Original Turbo Riviera?

[BoostDemon]

Hey all, I was browsing some car adds, and this add comes up w/ a 1984 White Buick Riviera. Auto, Turbo 3.8, 94K miles, Maroon Leather Interior, straight body no rust.

I thought they only put turbo 3.8's in the GN's and T's???? Anybody else seen these before?

Michael

 

[TR Custom Parts]

Buick DID make these.

 

[turbofish38]

Yep, Look at my signature. I've owned probally 6 or 7 of them if you count the parts cars and daily drivers. They are more fun than the TR's IMO. Buick made 1086 in 1984 and 1115 for 1985. The rarest turbo Buicks are the convertibles with 52 made in 84 and 12 made in 85. They are more or less the same for 84 and 85 with the 84 being more desireble because it has the 3.36 final drive where as the 85's all came with the 3.15. They will turn low 14's on the same recipe that you would use on a TR.

 

[BoostDemon]

Hmmm... that's interesting. He only wants $2500 for it too....But man, they sure don't look like the GN's do!

Michael

 

[BoostDemon]

Okay, I need INFO!

Well, just got off the phone with the guy. He might be interested in trading my truck for his car plus some cash!

It's got some small rock chips on the front end, ZERO rust or dents, and has a small exhaust leak.

So, what's so different about an 84 T type Riv, from an 84 T type Regal? I'm mostly talking about modifications, and drivetrain parts. Thanks.

Michael

 

[Shane]

Well the T Riv is FWD if i remember correctly

 

[turbofish38]

So, what's so different about an 84 T type Riv, from an 84 T type Regal? I'm mostly talking about modifications, and drivetrain parts.

Really nothing as far as the basic recipe parts go. Chips,induction and fuel system from a Regal will work. Gut the cat or the test pipe from a hot air Regal will bolt on. There are a lot of Riviera specific parts but you dont need to screw around with them. The same turbos and cams that make a hot air Regal go fast will do the same in the Riv except the Riv weighs 400-500 pounds more.

Watch out! Rivieras rust from the inside out. A car that looks rust free from the outside will definetly have hidden rust areas. And it doesn't matter where the car is from either. Buick packed a ton of sound deadener in these pigs and they hold moisture in really good. Pay close attention to the A-pillar and door hinge pillars. These are the most common places. Any sign of bubbling paint and youv'e got problems. Pull the rear seat cushion and if you can probe past the Q-pads around the seat belt anchors as this is another good spot. Look at the trunk lid hinge mounting points. They always leak around the bolt holes and if the car is parked outside after a decent rain the water drips in and puddles in the quarters. Pull up the trunk liner and see if you can see any moisture around the side markers. Look at the bottom of the package shelf for rust. Look in the rear wheel housings as the front egdes where the panels weld together is another good spot for cancer. If it has an Astroroof check the weatherstrip for leaks. If it has Delco/Bose make sure all 4 speakers are working. If it has climate control check to make sure everything works. Cycle it through a couple of hot and cold/heater and AC cycles to make sure the control head and the actuators are working properly. Make sure it is 100% complete and no parts are missing from the engine and if it is modified ask for the original parts. The reason for all of this is plain and simple. You cant get new parts for these cars and it is almost darn near impossible to find good used ones. $2500 might seem like a good price but personally I dont think I would pay that much for a car that had even one of the issues I just mentioned. Just the mention of the exhaust leak tells me it has a cracked exhaust manifold and the engine hasn't been properly maintained. You might be able to get the price down if you reason with the buyer. I usually, and have paid $1000-$1500 for a turbo Riv in that condition and even than I thought that was to much.

 

[BoostDemon]

Thanks.

Hey, thanks for the info. After thinking about this car for a day or two, I've decided to hold off. I NEED my truck right now even though gas is killing me. We got more snow coming and our driveway is steep and long. Plus, I just can't get over how much I prefer the looks of the Regal over the Riv. So, i'm probably going to have to wait until next October when I get my harvest check for my cherry orchard. Should give me about $5k to play with!

Michael