No, I don’t haunt the used car lots out of desperation (generally). I was there on other business, but I couldn’t help noticing this Riviera. This is a first for me, but obviously the PNW is not big on after-market vinyl roofs. I find them rather amusing on some cars, but not so much on this one, since it did have a rather nice flow in the C-Pillar before the flow was all dammed up.
Ugh. Just…Ugh.
I agree with the author, these things look hideous. The only saving grace for this type of roof is that it USUALLY denotes an elderly owner that parked the car indoors all of its life and PROBABLY did all scheduled maintenance at the dealer. That means that they make great used cars (low mileage, gold plated maintenance,low price) for a teen or someone looking for low mileage.
Other than that, these things have no value whatsoever.
Too bad about the ugly roof, I really like these Rivs
The dirty rotten shame is that there was a company that did real conversions on these Rivs. Danged if I can find it though. I was a Car and Driver subscriber at the time and I remember the story on it.
Dan, wasn’t that the earlier model that Buick did sell? I saw lots of those and still occasionally do. The rear quarter windows were a bit narrower to enable the top fit into the rear. I wasn’t aware this body style was ever converted.
@educatordan: It was ASC who did the Riviera conversions. They also made Monte Carlos, Mark VIIIs and truly sexy looking El Dorado convertible.
Several years ago, I was on the “Car Talk” website and took their test on finding supposedly the right car for me. I was driving my Ranger and 1992 LeBaron convertible at the time. The answer came up “Buick Riviera”! This was in 2002! When was the last Riviera built? Thought so. Tempting concepts did run through my fertile brain as to how I could somehow make the rear windows roll down aka the early Acura Legend coupes! Still a nice looking car. GM wasn’t all bad in the 1990’s – positively loved the first Auroras!
The vinyl roof just doesn’t seem to go with modern cars especially a fairly slick design like the Riveria. Maybe this owner could have gone full in and fit a fake continental kit too. The vinyl roof does look less awful on some cars that are a bit more squarish like a Mercury Grand Marquis but really should be left off anything made outside of the 70s.
Vynyl roofs are usually a cheap way of repairing hail damage.
I should have pointed this out earlier – this example is not what you would call a “vinyl top”. It is actually a fake convertible top. 2000-2005 Impalas look awful with these, as I’ve seen a few. The old “vinyl tops” were a cover that was just applied over the existing metal roof and C pillars, ususally only on hardtops, both 2 and 4 doors, no additional build-up added, with a trim strip added to border where the paint and vinyl met at the bottom of the C pillar.
I’m clearly a freak… I think it improves the old Riv – makes it reminiscent of a last-type Jaguar XK convertible (a car I hated when it was new, but which has grown on me immensely…)
I have to state the obvious, no one else has – a supposedly convertible top with a sunroof in the middle. I mean really.