Vehicle Description
Solid barn find Riviera. 76,922 original miles. Strong-running 455
cubic inch V8. Nice original interior. Mostly original paint except
for repainted hood. Newer tires. A handsome luxury coupe with a lot
of potential!For the moment, this 1970 Buick Riviera represents a
great deal of car for the money. Sure, there are cars like the '65
Grand Sport and 'Boattail' Rivs that have gone through the roof,
but in general, where else can you get a full-sized sport/luxury
coupe with big block power for so little cash? The 1970 Riviera has
a lean, futuristic, muscular look that was clearly an evolution of
the popular 1966-1969 Rivs with a bit of 1970s funky thrown in. The
addition of those minimalist fender skirts transforms the overall
look and the addition of the 'sweep spear' trim along the flanks
recalls great Buicks of the 1940s and '50s. Wearing mostly original
Desert Gold paint, this handsome Riv has clearly not suffered a lot
of winter driving. The lower doors, fenders, and rockers are in
very good condition and there's a muted shine to the ancient GM
Magic Mirror enamel that only original paint can offer. We believe
the hood has been repainted at some point, but it was a while ago
since everything has a consistent, all-of-a-piece look. Panel fit
is quite good and you should hear how well those door slam shut!
SOLID. The chrome shines up nicely and the vinyl top is in good
condition with minimal shrinking and no popped seams. There's some
minor bubbling under the vinyl near the rear window, but if this
were our car, we'd probably leave it alone?it's not like it's going
to get any worse. For a car that has been out of circulation for
many, many years, this one is in great shape.The tan vinyl interior
is nicely preserved, suggesting that someone took good care of the
car and stored it properly. The wide front bench is still
supportive and shows no major wear, no split seams, and the kind of
detail that only the factory can offer. We believe even the carpets
are original, protected by original Buick-logo floor mats that are
a little dry and brittle. The dash pad, door panels, and even the
headliner are really nice and the steering wheel hasn't started to
delaminate like so many GM wheels of the period. Gauges and other
switchgear are operational, although the automatic climate control
is inop?we note that someone has converted it to R134a refrigerant
and the compressor energizes, so the system may be in better
condition than expected. Other features include a tilt steering
wheel, working power seat, and a factory AM/FM radio in the center
of the dash, which powers up and plays faintly. The back seat is in
excellent condition and looks hardly used. The trunk is wearing its
original mouse-fur matting that's a little threadbare and carries a
full-sized spare and jack assembly.Buick's muscular 455 cubic inch
V8 knocked out 370 horsepower and a towering 510 pounds of torque,
same as in the mighty Buick GS. This big V8 starts easily and idles
nicely without much fuss?it fired quickly and easily even coming
off the trailer after several days in freezing temperatures. That
massive mountain of torque means the Riviera is effortless in
everything it does, and thanks to the bulletproof TH400 3-speed
automatic transmission and 2.78 gears out back, it's a fantastic
highway cruiser. The engine bay is original and not detailed for
show, but it offers factory finishes and signs of proper
maintenance over the years. The air cleaner proudly announces the
455 cubic inch engine and 4-barrel carburetor underneath, and
service access is excellent, making this an easy car to work on. It
doesn't smoke or make unpleasant noises, and even though the dual
exhaust system is ancient, it has a nice muted V8 rumble to it that
seems appropriate for the luxury-oriented Riv. The undercarriage
shows some light surface scale on the heavy metal parts, but the
critical areas?trunk, floors, rockers?are in excellent condition
with no evidence of patching or substandard work. Recent work
includes a recently rebuilt rear end and a fresh starter. Factory
steel wheels with hubcaps are a familiar look and carry recent
225/75/15 Goodyear whitewall radials.We know this isn't a perfect
car, but it offers high style, big car comfort, and a dash of
performance, all at a very reasonable price. It's the kind of car
where you can invest a little sweat equity to make improvements and
enjoy it along the way without ever taking it off the road. The
basics are solid and when was the last time you saw one of these at
a non-Buick show? It's sure to stand out. Get into the hobby and
enjoy a high-end luxury car without the high-end price. Call today!
Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or
professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to
purchase.
