1950 Buick Super Riviera 56R 2-Dr Hardtop - AIRBAGGED

1950 Buick Riviera Description

I’ve enjoyed owning this Buick for the last five years, and have logged about 500 miles on it traveling to local shows. It’s a bit of an internet celebrity, as the content and many images from the 2015 for sale ads were widely reposted, and several of the scam amalgamator sites still have it listed for sale.
The car was California based with the same owner from 1997 until 2015, and then sold to a collector in Nevada, who posted it on e-bay later in the year. I flew to Reno in late 2015 and drove it back to Tucson (and through 90 mph Vegas traffic at midnight) without having any issues. Since then I’ve corrected several minor anomalies, including re-cutting the airspring pockets to eliminated bag rub when they’re deflated, replacing the oil gauge sender fitting, and rebuilding the steering center link. I also commissioned the installation of custom fit sound deadening underlay and carpet, in addition to rebuilding and reupholstering the seats. To further complete the interior I fabricated very simple vinyl-on-waterboard panels for the quarters and doors in matching two-tone. The seats, ¼ rests, and carpet are superior work from a local craftsman, and the panels are an easy change out.
If you google “1950 Buick Super 350” you’ll find the old (California) ad and several of the previous images on scammer commercial sites like “classiccardb”. The (Nevada) e-bay ad was pirated by another scam site called “classicvehiclelist”. The content of this current ad and many of the images below are from the (Nevada) e-bay ad from 2015:
1950 Buick Super Riviera Model 56R
Recently purchased from owner since 1997.
It runs and drives fine and benefits from several upgrades that have been made over the years.
This is a car that can be enjoyed as-is, or is an extremely solid start for someone who wants to go the full route with new paint, chrome, etc.
Much of the hard work has been done with the motor/trans/rear end swap, air-ride and 4-link, new wiring harness, etc.
If you've read this far, you probably already know that 1950 Buick hardtops are also somewhat rare. You could never find one and do all the upgrades this car has for what my reserve is.
I encourage you to ask any and all questions you may have about the car before you bid.
Updated stuff in recent years:
-350/350 engine + trans (out of 1973 Chevy pickup)-1968 Cadillac rear end with aftermarket triangulated 4-link-Air ride system, Front/Rear/All up and down switches...has one compressor and one tank
-Upgraded to 12 volt. New wiring harness, alternator. Headlights/brights, taillights, brake lights, blinkers, dash lights, dome light ALL work (reverse lights are not hooked up)
-Front end rebuilt, new bushings, etc.
-Dual exhaust
Stuff replaced within the last year/500 miles or so (again, this is 2015):
-New gas tank-New electric fuel pump-New Edelbrock 1406 (600cfm/electric choke) carburetor + air cleaner-New aluminum radiator + hoses-New battery
-New Accel HEI distributor
-New spark plugs and plug wire set
-New motor mounts
Other attributes:
-Very nice stainless trim all the way around with minimal dings, scratches, etc.
-Extremely solid body...rockers, door bottoms, are 100% solid. Floor pans have been patched in recent years and are now rust free. Small dings here and there, but the body on this car is very solid.
-Side-to-side hood hinges are rebuilt and work great, which is rare on these cars.
-All chrome is original and shows wear, but still presentable
Things you should know (from 2015):
-Interior is worn...no carpet, no headliner. Foam in seats is starting to break down a little, but they are still comfortable and fully usable.
-Speedometer isn't hooked up
-Fuel gauge needs to be converted to 12 volt.
-3 pieces of the side glass are broken- both rears and the driver's door. I have replacement pieces for the rear sides and they are included in the sale.
-Radio is out of the car, but when I removed it a few years ago it worked.
-Reverse lights are not hooked up (just never got to it)
-Leaks a small amount of trans fluid when not driven on a regular basis. When I drive it once or twice a week, the leak almost completely stops.
-Missing a piece of interior trim in the rear- the one that caps off the side panel just below the window.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW FOR THIS AUCTION (2020)
Much of the interior is now brand new, including carpet, seats, and quarter panel rests. (Still no headliner or kick panels). The door panels are very basic vinyl-over-board in fabric that matches the seats. They are cut and adhesive construction only and are not padded or stitched. They were fabricated as intermediates before upgrading to a more complex sewn pattern with pleats and bright trim etc. I will include a full set of original, factory correct door panel stainless.
The Speedometer still isn’t hooked up. I just use GPS for speed.
The Fuel Gauge still needs to be converted to 12V.
The 3 pieces of cracked glass have not spontaneously repaired themselves. The two replacement pieces of glass for the ¼ windows are still in wrappers and included.
The Radio is still out of the car (also included).
Reverse lights are still not hooked up.
The tranny leak is the same as noted above. I’ve gone as long as three weeks without driving it before it starts to drip.
The trunk was coated in POR-15 sometime in the early 2000’s to address a small amount of corrosion in the aft trunk floor. Both previous owners assured me the oxidation was stable and hadn’t been an issue. There has been zero evidence of any problem during the time I’ve owned the car, and the actual area of previous concern is minimal. See images.
The tires were old when I bought the car in 2015. They were showing some white wall separation then and are five years older now. They had no issues making the trek from Reno to Tucson at highway speeds, and have been stellar around town, but they are not immortal. I have a lot of road experience in 50’s behemoths and am comfortable with the possibility of tread failure and knowing what to. For anything other than tooling around you should plan on replacing them.
The missing interior trim was the most difficult project to tackle during my ownership. After searching for more than a year and wasting my time with bogus sellers on the HAMB website, I finally found a guy with a 2-Door Super in the Midwest that had the correct part....but he refused to sell it separately. I ended up having to buy the entire car....then have him pull and ship me just that piece....then I sold the rest of the car blind, never having actually walked around it. I think the seller will never be the same after experiencing that kind of focused sourcing.
Otherwise, the car is ready to enjoy and has been totally spoiled the last five years. Local trips and car shows only, no wet weather (which admittedly isn't saying much for Tucson) and always stored inside my office/warehouse/garage or in covered parking at my house. The car is essentially the same as when I purchased it, and I used some of the older images in this posting because they look like the work of a graphic designer…..and I can’t match the background here with anything nearly as compelling. The only aesthetic change was to install factory correct door pillar mounted side mirrors, using the factory mounting provisions. There are shown in the last image with the Gypsy Airstream.
READ ALL OF THIS BEFORE YOU BID PLEASE!:I am the legal owner of this vehicle and have a clear Arizona title. No warranty is expressed or implied with the sale. I have made every attempt to describe the car as accurately as possible. It is for sale as-is and where-is. This vehicle is also for sale locally, and I reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time.PLEASE ask any and all questions before bidding: 520-250-7027. The last thing I want is for you to drive across five COVID–laden states with your trailer in tow, only to get here and find out the car isn't what you wanted. I will answer any question about the car to the best of my ability, and if I don't know the answer off hand, I'll find it before the end of the auction. I have a lift on-site and can send images of anything necessary to address inquiries from serious bidders. I want this to be a good experience for both of us.
READ IT! ---->A $500.00 deposit is due within 48 hours of the close of the auction (Paypal ok for deposit portion), Balance to be paid in cash or verified cashier’s check within 7 days and before taking possession of the vehicle. I am available seven days a week and have a flexible schedule to meet with your designated transport, but you MUST pick-up the vehicle within 30 days of the close of the auction. If you are not able to meet these requirements but still want to bid, you must contact me BEFORE bidding.
Thanks for looking!