Lake Pipes Included: 1955 Buick Special Riviera

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At one time, this was a smooth and comfortable cruiser. Today it’s… well… a bit rough, rowdy and rusty. That’s alright though because it has side pipes! Be honest, you know those side pipes make you slightly curious as to what’s going on under the hood. Well, it isn’t what’s going on in the engine bay that the next owner should be concerned about, it’s what’s going on under the body. That being said, it is a 1955 Buick Special Riviera Coupe with the Nailhead V8! You can find this rusty rat rod here on eBay in Forestburg, Texas with an opening bid price of $3k.

I can live with the patina look, as a matter of fact, I like it on certain cars. On this Riviera though, I’m just not feeling it. It really deserves a proper restoration with the correct paint, exhaust system and rims. Given all the rust that needs to be repaired in the back half of the car, it’s going to need paint work anyways, so you might as well do it right and make it look great. Having the engine running is a nice plus, so you could even start driving it as you bring it back to top condition.

The first place you are going to want to get sorted (if you decide to go the drive it while you restore it route) is the interior. No one likes a smelly decaying interior, especially if it was overrun by mice. So, you will want to gut it, clean all the hard surfaces and start putting it back together with all new soft bits. It won’t be cheap, but it will be worth it in the long run.

The rust really is a concern, but I’d guess whoever installed the side pipes was more worried about making noise and sounding fast than being safe (or actually going fast). The more I look this car over though, the more those old school lake pipes grow on me! But it really needs to be restored to be a safe and enjoyable driver. So, would you restore it this Buick? And if so, would you keep the pipes?

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Comments

  1. sir mike

    Redo the body,nice two tone color,update the interior,lose the truck wheels,steels would look great and yes keep the lake pipes.

    Like 12
  2. Don Diego

    Like so many others, it needs all 3 sides fixed…the outside, the inside, and the oxide.

    Like 18
  3. Beatnik Bedouin

    I’m with Sir Mike – Give it a decent paint job outside, maybe some TJ tuck ‘n’ roll inside, add some period shiny/go-fast bits under the hood, keep the lakes pipes and perhaps some of these wheel covers.

    Like 7
  4. BoatmanMember

    I swear some of you guys don’t know what rust is. I’d be more worried about his feedback score.

    Like 1
    • grant

      Really? He’s got one bad score within the last month. His other 5 are positive.

      Like 0
  5. Sanity Factor

    Id rock it

    Like 1
  6. Kuzspike

    Pretty rough, but would make a nice restomod. Wondering about the motor, with only 3 vents in the fender, shouldn’t this have come with a 6 cylinder?

    Like 0
    • George

      V8 is perfectly normal for a Special. The Special only had three portholes in the fenders. Roadmaster, Super, and Century had four. They also had the larger displacement V8 than the Special.

      Like 1
  7. Moparman MoparmannMember

    Restore it, substitute some later model Riviera road wheels, and maybe keep the pipes?! :-)

    Like 0
  8. 86 Vette Convertible

    •THE CAR IS SUPER SOLID AND WOULD MAKE A GREAT BUILDER
    Interesting statement in his add, especially with the number of holes I found in the shots. Not to say they can’t be fixed but definitely misleading IMO.
    Same with the tranny hump and floor work.

    Could be a fun car but with it as it is, restomod may be the better direction IMO. Late model drivetrain, fix the body and have fun with it.

    Like 2
  9. Pa Tina

    Field Car. Have some fun before you forget what fun is.

    Like 1
  10. Johnmloghry Johnmloghry

    I bought a 55 Super 4 door sedan when I was 16 and working on a chicken farm in Sumner, Washington for $1 per hour. That was 1964 I paid $299.99 including tax license and a tank of gas. It was two tone red/white. Great car until I had a head on with 53 Ford at 60 mph. Amazingly everyone walked away with minor scrapes and scratches. Therefore my interest is highly peaked in this 55 Super, but I think at my age and lack of physical agility I shall wait for one in much better condition to park beside my 64 Riviera. BOL

    Like 2
  11. GENE

    dad had a 56 it was at junk yard for 45 years wounder if its still there black with 389 v8 it ran when he brought there i kinda wishy i had one but my 67 rambler is fun too

    Like 1
  12. Rustytech RustytechMember

    Is it just me or does that rear axle look like it sits too far forward in the wheel wells?

    Like 0
    • Gaspumpchas

      Rusty I noticed that too…good luck to the new owner..could be sweet!!!

      Like 0
  13. PatrickM

    Ugh!!! As in ugly. Imo, this one needs a complete tests-mid…upgrade almost everything, yet keep it looking as oroginal as possible. Friday night cruise-in and Saturday night date car. Hey, honey! Ready to go?

    Like 0
  14. Lance

    HAHA I owned this car 5 or 6 years ago. Ran good when I had it. Patched the bad floors then too.

    Like 1
    • Levi

      I own it now. Did it have a title when you had it?

      Like 0

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