Hello folks.
I ported over from the Rivowners website.
I have my second 1998 Buick Riviera - this one White Diamond with all the fixins. Her name is Victoria.
Previously, I had a 1998 Buick Riviera base (and I mean BASE. Bone stock, no options at all). She was "Ruby". I still see her driving around from time to time. I took her from 21,000 miles in 2000 to 112K miles in 2006. Ruby was first delivered to an "old lady" in the birthplace of Texas Independence, Goliad (Texas). I found her on a used lot here in Houston and snatched her up in a heartbeat.
Victoria started off as an "old lady" car near Corpus Christi, in Rockport (Texas). She's LOADED. She had every factory option possible, including OnStar.
When I snatched her off of Craigslist 32 months ago, she had 63,000 miles. She's now at 101,000 and still working great. She had survived being the "kid's car" for several years, which has caused some interesting damage that shows up from time to time.
Victoria, though, has manifested all of the usual 1998 Riv issues - she's had her supercharger replaced (before she came to me), goes through front struts like a knife through butter, and can't keep her seatback finishers attached to save her life.
I've cleaned her up (a lot), replaced two chrome center caps, added a four note trumpet horn from a contemporary Buick Park Avenue Ultra, replaced the power antenna, the non-functioning factory stereo (Sony XAV-60) and speakers (Kickers in the stock locations, with a modest powered subwoofer in the trunk plus a bunch of FatMat sound proofing), repaired the console lid latch, added a wood dash trim kit, replaced the grill, and given her some love and care.
She's a good girl.
She needs a steering shaft replacement, new front struts (again), some paint rehabilitation, her memory module and those darned seatback finishers repaired. We're about to have to replace the Michelins, and I'm going with something that won't produce quite as much road noise.
