Sold: 1996 Buick Riviera

Yes, you read it right; my 1996 Buick Riviera has been sold. The one vehicle that I thought I wouldn't be selling any time soon is in the hands of a new owner in southern New Hampshire. Not to worry, though, because I sold it to a gentleman who is very much like myself. My Riviera will be a daily driver for his daughter and will be living amongst a dozen interesting vehicles, including a 1969 Pontiac GTO convertible and a half-dozen first series Chevrolet trucks. What was the reason for the sale, you ask? Well, lots of things. She may have had the heart of a teenager, but the rest of it was showing and acting its age. Despite all the preventative maintenance I have always done as well as addressing problems when they arose, it kept acting up. It wouldn't always shift into gear in the morning on the first try, every now and then it would backfire through the plenum and blow all of its vacuum hoses off, and on rainy days it liked to start on half its cylinders. That coupled with the fact that I was about 99% sure the fuel pump was on the way out because of the way it would intermittently cut out at random moments finalized my decision. I ended up getting about $500 over book value for the car with the ABS light on, the traction control light on, full of dings and dents from two and a half years of everyday service including spending major time in the every man for himself parking lots at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and its set of winter wheels on it. That's right, I got to keep the chrome turbines with the whitewalls! They are safely locked away in storage with my '67 Eldorado and all my other spare parts and other such automotive treasures.

As for a new ride, don't worry, I found one. I got to put a lot of money in the bank and am back in a car that is far more what I'm into than this car was. A mid 90's transverse-mounted V6-powered front wheel drive vehicle just doesn't cut it anymore, no matter how cool-looking and unique it may be, especially when as many problems arise in such a short time as in the case with this one. Now it's in the hands of another true enthusiast that will give it whatever it needs to give another 150,000 miles of faithful service. It may be gone, but the memories of all the good times had with the car will last forever. Who knows? I may even cross paths with it again as it only moved about twenty miles north. And until that day comes, I wish it and its new owner all the best. Godspeed, little egg.