Hello! New 1998 Silver Riviera Owner Here!

Hello All,

Just joined the forums because I just bought a Riviera! An old friend of mine recently bought a new car and didn't have space for 2 cars. I graciously took it off his hands and I must say that I'm impressed with all the amenities this car has in it's stock form! Wow! This thing is fully loaded! I think the only thing it doesn't have (according to my buddy) is the sunroof and a 6 disc CD changer. Seems to be bone stock as well. No mods whatsoever.

It's in pretty good shape despite her age. No rust, fairly low miles (116,000). Interior is cherry. no rips or fading in the leather I would say 9/10. Exterior 8/10.

I've only had her for a few hours and she's sitting outside my office. I'll go over her more thoroughly this weekend and have her professionally detailed.

The only issues it has that I can tell is some tired shocks/struts and possibly some warped rotors. Gonna get those replaced this Tuesday.

Will get some pics up as soon as I get her cleaned up a bit. Hope the weather holds too.

Looking forward to checking out the posts here on the forums and meeting other Riviera owners!

Cheers!

Jel

Quote :

The only issues it has that I can tell is some tired shocks/struts and possibly some warped rotors. Gonna get those replaced this Tuesday.

Welcome, and congrats on the new Riv! The work you are about to do opens doors for improved performance. If you are interested in making the car's handling & braking up to today's standards, search the tech write-ups for info on this. Just replacing the parts with OEM or equiv will improve things, but if you're interested in really driving the car to its true potential, consider selecting aftermarket parts.

AA wrote:

Quote :

The only issues it has that I can tell is some tired shocks/struts and possibly some warped rotors. Gonna get those replaced this Tuesday.

Welcome, and congrats on the new Riv! The work you are about to do opens doors for improved performance. If you are interested in making the car's handling & braking up to today's standards, search the tech write-ups for info on this. Just replacing the parts with OEM or equiv will improve things, but if you're interested in really driving the car to its true potential, consider selecting aftermarket parts.

Thanks for the warm welcome, AA. I'm really just getting to know this car and I'm enjoying it. My original plan was to replace with OEM, but now that you've mentioned it, I should definitely look into aftermarket parts. If I can go aftermarket for about the same or less than OEM then I might as well. Money is tight like everyone else, and like everyone else, I have other hobbies that use up my spare $$.

I'll definitely dig into the tech-write ups and see what is available.

Cheers!

Jel

Welcome! Cant wait to see some Pics. I'm new also and am planning to put up some pics asap

gmann3001 wrote:

Welcome! Cant wait to see some Pics. I'm new also and am planning to put up some pics asap

Thanks gmann! Looks like rain for us here in the SF Bay Area this weekend, but a chance of a break on Saturday. Maybe I'll bring out the ol' DSLR and snap a few pics.

Car going to the shop on Tuesday to check out the suspension and brakes. Maybe I'll have them go through it as well.

Jel,welcome here.You're going to love that car.

Welcome Jel. Ain't it interesting that people are surprised by how well these cars were appointed.

WELCOME ABOARD !!! It's always good to have new Riv owners join.

Looking forward to seeing some pics.
People on this site are very helpful.

Thanks everyone so much for the warm welcomes!!! I can't wait to get to know this vehicle more. After seeing it side by side with another car, I've come to the conclusion that it isn't truly silver. It has a very slight brownish tinge to it...kind of like a champagne. Guess I'll have to look up the factory name for the color I have. As soon as it clears up I'll have her detailed and try and take some decent pics.

Just A Guess On Your Color:

Light Antelope Metallic Clearcoat / 83/WA179A

I just looked up the color code on automotivetouchup dot com. The code was on the spare tire cover in the trunk.

BC/CC U 301D which according to website above, is Silvermist Metallic.

Still looks tinged slightly tan though....maybe its just a little dirty! LOL!

Jelorian wrote:

Still looks tinged slightly tan though....maybe its just a little dirty! LOL!

Well...Wash That Puppy !!!

Welcome to the club and congrats on your Riv!!

Thanks again to everyone for the warm welcome!!

Right now she's at the shop getting new Monroes up front and new tires all around. I'll be doing the Monroe Air Shock swap myself later this afternoon when I get her out of the shop. Wish I had more time then I'd do the fronts instead of paying the shop $250. Their labor rates are $100/hr and I was quoted 2.5 hours to do the job.

We've also been blessed with very mild weather, at least on the SF Peninsula. Hoping to finally get her washed and then take some photos.

Just a little update since I got the car last November. Since then I've replaced the tires, replaced the front and rear struts, replaced the battery, cut a new ignition key, obtained a new remote, and replaced the accessory pulley belt tensioner.

Hopefully she'll run good for a while and not have any more issues.

Still no photos...sorry!

WE WANT PICS - WE WANT PICS !!!

Sounds like you're getting her in shape.

A picture! Finally! I really do have one! Really I do!

This was taken at work.

That's a beautiful Riv ... Love the color !!!

Dude... Is my Riv the only one without leather??? I love that color!

ghpcnm wrote:

That's a beautiful Riv ... Love the color !!!

Thanks Dave!

I'm definitely gonna have to take a clay bar or something to the paint or pay to have it professionally buffed with polishing compounds.

Now if I could find that elusive oil leak....but I'll save that for another post...after I've tried and searched the forums for similar.

Cheers!

She is a beauty! Please post more pictures!

Very pretty car. Don't forget those pesky cornering light lenses. They so often look like cataracts after years of thermonuclear abuse
Best of luck with that all American classic!

denim wrote:

Very pretty car. Don't forget those pesky cornering light lenses. They so often look like cataracts after years of thermonuclear abuse
Best of luck with that all American classic!

Yep! I've already received a PM from another board member. He showed me a pic of his Riv and the difference is night and day. Funny thing is I never really noticed how off they were. I guess that is next on the list of things to do.

Yeah, well as an new owner you'll soon be noticing everything little thing about that car Cleaning those lenses will make the headlight and cornering flow together. It's a design integrity thing. More ovals for an oval-centric car
Although there are several approaches to clearing the lens, most just require a bit of elbow grease (as in wet sanding in stages). There is a kit on the market that promises a wipe-on -- wipe-off solution, but it's price heavy and seems unproven as yet. Essentially you need to remove the oxidized (outer crust) surface of the lens, with the goal of a smooth mirror finish in the end. I think there's thread here somewhere.
Best.