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Condition
Project
Drive Type
Rear Wheel Drive
Fuel Type
Petrol
Doors
2-door
Cylinders
8
Transmission
Automatic
Color
Yellow
Description
A buddy of mine introduced me to a man who was looking for a classic American car. He checked some of the vehicles on my website, but finally made up his mind that he wants 1971/72 Buick Riviera. Initially he wanted a very good driver, but after observing the market and the current price levels of the model he understood that he must buy a project, unless he is not ready to make a compromise with the model…
A buddy of mine introduced me to a man who was looking for a classic American car. He checked some of the vehicles on my website, but finally made up his mind that he wants 1971/72 Buick Riviera. Initially he wanted a very good driver, but after observing the market and the current price levels of the model he understood that he must buy a project, unless he is not ready to make a compromise with the model year. It is surprising how the 1973 model year is so much more affordable compared to 71/72.
At the very beginning I offered a car I had in my notes. It was 1972 Riviera with the central console and bucket seats which was an excellent restoration candidate – solid Colorado car with a good interior and in running condition. The man liked it, but since we were at the very beginning of our search, he asked me to send him more cars. After two months of extensive searching, we concluded that the Colorado car is the best option. I got in touch with my friend who lives in Denver area and as usual he was very cooperative. It turned out that he even knows the seller which was another good news. We sent him over the money for the car and were impatiently waiting for the day of the purchase. The day came, the car arrived at the shop of my friend. He checked the VIN tag number and the VIN number in the title of the car and the problem suddenly appeared. It turned out that the car had no VIN tag on the driver’s side of the dashboard. It had only the sticker on the driver’s door with the serial number of the vehicle. The seller tried to explain that the 72 Rivieras have no VIN tags, but of course this was not true. We had to back up at the last moment. I was glad that we found the issue on time. We can’t register the car in Bulgaria without a VIN tag.
I started the search over. Soon I found two more cars at almost the same time – a yellow one and a burgundy one. We were considering both cars, but decided to go with the latter, because it was in better condition. We negotiated a price and were ready to buy it. Unfortunately, we got a problem again. Being a NY state car, the Riviera didn’t have a title. It had a transferrable registration certificate which is issued for all cars built before 1972. It is a legit and an official document in the US. Unfortunately, in Bulgaria there is a risk this car not to be registered, because of the lack of a title. The buyer didn’t want to take the risk, so we decided to try the yellow Riviera. It is a project that needs a total restoration. The engine was running, and the car was complete. The seller was a lady, whose father bought the car new. She was very cooperative and friendly. We quickly got all the information and photos we needed and soon we finalized the deal. The car was loaded and it arrived in Rotterdam right before Christmas. It headed to Bulgaria in the first days of 2024 and arrived in Sofia on January 16th. The happy owner came the same day to see the car. We were glad to see that the car was in the condition we expected. It was solid and had minor rust here and there. The interior was also very well preserved. All the parts we bought also arrived with the car. Very soon it will undergo a total restoration.
Related Cars
Here you’ll find classic American cars and projects for sale, along with vehicles I’ve helped fellow enthusiasts find over the years.
If you’re searching for a specific car, I’d be glad to help. The hunt is part of the adventure.
Enjoy exploring these cars as much as I enjoy discovering them.