Hi there, yes first let me clarify I AM A GIRL!!! I recently was given a 1971 Buick Riviera Boatail 2 dr sport coupe, by my grandmother. This car was the first brand new car my grandfather bought for her. Ever since i was a little girl i wanted this car. Well my day has finally come.. I must say it is in excellent condition thanks to my grandmother. The interior is immaculant and so much more.. Sadly though from sitting so long the engine is seized up??? (is that the right word) So this is my plea because i know nothing about this car or any for that matter, i am in desperate need for any information and help i can get. I plan on restoring the vehicle myself so that i may never have to depend on anyone taking my hard earned money..lol No don't worry i do have some male friends who know their way around a vehicle pretty well to help teach the hands on, but i still would like understanding on a more intelectual level.. Thank you sooooo much and i so look forward to hearing from you!!!!! Cutieo No:
You've come to the right place. I'm sure there are members in your area who would be more than happy to help out. When I bought my first car I knew nothing about cars, too, and got taken by shops. So you are going into it with the right attitude. With the help of friends, I can now do almost anything that needs to be done on the car. These cars are really very simple and easy to work on, once you get familiarized with what everything is, what it's purpose is, and how it works. Now to your problem. Is it really "siezed up" (meaning that the cylinders are rusted to the inside of the block) or does it not turn over when you turn the key? To see if it really is siezed up, you need a 1/2" drive ratchet and a 1-1/8" socket. This will fit on the bolt in the center of the lower belt pully on the front of the engine. You should be able to turn the engine with a good bit of force. If you can't, it is siezed up, and will have to come out and be rebuilt/replaced. If it simply doesn't turn over when you turn the key, then the problem is battery/cables/starter/ignition switch.
How long has it been sitting? If it is siezed, or you suspect it is, pull out the the spark plugs and shoot a lot of penetrating oil in there. Do it once a day for a few days. Then try to turn the nging with the socket as described above. I was able to successfully free an engine this way in the past. If it does free up, yo0u'll need to change the oil and put fresh stuff in. The oil pump will have to be primed...but that's getting too far ahead...give us a little more info and we'll all do what we can to help.
thank you Thank you both, For a little more info it has been sitting without being driven for at least 4 years to the best of my knowledge. As far as turning the key no it will not turn over.. There is absolutely nothing that happens... Okay as for you advice on how to check... um cant get the hood up so now what fellas???? lol also can you just give me some general info on this car... you know like specs performance and how can i modify it without really taking away from its original splendor..... again i know nothing especially terminology... so if i ever refer to anything as a thingy please forgive me... lmao.. thanks again and keep the info coming!!! Cutie
Hey cutie, (hehe) You said the hood won't open up...is that because the latch is bad/broken? Or are you having problems finding the lever?o No: If you are, the hood release is under the dashboard on the left. By all means, don't take that the wrong way Sometimes I have trouble just getting in my car:grin: BTW, you have found the most abundant information source for your Buick. I suggest running a search on the 71 Riv on this site and seeing what threads you come up with. That's a popular style and lots of people can help you out regarding these cars. Most of us BOAT owners are pretty much the same, too. So you can ask anyone a question and it will be answered in good time. PS, Do you have another name we can call you? Cutie's good, but we're like a big family here and prefer real names:laugh: Congratulations on your new car!! You'll love getting your hands dirty with it! I have a coolant overflow tank available if you need one. Most of them are broken. It's the little tank with a black top and a "yellow" bottom on the front left when you look in the engine compartment. Just thought I'd give a plug for my parts! You will see in my signature the address for the Buick Parts Directory...I've tried to compile a list of good Buick parts folks so we can all make it easier on ourselves to find parts for our cars. smrtin17@aol.com AIM: JozTotz MSN: smrtin17@hotmail.com
I'm trying to figure out the 13X1 part ???o No: Welcome to the V8 family. Most cars can sit around for years and, with some fresh gas and a new battery and usually the removal of some mice nesting, start up fairly easily. I would be surprised if the motor was siezed. Lets get the hood up first and see what we find. Excellent taste in vehicles too!:TU:
Ya I'll double that.Ya need to get the hood open and pull the lid off the air filter. Take a real carefull look around, for mice, nesting, and other debris(use a small flash light). look in the tube pionting out from the lower part of the air filter housing. Look under the housing (round part) Make sure there is no nest or other junk in the viscinity. Has another battery been installed? If so are the battery connectors been cleaned to a very brite finish? Let us Know were you are at (within these steps ore other wise)and we'll take you from there.:Comp:
Re: thank you well, if you have the ratchet and socket, the bolt in question from my first post can be reached just as easily by lying under the front of the car... As far as the release not working, that's a toughie. I would suggest posting the the big car forum (A Boatload of Fun) and see if someone familiar with 71-73 Rivs has an idea for getting around the broken cable issue.
Re: Re: thank you Good idea! Cutie: don't worry about the release not working. You'll get the hood up. I flatened the front of my '70 Skylark one sunny summer afternoon with the help of a van. The hood release was mangled beyond recognition, but I could reach up, and unbolt the whole shebang, from under the car. Pain in the butt-tocks, but 15 minutes later, the hood was open. On a releated note, most guys I know don't mind scabs, cuts, and scars on their hands from jamming them inside the car- most stuff like sheet metal, braces and brackets on these things can have some very sharp edges. OK, we DO mind the cuts but we can live with them. I would expect someone of the fairer sex to wish to avoid this. Buy a pair of gloves like the "Mechanix" brand. I don't like the loss of touch from gloves, but sometimes you need them. Oh, and welcome aboard. I had a '73 Riv once. Similar to yours, pretty car.
Hi cutie. Let me dissect what I see so far... You are not able to open the hood, and nothing happens when you turn the key. The assumption I can make is you are still using the battery that was in the car when it was parked 4 years ago. And now it is dead. Like the others say, get the hood open, check everything for rodents, install a new battery, change the oil and antifreeze, drain and refill the gas tank, dump some gas in the carburetor and lit it up. Then! You must join the ROA!!! It is mandatory, especially for a novice Riviera owner. You'll be glad you did!!!! And visit my webpage for plenty of Riviera info. The link is in my signature. Let us know if we can help some more.
