The Buick Riviera was GM’s first attempt to enter the personal luxury car market. The Ford Thunderbird had been the industry benchmark in this segment for 5 years, but the new ground-up styling made the ’63 Riviera stand out for its style and elegance. This example is in Jackson, Georgia, and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,500. The only question is whether this is a restorable classic or a parts car for your existing early Riviera project. Thanks to Moparman for the tip!
The upside is the venerable Buick 401 “nailhead” engine. This V8 powerhouse produced a hefty 325 hp at 4,400 RPM and a massive 445 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 RPM. The transmission is an Automatic, and the rear is a Posi-traction unit. Power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning are all optioned.
In looking at the body, it seems as though it has seen much better days. Much of the work on this project will be centered here. The seller does admit, “It does have rust issues”! The original wheels and all chrome are present, though.
Unfortunately, despite the body pictures, there are no pics of the frame or interior. The car is red with a gray interior, and the posting admits it hasn’t been driven in years, so it is unclear whether it is a driver right now. Buick fans looking for a first-year Riv to restore can pick this up for a pretty low price, considering the average sale price for drivers in good shape is around $27,709.
This car is a mess. Returning rust through where there were previous repairs, not running for years, who knows what the interior looks like, but lack of pictures suggests it’s no better than the rest of the car.
Inclusion of prices for decent drivers will help put into perspective what a realistic budget should look like and might make the “every car should be restored” contingent see how that statement stands up to reality.
Steve R
Looks like another flood car. Hard pass. Almost everything is ruined.
Restore or part out is even more of a critical decision because of the high costs of professional restoration and parts. One way to decide is to find out the realistic market value of a restored version of your car. I saw a really clean, original ’63 Riviera for about $45,000. I doubt this red car could be restored for anywhere near that figure.
i have 2 63s sitting here that are parts cars. 1 has factory a/c. 600.00 for the pair.
The world is awash with these kinds of oxidized shells that are of no value beyond “come and get it if you need some of it”. Appalachia has them parked in yards around every corner. Probably the same everywhere.
That doesn’t stop these sellers from fantasizing about a big bank deposit. It’s all a colossal waste of time.
Every day they post a couple of them here. Many are even worse than this.
I’d really like Barn Finds to focus on stuff that is a lot more interesting and viable.
Too high. Not paying sentimental value
Putting this car in the same category as that ’68 Caprice wagon from the other day…
Not that it matters much, but what’s that Quadrajet doing there? Should be an AFB.