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  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    Just added a 5th GM to my fleet of 5.
    2010 Malibu LT. Black granite metallic. My first l4 ever but the 6 speed auto should make it work for me. Rebates were $4000 and they possibly expired that day. It has the power convenience pack which includes remote start, power seat, and cell phone sync thru radio. It will replace my SC '96 Riv as a daily driver. I now have to figure out which one has to go.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    I saw a brand new red (maroonish) CTS wagon today with dealer plates. It was definitely sharp. I'll be curious on how well they sell.

    Also, I was in Las Vegas for the past 5 days and was surprised to see a few current gen. CTS's doing taxi duties. I wonder how well it will hold up to that kind of abuse. I rode in a current Malibu taxi that was a rattling POC (couldn't see how many miles it had). Of all the taxi's I rode in while gambling and drinking my money away that actually impressed me was an Explorer. The unit I rode in had 150k miles on it and was solid as a rock, hardly any squeaks or rattles and was surprisingly quiet. I figured it would be a horrid too.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,109
    What color is your '96 Riv? I always liked those cars.
  • dave8697dave8697 Member Posts: 1,498
    White Diamond with blue interior. The paint is one of the few things that went bad. The previous owner garaged it so it didn't peel until Buick wasn't willing to pay for repainting, >8 yrs old. Maaco quoted me $950 to repaint it with a close matching enamel last summer. When I wash it, paint flakes get into the sponge. It has no trade in value.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,483
    Back in 1979 a friend of mine and I bough a 1967 Riviera for $5(a dealer sales promotion that went awry). We got it running(it needed a solenoid and belts/hoses) and drove it around all summer. I wound up donating it to the Louisville Buick Club a few years later. I wouldn't mind having a '66 or '67 GS...

    image

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Beautiful car! Too bad they would junk-up that design in 1970 until the car would resemble a Skylark on steroids.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,109
    One thing I'll say for the Riviera...I don't think they ever made one that I out-and-out hated. Now there are some I'm not so crazy about. For instance, the 1970 you mentioned, and the dainty 1986-88 models that looked too similar to a Somerset Regal. But even those, I can't say that I hated.

    I think my favorite Riv is the '66-69 style. They just look so sleek and futuristic. I also like the '65 with its hidden headlights, but don't care for the exposed lights on the '63-64.

    On the day I bought my 2000 Intrepid, I was planning on looking at a used '95 supercharged Riv that was for sale nearby. However, my uncle needed me to take him to the dealership that morning to get his truck, which was in for servicing, we started looking at new cars and trucks, and I never did make it to see that Riv.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    There was a guy in my old neighborhood who had a black 1986 Riviera. The funky GCC touch display was still functional. God knows where you would get one of those if it went wonky! There's nothing as old as yesterday's high-tech!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    >The funky GCC touch display was still functional. God knows where you would get one of those if it went wonky!

    There are repair places for GM-authorized service. DSS, Dayton Speedometer Service here in warm and sunny Greater Dayton, Ohio, is one example.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Now THAT'S a car...not the sleepy current Buicks....

    Very giving of you, RB!

    Regards,
    OW
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    1963

    No seams.

    image

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    The 63/64 is still my personal favorite of the Rivs although the LeSabre like dash could have been a bit nicer.
  • smarty666smarty666 Member Posts: 1,503
    edited March 2010
    God those were the days! man I wish I could go back to the 50s and 60s when they knew how to make cars and didn't have to have all this fancy technology stuff they have today!

    God I miss all that true metal and CHROME!!!! I used to go through 1-2 Chrome bottle cleaners a year back then, now I have had the same bottle of chrome cleaner sitting on the shelf in my garage for about 15years :P

    its interesting to note that this classic, which droved up old memories, was quickly quashed by that plastic econobox accord in the background just to remind us in the picture and contrast how much times have changed ;)

    STUPID AUTO INDUSTRY MAKING EVERYTHING PLASTIC NOW!!!

    great pic though man!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    edited March 2010
    The Riviera had the cracks between body panels smoothed in with lead? or some metal so the car had a smooth finish to it with the welded body parts.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • smarty666smarty666 Member Posts: 1,503
    that is so cool :shades:
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    A concept car at NAIAS

    image

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Problem is, they won't make it like this. Even if it comes close, it will be another step forward for GM. Obvious Asian influence again, like the LaCrosse.

    Regards,
    OW
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,109
    Back in those days, they often went through more effort to finish off a car than they do today. For instance, my '57 DeSoto is the only car I've ever had where that panel between the decklid and the rear window is actually smoothed over at the seams where it joins the quarter panels on either side. And I'm sure that was common on cars back then.

    In later years, those seams were exposed...cars such as my '67 Catalina, '69 Bonneville, etc. I think my '76 LeMans is this way, too. Later cars, like my '79 Chryslers, '80 Malibu, '85 LeSabre, etc, just had that panel appear to be bolted in, so there wasn't even a seam anymore, just two pieced of metal butted against each other. And nowadays, most cars don't even have that panel anymore, as the decklid usually goes right up to the rear window.

    GM did pay close attention to those first and second-gen Rivieras, though. The fit and finish on them was excellent for the time, and looks pretty good even today.
  • xluxlu Member Posts: 457
    Nice
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    A concept car at NAIAS

    You know one of the problems I have with a lot of new cars is the looks of the front ends. Buick's "whale bone" front ends look like they should be sifting krill for a feeding, and don't look good to me. To be fair, I also particularly dislike Honda's newer grills, especially on the Pilot and Ridgeline. The Mazda smile I can almost tolerate, and also the Camry snout. The Audi front was radical at first, but I now sort of like it. Mercedes IMHO looks the best, and VW is pretty good, too.
  • smarty666smarty666 Member Posts: 1,503
    not only is this one of the few glimmers of hope I have for GM, but this is certainly the way for Buick to get rid of the old person connotation their cars have!! :D
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    It sounds like you are personifying the car due to the appearance of the front. And they do give an emotional reaction when I see them. I don't care for the over-styled Riviera concept car type. I like that it's sleek, but that's too sleek.

    I always think back to the 60 Minutes story about the European automobile psychologist they had a story about. He didn't improve the psyche of the autos, but his field was the study of the reaction the auto's appearance had on the primitive brain of the human being. The aggressive look actually invokes a reaction that is not in our conscious brain necessarily. He was paid very well by auto companies to analyze the style and reactions they garnered. This may have been more than 15 years ago I saw that story...

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    Interesting info on how we react to cars' appearance. I like the look of the new Buicks, but I'd still like them to modify that front end style for the entire line.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,483
    Back in the early '70s Road and Track published a list of the 25 most beautiful cars. The 1966-1967 Riviera was on the list as was the 1970-1972 Camaro.
    My Riv had several neat features, such as door handles for the rear passengers and the kool-man drum speedometer:

    image

    When the headlamp doors opened you could see another grill behind the headlights. The attention to detail was just amazing.. The only big coupe that could compete with the Riviera from a styling standpoint was the 1966-1967 Toronado.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,709
    edited March 2010
    I had never seen a drum-type speedometer like that that was on your Buick Riviera. Way too cool! :shades:

    image

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    They used to use lead to smooth seams on a lot of vehicles back in the day. I recall seeing a show where there were restoring a 1953 Chevy truck and were showing were the factory used lead to smooth the seams. You don't see this kind of meticulous attention to detail anymore unless you buy a Rolls-Royce or Bentley.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    What I really hate about today's cars is that huge exposed seam where the C-pillar meets the roof panel. You see this a lot on current Crown Vics and Grand Marquises. It would look ten billion times nicer if this seam was smoothed over.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,109
    You see this a lot on current Crown Vics and Grand Marquises. It would look ten billion times nicer if this seam was smoothed over.

    I hate that seam, too. In the earlier years that was a trouble spot for rusting, but they may have improved in later years. I remember my buddy's '95 Grand Marquis was starting to show some rust in that spot in 2004, around the time he got rid of it. That was the first time I noticed it, but I've checked out other similar cars, and noticed that many of them seem to have thin paint down in the crevices of that area, and are starting to rust.

    My 2000 Park Ave has those seams that run the whole length of the roof, which I don't like, but at least they tuck them in near a crease, so they don't draw as much attention. However, one seam I positively hate on that car is at the BASE of the C-pillar! Where the quarter panel and C-pillar meet, there's a seam with a thin rubber strip, and where it wraps into the doorjamb area, you can see where the two pieces of metal overlap.

    Fortunately, the creases at the top of the quarter panels, which are almost like little tailfins, do help hide these seams. Heck, I never even noticed the seams on these cars, until I bought one, so maybe they're not anything to get TOO worked up about.
  • xrunner2xrunner2 Member Posts: 3,062
    That's a good looking Buick concept car, except for the vertical bars on grille that is Buick identity motif. Wish that Buick would tone this down somehow. It is ugly. Also, was this car designed by GM/Buick of China by Chinese designers? Looks like rear view mirrors are very skimpy. Windsheild needs to be restrained. Goes back too much.

    Would like to see an critique by Bob Cumberford of Automobile Magazine on this car. He always does an excellent job in reviewing designs of new/concept cars.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 26,109
    I think the problem is that the grille just sits too high on the front of the car. It makes me think a bit of a Lexus RX300. As for that windshield, I imagine about half of that is either a sunroof or just a fixed glass roof. Probably would be toned down considerably if it made it to production.
  • xrunner2xrunner2 Member Posts: 3,062
    On that grille of concept Riv - wonder if there is any way to retro a part of the look of the great 60's Rivs grille onto the concept.
  • cooterbfdcooterbfd Member Posts: 2,770
    edited March 2010
    My '29 Buick has one, only it rolls horizontally, not vertically. THAT is my all time favorite Riv ('66-'67) Followed by the '65. (HEY I got post #401 just like the Nailhead in my WIldcat) :shades:
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    A rolling speedo was one of the "new" features Edsel bragged about when it made its 58 debut. The 66 Toronado had a rolling speedometer. That was one of my very favorite cars, still looks modern and cool today.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Edsel's speedo rolled horizontally. The Riv and Toro's go vertically. 1970s Lincoln Continentals had one that looked like the mercury in a thermometer.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,652
    For weirdness, I think a fintail ranks pretty high. Did anyone else ever use a vertical unit?

    image
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Depends on what kind of Bentley you buy.

    The one we have in now doesn't have the doors lining up a 100% so they don't give a positive thunk when you close them. They are probably off by an 1/8 of an inch or so and the car is only five years old.

    New school Bentleys are really just VWs and Audis with much, much nicer interiors.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,483
    A local dealer took an older Turbo R in trade. Can't say I wasn't a wee bit tempted.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,652
    edited March 2010
    Oh come on, $8K brake jobs are fun.

    Oh yeah, speaking of the Rolls/Bentley German connection, I swear it is so easy to see the BMW 7er roots in the new Rolls "Ghost".
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...as a point of reference:

    image
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,652
    Some of the dashboard stuff seemed way too similar to be sold at that price point...almost like some GM badge engineering going on here.

    I am sure the interior and NVH issues are different enough, however.
  • rockyleerockylee Member Posts: 14,017
    That is soooooooooooooo sweeeeeet!!!! :shades:

    -Rocky
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,728
    edited March 2010
    image

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    Rock, don't faint, but I'm with you there.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    It's a nice looking sedan.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    I think GM is finally feeling some momentum. Ford is still the darling role... but GM is looking better.
  • cooterbfdcooterbfd Member Posts: 2,770
    Yes, I think things have been getting better for about 5 years
  • grbeckgrbeck Member Posts: 2,358
    Chevy had one at the Washington, D.C., auto show this year. It's a nice looking car, but I still prefer the new next-generation Focus (which was also at the auto show).
  • cooterbfdcooterbfd Member Posts: 2,770
    Nice job for GM:

    http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2010-j-d-power-vehicle-dependability-study/#2
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    Why is Chevy so low? Below Chrysler, Hyundai, and Kia? Ford really has seemed to improve.
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666
    Why is Chevy so low? Below Chrysler, Hyundai, and Kia?

    I would guess the component replacement rates for their top sellers, Silverado, Impala, Malibu and Cobalt are still a nagging problem even today.

    I suspect that Chevy should be the highest focus for GM to improve. Looks like if they get Chevy over the Average Line (along with GMC - obviously the Yukon drags the brand down), they will have moved toward repairing their low-quality perception with their customers.

    Regards,
    OW
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