In an ideal world, this 1964 Buick Riviera wouldn’t appear on Barn Finds. That would be because I had already bought it and safely squirreled it away in my workshop. However, the world isn’t ideal, allowing someone to grab this classic and give it the TLC it richly deserves. Apart from being complete and surprisingly solid, this Buick is cheap. That may make it irresistible. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting the Riviera listed here on eBay in Buckhead, Georgia. The seller set their BIN at $4,500 with the option to make an offer.
Buick released the First Generation Riviera in October 1962 to gain a foothold in the Personal Luxury Car segment. The reality was that the car served a second purpose: it proved an effective weapon for luring potential customers into showrooms. The Riviera may have been beyond the financial reach of many, but once through the door, the company had a golden opportunity to sell these individuals something more affordable. This Riviera left the line in 1964, and the layer of surface corrosion makes it virtually impossible to spot any of its original Wedgewood Blue paint. That means that it doesn’t make a great first impression, but we must dig deeper to discover its true strength. The seller states that the driver’s side floor has penetrating rust requiring repair. Otherwise, it appears that this classic is rock-solid. A session of media blasting or hours of sanding would eliminate the surface corrosion, revealing healthy steel beneath. Therefore, it may take more time than money to prepare this car’s panels for a fresh coat of paint. Some trim pieces require restoration or replacement, but the tinted glass appears to be in good condition.
The horsepower war of the 1960s continued within the Personal Luxury Car market. Buick equipped this ’64 Riviera with a 425ci “Nailhead” V8, delivering a factory-quoted 340hp and 465 ft/lbs of torque. New for 1964 was the three-speed Super Turbine 400 automatic transmission, replacing the previous two-speed Dynaflow unit. As befits a vehicle of this type, buyers received power steering and power brakes as standard equipment. Buick targeted Ford’s Thunderbird when marketing the Riviera, emphasizing the fact that it held a performance advantage over its blue-oval rival. The photos suggest that this Rivera has spent years in hiding, and the seller confirms that it doesn’t run. They haven’t attempted a revival, leaving that task to the new owner.
We can describe this classic’s interior needs in one word: Everything. The Riviera’s Blue vinyl upholstered surfaces are shredded, the seat foam is collapsing, the pad is badly cracked, and it is missing a few minor pieces. The buyer faces the expense of a complete retrim, but it could be worth the cost and effort. If the car’s body is as sound as the seller suggests, whipping that aspect of the Buick into shape shouldn’t be expensive. That would leave money “in the pot” to spend inside this classic. It isn’t lavishly equipped by modern standards, but the first owner ticked the boxes beside air conditioning, a remote trunk release, and an optional rear speaker for the radio.
I have always struggled to choose a classic from the 1960s to park in my hypothetical dream garage. A 1966 Mustang GT would seem a no-brainer, although any first-generation pony car would be a contender. I am equally drawn to the original Buick Riviera because I believe it possesses an almost perfect combination of stunning styling and impressive performance. This 1964 example requires work to present at its best. However, if you remove the relatively minor floor rust from the equation, a patient enthusiast could address most of its shortcomings in a home workshop without spending a fortune. That could make it an affordable project build for those on a budget, which is why I believe this Riviera deserves a closer look.
Buick may have wound up with the Riviera, but that’s not what GM intended. It was developed as a Cadillac. The upright grilles in the fenders were intended as a callback to classic LaSalle grilles. Cadillac didn’t need it, and lacked the capacity to build it, so it was offered to the other divisions. Chevrolet passed for the same reasons as Cadillac. Buick, still struggling after high volumes in the 1950s brought quality control issues, had its presentation to the board prepared by its ad agency, and easily beat out Oldsmobile and Pontiac.
The asking price seems fair, and then the buyer embarks on a $35K journey to restore the thing. But 35K will buy one already done and road-ready. Dare I say this might be a parts car?
$4500 for one in this condition is “CHEAP”??? That’s most certainly not the word I would use to describe it, considering the condition the photos show. Not running, interior completely trashed and floorboards rusting through? How much other rust is hiding? Like under the rear window where these usually go? There are so many things wrong (or could be wrong) with this car that are beyond the expertise of the “patient enthusiast…in a home workshop”. I can envision this being a failed restoration and sold off torn apart, or half-finished, or even sent off to the junkyard (which would be a shame).
It looks like more than the floor boards need attention. The rear quarters ain’t pretty and the rockers bear further inspection. I’m hard pressed to figure out how the entire body got so ‘surface’ rusted, while the chrome bumpers look almost new. I’m inclined to agree that the price is anything but cheap, unless you view this as a parts car and plan to sell off the pieces…and even then that’s a lot of work to recoup $4500.
Also, Buckhead, Georgia is Atlanta. I’ve been there lots of times and no where does it look like these photos. This must be a dealer who gave the owner $1000 cash (if that).
I was thinking the same thing about the paint. Kinda looks like someone did a bunch of sanding and then stopped and didn’t bother to even put primer on it.
ad says 4500.00 at the bottom it says 2950.00. which is it. labor of love if you do it. i love the pic of the price guide. you can wrap fish with that. i have 2 63 riv parts cars they can have for 500.00 for the pair. these are hard sells in this shape
Maybe 30 years ago it would be worth restoring but not now
I bought a 64 Riviera 10 years ago. Got parts catalogs. Parts are double what a “common car” would cost. Bailed out at cost.
I had a buddy buy a Camaro recently that looked like this. He was going to sand blast it. But was concerned about the mess and possible panel warping from the heat. I mentioned that he called up the local Coit dealer (as in carpet cleaning and flood restoration services) and have them ” dry ice” blast it. They use little arrows of dry ice to blast off mold killing it with the cold. And then the dry ice just evaporates. No mess other than what came off in the blasting. All he had to do was sweep up when they left. The price was reasonable and no mess. And the car looked ready to paint! (After a little hand sanding and scuffing. )
If the body what you see looks like this , imagine what it looks like under the windshield and back glass moldings . Most likely rusted out and glass just barely sitting in the channel. Nothing is more expensive than buying a cheap ( in cost ) Porsche !
Looks like one of the many of these I have seen over the years sitting in a field, sunk down to the frame. I always thought that these were the coolest looking cars and wondered why they were left like that. Must have been considered too expensive to repair.
this car can be restored but it will take probably 25-45 k and there might be some unpleasant surprise,s for the new owner. I think this would be a great parts car to bring another one back to life but asking price is too high these are expensive cars to restore and with the prices getting higher for parts this could easily become a money pit.