On Craigslist in Maine is a top-of-the-line 1967 Buick Riviera Gran Sport (GS) with a sad story attached. The owner passed away in 2020, and now the car is being sold by his brother. It’s not yet running, but close to it—the late brother did quite a lot of work on the Buick. The asking price is $7,000. Thanks to Rocco B. for this tip.
This is an original bench-seat car, without air conditioning. The original 430-cubic-inch four-barrel V-8 is still under the hood, coupled to a dual-angle torque converter Turbo 400 transmission. To run, it needs the tranny’s cooler lines, the heater hoses, and the exhaust hooked up. Not a complex job and the car reportedly ran fine before being dismantled.
The car also has a 3:23 positraction rear end and a new set of ceramic-coated performance headers. The Bilstein shocks are new, as are the rear lower control arms and springs, the locator bar bushings, the body mounts, the steering box and pump, the starter, the flywheel, and brake lines. The tires are new, as are the aftermarket sway bars. The dual exhaust is in the box, complete with “Star Wars” air cleaner. Whew, a lot of stuff has been done here.
The car has been stored in the late brother’s heated and air-conditioned garage. This is poignant: “It is on his lift, where he left it.” That reminds me of once encountering a 1952 Buick Woody that had been left on a Connecticut lift for four decades.
This is a second-generation Riviera, with this radically different line debuting in 1966 and sharing a platform with the celebrated Oldsmobile Toronado, but in rear-drive form. (Later, the Cadillac Eldorado was on the platform, too, and front drive like the Olds.) The Cadillac and Olds were big and heavy, but the Buick was 200 pounds heavier than the Olds. It was pretty modernistic and snazzy looking, with headlights that pivoted behind the grille when turned off. Owners could choose the bench or buckets, and opt for AM/FM and rear seat belts.
The 430 V-8 was new in the Riviera in 1967 and produced 360 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. Front disc brakes were available—does this car have them? Style changes were minor for ’67, and included a new horizontal grille bar and parking lights. Sales were 42,799 that year.
The ‘67s had a bunch of safety equipment, including four-way flashers, an energy-absorbing steering column, less-dangerous knobs, and dual-circuit brakes.
From the photos, the Riviera has 115,000 miles on the odometer. That might be enough to warrant a rebuild on the V8, but those engines were fairly under-stressed. The photos are subject to the limitations of shooting with the car on a lift in a crowded and dark garage, but they make the car look good, with excellent black upholstery (at least on the passenger seat) and shiny chrome bumpers. Some interior trim appears to be missing. The style was certainly dramatic—I saw one of these parked in an Adam-12 episode recently.
Someone could make money on this car. The average transaction price at Classic.com for the 1967 Buick Riviera is $26,171, but GS models get more. Some of them go for $35,000 to $45,000.
How is this still for sale at the asking price! For someone on the east coast this is a great deal and a good looking one at that. Hopefully a BarnFind member can get this and give us a success story.
No A/C in a car like this is a deal killer for me.
It doesn’t need to be out on hot days anyway. Keep that baby inside on really hot days, really cold for that matter…
Now that’s what we like, and it’s affordable. Closer inspection might reveal a great find. Stick in a Vintage Air kit, and you’re cruising in style.
My favorite year Riv. The new style engine, RWD, great looks, and……
What’s not to like (except lack of A/C). Not a problem in Maine or Minnesota but pure hell in Texas or Arizona.
Dual angle torque converter?
Can someone help me out here
Dual pitch? I think it means a Lock Up conv
Helps in cornering, depending on the angle.
Torque converter had two position stator, controlled by a switch on the throttle linkage. High stall for takeoff and passing, Low stall for cruising economy.
It was only available on Cadillac, Buick, and Oldsmobile TH400s from 1965-1967. Chevy and Pontiac never offered them due to cost.
It was an engineering triumph, but people, including salesmen, did not understand it, so the cost was not justifiable.
Search: “Switch Pitch” converter for more info.
I have one in my 72 GS 455 Stage 1 out of a 67 Sportwagon, its a dual vane angle torque converter known as the ST400 (same as TH400). It provides a high stall speed for getting big cars going and then locks up when you take off. It limits trans slippage/heat at higher speeds and gives better economy. Turns out its great for racing especially with big cams like the KB C107 “window rattler” which had to have one with an automatic car. Hot ticket in the 70-80s, Kenne-Bell in Ca made converters back in the day and there is a company in Texas that still rebuilds them. Lots of guys still running them, great for street and strip. I rebuilt mine in 1982 and its still running. Can be identified by a shoe heel protrusion on the trans pan and a second wire on the kickdown shift used to control the converter vane angle.
Dad had a gold ’67 like this. lt had an 8-track tape player with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Breakfast at Tiffany’s tapes. It replaced his third “tin can” Valiant, as his boss put it. That’s all I remember, I was 9, but a little sister was named Tiffani in 1972!
Look like Buick’s finned brake drums from the underside pics to answer the question “does it have disks?”
Looks like a car I could see me driving. Thanks for sharing
“Star Wars Air Cleaner”? This looks like a beauty that’s better off restored to original specs because it’s a GS that’s almost all there. Leave the restomod nonsense to a basket-case car.
The red “Star Wars” air cleaner (see pic in ad, or here: https://musclecaraircleaners.com/products/1967-buick-gs-400-star-wars-400-4v-air-cleaner) is an OEM 1967 GS spec item, not restomod. It was called that because it looks like a fighter craft out of Star Wars.
Where are the original wheels?
Probably wheel covers, my guess…
The original wheels are on the car, 4 turbine style hubcaps are included.
like gen one so much more and this 1 is great as well.
Thanks Jim (& Rocco)
Looks like a sweet deal from my couch. Eight hour drive for me so a leisurely two day trip. The wife and I are talking about going to Maine. Maybe….nah! But I see a lot of value here. To my eyes these Rivieras are one of the prettiest cars of the sixties. The owner of one of the companies I worked for had one. I spent a fair amount of time drooling over it. Hope someone puts this back on the road like it deserves.
It looks like a great project car at a great price. It would make a nice peppy cruiser with that 430.
Speaking of nice peppy cruisers, I ran my ’63 Riv around today, first to a car show this morning, then to an antiques store, then to the taco stand for lunch. The weather in Tampa was beautiful, sunny and 75. Loving it.
Nice project, no A/C for me is no deal, but you can add it
Dual angle torque converter?
Can someone help me out here
GM used a 2 stage torque converter for a couple years. Had 2 stall speeds. High stall speed was engaged at idle for less creep at idle. The low stall speed would kick in when you accelerated from a stop to move the car off the line quicker. One benefit is having a more radical cam required a looser converter with a higher stall speed so the thing would idle. The switch pitch gave you the best of both worlds.
My dad bought one new in 67 and I loved that car, would float down the road. Had a couple of dates in that car. Always wonder what happened to it when my dad sold it in the 80s with 65,000 miles.
IMO, the flowmasters should be saved for a non luxury car.
Is there a specialty conversion kit for front drums to disc brakes? Anone done it on a Buick Riviera?
There are kits for for the riviera, just Google front disc brakes for 67 riviera and your options will come up, summit racing has a few.
I have found the drums on my ’63 Riv to be perfectly adequate. I re-did them 5 years ago, and they stop the car very capably.
I did upgrade to a dual-pot master, which I bought as a booster/master kit from OPG for about $350 if I recall correctly. It required a junction block from Inline Tube, less than 50 bucks. All works great.
The only issue was the strenuous amount of what I call “car yoga” that was required under the dash in installing the new booster and connecting it to the brake pedal. My neck still isn’t right.
Hi, interesting car! love 60’s gm’s…had a few! I’m in Maine as well. email me were you live…maybe, I’ll buy it and you can help me while on the lift!! I’m 67 yrs… I’ll need help!