Buick entered the personal luxury car market in 1963 with the Riviera. It became instantly popular and would remain a GM fixture throughout the rest of the century. The first generation ran through 1965, with the biggest change that year perhaps being the addition of stacked, vertical headlights. The seller has a non-running ’65 project that wore burgundy paint at one time. It’s largely complete and ready to be restored in Edinburg, Texas. The once-stoic car is available here on eBay, where the starting bid of $4,500 awaits a taker.
The new Riviera rode on an E-body platform with rear-wheel drive, typical of the day. It would later be modified for the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, but using front-wheel drive. “Nailhead” V8s were used with the 425 cubic inch version being in the seller’s car (it produced 340 hp back in the day). It should be paired with a TH-400 automatic transmission. Neither unit currently operates as the car appears to have been sitting for a long time.
Rivieras were potent machines because they used the same engines found in larger, heavier Buicks. 16-second quarter-mile runs were typical, but they did it by guzzling gasoline at the rate of 13 mpg. A Gran Sport version of the Riviera arrived in 1965 with twin carburetors, but the seller’s example is not one of them. Sales were somewhat consistent at 34,500 units in 1965 (down from 40,000 two years earlier).
Few details are provided about this vehicle. Such as how long and why it has been sitting? And where are the front bucket seats, as they’re removed in at least one photo? With one or more flat tires and a close proximity to the ground, what condition is the undercarriage in? It would be a shame to buy this car to restore only to find out it’s rotting from the inside. Thanks for another bigger-than-life tip, “Curvette”!
stoic ? – care to elaborate ?
That’s been sitting a long time. Nice-looking things, though.
I would try to research some Patrick Swayzee/Road House “provinance”….you never know.
If the rot coming through the front of the hood is an example of the overall condition of the car, what you have here is $4500 for basically a parts car. With a lot of parts that aren’t really any good. This will go unsold on eBay. Unless the Seller finds an idiot Buyer, or lowers the price by a LOT!!
I don’t disagree that the price is excessive, but the seller provides 38 pictures. I looked pretty carefully at all of them and I don’t see rust. The rockers and quarters, inner wheel wells and inner sills all look good. The captains floor board looks mostly okay, as does the trunk floor with a couple of minor exceptions. The front of the hood is hard to comprehend. The steering wheel is a mess and the interior needs a complete redo. It looks to be a dry area and the car isn’t buried in dirt so the underside might be okay. It’s obviously been sitting long enough for weeds to grow up through the bumper. Bring the price down to a realistic number, and this might be a good foundation for a renovation or restoration. It’s going to take a lot of cash, but if you do your own work, it might come out okay as a labor of love.
It’s very dry down here, Eric_13cars – the climate here is dry when times are good, and this area has been experiencing a drought for many years now. While being close to the ground always presents the potential for rot underneath, this car stands a far better chance of still being decent by virtue of the fact that the ground that it’s uncomfortably close to is in the Rio Grande Valley than would be the case most anywhere else.
i have 2 63 rotted riv parts cars that can be had for 600.00 for the pair.
Pics?
Shoot $45 for that.
Bidding begins about where my high bid would be. Lotsa luck.
One of Bill Mitchell’s masterpieces. Nothing and I mean NOTHING will ever look this good EVER again. The world is full of butt ugly, plastic ladened SUV junk. Yes, this is expensive, but to add to that, restoring these Rivs is no cheap undertaking. Twenty years ago, a mint one was about $20,000. In recent years, a superb example is pushing six digits and beyond. I am too old to take on any project, but would prefer this over an old Corvette at this point in my life.
As a fan of these I hate to see this happen to it.
Yes me too, bobhess. They have a unique style, that still looks great today. A friend of mine has a ’64, and is a lovely example of the elegant design of the ’63-’65 Rivs.