White as the Driven Snow

Tonight bore witness to the final segment of the Riv getting treated with paint cleaner (step 1 in Meguiar's Deep Crystal system), and WOW, what a difference! See how the shadows of the mirror and door handle pop out? Mmm, not really? Well, she's a victim of poor nighttime lighting.

Another Riv task of the day was to apply for the mail-in rebate on the wiper blades I picked up a week-and-a-half ago. The one on the passenger side is already installed...the driver's blade awaits the replacement wiper arm, still not found on-line or in-store. In a 'eureka' moment this morning, I ran down to check the old arm for a part number, but no dice. There's a '3' emblazoned on it, but nothing else.

I'd like to get started on step 2, (the polish), but first, I'd like to tackle the wire wheels, bumpers, and fender skirts with some spray-on chrome cleaner. That will require a separate trip to the store, but that's okay, there's plenty to stock up on for Saturday morning's big outing.

Also on the task list for tomorrow night: digging the seat belts out from underneath the rear seat.

Rear Quarter Panel Filler - RR7Q

Today's Riv time took some weight out of my wallet. I emailed a parts company to confirm that I'd found the right body panel for the left rear corner. A search at several other suppliers turned up nothing, so when they confirmed that I had the right number, I placed the order and am now $180.50 closer to insolvency. But I'm still better off than my bank, which got eaten alive over the weekend.

Atlanta still has its gas shortage, but the Riv has half a tank and plenty of tunes.

The Trunk Restored -- the Radio Revived

Having promised to write an article for the Know the Law page of North Fulton Living, I knew that the only way to meet its deadline was to forbid myself from blogging. Crafty me, I did not prohibit working on the Riv. So, now that the article is headed to the editor's desk, I have some news to share and pictures to post...



Saturday:

I began by replacing both license-plate lamps. Loose wiring meant that I had to install the left bulb twice, even though it lit the first time. I also found four lamp sockets in the tail lights with no bulbs (just above and below each reverse lamp). I inserted some spare bulbs into the sockets and quickly figured out why they had been empty: an electrical short causes them to burn regardless of whether the headlights or parking lights are lit -- they would have drained the battery lickety-split. So those extra sockets are still empty, but the license plate glows in the dark.



Next, I removed the trunk liners and gave them a good shampoo:

And I unscrewed the compact spare, took it out of its fabric wrapper, and measured its air pressure...no surprise, it rang up a goose-egg. So I unpacked the air compressor I bought last weekend and let 'er rip. With the tire full, I WD-40'd the wingnuts holding the jack in place, and pulled it out and gave it some lubing too.


Put them all back together, and shazam:


























But there was one mystery part floating around in the trunk...a cold Bud goes to the first one to tell me what this thing is for. I set it next to a gallon-size paint can to give you some perspective.



The last task of the day was to stop by AutoZone, hoping to score a wiper arm, because Pep Boys came up dry. No dice, and some time spent on-line didn't get much either. Looks like I'll have to call the dealership on that one.

Sunday:

I've scheduled the Riv's first public appearance for next Saturday, so I have to get cracking on the body. Today, paint cleaner went on the trunk, the rear fascia, and the left rear fender, all with substantial spot removal. She looks good, and if you've not been keeping track, only the driver's door remains untouched.


Between body panels, I unbolted the brackets holding the broken plastic part that runs behind the bumper from the rear fender around to the tail light assembly. (This pic is before the work; the after shot didn't work well at all).
Scrubbed the brackets down and taped them to a ziploc bag with the screws. I don't know if the replacement part will come with new brackets, but I'll give it a shot.

And the last, best news of all is that in the afternoon sun, enough light bounced into the garage so that I could replace fuse #7 with a yellow 20-amp version. Turned the key and the radio came on straight away....a bit scratchy at first, but with much better clarity after the speakers had the chance to dust themselves off.


My reward for that: a top-down trip around the block accompanied by Rachmaninoff....with not an idiot light in sight.

Thrashers' Ticket Thursday

My share of the Thrashers' season tickets arrived today from the lead guy of the group I'm in. Very pleased about the games that I was allocated (the Avs, naturally, as well as the Red Wings, the Maple Leafs, the Penguins, the Rangers, and the Panthers) though they seem to be concentrated toward the end of the season...not a bad thing if we actually make a run for the playoffs this year.

The Riv got about 20 minutes of attention tonight: paint cleaner on the front left fender. Lookin' forward to Saturday and my scheduled trip back to the parts shop.

Gotta Get Gas

No Riv work tonight because I needed gas in my daily driver. The amber light blinked on a few days ago, and the needle came to rest on E during my trip home. So after the kidlet was tucked in, I set out on an expedition to find fuel, because most stations in the area are out, or have lines storied to be 1/2 an hour long.

The 7th station I came to had gas, and a 5-car line (not bad, really), and naturally, the goofball just in front of me jumps to a pump with the nozzle on the wrong side, and it doesn't reach across...so she looks at me like I did it, and then turns her SUV around (against the flow) and fills her tank. Sure enough, another goofball lines up behind her, and traps her in. So we wait, and fume, and an employee comes by and gets things straightened out, and I get my turn. But really, now, people, is it that hard?!?

So here's my take on this: the activation of the anti-gouging law by the governor in the absence of a real emergency here is acting as a price cap and exaggerating the shortage because demand outpaces supply at the current price. Economics 101 says that if we allowed stations to price the gas higher, then people unwilling to pay the higher price could go to the next station. Consumers end up losing anyway because time is money, and we now have to spend both extra time along with our money to get our gas. And in my world, that means a day without Riv work.

Moonbeam Therapy

After a day like today, I deserved a night ride in the Riv. The idiot lamp came on as I left the driveway, so I tried the shut off -- restart trick in the cul-de-sac before we went anywhere. That took care of the light, and helped settle her down. A little piston slap during acceleration remained, but even that wore off as she warmed up. I'm starting to wonder if the oil pressure is on the low side, even though the dipstick shows she has plenty of Quaker State in the pan.

Once home, I eyed the paint cleaner, but went for the leather conditioner to wipe down the steering wheel, the sun visors, the driver's door panel, the armrest/console, and the headliner. All were coated, but they can at least be pulled back to a nearly-new condition without replacement. The seats themselves (front and back) have tears and gaps down to the foam, so we've set out some sheepskins to cover them 'til I can find a good upholstery shop. When the seats come back for installation, I'm going to have to see about diagnosing the drivers' side power seat adjustments. The solenoid whirs whenever the switch is activated, but there's no movement, or even a sound of strain.

Another thing I'd like to find the time to do is remount the driver's side window with new bushings. It goes up and down just fine, but it slams from side to side by about a quarter-inch when you close the door. Given the length of that window, I'm terrified of hearing it crack one day.

So it appears that I've added to the task list more than I've crossed off tonight, but that'll probably happen for a while.

A few readers have asked for more about the Riv's history.

Here is the Cliff's Notes version, as related by Tom on the day I picked her up:

The Buick started life as a Hertz specialty rental in California, kind of like the Mustang GT350H from 1966 and the Shelby GT-H from 2006. When her rental gig was up, she was bought by a man owning a Buick dealership in Orlando. He kept her as a commuter during the years of the skinny Buicks (like this 1992 Riviera), and then sold her through a broker to me in the spring of 1995.

She had 96,000 on the clock when Tom bought her in '95, and as of tonight, she's showing 152,289.

Adios Doggie Drool, Part I

Armed with an old t-shirt and a bottle of paint cleaner, I tackled the passenger door and rear quarter-panel tonight. I found a couple of chips, but most of the paint discoloration ran in a diagonal spray pattern back from the rear window to the wheel well. No surprise there, and a little elbow grease was all it needed. Tomorrow night, I'll turn the car around to get the trunk and at least a part of the driver's side.

Weekend work

Quick apologies to those disappointed by my absence from the blogosphere last night. My wife and I found a babysitter and actually *went out for dinner* with friends. Hooray!

So now I've got some catch-up blogging for you:

Saturday a.m.

Pulled the car out into the sunshine to check the fuse panel. #7 was blown (yup, the radio) and I couldn't find any spares, so I added that to the shopping list. I also pulled the rubber plugs from the wiper fascia to get to the bolts holding it down, because it has to come off to get to the wiper arm pivot point. That's about when I realized that this project wasn't going to get very far without a decent ratchet & socket set. I also discovered that the idle speed would not adjust down well, even after a warm-up period. A thread I've found on Buick Forums hinted that the likeliest cause for this is a clogged throttle body. That's probably something for a later weekend.

Saturday p.m.

Quick trip to Pep Boys...bought fuses, new wiper blades, replacement bulbs for the license plate lamps, and a socket set. $55.59 all together, but I think I took a bath on the socket set. Sunday's paper had an ad for a similar set for $12.99, and I paid almost twice that. The parts guy also spent some time looking for a replacement wiper arm for me. The closest he got was an arm for a '77 - '78 Riv, but I told them to put that on hold, because it just didn't look the same.

Once I got back home, I unbolted the wiper fascia, and found enough pine needles, acorns and dried leaves to re-stock a small forest, or at least stock the winter lairs of a half dozen squirrels.

I then set about removing the sheared-off wiper arm. Took about 20 minutes and two choice vocabulary words. And I'm even more convinced that the '77 - '78 arm is of a different design.


Sunday a.m.

Took the family up to Sawnee Mountain Preserve for a 2 mile hike and a good view. Forgot the camera.

Sunday p.m.

Before





After



Decided against a second trip to Pep Boys in favor of working on the paint job. As with my 528e, I'll be using Meguiar's 3 step Deep Crystal system with separate paint cleaner, polish, and wax compounds. I had time to apply paint cleaner on the front right quarter-panel, the grille-headlight surround, and the hood. The photos don't do it justice, but the extra gloss was really gratifying (yes, that's the wiper fascia propped up against the windshield, waiting on the correct wiper arm).

Fun With Fuses

My plan was to inspect fuses tonight, but there simply wasn't enough light in the garage after dark to see the fuse panel well, so we'll have to open the top tomorrow and try again. Meanwhile, I've scanned the fuse diagram for your viewing pleasure...

The Great Magazine Comparo

I started out tonight by combing through my set of National Geographics from 1984, hoping to score an time capsule ad for the Riv to show you. No luck, though I found 2 other Buicks presented with that no-so-subtle early '80s practicality: a Century and a Regal.

I also saw a smorgasbord of cars with whitewall tires. I'll bet the Riv left the factory on whitewalls, and as supporting evidence, here are some ads for other Rivs pulled from Hemmings.com's Sept 2008 issue:

Example #1:

This 1984 coupe is in Clearwater, FL for $3,995. No listed mileage, and the other photos show a velour interior and an aftermarket steering wheel. It's also got the external full size spare hanging off the rear bumper...abominable!





Example #2:


This 1983 convertible is in Bristol, CT and listed for $6,600. Claims to have original tires and only 54,000 miles. Tom would say that the '83s are just not the same.





Example #3:



This 1985 coupe has lived in a showroom in Fairmont, IL for a while (because it popped up about 9 months ago when I started thinking about the Riv). It has 145,000 miles -- about the same as Tom's. It's listed at $7,595, and if it had the drop-top and leather, it would match up pretty well. I think Buick started putting Turbo V-6s into the 1985s, but I haven't been able to confirm that.


Examples #4 & 5:

No pictures, but worthwhile comparisons because one is a 1985 convertible in Kentucky with white paint and maroon leather. At 105,000 miles, it's listed at $8,500 obo.
Hemmings also lists a 1983 coupe with 9,000 original miles for $15,000.

My plan is to bring Tom's Riv up to a sales price of about $6,500, using Example #2 as a benchmark. You'll see it here first.

Peeling Two Scabs of Time

Tonight we removed two stickers from the Riv's bumper:


Before














... spray ...and ...wipe ... After













A little WD-40 and a straight-edge razor, and they came right off.

Even better, I couldn't find the WD-40 on the shelf where it was supposed to be, so I had an excuse to take her out to an ATM (I needed cash anyway) and to Publix.

The trip didn't start so well. The engine ran pretty rough and the idiot lamp wouldn't cut off. It was my first night drive, so I walked around to check the lamps. The headlights and tail lamps were fine, but the license plate lights are both out. And just like the 1983 BMW 5-series that Tom is storing for me, the left rear side lamp is out too. Why don't cars come with side lamps any more? They're elegant.

So the trip to Publix was a stomach churner. The tranny shifted more smoothly than it has all week, but the orange glow of the idiot lamp, the stumbly motor, and smell of fresh hydrocarbons all gave me the impression that she was down a cylinder. Just my luck, so I started thinking about where to take her for a compression test.

But when I came out of the Publix and turned her over for the trip home, the engine purred like a kitten and the light went out straight away. The trip home was much quieter, though I still probably need to schedule that compression test.

And by now you've noticed that there's a body part missing. I'm pretty sure I've located a replacement "quarter panel filler extension" for $160, but I'm still shopping. After I work through some of the electronic gremlins, then I'll be ready to tackle that.

A Clean Carfax

By plugging the VIN for Tom's Riv into Carfax last night, I added $24.99 to the tab, but didn't find anything new. The report came back clean on accidents and damage, which I wasn't surprised by at all.
I had been hoping for some owner history, but the report didn't do anything beyond confirm Tom's purchase date. Those 7 "detailed records" are nothing more than title renewals.
I'll send the .htm file on request...just mail me here.

Among the posts to come will be a summary of my front-porch discussion with Tom about the Riv's history. It'll just take some time to get there.

Note to self: check the fuse panel to see if that explains the silent radio. Or maybe also the rear windows.

While on-line, I stopped by Team Buick to browse some threads. Found some great information, and some links to some good on-line parts sources: www.gmobsolete.com and www.autopartswarehouse.com.

A Silver Lining in Every Drought

Last Saturday, I was on the way home in the good ship Riviera. The aftermarket radio wasn't turning on, so I motored along and listened to the rumble of its small block V-8.

Once I got home and started wiping off some of the dust and road grit, however, I noticed that the driver's side windshield wiper has no blade. Not just that, but the wiper arm is sheared off:



Darn good thing it didn't rain on Day One!

So the AutoZone shopping list right now looks something like this:

1) Interior rear-view mirror
2) Wiper blade and replacement arm
3) White lithium grease and silicone spray for lubricating the folding top joints

And my expenses so far are:
$26.55 for an air compressor to keep the left front tire inflated

The Beginning

I've agreed to help fix up and sell Tom's Buick Riviera.
A 1984 convertible...white with a burgundy interior.
The plan is for me to spend about three months' worth of weekends and evenings tinkering with it, and then put it up for sale here in Atlanta.
Yesterday, I drove it down from Tom's place up in the North Georgia Mountains. Beautiful day for a drive, and a terrific chariot in which to ride.
This morning, we pulled out a bucket and sponge, gave it a good rubdown, and took our first photo:

As you can see, there's a tear in the top and the rear windows are stuck where they are. The left one up; the right one down. It's got a few other things to do, but the body is in amazingly good shape.

My neighbor Johnny dropped by to see what we were doing. He fixed up a '76 Ford F-150 several years ago, and will surely be a help as we sort through the challenges that inevitably lie ahead.