Sometimes project cars come along where there is really nothing major that is wrong with them, but they are cars that have just become tired and frayed. That would appear to be the case with this 1965 Buick Riviera. It appears to be a solid car, but the years are really showing everywhere that you look. However, with the Riviera being a car that is able to combine equal parts performance and comfort, they are a classic that can be very rewarding once restored. If taking on that sort of project holds a strong attraction for you, then you will find the Riviera located in Chicago, Illinois, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $3,500, and with the reserve now met, a new home for this great old car is just around the corner.

The photos that the owner provides really aren’t the greatest, but they do reveal a bit about this car’s story. It has been sitting out in the elements since 2015, and this is something that is never good for the panels and paint in Chicago. The Silver Cloud paint has become quite faded and oxidized, and this imparts the Riviera with a pretty tired appearance. When you see a car that has been sitting out as this one has, and when the paint looks the way that this does, it is easy to expect the worst. Well, that doesn’t appear to be the case with this vehicle. It isn’t rust-free, but it seems to be solid enough to show promise. The worst of the rust appears to be around the top of the windshield, along with some in the trunk seams, the lower quarter panel and the rear section of the rocker on the passenger side, along with the front fender lips and the lip on the hood. The owner claims to have had a good look around under the vehicle, and he states that it all looks solid underneath. That’s the thing with this car. It appears as though there are no major problems to be addressed, but they are the sorts of issues that come under the heading of “small and fiddly” jobs. If the next owner has a modicum of patience, then the vast majority of these problems should be able to be addressed for little capital outlay.

Lifting the hood on the Riviera reveals the 425ci “Wildcat 445” engine, which, at its peak, pumped out a healthy 325hp. Also part of the package was a 3-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The Buick was considered to be a luxury personal car in the same vein as Ford’s Thunderbird, but this one could really get up and moving if you were willing to give it a poke with a stick. When a car weighs in at 4,210lbs but can still rip through the ¼ mile in 15.7 seconds, it can’t really be a bad thing. This particular Riviera was in good mechanical health when it was parked. Of course, that was back in 2015, so it will require some work to get it up and running once again. The owner states that it will need a battery and battery cables, along with some fresh fuel and the carburetor primed. He is of the opinion that a knowledgeable person should be able to breathe new life into the Buick in about an hour. Of course, that is only going to be the starting point, because there will undoubtedly be a few other components that would require attention before the Riviera could be considered to be close to roadworthy.

The interior of the Riviera is another of those areas where although there is nothing radically wrong, it just looks tired. The dash pad is cracked and it will require replacement. The rest of the interior doesn’t look horrendous, but it would need a serious clean as a starting point. The timber trim on the console is showing its age, so I did a bit of searching and was able to locate a trim kit for the console for $128. If consistency is key here, then it is possible to buy a kit to replace every piece of timber inside the car for around $260. The covers on the seats aren’t that bad, with only a few marks and nicks. But once again, if the next owner is seeking perfection, then replacement covers are readily available. This is one area that is open to choice for prospective owners. A full set of covers in the original vinyl can be found for $650, but if the next owner wants to impart a true air of luxury, then leather can be had for around $1,500. It isn’t clear exactly what state the headliner is in, but these are actually a surprisingly cheap item to replace if this is necessary. As usual, I would be inclined to just give everything a thorough clean as a starting point on this restoration. Interestingly, the Riviera isn’t loaded up with a lot of luxury extras. I was quite surprised to note that a radio and a tilt wheel seem to be about the extent of it and that it doesn’t even score air conditioning.

As I said in the beginning, there doesn’t appear to be anything significantly bad about this 1965 Buck Riviera, just a lot of small issues that mount up to the point where the car would benefit from a full restoration. Having said that, a competent person with some patience and skill should be capable of addressing most of those issues in a home workshop. With tidy examples starting in the market for around to $30,000 mark, it would seem to be a project that could be well worth tackling.