Cheers or Jeers: 77,000 Mile 1979 Buick Riviera S-Type Turbo

[wildmanjoe]

Cheers or Jeers: 77,000 Mile 1979 Buick Riviera S-Type Turbo

Link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NO-RESERVE-77k-ORIGINAL-MILES-RARE-3-8-TURBO-/170757414689?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27c1ef5f21

Hello and thank you for looking at my auction. My name is Joe and I sell vehicles differently than most dealers. I buy traded vehicles in volume and resell them wholesale directly to the public through eBayauctions. Buying your next vehicle through one of my NO RESERVE auctions could save you big bucks over what a retail lot would ask for a similar vehicle. Each vehicle is thoroughly road tested before being listed on eBay so I can tell you first hand how it looks, runs and drives. Vehicles are available for test drives and inspections by appointment only at my York, PA storage facility. An administrative fee of $149 will be added to the final bid of each auction. Please review this entire description as well as each photo carefully. I am not a mechanic but I try to give as much information as possible about each vehicle I sell.

Up for a NO RESERVE auction today is a classic 1979 Buick Riviera coupe. The Riviera has been the flagship coupe of the Buick brand since its introduction. The example shown here today is the rare S-Type that won "car of the year" when it first came out. This generation only saw a few years of production and the S-Type Turbocharged Riviera's are among the most desirable of the 79-83 generation. I would rate the exterior condition of this Riviera to be in ABOVE AVERAGE condition. This is an older repaint but it really is a great looking car that turns plenty of heads when you drive it. The rich burgungy finish has a mile deep shine and looks great from any angle. There are no noticable scratches, scuffs or blemishes on the exterior. The chrome is in great shape. All of the glass and lenses appear to be intact. There are only two bad things about the appearance of this Riviera. The first is the missing wire wheel cover (available for about $50 on eBay) and it will need two bumper fillers (see photos). Otherwise, this is probably one of the best looking older Riviera's available.

I would rate the interior condition of this Riviera to also be in ABOVE AVERAGE condition. The door panels are both clean and tight...only showing very minor wear. The carpets are clean, full looking and show well throughout the cabin. The headliner is clean and tight. This Riviera has the high back bucket seats that were specific to the S-Type. The seats are in great condition. The original GM floor mat is still in place up front. The wood trim is in good condition. The windows, locks and seats all work as they should. The radio is the original unit which works properly and sounds good. The power antenna still works, too. The interior fan does not work and there is a small crack on the center console...that's the worst I can say about the interior.

Mechanically, this Riviera appears to be in good working condition. The 3.8L Turbocharged V6 starts easily and runs smoothly. I did not see any leaks coming from the engine. There is an exhaust leak (I believe in the cross-over pipe) which should be looked at. It isn't horribly loud but should be looked at soon. Out on the road, this Riviera drives like a dream. The suspension is nice and tight. The steering is light and responsive. The brakes do an excellent job at stopping the car. The engine runs strong and makes good power. The transmission shifts smoothly. It usually engages smoothly too but I noticed once in a while it will engage "drive" a little hard when it's warm...perhaps it's due for service. Accelleration is better than I expected...and you can definitely hear the turbo whistle under the hood. This is definitely a cool car. I actually considered keeping this one for myself. It would look cool parked next to my Grand National...but I have more toys than garage at this point. I hope this rare Riviera will go to someone who thinks it's as cool as I do...and I'm not just saying that...if you check the photos, you can see in the reflection of the paint that I'm wearing my "Buick" hat, lol. I am a big turbo Buick fan. Thanks for looking and good luck bidding.

[67impss]

I drive it in a minute

[bobo]

Beautiful. This was one of GM's most successful designs, all of the '79 to '85 E-bodies, really.

[Drew Dowdell]

I think everyone knows my opinion on this one. I'd drive any E-body of any year between '79 - '85. I'd even grit my teeth and drive something 4100 powered until it blew up and I could replace it with something more reliable... like an Olds 350 diesel.

[Robert Hall]

Sweet...always liked the curved rear quarter shape of the Riv of that generation...though the Eldo is my favorite of the '79-85 E-bodies. In a world of gray and beige interiors, I love the red interior...I miss all-red interiors, all-blue interiors, all-green interiors, etc...

Edited January 3, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

I never liked the E-bodies, but what a clean interior!

[balthazar]

From my ads, the Turbo was usually shown with the alloy rims; here the wires seem to clash.

Super clean and yes; a very nice design. Cheers.

[ocnblu]

I think this was a TH325 transmission. I wonder if it would be able to handle the GN version of the turbo 6.