Among enthusiasts, it’s typically the first, second, and third-generation Rivieras that seem to get the most attention and fanfare, which is understandable, as all three were innovative and cutting-edge offerings in the personal luxury car market. The car had been downsized significantly by the time the seventh gen rolled around, but so had many competitors, and the Riviera still met its objective proficiently, just in a smaller package. This 1992 model here on Craigslist is loaded with options, and with only 30,000 miles, the seller feels it’s still capable of being driven anywhere. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this beautiful, luxurious coupe is priced at $12,500, and we’d like to thank Barn Finds reader Barney for finding it and sending in the tip!
The seller describes the car as being in like-new condition, with the extra-cost Pearlescent Diamond White paint still shining beautifully. We don’t get a lot of background here, but the Arizona and Utah climates appear to have been kind to this Buick, as it’s said to remain rust-free. The panels also appear straight, and while it’s not confirmed, I’m guessing this one’s spent quite a bit of its downtime inside a garage. A photo of the original window sticker is included, which mentions locking wire wheel covers, but it looks like those have been swapped out, with the present rollers said to be wearing brand new Michelin tires.
The Riviera was well-equipped even in base form, but this one also features the Prestige Option Package. This was an expensive bundle for the time, adding more than $1,000 to the cost, but it got buyers such extra niceties as a power and reclining passenger seat, remote keyless entry, twilight sentinel headlight control, and more. Also inside are leather seats with buckets in the front, which all appear to be well-preserved, and everything is stated as working. About the only thing missing here is a sunroof.
Only one engine and transmission were available in ’92, a 3.8-liter V6 and a four-speed automatic, with the latter having a recent fluid and filter change. It’s mentioned that the service history and records are included, so if this one’s been properly maintained, there could still be years of reliable service remaining. Any thoughts on this 1992 Buick Riviera? Is $12.5k a reasonable price to pay here?
Price is a bit optimistic, but if you like these cars you might not be able to find a nicer one. That early Series I 3800 is nice in that the intake is aluminum (switched to more leak-prone plastic intake in ’93 and all through the Series II run). The only weak spot of the Series I that I’m aware of is a plastic heater hose fitting that will eventually break off the right side of the intake a dump your entire load of coolant in seconds (ask me how I know). Replacement steel ones are available for $5 from Dorman.
Makes you scratch your head why GM didn’t do the Dorman fix at the factory. Never mind, cost too much.
Along that line I drive a ’09 Lucerne. The fuel pump relay fuse is under the back seat and it was too tall from the factory. The seat cushion puts enough pressure on the cover to press down on the fuse to overheat it. A bulletin was issued to fix by putting a shorter fuse in. For Cadillac DTS the fix moved the entire box to the middle of the seat. Mine overheated enough times to when one day the engine wouldn’t start until the fuse cooled off. That’s when I discovered the problem & had to replace the entire fuse box for about $900. This bulletin ended the repair warranty in 2019 which is when I bought the car of course. All Buick would do was give me a $100 gift card. This car was made from ’06-’11 so they should’ve fixed this and saved me a lot of money and maybe prevented a fire because that relay was almost untouchable when hot.
You bought a 10 year old used car. You deserve nothing from the manufacturer.
Nice lines , nice interior. Love the color combo for hot weather too. Riviera such a great model.
Nice car. Not worth the asking price.
The sixth gen Riviera 79-85 was my choice for this car. The last one you could with a V8 and much better looking in my opinion.Nice Buick though.