Back in the 80's I was all about imports but these Rivieras, Eldorados and Toronados always caught my eye. Handsome, romantic, modern, classical, available in a beautiful range of colors, quintessentially American... they got this one right.
I fully agree with you. My guess is not only is this 80s Buick full of character but also It is the case that most present day cars are devoid of design flair and are unbearably anodine .
GM modelled really expensive fuel by the mid-80s in its planning. If we had had $100 a barrel fuel by '85, the downsized Rivs would have made a lot of sense. But the opposite happened. Expensive oil and slowing growth in consumption quickly reduced the price of oil and big vehicles were back in vogue. The E-body designs were actually quite sophisticated. But GM debuted a lot of the look on cheaper cars (the Somerset Regal) which made the new Riv seem like a cheaper car. The should have differentiated them better. But that era GM was terrible at that!
@@MarinCipollina Agreed. I feel like their time will come in terms of retrospective appreciation. It was a very interesting attempt to do a uniquely Buick car in this space -- unfortunately just as the big, personal luxury coupe market plateaued and started to shrink.
I had an ‘83 Riv that I ordered from the factory but I didn’t get the turbo engine. The reason was that I had a new ‘79 Regal Limited with a turbo that failed after 2.5 yrs. Started burning oil so badly that I had to keep a case of oil in the trunk and stop every few miles and add a quart. It smoked worse than a diesel…broke my heart because I loved that Regal more than any car I’ve ever owned, and partly because of that turbo lag! I loved the way it would bog down whenever you started to pass a vehicle and you’d be thinking it wasn’t going to pass, when suddenly, whoosh, the turbo kicked in with a surprise, always bringing a smile…the effect never got old! I traded it for an ‘80 Toro with diesel which was a huge mistake. Loved the car, hated the engine. By the time the ‘83s came out, there seemed to be a difference in the E-bodied cars, as the Riv seemed lighter than the Toro, not as quiet, with a harsher ride. But as I type this, I’m just now realizing what may have been the reason for the different ride/handling characteristics: I’m wondering if when I ordered the Riv, if I ordered the touring suspension, and while I cannot recall, I’m betting that I did! All these years later, and me commenting on this page may have answered a 42-year old mystery!
auto reverse plays the flip side without having to physically flip the cassette...the cassette runs in reverse hence the name. Also, it can modulate the Cr02 and metal cassette tapes.
12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +10
Adam, my dad, and the entire family worked for GM since the 1940s. Flint, Saginaw and Detroit. I lived in Saginaw in the early 1970's. My pops quit that lifestyle to become a cattle rancher and beekeeper in Fresno County and in his huge ranch in Jalisco México, the land of Agave & Tequila! Those Mid 80's Buick Riviera's I rode in them and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme's brand new! My friends dad from church owned the dealership: Enns Buick, Pontiac & GMC in Reedley California. 70 years selling new cars. I remember the cars coming on the railroad all the way from Detroit, Lansing etc...to the West Coast and being unloaded off to our small town! Those Mid 1980's GM mid sizes cars were really good! There were tons of them in my small town and in Fresno County! Great memories! Great post! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! Greetings from Santa Clarita California!
A car-enthusiast friend had one of these new, and "discernably turbo-charged" is accurate. Noticeable lag followed by turbo sounds and a swell of power. It was a gorgeous car and was enjoyed immensely.
Joining the chorus here…Adam, thank you for entertaining and informing us this past year with your insightful trips down the automotive memory lane. If we all lived in the same town you’d have more friends than you could handle. You’re a true gentleman and a total class act. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!
Thank God. I thought I remembered seeing an ad in magazines back in the ‘80s for T-Type Buicks that included the Riv, but until now I’ve never seen one in person or even in photos. I was sure I’d imagined it all, so this is so good to see. The lines of this car were SO much nicer than the Regal of the era. And extra props for the vinyl top delete; it was a plague for so many cars in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
These Riviera's had the Grand National 3.8 detuned. You could easily pull 300hp out of the stock configuration with just a tune chip, cone air filter and a free flowing muffler. I've had many Grand Nationals and T-Types but I never knew the Riviera had the turbo 3.8 in them.......... Bummer. Great video though. Thanks
GM most likely detuned the 3.8 turbo since it was a FWD application. Harder to make a FWD transmission handle the power. Would really let the magic smoke out. 😂😂
The 79-81 Riv turbo was referred to as the S-type. Also in 1984-985 the engine was rated at 190 hp and 200 in the Regal due to a better exhaust on the Regal. These ran 8-9 psi boost. Parts can be sourced aftermarket through some Turbo Buick businesses. This should be a 4 speed OD trans. The turbo 6 emblem was designed by a gentleman with the named named Molly.
I had a 85 riv with the ol 140hp 307. Bought it as my first car in 1996 with 137k miles. It still had all the emissions maintained and hooked up. So it ran very quite and smooth. Where most cars in this era idled at 750 to 875 rpms the 307 idled at 625 650. I did spent 2 weeks before i got my license replacing what seemed like miles of vaccuum hoses. I mention this because all the cars this era i ran across which had the emissions defeted either in the false belief of gaining power or it was just cheaper than fixing it right (even if you could gain 5 to 10hp from taking off the air pump belt the difference between 140/145/150hp is negligible in a 4500lb car) To be honest it was prob more like 2 or 3 hp gain max. The problem was most would just mangle the fittings into the exhaust so they werent sealed. So a venturi effect was created sucking a inconsistent amount of air into the exhaust triggering a check engine light and causing a warm idle issue. Anyways i also want to mention im pretty sure that goofy defrost switch was only on the cars equipped with the problematic digital controls.
Most people don't understand check engine lights. It's essentially the EPAs way of controlling emissions on the fly. Depending on the severity of the emissions violation, the engine is designed to run poorly or even breakdown if the problem is not corrected. This is forced compliance most people don't even realize is going on.
Totally agree. The roof of the Riviera/Toronado/Eldorado during this period was one of the best ever. And the sharp crease idea for the rear deck lid is perfect. Great video! I'm not a Cadillac man, I'm a Porsche man, but the Eldorado from this period, with the black and silver two tone? THAT is a sharp car. Like the '70's Seville, they really got that car correct from every angle.
I agree, the '76-'79 Seville was a beauty and the two tone black/silver Elegante edition with those wire wheels was pure class. I've always been a car fanatic, and I was amazed when I found out they made them from a Nova platform and was clueless about that for years until I read about it somewhere.
@@TomSnyder-gx5ru I kind of suspected that since it was the same size. The '79 Eldorado in that black and silver with 17 inch BBS alloy "wire" wheels with a 400 hp LS conversion and a decent suspension setup would be something to take a Cars & Coffee event. That would be an Eldorado with a capitalized "E"!
I found this era of Rviera, Eldorado, and Toronado especially good looking, the Toro the most. I'd still like to have one. Thank you as always, and like others have written, Merry Christmas!
As a lifelong northern european resident, I come at these videos from a bit of a different angle than most other people in these comments it seems. Most of the cars featured are ones that, even in their "base form" really were never sold here at all, and hence are quite a rarity. I certainly have no personal connection to any of them at all. These videos are therefore a great and easily digestible source of info for learning more about stuff that I never had a chance to see really, and as a vehicle enthusiast in general (and, from my vantage point, uncommon vehicles specifically), these kind of cars are right up my alley. Cheers mate!
Back then, I preferred the Eldorado because it was the Cadillac, but 40 years later, I now think the Riv was the best looking of the trio. I agree that the lack of a vinyl roof and the non-wire wheels look fantastic.
They do almost look better without the vinyl top - as they show those lines around the C pillar, which are a key component of the car's overall design.
I LOVE this generation of the Riviera, and think it is even more attractive than the Eldorado and Toronado of the era. The only problem is I can't stand the 305 or 307 V8. Id still love you to do a catty video on the 77 78 stopgap Riviera.
Merry Christmas Adam. What a great automobile to feature! Coming from a huge Buick fan!!~ Remember this is the last years of that platform. 86+, a totally different automobile.
I have a '72 Riviera (preferably a GS) on my "when I win the lottery" list - I've been enamored by the boat tail Rivieras ever since they came out in '71. I didn't like the trunk lid vents on the '71 and don't consider the '73 a true "boat tail" after they chopped off the actual boat tail.
The 79-85 riviera was a beauty in its day. Honestly though I preferred the regular model over the T type. Those early turbos weren’t great engines, tons of lag, prone to all sorts of failures. I also prefer the styling of regular models as the T type black mirrors road wheels and steering wheel didn’t suit the car as much as the base model details. The rivieras without the vinyl tops had a wider quarter window than the vinyl top ones. Really changed the look of the car.
I never realized the Rivieras without vinyl tops had larger quarter windows than the vinyl top ones, so had to go see pictures for myself and you're right - never too old to learn I guess. I wonder why they did that, doesn't make sense.
This '85 Riviera T-Type has many similarities to the 1978 Buick Regal Turbo V6 my dad owned. It was the first year Buick Regal offered a turbo. Sky blue color, no vinyl roof, and the accelerator had that exact same lag kicking into a turbo 'WHOOSH' as Adam talked about. I have to say I just LOVED the sky blue velour seats in the Regal, too. General Motors mastered the art of making comfortable pillowy cloth seats, for sure!
Beautiful. Love the color in and out here. Seems quite well equipped, though considering that I'm surprised this car doesn't have a power seat on the passenger side. I'd still buy it (and swap in the equipment for a power seat). The CONCERT SOUND came with six speakers instead of four, and I think were all upgraded speakers. It first became available in Riviera in the '81 model year. It was a very nice sounding system from what I recall.
In 1985 I had one of the first turbo charged factory pick up trucks. It was the Toyota SR5 XtraCab turbo. I love that truck and I wish I still had one today.
The person I cut grass for as a kid had that or a Regal with the turbo. As a 13 year old kid that Turbo emblem on the hood really impressed me as I thought it was a really elegant car with power. Thanks for the video! Merry Christmas!
Thanks Again🎉🎉🎉 The Genius of this Channel in really crediting all the work that went into creating these rare cars from planning all the way to those instituting these rarities into the cars on the assembly Line is just Admirable. Clearly, the "Cronkite" of cars with the personality of Paul Harvey.
So nice! I've always liked that style of Riviera. A few people that I knew, had them. The Riv, along with the Eldo, with the brushed stainless roof, were my favorite GM cars, at that time and really still are. The 1974 Electra, is also one of my favorites. An fine car, all of the way around. An excellent video, as always.
Adam you are literally the very best at what you do. Your knowledge, and willingness to share it, makes my life a whole lot more enjoyable. I've always owned what my family members or friends call "land yaghts". Its great to know others love them as much as I do. having owned a 1985 Riviera, I beg to differ about the comfort of the rear seats. Its deceiving, but once back there quite a nice place to be for a trip. Of course that was years ago, and now I'm on my 2nd beautiful Town Car.
I agree, I also owned an '85 Riviera and never had any of my backseat passengers complain about being uncomfortable. I drive a Toyota Tundra PU today - go figure!
I remember seeing this car back in 85 in a Time Magazine ad for Buick. Even then I thought the car looked dated, but many Americans liked it and bought a lot of them.
I remember seeing this gen of Rivieras all over the place in the 1980s into the early 90s. The 1979-1985 Toronado was hard to tell apart from these 1979-1985 Riviera.
The T-Type Riviera was a beautiful car and minus the vinyl roof you are spot on, and what made the car a classic design. The only thing that GM & Ford couldn't get a grip on was the bumpers protruding out past the sides of the car. It must have bothered Chip Foose as a child he likes to section the bumpers and remove the undesirable excess.
The main reason they use fake wood in cars is that it is far cheaper to make and install. But also, during an impact event, wood can splinter and actually stab passengers. Plastic tends to bend and thus is considered safer. However, In the past 15 years, auto makers have learned how to fashion wood so that it is not an issue during a crash and that is why you see it being used again. Frankly, you can have it. The only car I've ever owned that had wood in its construction was my '85 Porsche 928S2, which had an actual black painted plywood panel covering the fuse box under the floor mat at the front of the passenger side footwell. Yes they came from Stuttgart like this. There were actually three pieces that made that cover, a lower fixed piece, a large piece that covered the fuse box and was removable, and a wood block to aid in positioning. My kind of wood interior!
I remember when the 77-78 Rivera came out we called them saber-Riv's. My uncle had one for his demo and all he could say about them was boring. I think he had five or six 63-65's at different times. And he really liked the 79-85's.
As you child a buddy and neighbors dad worked at GM it seemed every 9 to 12 months they had a new GM. I remember but sadly didn’t appreciate (at the time) the number of vehicles they had…including this vintage Tornado & Riviera (as well as many others). They were very nice cars in their day. Thanks for the review.
This generation of Riviera was first GM model to have the mirror housing that flared out from the window like ones on Mercedes-Benz from 1971 onward instead of anchoring onto the "pole" attaching to the door. The stereo system panel could move up to line up with the vent bezels better. The HVAC control panel could be expanded vertically to line up with the black boxes.
Merry Christmas Adam and to all the subscribers! These generation of Riv's, and Toro's were STRIKING cars. The only thing about GM at that time was they seemed to use the cheapest plastic for everything, even for the knobs, the tail light lenses's bumper fillers.
Totally agree about vinyl tops! Back in the late 70's, I saw a burgundy Monte Carlo without a vinyl top, and it was stunning. I don't care for the late 70's MC's with that ridiculous half vinyl top. Amazing how the plain top made such a positive difference. Keep it up, I enjoy your videos
My Boss had a Silver Plane Jane with hubcaps and the 307. It was very nice driving and the power was plenty to move it around. Big power was gone but big comfort and ride and drive quality was way up.
I like it. The one thing that always puzzled me was the way the A pillars were connected across the hood. Almost like a last-minute design change, and it was supposed to be more raked at first.
My father's first luxury car was one of this series Riviera. also sans the vinyl top. It is a beautiful car and great to drive. He went of to a series of Cadillacs. but the Riv was always my favorite.
The "T" in T-Type stood for Touring package, like the Buick Regal T-Type, it didn't mean when you ordered the "T" or "T-Type" option you got the turbo engine. Gorgeous vehicle. I believe it had 200hp.
Lovely car you decided to cover today. I'd seen one in an accident while I was driving in Norfolk one day. An older couple was driving a black T-Type through an intersection that had several blind spots, and someone in a Toyota Highlander turned left and hit them. The Buick was pretty badly damaged, and the couple somewhat the worse for wear as well. Fortunately, an ambulance and police were already on the scene. When you think about the idea that the Riviera was a good performance car at the beginning, the T-Type comes closer to the original in spirit, it seems to me.
That older C3I ignition system was a Magnavox setup. They used it up until the 3800 tuned port engine and it had a very high failure rate. Worst part is, all 3 coils and the module were replaced as a whole unit. Later 3800s had a GM C3I system that had the typical two post coils that could be replaced one at a time and the module was separate as well.
I like these Rivieras, especially as you mentioned, without a vinyl top. Other than the boat tails, I like the big 1974-76 ‘E’ body Rivieras, especially the ‘74 with an aggressive 1973 looking front end.
The '74-'76 Rivieras were decent looking cars, I especially liked the extra set of tail/brake lights under the back glass on these - the '77-'78 Riviera was just a dressed up LeSabre - but boy did they hit it out of the ballpark with the 79's!
Adam, I do own an 85 t type. There’s a lot of tech support on turbo Regal sites for drivability issues. The ride is a bit more firm than the standard version but not harsh. There were upgrades to the transmission in the turbo models. Not sure exactly what they were but standard models had an A designation and turbo ones had a B designation for the transmission. Rare, but not valuable. This car is always the only t type Riv at a car show with many surprised people who didn’t know it existed. You have a great channel, and I look forward to seeing any car you put in the spotlight!
Thanks for this one, Adam.. Buick GNX was the best performance Buick of the 1980s for my money.. I'm not a fan of front wheel drive arrangements, generally speaking, but I did like the design of this generation Riviera.
Nice looking car. My guess for the location of the defrost switch, the bean counters could save 18 inches of wire. They really never learned their lesson. Just look at how much smaller gm is today, compared to the 1950s when Chevrolet division alone was bigger than all of Ford Motor Company. Gone are the days of GM. Now we have gm. SAD.
I love the turbo 6 logo on the otherwise standard Riv dash as well as the call out on the trunk lid. Surprising, but not, no extra gauges! I knew they existed but have never seen one in the metal. My best friend’s mom had a new ‘80 Riv w/o the turbo : black with burgundy velour interior. Very posh car. I got to ride on the middle of that cushy front bench seat a few times
So many of these E bodies were ruined by landau roofs and fake wire wheelcovers, yet they were much more handsome without them, as this one shows. Too bad the Eldorado was stuck with horrible weak engines after '81.
These were very nicely styled cars and the T-Type was a great iteration. As for the 77-78 Rivera, it was spectacular to me. Being 14-15 when they came out, they were very well liked but for the price, you could buy an Electra and most people went for the LeSabre Custom with more options for less money. In the day when you saw one in a spectacular color combo, your head definitely turned. You’re a bit younger so your looking back in time not in the time when they were in vogue.
Thank you Adam. This was the successful generation. This was a nice looking car. The E Bodies(all of them) were on their game 1979-1985. The styling themes returned on the 1989-1993 Buick Riviera. It was a little smaller than the 1979-1985, but upsized from 1986-1988. I liked this 1979-1985 when it had digital gauges. I still would take a loaded 1984-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado with digital gauges. GM managed to make all the E Cars styled differently even though they shared parts. The car in your video does not have the passenger power seat. The instrumentation panel theme carried over to the 1986-1989 model years. The engine went on to become legendary as it was upgraded and used in Grand National and had more power and the 3800 Supercharged was eventually born in 1991 model year. The early days of the legendary engine. They got it worked out over time. 1989 Buick Riviera brought the 1979-1985 styling back: th-cam.com/video/bYcwEYc3Uf0/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/-qKgjHerKJY/w-d-xo.html
Gr8-looking Riviera, Adam. Turbocharged and looks like it's moving fast when it's standing still....Hope U can locate one and purchase it, if in good condition, of course....A RARE BEAUTY, that's 4 sure, Adam. Cheers fm Damo..
Love this generation, I owned one brand new in 1981, but it was plagued with constant check engine light problems, and lousy paint job. Still I'd have another
Find them with low mileage and no rust and buy buy buy. This will be one of the sought-after classic cars in the near future. Non-turbo ones will be what you'll find and what you should consider. I like the spilt bench seat in these cars. Cheers 🇨🇦
There is a car extremely similar to this for sale near me only they opted to put a carriage roof on it I don’t know if it’s factory ASC or an E&G dealership installed top but these are beautiful I love these cars.
These are Buicks true sleeper because you can make these into GNX and surprise people at the light. I would love to see the Rivera on PowerNation getting modded and see what type of power you can get out of the Turbo 3.8 V6 .
Back in the 80's I was all about imports but these Rivieras, Eldorados and Toronados always caught my eye. Handsome, romantic, modern, classical, available in a beautiful range of colors, quintessentially American... they got this one right.
hows yer new ev?
How could they come up with such a classy design that still looks good today, 40 years later, and drop the ball in such a monumental fashion in 86?
I fully agree with you. My guess is not only is this 80s Buick full of character but also It is the case that most present day cars are devoid of design flair and are unbearably anodine .
GM modelled really expensive fuel by the mid-80s in its planning. If we had had $100 a barrel fuel by '85, the downsized Rivs would have made a lot of sense. But the opposite happened. Expensive oil and slowing growth in consumption quickly reduced the price of oil and big vehicles were back in vogue.
The E-body designs were actually quite sophisticated. But GM debuted a lot of the look on cheaper cars (the Somerset Regal) which made the new Riv seem like a cheaper car. The should have differentiated them better. But that era GM was terrible at that!
@@tonyflorio3269 Buick bounced back well with the 1995 Riviera.
They let the bean counters were in charge of the ship. You are one of the few that appreciates beauty
@@MarinCipollina Agreed. I feel like their time will come in terms of retrospective appreciation. It was a very interesting attempt to do a uniquely Buick car in this space -- unfortunately just as the big, personal luxury coupe market plateaued and started to shrink.
These old Delco sound systems were really nice.
They bumped and they had really nice sound for the day.
Thanks Adam, and have a Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas Adam and to all your family, friends and all of us "Subscribers."
I had an ‘83 Riv that I ordered from the factory but I didn’t get the turbo engine. The reason was that I had a new ‘79 Regal Limited with a turbo that failed after 2.5 yrs. Started burning oil so badly that I had to keep a case of oil in the trunk and stop every few miles and add a quart. It smoked worse than a diesel…broke my heart because I loved that Regal more than any car I’ve ever owned, and partly because of that turbo lag! I loved the way it would bog down whenever you started to pass a vehicle and you’d be thinking it wasn’t going to pass, when suddenly, whoosh, the turbo kicked in with a surprise, always bringing a smile…the effect never got old! I traded it for an ‘80 Toro with diesel which was a huge mistake. Loved the car, hated the engine. By the time the ‘83s came out, there seemed to be a difference in the E-bodied cars, as the Riv seemed lighter than the Toro, not as quiet, with a harsher ride. But as I type this, I’m just now realizing what may have been the reason for the different ride/handling characteristics: I’m wondering if when I ordered the Riv, if I ordered the touring suspension, and while I cannot recall, I’m betting that I did! All these years later, and me commenting on this page may have answered a 42-year old mystery!
Anything T-Type is a yes in my book
Agreed, LeSabre T-Type was tops in my book...it really had the look
auto reverse plays the flip side without having to physically flip the cassette...the cassette runs in reverse hence the name. Also, it can modulate the Cr02 and metal cassette tapes.
Adam, my dad, and the entire family worked for GM since the 1940s. Flint, Saginaw and Detroit. I lived in Saginaw in the early 1970's. My pops quit that lifestyle to become a cattle rancher and beekeeper in Fresno County and in his huge ranch in Jalisco México, the land of Agave & Tequila! Those Mid 80's Buick Riviera's I rode in them and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme's brand new! My friends dad from church owned the dealership: Enns Buick, Pontiac & GMC in Reedley California. 70 years selling new cars. I remember the cars coming on the railroad all the way from Detroit, Lansing etc...to the West Coast and being unloaded off to our small town! Those Mid 1980's GM mid sizes cars were really good! There were tons of them in my small town and in Fresno County! Great memories! Great post! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! Greetings from Santa Clarita California!
I heard that Jalisco is the spiritual home of Mexican cooking ❤
@777jones U Betcha! The Best!
I remember Enns Pontiac very well!
My aunt had one when I was a kid. Super cool car.
A car-enthusiast friend had one of these new, and "discernably turbo-charged" is accurate. Noticeable lag followed by turbo sounds and a swell of power. It was a gorgeous car and was enjoyed immensely.
Joining the chorus here…Adam, thank you for entertaining and informing us this past year with your insightful trips down the automotive memory lane. If we all lived in the same town you’d have more friends than you could handle. You’re a true gentleman and a total class act. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year!
Thank God. I thought I remembered seeing an ad in magazines back in the ‘80s for T-Type Buicks that included the Riv, but until now I’ve never seen one in person or even in photos. I was sure I’d imagined it all, so this is so good to see.
The lines of this car were SO much nicer than the Regal of the era. And extra props for the vinyl top delete; it was a plague for so many cars in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
These Riviera's had the Grand National 3.8 detuned. You could easily pull 300hp out of the stock configuration with just a tune chip, cone air filter and a free flowing muffler. I've had many Grand Nationals and T-Types but I never knew the Riviera had the turbo 3.8 in them.......... Bummer. Great video though. Thanks
Without the inter cooler added in 86-87 Regal T and GN the Turbos were not the Corvette killers they became.
GM most likely detuned the 3.8 turbo since it was a FWD application. Harder to make a FWD transmission handle the power. Would really let the magic smoke out. 😂😂
@edbaczewski2959 The '70 Eldorado had over 500 ft/lbs in a front drive setup.
I owned a burgundy '78 LeSabre Sport Coupe that had the 3.8 tubo engine - great car!
Interesting Buick, do not see them anymore. Thanks Adam
The 79-81 Riv turbo was referred to as the S-type. Also in 1984-985 the engine was rated at 190 hp and 200 in the Regal due to a better exhaust on the Regal. These ran 8-9 psi boost. Parts can be sourced aftermarket through some Turbo Buick businesses. This should be a 4 speed OD trans. The turbo 6 emblem was designed by a gentleman with the named named Molly.
I had a 85 riv with the ol 140hp 307. Bought it as my first car in 1996 with 137k miles. It still had all the emissions maintained and hooked up. So it ran very quite and smooth. Where most cars in this era idled at 750 to 875 rpms the 307 idled at 625 650. I did spent 2 weeks before i got my license replacing what seemed like miles of vaccuum hoses. I mention this because all the cars this era i ran across which had the emissions defeted either in the false belief of gaining power or it was just cheaper than fixing it right (even if you could gain 5 to 10hp from taking off the air pump belt the difference between 140/145/150hp is negligible in a 4500lb car) To be honest it was prob more like 2 or 3 hp gain max. The problem was most would just mangle the fittings into the exhaust so they werent sealed. So a venturi effect was created sucking a inconsistent amount of air into the exhaust triggering a check engine light and causing a warm idle issue. Anyways i also want to mention im pretty sure that goofy defrost switch was only on the cars equipped with the problematic digital controls.
Most people don't understand check engine lights. It's essentially the EPAs way of controlling emissions on the fly. Depending on the severity of the emissions violation, the engine is designed to run poorly or even breakdown if the problem is not corrected. This is forced compliance most people don't even realize is going on.
Adam, Merry Christmas!!! As you are the owner of a genuinely classic 1967 Riviera, it is amazing to see how excited you get about this FWD 1985. 😉
Totally agree. The roof of the Riviera/Toronado/Eldorado during this period was one of the best ever. And the sharp crease idea for the rear deck lid is perfect.
Great video!
I'm not a Cadillac man, I'm a Porsche man, but the Eldorado from this period, with the black and silver two tone? THAT is a sharp car. Like the '70's Seville, they really got that car correct from every angle.
I agree, the '76-'79 Seville was a beauty and the two tone black/silver Elegante edition with those wire wheels was pure class. I've always been a car fanatic, and I was amazed when I found out they made them from a Nova platform and was clueless about that for years until I read about it somewhere.
@@TomSnyder-gx5ru I kind of suspected that since it was the same size. The '79 Eldorado in that black and silver with 17 inch BBS alloy "wire" wheels with a 400 hp LS conversion and a decent suspension setup would be something to take a Cars & Coffee event. That would be an Eldorado with a capitalized "E"!
I found this era of Rviera, Eldorado, and Toronado especially good looking, the Toro the most. I'd still like to have one. Thank you as always, and like others have written, Merry Christmas!
As a lifelong northern european resident, I come at these videos from a bit of a different angle than most other people in these comments it seems.
Most of the cars featured are ones that, even in their "base form" really were never sold here at all, and hence are quite a rarity. I certainly have no personal connection to any of them at all.
These videos are therefore a great and easily digestible source of info for learning more about stuff that I never had a chance to see really, and as a vehicle enthusiast in general (and, from my vantage point, uncommon vehicles specifically), these kind of cars are right up my alley. Cheers mate!
Cheers, GoldenCroc!
Happy Christmas dear Adam. A big Thank You for all you gave us!❤
Back then, I preferred the Eldorado because it was the Cadillac, but 40 years later, I now think the Riv was the best looking of the trio. I agree that the lack of a vinyl roof and the non-wire wheels look fantastic.
They do almost look better without the vinyl top - as they show those lines around the C pillar, which are a key component of the car's overall design.
Not to mention the better engine.....
I LOVE this generation of the Riviera, and think it is even more attractive than the Eldorado and Toronado of the era. The only problem is I can't stand the 305 or 307 V8.
Id still love you to do a catty video on the 77 78 stopgap Riviera.
What a handsome design !!!! Old Buicks are amazing
Thanks Adam & Merry Christmas!! :-) BTW, You are a remarkable bean counter! 😉
Thank you Jessica Fox I had a blast with you in this car driving around Manhattan during the 80s
Merry Christmas, Adam. Here's to another great year!
A timeless design with lots of design cues of the first Riviera. Would def. drive one today!
Merry Christmas Adam. What a great automobile to feature! Coming from a huge Buick fan!!~ Remember this is the last years of that platform. 86+, a totally different automobile.
And not in a good way!
The boat tail Rivers was a good looking car along with this one.
I have a '72 Riviera (preferably a GS) on my "when I win the lottery" list - I've been enamored by the boat tail Rivieras ever since they came out in '71. I didn't like the trunk lid vents on the '71 and don't consider the '73 a true "boat tail" after they chopped off the actual boat tail.
The Riviera was always a nice car. I like every model Buick made.
Buick should bring back the Riv
Congrats, redneck.
The 79-85 riviera was a beauty in its day. Honestly though I preferred the regular model over the T type. Those early turbos weren’t great engines, tons of lag, prone to all sorts of failures. I also prefer the styling of regular models as the T type black mirrors road wheels and steering wheel didn’t suit the car as much as the base model details.
The rivieras without the vinyl tops had a wider quarter window than the vinyl top ones. Really changed the look of the car.
I never realized the Rivieras without vinyl tops had larger quarter windows than the vinyl top ones, so had to go see pictures for myself and you're right - never too old to learn I guess. I wonder why they did that, doesn't make sense.
This model made me fall in love with cars.
This '85 Riviera T-Type has many similarities to the 1978 Buick Regal Turbo V6 my dad owned. It was the first year Buick Regal offered a turbo.
Sky blue color, no vinyl roof, and the accelerator had that exact same lag kicking into a turbo 'WHOOSH' as Adam talked about.
I have to say I just LOVED the sky blue velour seats in the Regal, too. General Motors mastered the art of making comfortable pillowy cloth seats, for sure!
This Buick was a nice surprise to see at the 1979 new auto show. When most other cars were boxy front wheel drive and cheaply built.
Beautiful. Love the color in and out here. Seems quite well equipped, though considering that I'm surprised this car doesn't have a power seat on the passenger side. I'd still buy it (and swap in the equipment for a power seat).
The CONCERT SOUND came with six speakers instead of four, and I think were all upgraded speakers. It first became available in Riviera in the '81 model year. It was a very nice sounding system from what I recall.
That sense of privacy is a problem when backing up also called a BLIND SPOT in C pillar
Wasn't that bad.
In 1985 I had one of the first turbo charged factory pick up trucks. It was the Toyota SR5 XtraCab turbo. I love that truck and I wish I still had one today.
The person I cut grass for as a kid had that or a Regal with the turbo. As a 13 year old kid that Turbo emblem on the hood really impressed me as I thought it was a really elegant car with power. Thanks for the video! Merry Christmas!
That beigh color was inescapable in the 80's.
Thanks Again🎉🎉🎉
The Genius of this Channel in really crediting all the work that went into creating these rare cars from planning all the way to those instituting these rarities into the cars on the assembly Line is just Admirable.
Clearly, the "Cronkite" of cars with the personality of
Paul Harvey.
Love the A and C pillars on these cars.
So nice! I've always liked that style of Riviera. A few people that I knew, had them. The Riv, along with the Eldo, with the brushed stainless roof, were my favorite GM cars, at that time and really still are. The 1974 Electra, is also one of my favorites. An fine car, all of the way around. An excellent video, as always.
Adam you are literally the very best at what you do. Your knowledge, and willingness to share it, makes my life a whole lot more enjoyable. I've always owned what my family members or friends call "land yaghts". Its great to know others love them as much as I do. having owned a 1985 Riviera, I beg to differ about the comfort of the rear seats. Its deceiving, but once back there quite a nice place to be for a trip. Of course that was years ago, and now I'm on my 2nd beautiful Town Car.
I agree, I also owned an '85 Riviera and never had any of my backseat passengers complain about being uncomfortable. I drive a Toyota Tundra PU today - go figure!
I remember seeing this car back in 85 in a Time Magazine ad for Buick. Even then I thought the car looked dated, but many Americans liked it and bought a lot of them.
I hate body side moldings but back in the day people would carelessly beat the crap out of your car with their doors.
I remember seeing this gen of Rivieras all over the place in the 1980s into the early 90s. The 1979-1985 Toronado was hard to tell apart from these 1979-1985 Riviera.
I had a 79 Riviera for 11 years it was the best car ever had
Happy Holidays Adam 🎅
The T-Type Riviera was a beautiful car and minus the vinyl roof you are spot on, and what made the car a classic design.
The only thing that GM & Ford couldn't get a grip on was the bumpers protruding out past the sides of the car. It must have bothered Chip Foose as a child he likes to section the bumpers and remove the undesirable excess.
The main reason they use fake wood in cars is that it is far cheaper to make and install. But also, during an impact event, wood can splinter and actually stab passengers. Plastic tends to bend and thus is considered safer. However, In the past 15 years, auto makers have learned how to fashion wood so that it is not an issue during a crash and that is why you see it being used again.
Frankly, you can have it. The only car I've ever owned that had wood in its construction was my '85 Porsche 928S2, which had an actual black painted plywood panel covering the fuse box under the floor mat at the front of the passenger side footwell. Yes they came from Stuttgart like this. There were actually three pieces that made that cover, a lower fixed piece, a large piece that covered the fuse box and was removable, and a wood block to aid in positioning. My kind of wood interior!
Love that era of the Riv. Thanks, Adam!
Happy Festivus!🎄☃️
I also had a Buick T-type in the 80's. A Skyhawk with the 1.8L four turbo and a 4 speed. It could stay right with the T-type Riviera.
I remember when the 77-78 Rivera came out we called them saber-Riv's. My uncle had one for his demo and all he could say about them was boring. I think he had five or six 63-65's at different times. And he really liked the 79-85's.
I think it also won Motor Trend car of the year award.
The first model year, 1979, did.
As you child a buddy and neighbors dad worked at GM it seemed every 9 to 12 months they had a new GM. I remember but sadly didn’t appreciate (at the time) the number of vehicles they had…including this vintage Tornado & Riviera (as well as many others). They were very nice cars in their day.
Thanks for the review.
I had an 85 Tornado with the 307 Oldsmobile V8. It wasn’t powerful but it was the smoothest running vehicle I’ve ever owned.
I found a turbo riviera on a used car lot in the late 80s and test drove it. Interesting car.
Question: What car does Adam want for Christmas? 🎄😎🎅🧑🎄👍🏻
72 Imperial Coupe
This generation of Riviera was first GM model to have the mirror housing that flared out from the window like ones on Mercedes-Benz from 1971 onward instead of anchoring onto the "pole" attaching to the door.
The stereo system panel could move up to line up with the vent bezels better. The HVAC control panel could be expanded vertically to line up with the black boxes.
A friend of mine bought a turbocharged Buick like this and kept it for over a decade
It took a Turbocharger to eke out 200hp on these 3.8 V6 engines. The 1995 3800 II naturally aspirated V6 made 205 hp.
Yeah most old turbocharged cars usually ran very low boost compared to today.
245 hp / 345 torque in the 3.8 v6 lc2 in the turbo regals/GN in 1986-87, but it was more like 260hp/360 tq.
I think it was like a ‘85 Motorweek.. they had one of these setup as a test mule for the touch screen GCC that they introduced on the ‘86 models.
Merry Christmas Adam and to all the subscribers! These generation of Riv's, and Toro's were STRIKING cars. The only thing about GM at that time was they seemed to use the cheapest plastic for everything, even for the knobs, the tail light lenses's bumper fillers.
Totally agree about vinyl tops! Back in the late 70's, I saw a burgundy Monte Carlo without a vinyl top, and it was stunning. I don't care for the late 70's MC's with that ridiculous half vinyl top. Amazing how the plain top made such a positive difference. Keep it up, I enjoy your videos
I guess beauty really is in the eyes of the beholder.
I can't knock people's love for these cars... but I'll never understand it, either. 🤷
My Boss had a Silver Plane Jane with hubcaps and the 307. It was very nice driving and the power was plenty to move it around. Big power was gone but big comfort and ride and drive quality was way up.
I like it. The one thing that always puzzled me was the way the A pillars were connected across the hood. Almost like a last-minute design change, and it was supposed to be more raked at first.
My father's first luxury car was one of this series Riviera. also sans the vinyl top. It is a beautiful car and great to drive. He went of to a series of Cadillacs. but the Riv was always my favorite.
The "T" in T-Type stood for Touring package, like the Buick Regal T-Type, it didn't mean when you ordered the "T" or "T-Type" option you got the turbo engine. Gorgeous vehicle. I believe it had 200hp.
You're right,, but I love the 77-78 Rivs. I love all Riveras, the last ones are my least favorite.
After '85, they were no longer "Rivieras" - especially the '86 - what a fall from grace!
My friend had one of these. We filled the trunk with about 300lb of firewood and the self leveling suspension adjusted 😂
Lovely car you decided to cover today. I'd seen one in an accident while I was driving in Norfolk one day. An older couple was driving a black T-Type through an intersection that had several blind spots, and someone in a Toyota Highlander turned left and hit them. The Buick was pretty badly damaged, and the couple somewhat the worse for wear as well. Fortunately, an ambulance and police were already on the scene.
When you think about the idea that the Riviera was a good performance car at the beginning, the T-Type comes closer to the original in spirit, it seems to me.
i like that generation of buick rivera😊.
I'm curious what the final drive ratio was.
It was my dream car when I was in my 20s
That older C3I ignition system was a Magnavox setup. They used it up until the 3800 tuned port engine and it had a very high failure rate. Worst part is, all 3 coils and the module were replaced as a whole unit. Later 3800s had a GM C3I system that had the typical two post coils that could be replaced one at a time and the module was separate as well.
I like these Rivieras, especially as you mentioned, without a vinyl top. Other than the boat tails, I like the big 1974-76 ‘E’ body Rivieras, especially the ‘74 with an aggressive 1973 looking front end.
The '74-'76 Rivieras were decent looking cars, I especially liked the extra set of tail/brake lights under the back glass on these - the '77-'78 Riviera was just a dressed up LeSabre - but boy did they hit it out of the ballpark with the 79's!
LOVED THAT GEN !
Would have loved to hear a mention about the fuel economy.
Adam, I do own an 85 t type. There’s a lot of tech support on turbo Regal sites for drivability issues. The ride is a bit more firm than the standard version but not harsh. There were upgrades to the transmission in the turbo models. Not sure exactly what they were but standard models had an A designation and turbo ones had a B designation for the transmission. Rare, but not valuable. This car is always the only t type Riv at a car show with many surprised people who didn’t know it existed. You have a great channel, and I look forward to seeing any car you put in the spotlight!
Thanks for this one, Adam.. Buick GNX was the best performance Buick of the 1980s for my money.. I'm not a fan of front wheel drive arrangements, generally speaking, but I did like the design of this generation Riviera.
Nice looking car. My guess for the location of the defrost switch, the bean counters could save 18 inches of wire. They really never learned their lesson. Just look at how much smaller gm is today, compared to the 1950s when Chevrolet division alone was bigger than all of Ford Motor Company. Gone are the days of GM. Now we have gm. SAD.
I love the turbo 6 logo on the otherwise standard Riv dash as well as the call out on the trunk lid. Surprising, but not, no extra gauges! I knew they existed but have never seen one in the metal. My best friend’s mom had a new ‘80 Riv w/o the turbo : black with burgundy velour interior. Very posh car. I got to ride on the middle of that cushy front bench seat a few times
So many of these E bodies were ruined by landau roofs and fake wire wheelcovers, yet they were much more handsome without them, as this one shows. Too bad the Eldorado was stuck with horrible weak engines after '81.
These were very nicely styled cars and the T-Type was a great iteration. As for the 77-78 Rivera, it was spectacular to me. Being 14-15 when they came out, they were very well liked but for the price, you could buy an Electra and most people went for the LeSabre Custom with more options for less money. In the day when you saw one in a spectacular color combo, your head definitely turned. You’re a bit younger so your looking back in time not in the time when they were in vogue.
Thank you Adam. This was the successful generation. This was a nice looking car. The E Bodies(all of them) were on their game 1979-1985. The styling themes returned on the 1989-1993 Buick Riviera. It was a little smaller than the 1979-1985, but upsized from 1986-1988. I liked this 1979-1985 when it had digital gauges. I still would take a loaded 1984-1985 Oldsmobile Toronado with digital gauges. GM managed to make all the E Cars styled differently even though they shared parts. The car in your video does not have the passenger power seat. The instrumentation panel theme carried over to the 1986-1989 model years. The engine went on to become legendary as it was upgraded and used in Grand National and had more power and the 3800 Supercharged was eventually born in 1991 model year. The early days of the legendary engine. They got it worked out over time. 1989 Buick Riviera brought the 1979-1985 styling back: th-cam.com/video/bYcwEYc3Uf0/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/-qKgjHerKJY/w-d-xo.html
Getting 200 hp out of a 3.8 V6 in 1985 makes the 160 hp Audi was getting out of the 2.2 5 cylinder even more spectacular - in a 700 lb lighter car!
Gr8-looking Riviera, Adam. Turbocharged and looks like it's moving fast when it's standing still....Hope U can locate one and purchase it, if in good condition, of course....A RARE BEAUTY, that's 4 sure, Adam. Cheers fm Damo..
Love this generation, I owned one brand new in 1981, but it was plagued with constant check engine light problems, and lousy paint job. Still I'd have another
Find them with low mileage and no rust and buy buy buy. This will be one of the sought-after classic cars in the near future. Non-turbo ones will be what you'll find and what you should consider. I like the spilt bench seat in these cars. Cheers 🇨🇦
There is a car extremely similar to this for sale near me only they opted to put a carriage roof on it I don’t know if it’s factory ASC or an E&G dealership installed top but these are beautiful I love these cars.
I like the version of this edition that had the extended tail end to differentiate it more from the other GM badge engineered platforms.
A very attractive machine. You mention the bodyside strip/molding, and I now want to ask if this was standard equipment or was it optional?
Cool car! GM got this one right.
These are Buicks true sleeper because you can make these into GNX and surprise people at the light. I would love to see the Rivera on PowerNation getting modded and see what type of power you can get out of the Turbo 3.8 V6 .
Happy holidays!
Am I the only one who hears birds in the background as Adam talks?
Love these as the g body regals.