Hooniverse Weekend Edition – Which of these two fastbacks is worthy of your $15,900?
Well, I am sorry to say this, but this will be my last posting for the weekend so I thought it would be a good one. While thumbing through the Hemmings Classifieds, I found these two distinctive, yet very different Fastback Coupes. Both were the top of the line vehicles for their respective marks at the the time they were offered new. Both are very stylish, sporty in their own way, and both have been ignored by the rabid Collector Car Market. So I post this to the Hoons that hang around this part of the Hooniverse… Which one deserves your $15,900?
Lets start with this very distinctive 1970 Buick Riviera GS, finished in Triple Black. The Riviera for 1970 offers this one year only look, which was really a very heavy face-lift of the 1968-69 version of the same body. Gone are the hidden headlamps, only to have rear fender skirts added. This particular car is equipped with the SF Code 455 CID V-8, pumping out 370 HP. The factory stated that this heavy coupe could achieve 0-60 times in 7.9 seconds, with a claimed top speed of 125 mph.
However, take in the beauty of this Riviera. The Buick Road Wheels look smashing, and the interior is nothing short of breathtaking. The Riviera will change a great deal for the 1971 model year with distinctive Boat Tail Styling, which made this Riviera instantly dated to the Buick buyer. Sales did slip for the 1970 model year with 37,366 sold compared to almost 53,000 the year before, but still sold better than any of the “Boat Tailed” Rivieras.
This Riviera is being sold at a classic car dealer in Illinois without any mention of how many miles are on the car, and is being offered at $15,900. Does this fastback coupe float your boat, or is it just a little too big? See the Hemmings Listing here.
Onto the other contestant. This is a very interesting 1967 Fiat Dino Coupe and According to Wikipedia:
The Fiat Dino is an exotic front-engined, rear-drive sports car manufactured between 1966 and 1973. It was an intermediate step towards creating Ferrari’s “Dino” and the two are often confused. The Fiat Dino allowed Ferrari to achieve the necessary production numbers to homologate Alfredo Ferrari’s V6 engine for Formula 2 racing. The Fiat Dino Spider was introduced at Turin Motor Show 1966 and Coupe version one year later at the Geneva Motorshow.
This is one of two Fiat Dinos offered by Gullwing Motor Cars of Astoria New York, and it is the nicer of the two. The early Dinos were equipped with a 2.0L 158HP V-6, and a 5-speed Manual. These coupes were gracefully styled by Bertone, and assembled in house by Fiat.
There is very little to go by as the listing is rather sparse. There is no mention as to the mileage, condition, or pretty much anything. Yet, it still has a very strong appeal, and the interior looks smashing. I see that it also comes with some spare parts. It is being offered at $15,750, and I want to know if this little Italian stallion does anything for you? See the Hemmings Listing here.
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Dino, all the way. It's like a baby Iso. And now my Chrysler dealer can repair it, and has a warehouse full of spare body and trim bits. The Riv is nice, but not as nice as the first gen.
In spite of this probably being the most boring Riviera of that generation, and in spite of this being a very pretty little Fiat, I have this endless supply of fondness for Rivieras and I sort of want all of them, so I've got to go with the Riv.
Things started going wrong with the Riviera beginning in 1968. Not only was there a ham-handed facelift of the beautiful 1966 second-generation shape, but the drum-speedo, full gauge dash was replaced by a boring Electra-derived panel. The 1970 facelift was even worse with the exposed headlights, fussy side trim, and rear skirts. I might pay $16K for an ultra-clean '65 or '66 GS, but not this '70.
The Fiat – what a beautiful car. Classic Bertone shape. Absolutely lovely to look at but it would be a supreme hassle to own. The early 2.0 engine was particularly fragile, parts and service won't be easy, and you'll be forever exorcising rust and electrical demons. It's probably worth the money but anyone who wants this needs to understand what they're getting into. It sure won't be a daily driver.
I had a 1967 Fiat Dino coupe in red…the sound of that quad cam six cylinder breathing through the triple two barrel webers is intoxicating. I have to get another one… so the Dino for me.
That sound must really have been intoxicating – enough to make you hear camshafts that weren't there. The Fiat Dino engine was DOHC, not quad cam.
Wouldn't a DOHC V-6 have 4 cams? Two on each side of the V.
V6= 2 Heads. Dual- Over-Head- Cam x2 = 4 cams hence his usage of quad cam
The Buick, but only because I'd actually be able to drive it. I'm much too tall for the FIAT.
I really hate being 6'4"
There might be a solution.
<img src="http://usedchainsaws.org/images/usedchainsaws1.jpg">
Wouldn't be my preferred method, exactly, as a classic car deserves an ever-so-slightly gentler touch. I'd go up to Milwaukee to see an old friend of mine.
I thought our friend's solution was to adjust the driver, not the driven.
Yes. Legroom is usually a bigger issue than headroom for tall drivers. I was suggesting a shin adjustment.
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/kingofthehill/images/5/59/Cotton's_Plot.jpg">
Try sitting in one…there is a lot more room than you think.
If not then modify the seat track to give you a little more head room and leg space.
I had to do the same on an 1963 Apollo coupe for a friend.
Recently sat in my favorite Ferrari which is the 365 GTC/4. It was a no go for my legs where against the center console and steering wheel. There didn't seem to be any room for adjustment either
What a great pairing. I would love a Riv, even one this late, but that Fiat Dino is a high-grade classic and for the same price it's a no-brainer. Taking away the money question, it would be a fairer fight between an original Bill Mitchell Riviera, but even then I think the Fiat wins.
But why choose one or the other when the brilliant FIat 130 coupe embodies the GT cruiser aspect of the Riv and the italian style of the Dino?
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/2605146236_0bde28082d.jpg">
<img src="http://www.steves-classic-yanks.co.uk/riviera_spurr_thumb.jpg">
The Fiat 130 is a really beautiful car but we never saw it in the US – probably a good thing since impact bumpers and US-legal lights would have really spoiled things.
The Riviera is the superior vehicle, so naturally I'll take the Fiat.
If I don't have to pay to maintain or repair it, I'll take the Fiat. Otherwise it will be the Riv.
The Fiat offers all the repair cost of a Ferrari and none of the value/desirability.
The modern day equivalent being a late model Maserati!
depends how you define value and desirability! Though in this light how about a Fiat Dino versus a Citroen SM? Masers have tended to be less valuable than comparable Ferraris, and the SM probably has enjoyed higher cred than the Fiat Dino, but the underlying problem is the same I think.
Just in case you're having difficulty making up your mind……………
[youtube 8uv6jS1LAjY&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uv6jS1LAjY&feature=related youtube]
Dino all the way, the world need more cars with toggle switches.
Which one is quicker? It could be the Buick. 1970 was the last year of the high-compression, minimal emission control big blocks, and the Riviera and Eldorado vied for the banker's hotrod crown. If I had my druthers, I would prefer a 1968 or '69 Riviera without the fender skirts that make the car look bulky. Druthers being in short supply, I'll still take the Riv because unless I am going to get into vintage rallying, I'll get a lot more enjoyment out of it than the Fiat.
Heh – if rallying enjoyment means brake fade, lean, and that massive body bounding over an over-soft suspension (even in GS trim), then the Riviera is for you. It does have one advantage – it will probably finish the course, something you can never guarantee in a Fiat.
Big, black-on-black, shiny, and with fender skirts…! The Riv all the way. Front legroom, no transmission tunnel, it all works for me. The Fiat might make for a nice spare in the trunk, but the Riv is the way to cruise the boulevard.
Sorry, but it has a transmission tunnel. The Riv didn't get FWD until 1979.
Whoops…! I thought it'd fallen in line with the Eldo and Toronado FWD driveline by then. I knew Buick was late to the FWD party, but I didn't realize it took them THAT long.
Buick decided to pass on FWD for the Riviera. When it and the Toro/Eldo were re-done for 1971, Buick diverged somewhat from the E-body platform and based the new boat-tail Riviera largely on a modified LeSabre platform, even though it was still called an E-body car. The Riv became increasingly like the LeSabre until the E-platform was downsized for 1979, which was when Buick came into the FWD fold.
After watching Goodfellas tonight I have to say 68 Pontiac Grand Prix but Riv is a close second
The Buick is nice but that Dino is just beautiful.
As far as the Dino is concerned, meh. I saw one in the Lemon Lot back in 1981 when I was stationed in Italy, and even back then, it looked like a pain in the ass. In Italy. I ended up with a '65 Malibu SS for 600 bucks, which served me well. My grandparents had a '71 Riviera, back when I was kid, and we all loved that car. Yeah, it had the same 455 as this fine example, which is a good thing. Nice, huge, bulletproof American boats.
I know which one drives better and which one will be worth more in another 20 years, but I don't care: from bow to stern, keel to crow's nest, the Riv is the one hands down.
The Fiat, hands down bar none. While I love the buick and consider my self a buick fan there is no comparison to the Fiat
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