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Hi everybody,
my name is Michael and I live in South Germany near Stuttgart. In May 2017 I bought my 1979 Buick Riviera S-Type in very good condition with the 350 5.7 L V8 small block engine.
Since I bought this car I'm very enthusiastic with the smooth ride of the Rivi. I also own a very small 1973 Fiat 500 Estate and a 1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ 4.0 L. The contrasts between these cars couldn't be bigger :D!
Cheers
Michael
guten abend.
i think your 350ci is an Oldsmobile engine.
have you seen www.RivOwners.org yet?
Thankx for the link, I didn't know!Quote:
Originally Posted by bob k. mando
Yes, the engine of course is an Oldmobile.
well, the Buick 350ci ( same family as the Land Rover v8, both derived from the aluminum Buick 215ci of 1961-63 ) was available in some models until 1981. so not necessarily "of course". :bgrin:
some sources for tips and tricks on the Olds engine would be
http://442.com/oldsfaq/oldsfaq.htm
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/realoldspower/index.php
That is a truly nice car Michael. I have never seen the 79 Riviera that I can recall. I have a 79 Regal and it looks very much the same as the 79 Riviera with the exception of the head lights. My Regal only has one on each side where yours has two. The paint on yours is very, very good. Is it the original paint? It makes mine look like a rat rod. I would also like to know what the S in S-Type stands for and weather it's front wheel drive like the later models are? Again, it's a very nice automobile.Quote:
Originally Posted by michaelo
"also, the introduction of the sportier S-Type, which offered heavy-duty sway bars, torsion bars and shock absorbers, as well as a quicker steering gear ratio.
...
The standard model came equipped with the V-8, and the turbo V-6 was a $110 option. For the S-Type, the turbo engine was standard, and the V-8 was a $110 delete option."
Is it a front wheel drive car?
Here are a couple of pages from the '79 shop manual concerning engine ID. It confirms the V8 used in the Riviera is the Oldsmobile 350 (engine option L34). The VIN code is R. Our engine identification page for the '79s on this site needs some work.
Yes, the '79 Riviera is front wheel drive; it was the first Buick to have it.