There's something special about restoring an old car. New cars are great, but let's be honest—they're expensive. You pay a premium for the latest technology, higher insurance costs, and, for the most part, years of trouble-free driving. Cheaper gas mileage is a bonus as well.
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| (Illusrative Only) A surfer guy telling someone "Dude Your is Sick!" For stuffy corporate types sick means "cool" or "awesome" in surfer or beach language. The mechanic is making money fixing unrelated things. |
I have a 1985 Buick Riviera, and people comment on it all the time. In fact, I probably get more compliments on that car than many people do on a brand-new luxury vehicle. A friend of mine had a Mercedes-Benz. He loved it, but eventually returned it because it was so expensive to own. Every once in a while someone would compliment it. My Riviera? I hear something almost every day or every other day.
The other day I was at a gas station in Gladstone before heading out to lifeguard. I try to help whenever I can because there's a real shortage of lifeguards in the area. A guy pulled up next to me with an old pickup truck towing a beautiful boat. He had that surfer vibe about him, and for a second I felt like I was back in San Diego. He looked over and said, "Dude, you have such a sick car!"
For those who don't speak surfer, "sick" means really cool.
That made my day.
Now, having a "sick" car doesn't mean it never gets sick. Classic cars need attention.
The Riviera is still a work in progress. I've removed the rust from the hood and other areas and covered everything with gray primer. It actually isn't far from the original color. Most people don't know its paint-primer. I stopped doing body work until I was confident the mechanical systems were in good shape. There's no point in having a beautiful car that can't reliably get down the road.
So far I've rebuilt much of the front end, repaired the starter issue, completed brake work, and even replaced the vinyl Landau top. My first attempt wasn't perfect, but that's how restoration works—you learn by doing. I'll probably redo it using sail canvas after another classic car owner shared some helpful advice.
That's one of the things I enjoy most about the classic car community. Owners are always willing to share what they've learned. It's very similar to the boating community. Everyone helps each other solve problems and preserve these older machines.
The latest issue has been a shimmy around 55 miles per hour.
One lesson I've learned is to choose your mechanic carefully.
I had one shop look at the car after I explained exactly what I thought was happening. I suspected the starter was failing from the occassional need to turn it over 10X, and in addition I asked them to check the brake calipers because I thought one might be sticking. I also mentioned that, in the worst-case scenario, it could be something like an axle (Seems more like the caliper at the moment.).
Instead, they told me the starter was fine—which it clearly wasn't, because it continued clicking until it eventually failed—and they sold me a new set of tires to end the shimmy.
Now, to be fair, the tires were twelve years old, so replacing them wasn't a bad idea. But I didn't believe they were causing the vibration, and replacing them didn't solve the problem. They had most of the tread on them still.
After wasting nearly two months waiting for appointments and repairs, I took the car to another shop that specializes in brakes. I simply asked them to swap out a rim so I could eliminate a bent rim as the cause. When they removed the wheel, they immediately noticed the lug nuts were unusually hot.
That pointed directly toward a sticking brake caliper.
Had that been diagnosed properly the first time, I could have saved weeks of waiting, unnecessary expense, and a lot of frustration.
Not every mechanic is the same. Some are excellent diagnosticians who listen carefully and take the time to find the real problem. They may charge a little more, but in the long run they often save you money because they fix the right issue the first time. They want to understand the symptoms.
Once this brake issue is resolved, the Riviera should finally be mechanically sound. I'll drop it off for repairs while I'm out in California, and hopefully when I return all the squeaks, vibrations, and brake issues will be gone.
Then comes the fun part—the bodywork.
After that, I'll repaint it and start adding a few modern upgrades. One advantage of the 1985 Riviera is that it was already ahead of its time. It came with air conditioning, climate control, power windows, and several luxury features that were impressive for the mid-1980s.
The one thing it's still missing is a great sound system.
Once the restoration is farther along, I'll be installing a high-quality surround sound audio system. It'll still look like a classic on the outside but have some modern comforts on the inside. I might even put in an automatic starter way way down the road.
That's really why the restoration and restomod industry continues to grow. People love preserving the style and character of older vehicles while upgrading the parts that make them safer, more reliable, and more enjoyable to drive.
Sometimes an old car may get a little "sick," but with the right repairs and a little patience, it becomes something that stands out in a world full of look-alike vehicles. Sick or "sick" its all good. To the beach...
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