Vehicle Description
While corporate cousins Toronado and Eldorado went
front-wheel-drive in the late '60s, the Buick Riviera kept sending
power to the back (likely because the 430 cubic inch V8 is a torque
monster). However, that doesn't mean this 1969 Buick Riviera isn't
just as stylish, luxurious, and appealing as the others. In fact,
you may just find that the Riviera is the best-driving of them
all.
Wearing a timeless combination of white paint and a black vinyl
top, this big Buick looks both sporty and luxurious, which was the
whole point of the Riviera. It's immense, don't be fooled, but the
proportions hide it extremely well and you can see both a nod to
the past and hints of the future in its dramatic sheetmetal. The
two-stage urethane paint is extremely nice, better than most cars
in this price bracket, and it seems that this was never a rusty car
because all the sheetmetal lines up just right (and there are no
replacement panels for these cars). For a Buick, there's remarkably
little trim, mostly just the massive front and rear bumpers, and
you'll particularly like the smooth front end, which hides the
headlights above the grille openings where they can drop down when
they're needed. Be prepared to draw a crowd with that little trick.
The black vinyl top is in excellent shape as well, with none of the
usual signs of trouble underneath, no popped seams, and a clean
installation that looks sleek.
The black interior is largely original save for the carpets, and
it's in wonderful shape for being nearly 50 years old. A split
bench seat offers a sporty look and feel while retaining room for
up to six in this full-sized coupe and the back seat is as big as
any full-sized car of the day. The upholstery has held up quite
well and even the door panels show bright wood veneers and arm
rests that haven't been crushed by decades of elbows resting on
them. The instrument panel offers a bunch of rectangular boxes for
the various dials, switches, and knobs, and there's a trio of
auxiliary dials under the dash. The options list includes automatic
climate control, power windows, and an AM/FM stereo radio with rear
speaker, which was pretty loaded by 1969 standards. There's a
modern center console with dual cup holders and the trunk is
positively massive, with a custom bulkhead cover.
The massive 430 cubic inch V8 delivers the kind of power to make
this giant coupe feel downright fast. With a Rochester 4-barrel
carburetor and dual exhaust, its specifications read like those of
a muscle car, but it's luxury car smooth so it feels effortless in
everything it does. It wears correct Dante Red paint on the block,
a reproduction decal on the air cleaner assembly, and even a Delco
battery topper. It starts easily and runs quite well, with a muted
hum being the only sensation that tells you it's running. The TH400
3-speed automatic transmission is a big upgrade over the old
Dynaflow and doesn't seem to notice all the torque running through
it. The massive rear end housing has highway gears inside as well
as a panhard rod to keep the axle centered under the car. And
speaking of under the car, it's incredibly clean with no signs of
trouble in the past. Aluminum brake drums are familiar to Buick
fans and handsome Buick road wheels carry 225/75/15 whitewall
radials.
Heavily documented with a window sticker, receipts, manuals, and
restoration photos, this is a Riviera you can buy with confidence.
There just can't be many that are nicer than this. Call today!
