1969 Buick Riviera

All American, V8 muscle powered with sophisticated luxury styling, and enough room to seat six!

Paint

The green paint reveals a very good lustre. The colour is consistent and looks even across each panel as you can see in the media.

With the age of the car though, it's picked up lots of nicks and scratches, with small marks having been touched up over time. You'll see these mainly on areas like the door shuts/leading edges of the panels. Take a look at the photographs to have a look at the paintwork.

Bodywork

The bodywork appears smart and in good condition on this Riviera. We didn't really spot any corrosion to the bodywork on the visit, a similar on the underside too.

We noticed some cracking along the drivers door, and with the vast panel size and age of the car, some adjustment to the doors and bonnet would help improve the finish. Please take a look at the photos and videos for a detailed view of the exterior.

Dashboard

A retro interior with a range of rectangular-shaped clocks and dials with wood veneer that still looks great today. Cyril reports everything is working as it should.

The drive

Comfortable seats await you inside the cabin, the interior shows more European styling touches than most American muscle cars of the era. The Riviera holds the road extremely well for a heavy car, the power steering is reported to be light without being lifeless.

Glass and trim

The glass appears in great condition, free from any cracks, chips or discolouration.

The chrome trim looks good from afar, but it is showing signs of age with pitting visible and would benefit from a refurbishment.

Wheels and tyres

The chrome wheels look great on this low rider. When getting really close we did notice very minor corrosion around the wheel bolts, what should be an easy cosmetic fix if desired.

Sitting on premium Vitour Galaxy tyres, which are all presented in excellent condition with lots of tread as they were fitted during the restoration in October 2020.

Seats and carpets

The seats within the Buick look really good, and incredibly comfortable to sit in. The button-pressed seats are in great condition and are in line with the mileage of this car, with no major wear or tear observed.

The carpets reflect the condition of the rest of the car; in good condition, and luxurious by design.

Engine and gearbox

A 7.0L 430 cubic inches engine fills the engine bay of this luxurious American cruiser, coupled to the 3-speed TH400 automatic gearstick, expect silky smooth road trips.

Cyril reports a smooth drive within the Riveria and mentions the car was mechanically restored to a good standard last October, with a full engine tune-up, new spark plugs, ignition leads, points, condenser, distributor cap, rotor arm, and ignition coil. In addition to this the car has had a new head gasket fitted along with manifolds this year.

Watch the cold start video to see the car spring into life and tick along with ease on idle.

Electrics and other

Cyril operated the hideaway electrically operated headlights to show them working without fault - a novel feature of the era. He reports all the switches, lights, and buttons work as they should.

History and paperwork

Back To Life Cars, a specialist in classic American cars carried out extensive work on this Buick Riviera for Cyril last October, costing just shy of £6,000.

The extensive work carried out is as followed:
New radiator support panel bushes, 4 wheel cylinders, front brake shoes, all brake hoses, brake master cylinder, front strut rod bushes, front anti-roll bar D bushes, front anti-roll bar end links, power steering box, transmission oil pan gasket and filter, transmission tail housing gasket, shifter shaft seal and output shaft seal. Repaired propshaft support bearing, new exhaust downpipe gaskets. Re-faced exhaust manifold gasket face then re-fitted exhaust manifold with new gaskets. Split apart exhaust-sleeved joints and re-sealed. Replaced all 6 exhaust hangers. 4 new tyres, 1-inch wheel spacers on all 4 wheels. Replaced spark plugs, ignition leads, points and condenser, distributor cap, rotor arm and ignition coil. New brake servo hose. Carried out a full engine tune-up. Replaced the passenger door rubber seal. Replaced the glove box catch/lock assembly. Stripped down driver's door. Stripped down passenger. Repaired the wiring connector for the switch on the passenger rear window. Repaired the wiring in the driver's door shut for the driver's door. Replaced alternator. Carried out rear light conversion to UK specification. Repaired the wiring for the front sidelights. Adjusted the throttle linkage. Replaced starter motor. Replaced valve cover gaskets. Replaced coolant bypass hose and hose clips. Replaced both front wiper blades. Heater core fixed.

Cyril will be more than happy to answer any of your questions in the comments below.

We've actioned checks on; Seller ID, V5, HPi clear from a theft/insurance write-off perspective. There is finance outstanding on the vehicle that will need to be settled.

Suspension and brakes

A classic American suspension set up with twin wishbones, coil springs at the front and live rear axel with twin trailing arms, and a lateral track bar and coils at the rear too.

Cyril reports suspension and brakes work very well, mentioning a soft ride with on-demand braking performance as required. During the work in October, significant parts were replaced and fixed as necessary across the suspension and brakes, take a look at the breakdown below.

Steering wheel gear stick

The steering wheel and gearstick are in great and original condition.

We really like the look of the three-spoked steering wheel with an automatic gear selector for the 3-speed TH400 gearbox.