SOME HISTORY...
Ahhh, the boattailed 1971 Buick Riviera... I had always wanted one of these cars since childhood. I remember sitting behind them in traffic and thinking the wraparound back window and protruding rear bumper were too cool for words. Nothing else like it on the road. Aside from the triple-bar taillights of the original Mustangs, no childhood automotive memory sticks like this.
Flash forward... Automobile Quarterly did a huge feature on the Riviera in the early 1980s and I read that article over and over again, savoring the descriptions of the evolution of process that resulted in that design. A glorious full page picture of a pristine maroon 72 (nearly identical to the 71, save for a few minor details) stuck in my mind for good.
Then one day in August of 1985, I was riding my bike when I spotted a 1971 Riviera sitting near the Tennessee Tech Campus in Cookeville. I normally wouldn't have gone down this particular street, but fate pulled me that way for some reason. Perhaps it was the signs in the window of the car that said "For Sale $1000 OBO"
After persuading my parents to assist with the funding and garage space, I was able to snag the car for $750. (Big thanks to Mom and Dad for the finances, space, patience and time, by the way! I can never thank you enough...)
This car had several good dents, a lot of rust in the rear quarter panels, and faded chrome. (The windshield was also cracked in several places, but I found a good used one off a '76 Impala at a junkyard.) On the plus side, the interior was remarkably well preserved, and the car was mechanically sound. As you can see, the grill was bent out of shape pretty good, but I repaired it as best I could at the time.
Yes, that is me in my Taco Bell uniform.
It took a lot of Armor All to get the fried corn smell out of
that interior after I quit there.
Over the years I came to realize that this Riv was a bit odd. Every other 71 Riv I ran across had power windows, cornering lamps, cruise control and a host of other options that make sense for a luxury car. Mine did not have these features. (As it turns out, only about 4 percent of Rivs from this year had crank windows.) The only options appear to be AC, bucket seats with console, and chrome sport wheels. When beginning the parts hunt, it became apparent that there were a lot of "this year only, this option only, Riviera only" parts needed. The Riviera was a limited production car as it was, so anything that made parts even rarer was going to be something of a problem.
Some good news is that the car has been kept in a garage or at least covered for most of the last 20 years, so the interior is still quite nice. The front seats have some wear and some rips, but the back seat, headliner, dash, door panels, carpet and most other interior pieces are near perfect. I intend to reskin the front seats and freshen up a few details, but otherwise, the interior will be all original.
Over the years, my work with Chevelle World Magazine has provided a lot of insight into the muscle cars of this era (though I suspect my boss, Chuck Hanson, will fire me if I don't get a Chevelle or El Camino in my garage one of these days!). And I have scored a few parts that were common to the Chevelles and Rivieras of that vintage through connections I couldn't have made outside of this experience.
eBay has been a godsend for anyone trying
to restore an old car. I don't know what folks used to do to get
parts, but I could never have found half the stuff for this car
by going from junkyard to junkyard. I have obtained an amazing
array of parts, everything from NOS stuff in the original box
to beautiful slightly used parts to repops and replicas via eBay.
I managed to snag a set of unused original taillights (chrome,
lenses, gaskets and housings) on eBay for about $300 (they don't
make reproductions, so there's not much choice). Other NOS pieces
include medallion wheel ornaments, and dashboard chrome. None
came cheap, but you can't pass that sort of thing up. Also scored
replica nameplates, lugnuts, and other detail pieces online. And
I found a very nice set of used chrome sport wheels that only
need a little work to look like new. Bought those from a guy who
had never sold on eBay, and didn't include good pics, but the
gamble resulted in 5 wheels for $200 including shipping. Steal
of the century, as they usually go for twice the price. The other
great finds on eBay include the literature and accessories that
go with the car. Dealer albums, Salesman fact books, showroom
brochures, color chip charts... The pride of the collection is
a complete set of 1971 Buick Dealer Service Bulletins in their
original binder. No one else at a car show is likely to have that
on display.
Special thanks go out to Paul in the Netherlands who maintains the world's finest Buick Boattail website, http://www.buick-riviera.com/ If you love 71-73 Rivieras, there is a wealth of info and wondrous stuff there. Paul must be slightly crazier than me on these matters.
Other websites have been great sources as well. See the links page for more info...
So flash forward to 2012. After 25 years or so of owning this car, I hope to will begin restoring it finally.
As the resto begins, I will be chronicling the progress on this site. Check in from time to time to see how it's going...
Here is the Riv in our garage in Boulder, CO as of a few years ago. Paint looks like crap, but interior is still hanging in there. The license plates on the wall are all from my cars or family members' cars. The middle section are all the Wisconsin plates my grandfather ever stuck on his Chevies from 1952 to 1986. That would include a '55 Bel Air sedan, a '60 Bel Air, a '69 Nova and an '80 Chevette. Oh well, 3 out of 4 ain't bad!
Other automotive distractions include a 1932 Willys 6-90 Roadster and a 1959 Buick LeSabre flattop Sedan.
The Willys was originally sold in Denver in1932. I think it is very fitting that
this car is back in Colorado again, as it was originally purchased
in Denver in 1932. I finally locted a correct 1932 hood, which moves us a little closer to finishing the car. The drivetrain and chassis are nicely
restored, so things aren't as bad as they look in the photo.
By the way, the links below take you to my main site, but there are no buttons to get back here, so bookmark this page! Enjoy! Ron
Ron Ruelle, Cartoonist, Illustrator, Blogger, Social Media Guy, Graphic Novelist, Pen for Hire. HeyDarwin@comcast.net Or snail mail to Ron Ruelle, PO Box 19492, Boulder, CO 80308-9492. All contents (C) 1986-2020 Ron Ruelle and/or their respective copyright holders. So don't go printing this stuff on t-shirts and selling it at the county fair! This website designed, developed and maintained by Ron Ruelle.