Though the Thunderbird had already put Ford on the map in the personal luxury car market when it gained rear seating, it didn’t take General Motors very long to follow, with the Buick Riviera serving as the first GM to fall into that quickly growing classification. Even in bone-stock form, the Riviera had a sleek body and a plush interior when it was introduced as a 1963 model, but this 1964 Buick Riviera has undergone a custom treatment inside and out that takes the star quality to an entirely different level. This one’s located in San Diego, California, and can be seen here on Craigslist, with the asking price of $75,000 said to be exactly half the cost to get this unusual Buick to look like it does today. Fun find, Tony Primo, and thanks for sending in the tip here!
The seller tells us that top builders worked on this magazine project, but oddly, he doesn’t provide any further details. An internet search quickly revealed that this beauty has been named Lorraine, and I have to agree with the author that she is indeed a stunning example of automotive artistry. The top has been chopped 5 1/2 inches, and the fenders and quarters have been extended by 4 inches. However, the mods don’t stop there, as the front end has also been customized. The light green pearl paint color complements the reimagined body well here, and this one is reported to have only been driven 360 miles since completion.
With an exterior that’s received as much attention as this one has, I’d expect the interior to also be pretty special. Thankfully, things inside do not disappoint, and there are also several unique features in here as well. Apparently, the console inlay is made of marble, and the custom steering wheel is attached to an Ididit tilt column. There is one important aspect to consider, and that’s the chopped roof. A five-and-a-half-inch height reduction is significant, so I’d make sure my head wouldn’t be permanently leaning sideways before committing.
Under the hood, the firewall has been smoothed, and most of the bay area has been painted the same green color as the outside. A couple of niceties here include an MSD ignition system, a 4-core aluminum radiator, and there’s also an air-adjustable suspension down below. Builds like this tend to be expensive, and when it comes time to sell, sometimes it’s hard to recoup anywhere near what was invested. At half of the reported cost to make this 1964 Buick Riviera, is $75k a good value for what we’re seeing here?
Work of art, real beauty. One way to recoup price is to follow the local car show outlets and claim the price money for top honors. I noticed guys with expensive cars doing that in my area.
This has a real 60s hotrod feel to it. Big Daddy Ed Roth would be proud and AMT would use it to inspire a model kit. This is a neat build, I love it.
Nice to see that they retained the Nailhead.
Low rider.
Until you push the up button on the airbag system….
The ’63-’65 Riviera is a difficult design to improve upon, and this example is proof.
I agree that the 63-65 Riviera is a work of art, but this car has at least been customized in a way that it still retains a majority of the Rivieras styling. I get it, kustom cars are not for everyone, some cars I like better than others, but one thing I can admire no matter the car, the passion and craftsmanship that goes into creating cars like this Rivi. There used to be a local guy here, old school kustom rodder, Gambino Kustoms, dude has a ton of skill and did some wild builds over the years.
50 to 60 years ago, this entire country had dozens of body workers turning out every aspect of automotive genius that could be thought of… Go research the histories of hot rodding, customized after market works of art and just the sheer numbers of automotive magazines dedicated to customization techniques involving welding, chopping, extending, frenching of every light, door handle and lowering, raising, shortening of every chassis, body, suspension, engine compartment, modifications of every moving part to reach the perfection of their design… No stone left unturned, no technique ever totally abandoned, everything archived for future generations. And it gets better with new technologies.
You have Gambino Kustoms and 65 years ago,
P-town had Johnny Knox on 7th Street…
Knox Body Shop and Body Works. One of a thousand or more in the USA. When I was 9, I learned what customized meant. Works of art. Driveable.
This customization was an automotive crime and the paint color didn’t help it.
A stock Riviera in triple black, maybe lowered a couple inches and bigger wheels and you got the coolest looking car around.
Great art is complete when the artist knows the right place to stop. This thing ran a stop light and flew off a cliff!
John
I have one just as you describe black / black 65 Riv. 2 1/2 inch chop. Airbags. Kindig door handles. Lots of work to build.
Beautiful
I built a lot of models, and I’m sure this was one of the AMT “3in1” variations. Remember that putty like substance, that resembled bondo? I think it came in a tube. For a brief spell, we were George Barris. I’m convinced some of these customs that come through here, that was the inspiration. As if the ’64 Riv wasn’t cool enough, in true California fashion, we can make it better. Let me just open up the money spigot. It should have a velvet rope around it.
Now, for a lesson in economics, kids, if it DOES sell for $75grand, this person in effect lost $75,000 dollars. Is that possible? 360 miles? They certainly didn’t build it to make a profit on, is there that much enjoyment? Fascinating, Captain,,,
Yeah, I remember the putty. It came with my 3 in 1 split window coupe. The only split window coupe I will be able to own.
I’m withdrawing from my 401k and heading west….This is one cool ride, IMHO.
There are some automotive designs that cannot be improved, like the C2 Vette, & the 67 & 69 Mustang Sport Roof, to me this “custom” is a waste of time & money!
I like everything about it except the chopped roof. It’s not a ’40 Ford. Just ruins it for me, sorry.
The roof being chopped makes the front and rear fenders look out of proportion now. They look too bulbous. Not a good look.
Dale, my exact thought.
I’m pretty sure the ‘61 Olds Starfire, like mine, marked GM’s initial foray into the personal luxury car market, fully two years before the Riviera…
The Riv and the Grand Turismo Hawk were two of the most beautiful designs of the 1960´s. Why screw with any of them? How does one improve on perfection? To top it all of, to spend that sort of money on a modification of perfection is foolish and requires a man with more bucks than he knows what to do with. A MARBLE console? Good Lord, this guy must have been totally spaced out when he thought of that.
love the color but i prefer these in factory form. looks like quality work but i don’t think C/L is the place to sell it though. needs to go to a high-end auction like B/J where there’s plenty of money and booze
As far as beauty it’s nice. As far as price it’s not worth that. Why do so many think their crap is worth more than it’s worth? Reminds me of my mother telling me what she thought her house was worth.
Sorry but it just does not work for me the colors and the proportions just aren’t quite right. There’s something about it that kind of makes my teeth grate.
Nice one. Obvious a lot of you didn’t go through the ’50s and ’60s auto customs era. Everything and anything was fair game, some coming out good, some weird, some god awful ugly but all of it art. If you were anywhere but California, Chicago, Detroit, you probably missed what these areas put out. Toy makers had a heyday with the customs.
The front end to me is the worst part of the car. A more subtle chop I think would help it’s overall presentation, not a fan of the steering wheel, but I dig the rest of it! It certainly appears to be a nice build.