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Thursday, March 28, 2013

1969 Buick Riviera GS: Craigslist Capture

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport

1969 69 Buick Riviera Riv GS Gran Sport
As a habitual craigslist browser for old cars, when I see a car for sale in the vicinity of the local CL, I can usually spot it. Around Pittsburgh, this is the only rusty, faded 1969 Buick for sale at the moment, so when I was 100 miles from home and spotted it, I knew it was the same one I'd seen online. 

Out of curiosity, I thought I'd stop and see how my impression from the ad matched the car in person. 

Here's the copy from the ad:
Running Restorable 1969 Riviera GS. Mainly body work. 430 big block, 4 barrel carb.New location,price $2750.  
Sounds fair enough. The pictures on CL show the car with the passenger window down, an anti-theft on the steering wheel, and some faded paint/rust spots. 

In person, it's not too dissimilar, but there are some things that make it clear why it hasn't yet sold. Most good deals on craigslist are sold the same day, and this car has been hanging around for more than a month. 
In my eyes, this is a far superior vehicle than a standard muscle car - with this you get more comfort and frankly, a better-looking vehicle. I love the wild front end with those cross-eyed headlights hidden away. In this bronze, with perhaps a grey or light silver roof, this car would be stunning.

The headlights don't seem to close, nor does the passenger window, the paint is shot, rocker molding is missing, the radio is missing, the seats are stained the back bumper needs to be rechromed, the vinyl top is long gone, and most concerning, the panel between the back window and the trunk lid seems to be displaced, hinting at rust underneath, which would be awkward to repair. Lower body rust is minimal for the rust belt, but the holes will not shrink on their own. 

I would lean more toward buying this one and spending a weekend fixing the window, cleaning, polishing, tuning up and otherwise making the car more presentable, then driving it for a while before tearing it apart for a full de-rusting and paint job. If you'd like some 60s style on a budget and are handy in the garage, this is a good vehicle for you.
What do you think, worth the repair costs, or better to pay more for a better example?