were right, much easier to do it with the wheel off and through the wheel house area. No wonder they don’t talk about changing a front turn signal globe in the Owners Manual. In hindsight Buick engineers should have put in a removable access panel to access the globe ….. seems a bit silly to me the way it is.

 

Good news is that I could access the LH light blue wires then feed a long wire all the way to the rear lamp. Then doing the same on the RHS accessing the dark blue wires. Now both rear turn signals remain flashing when the brakes are applied. They also flash with the hazard switch, so all is working as the authorities require.

 

Pictures otherwise it didn’t happen 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

[rodneybeauchamp]

And good news, received the engineers report on the door intrusion bars, child restraint anchors and a comment on the seat belts. This report now allows me to have the Riviera inspected for roadworthiness knowing that it also complies with the rules our authority demands.

 

Interesting that the report states the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS-214) for side intrusion bars meets the requirements of our Australian Design Rules (ADR 29/00.  Yet they still require an engineer to physically sight them on the vehicle and write up a report. Hmm, don’t want to comment on this, after all I do want to register and drive this Riviera legally.

 

And the not so good news is I can’t get it inspected until 28th December ….. so wait, wait, wait!

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀