Learning how to properly paint a car is a valuable skill if you’re a classic auto enthusiast, and the seller of this 1968 Buick Riviera says he purchased it specifically for the reason of becoming proficient in this area.  After owning the hardtop for only two months, his plans have now changed, and now this vintage personal luxury coupe is looking for someone else to make the needed body repairs and apply a shiny new finish.  If you’re in the market for a second-generation Buick Riviera to tinker with, this 1968 model here on Craigslist might be worth considering.  It’s in Vancouver, Washington, with the asking price set at $7,200, or best offer.  Curvette, thanks for sending us the tip here!

During my emerging adulthood, I was fortunate to have a mentor who took the time to show me how to prep car bodies for paint, and he even had a detached garage that had been turned into a vented painting area.  It turned into a fun hobby, and I ended up respraying several of my early vehicles.  After the sheet metal repairs were made and the panels were primed, I typically chose DuPont 99A Pitch Black acrylic enamel, regardless of the original color, and this Buick would look great wearing that shade.  It appears that some attention has already been given to the doors and a few other areas here, but there’s still a bit more body smoothing to be done before this one’s ready for a respray, no matter what color the future owner chooses.

A 430 cubic-inch V8 was the standard and only engine available in the Riviera for ’68, but with a factory rating of 360 HP, it provided plenty of power to satisfy most drivers.  The seller says he’s only driven this car once, but claims the performance was impressive, stating the engine ran great and that the car is fast.  The odometer is mentioned to have rolled over, so this one’s traveled 185,000 miles, and there’s no word on what sort of recent maintenance the motor has received.

The interior is described as being in like-new condition, and though it’s fairly close, the inside does get a couple of minor demerits for the cracked dash and missing radio.  Included in the sale are some boxes of parts along with additional trim items and weather seals, so hopefully, some of this will come in handy for the next owner.  This 1968 Buick Riviera seems like a decent project, especially if the drivetrain proves dependable, so hopefully it’s mostly just outside cosmetic improvements needed here.  Any thoughts on this one?