1939_Buick Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 (edited) 17 minutes ago, rodneybeauchamp said: Several were curious as to what was under the bonnet (hood) and it surprised most. Got a Commodore sticker? ☺️ Removed those rear indicators ? Edited January 25 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 (edited) 22 minutes ago, 1939_Buick said: Got a Commodore sticker? ☺️ Removed those rear indicators ? Yes, I have keep reminding some it is NOT a Holden Commodore V6 but A REAL BUICK. Holden did have the L67 Supercharged version as an option but not sure it was all that popular. It appears the L67 Riviera option was very popular up until 1998 when the Supercharged version was the only engine. Surprises many when they see the familiar coil packs and engine cover but then work out it runs East/West with FWD. Horrible Amber Indicators are still hanging on but are going to disappear as we head into winter. At the moment am having too much fun clocking the miles up. After all I was without a Buick for almost 6 months. And planning to take it on a short holiday soon, with our dog Billy too! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀 Edited January 25 by rodneybeauchamp Date accuracy (see edit history) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 (edited) Well, a pleasant surprise. Had a nice day trip to Balhannah, a small country town for lunch with my older brother John and sister in-law Helen at the quaint local pub. Nearing home the fuel light came on so decided to fill up. Had already set the trip meter at last fill, so this time did the maths. Nearly 24mpg (US) over a distance of 382miles after putting in 16 gallons (US) which equates to 28.56 mpg (imperial) or 9.89litres/100kms. Tank holds 19.4US gallons so still had plenty of reserve. Thinking 400miles on a tank would be a safe bet, if not more. Figures below. Very happy with the results! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 Edited January 31 by rodneybeauchamp Added information (see edit history) 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted February 11 Author Share Posted February 11 (edited) Well, this Buick doesn’t know what’s going on. Here it was leading a quiet life in Minnesota, hardly being used in a nice comfortable garage. Now this new owner has me out and about on a little road trip of 160miles one way to a little beach shack in Port Broughton in temperatures I have never, ever experienced. My temperature display hit triple digits at one point! And we bought the dog! Yup, sure was a warm one today, but we were comfy with the A/C working. Got a surprise when we saw this on the display. Temperatures are going to be warm all week so the Riviera HVAC will be getting a work out. Was a great trip with cruise control at 70mph for a fair part of the journey then down to 65mph for the rest. Sure getting to see some Australian countryside! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 Edited February 11 by rodneybeauchamp Spelling (see edit history) 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted February 23 Author Share Posted February 23 Well, you can’t win them all. Noticed over our sojourn away that the A/C was not keeping up. In fact my side was blowing warmish air while Jo’s side was considerably cooler. Not freezing cold, just cooler. When we got back the technician at Southern Radiators showed me the problem with the aid of an ultraviolet light and special glasses. Around the front of the compressor and lightly splattered over the radiator hose was the telltale green sign of a leak. Should really be fixed under Buick’s warranty however I’m not sure whether they would wear it. Anyway we have a new compressor, orifice valve and system filter coming to be installed. Watch this space. In the meantime on the Sunday before was our American GM Drivers annual car show, “The All American Day” which showcases American and Canadian built vehicles and their derivatives that were imported and had Australian bodies fitted. With over 300 entries turning up on a warmish day it was a successful event for our club. It is also our major fundraiser for the year as well. By pure coincidence I ended up alongside my old ‘63 Riviera now under the care of good friend and fellow club member Roger. And a bit further down was my old ‘63 Skylark under the custody of Kevin, who is slowly bringing it up to the next level. To my surprise the ‘97 Riviera drew lots of attention as most people at the show would never ever have seen one before in the metal. Many don’t know what it is as the R symbol on the deck lid is the only feature apart from the Riviera script on the quarter panels. And as it looks nothing like a boat tail or first generation Riviera most are stumped. To help out I have a laminated copy of the original window sticker each side as well as a typed information sheet on the dash pad. Anyway pictures or it didn’t happen! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted February 23 Author Share Posted February 23 And as far as the best car in the show, I thought this jinker took the prize. Not sure how old the driver is but I am sure that they will be in their own hot rod once they reach legal driving age. While dad towed it around, mum kept up with the umbrella keeping the little tacker in the shade. Certainly kept us all amused. And some recent fuel economy figures from the trip showed 418.2 miles @ 25.256 USMPG and 386.3 miles @ 24.797 USMPG which I am pretty pleased with. These figures were with the A/C running most of that time and with country driving at around the 100km per hour (60-65mph). Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 Well another Coffee N Cars event at Pier 28 Café in Clayton Bay. With just over 60 cars attending this morning, it was a great event. The cafe was alive with owners having breakfast or just coffee, live music from a duo outside and some great cars with a lovely view over the lake. Certainly a nice venue. And a milestone for my Buick when I got home with the odometer reading 12,915miles meaning that we have clocked just over 2,000 since it arrived in Australia. Gotta say, they have been very enjoyable miles too! This Riviera is a nice Buick and is the nicest car I have ever owned. Smooth, quiet and super comfy and will be a long term keeper in my book! Photos or it didn’t happen. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 Ah, the joys of motoring. New A/C compressor, orifice valve and accumulator fitted and air conditioning is cold, cold, cold. In fact as a seat of the pants judgement seems much colder than before. So much so, that needed to turn the fan speed down on the way home yet outside was showing 90 degrees F. At the same time got the guys to install a brand new set of AC Delco drive belts as I had no idea of when, if ever they were changed. Judging by the condition of the old belts, look as they might be the original belts fitted ex factory. Regardless, they are all new now! From the write up in the shop manual, it is not a straight forward task, with engine mountings and other bits needed to be removed to provide access. The shop said it was a cow of a job! 😀😀😀😀😀 And as another win today, managed to successfully program the new remote transponder that arrived. Was very apprehensive about jumping the OBDII port but followed the directions given in the shop manual (which were identical to those supplied with the paperwork in the car. As suggested, made up a fused jumper wire ans per the photo and to make access easier, removed the sound insulation panel under the drivers side of the dashboard. This panel has a socket where the port is housed so removing it gave much better access and visibility. Both key sets and remotes work as intended. So all in all, happy how things are progressing. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Stay cool! 😎 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 Haven’t posted for a while. Attended the annual GM Day car show last Sunday organised by the Tri Five Chevrolet owners group. It was a water bag trip for Lester and I, leaving home at 6.00am for a two hour journey to Gawler, a country town North of Adelaide. A week before I spent some time with a clay bar and some Carnuba wax and give it a touch more shine. Must admit, I was underwhelmed by the product I chose and will look at another brand. The clay bar did remove a few minor blemishes however overall the paint surface was very smooth, testimony to the previous owners. Surprised by the amount of interest the Riviera created, with many taking photos and stopping for a second look. Only other Buick was a ‘57 two door Special coupe in tan and white which was parked along side in the Buick row. And surprise surprise, those pesky orange turn signal lights fell off a couple of weeks ago. Pleased with how clean the rear end looks. Any way, photos or it did not happen. Photos courtesy of the Facebook posters! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 6 hours ago, rodneybeauchamp said: And surprise surprise, those pesky orange turn signal lights fell off a couple of weeks ago. Sorry to hear that; I'm sure you have gone back over your path(s) several times combing the weeds along the roadside searching for them... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted April 11 Author Share Posted April 11 14 hours ago, EmTee said: Sorry to hear that; I'm sure you have gone back over your path(s) several times combing the weeds along the roadside searching for them... Tell the truth, haven’t searched at all. Still on the work bench at home. Worst case scenario if I need to revert back to orange turn signals, I might use the reverse lamps with orange globes. But am hopeful that that won’t be necessary. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 As the poster implies, we had a great turn out for our first Buicks on the Beach meet. Organised by Grant with the green ‘41/42 coupe (on the Pre-War Buick forum) and Roger (custodian of my ‘63 Riviera), 22 Buicks with their owners turned up for a morning get together. Many of these Buicks I had never seen before! Hopefully it will turn into an ongoing event, perhaps two or three times a year. Well done to the organisers and owners! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 And a few more! 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 What were the Buick engineers thinking. Did they come back from a heavy lunch and sign off on the drawing of the rear trunk compartment three parts full! Read on for the full story. ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️ OK had a little surprise today at our local Classic Cars N Coffee ….. a flat tyre! No big deal as this tyre gave trouble a few days back with a loose valve stem, however held air pressure while in the garage. But not today. And the Carpark location was dry and flat and safe. Had previously made sure that the jack was working, where it needed to be positioned. And had substituted a handy bar and socket (see photo) that fitted the Dayton wire wheels as an ordinary cross style wheel brace is too fat! And it gives better leverage too to undo wheel nuts torqued to 100 foot pounds. After installing the temporary spare (which looks so silly) discovered that the flat tyre does NOT FIT IN THE SPARE WHEEL WELL! What do you do if you have a boot full of luggage and passengers. Leave them on the side of the road! Checking the owners manual it states to stow the flat tyre as far forward in the trunk as you can. And store the jack and tools in the compartment. Increasing the storage compartment diameter by only a few inches would have resolved this problem. Zero out of ten Mr. Buick for this design. Certainly throws out my idea of installing a proper size spare in the future. Anyway, photos or it never happened! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted May 12 Share Posted May 12 Just be glad they rejected this idea... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted May 13 Share Posted May 13 That spare was never intended to be used. If thinking it was under-engineered on the Riviera it is truly rediculous on the 2013 Regal GS. There is a compressor there on this car, and no spare tire at all. Just hope I never need either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 21 hours ago, JohnD1956 said: That spare was never intended to be used. If thinking it was under-engineered on the Riviera it is truly rediculous on the 2013 Regal GS. There is a compressor there on this car, and no spare tire at all. Just hope I never need either. Wow! How ridiculous is that. A friends 2017 Mustang convertible has similar, a compressor and a can of stuff! He ended up buying a space saver spare and a jack. And what were Buick engineers thinking that a peewee little tyre would be safe to drive on at 65mph for 3000miles. That’s what the owners manual states, but I ain’t gonna risk it. For a start look at the two tyre diameters side by side. What about safe steering and handling? No doubt by incorporating a lightweight space saver spare, the improved fuel economy and efficiency is what this is ALL ABOUT. And no doubt it would be marginally cheaper than a standard spare, though that could be debated if it was a standard steel rim. Given its location in the trunk floor, there is no space saving at all! Anyway, pictures and enough of my ranting! Rodney ☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmfconsult Posted May 14 Share Posted May 14 That spare tire should be the same diameter as the "stock" wheel and tire. I think your issue here is that those wheels you have appear to be aftermarket, and may be larger than stock, likely not a surprise they wouldn't fit in the in the recess for the spare tire. Certainly the depth of the recess wouldn't be enough to accommodate the stock wheel, but I've found in similar situations that the stock tire diameter will fit within that recess, the trunk floor just won't sit flush. But yes, you will not be able to carry for full-size spare without compromising the trunk space considerably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted May 16 Author Share Posted May 16 On 5/15/2024 at 1:33 AM, dmfconsult said: That spare tire should be the same diameter as the "stock" wheel and tire. I think your issue here is that those wheels you have appear to be aftermarket, and may be larger than stock, likely not a surprise they wouldn't fit in the in the recess for the spare tire. Certainly the depth of the recess wouldn't be enough to accommodate the stock wheel, but I've found in similar situations that the stock tire diameter will fit within that recess, the trunk floor just won't sit flush. But yes, you will not be able to carry for full-size spare without compromising the trunk space considerably. Doug, my immediate thought was the same, that the aftermarket wheels were taller/larger diameter causing the problem. However checking the tyre placard today shows the PO used the same size 225/60 R16 as the original equipment tyres. Given some allowance for variations in manufacturers, the opening in the wheel well is not even close to accommodating the tyre. However the depth would be fine. And the handbook leads you to believe it was never intended to fit in there “Store the flat tyre in the trunk as far forward as possible” with no mention of it fitting the wheel well. Photos below, Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 Those "space Saver" spares have been used for quite a while by the time your Riviera was produced @rodneybeauchamp. They were always smaller, higher pressure, and limited use, tires. On the rear axle they may be less troublesome when mixed with the other three. But I total agree that I cannot figure out how they would be on the front end of a vehicle. Regardless, if one thinks about the amount of time your spare tire has ever been used, it's easy to see how the thought that a full sized spare was hardly needed. By the middle ninety's I think many people would not even know how to change a tire and were probably calling for roadside service. Today many more, including yours truly, would also call for roadside assistance. Of course in the Regal I'd have to because I don't think there is even a rim made that would fit a temporary tire on my car due to the oversized brakes. I have seen some pictures of people who scrounged those spares and put a full set on their car with laughable results. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 1 hour ago, JohnD1956 said: I have seen some pictures of people who scrounged those spares and put a full set on their car with laughable results. A neighbor put a pair on the front of his very fast drag race car...did not pass inspection at the track. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmfconsult Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 That is very interesting that the stock size wouldn't fit... the last tire I had to change was for my sister's Nissan Murano, and her regular tire did fit in the recess for the space-saver spare, even though the trunk floor wouldn't sit flush. A definite "miss" for Buick engineering. That being said, the spare tire in my 67 Electra Convertible sits proudly on the right side of the trunk floor, taking up quite a bit of luggage space, although it is a slightly larger trunk than your 97 Riviera! 😁 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now