Boat-Tail Riviera

[Rattle Trap]

Alright, so another member told me I might find some love here for non-C body, non-Mopar interesting cars.. here goes....

I bought this ole girl as a barely running or driving derelict out of a junkyard an hour from home back in 99 with my new girlfriend now wife and mother of my children. She ran chase and I actually drove it home using a bald spare tireto back an unmounted driver's seat. It only had 51 K mi, but had been long neglected. We replaced or rebuilt.. carb, dist, timing chain, water pump, MC hardlines and brake hoses, pads, shoes, shocks, tierod ends, gas tank and probly more I don't remember. We welded in new floorpans under all four positions, used almost a quart of POR15 in various places. It's a console car and we put an 87 LeSabre T-Type power interior in place, skipping the expense of rebuilding the original pearl white leather. It was a beautiful fit with little more than welding in new rear seat pick-up points and front track mods. If we get tired of listening to the side pipes a friend gave us, it has a Toshiba tape deck and Pioneer speakers.

Hope you like her, I'm struggling with the idea of selling..or not....

Oh, and everything I mentioned about her? We had our first real date 6-4-99 and bought the car 6-9-99. It was completed, registered, and in attendance by the middle of the next month @ GoodGuys PPG Nats in Columbus...

Tough decision...

 

[Fratzog]

You brought a great car back from the dead. Those rims look great. Not so sure about the side pipes. Overall nice job!

 

[Rattle Trap]

The rims are my trademark of selling cars. Dirt cheap and shiney rims will sell almost anything. I started with a single crusty 15x7 ET 5spoke and over the following year found another and two reversed 15x8s while rifling thru junkyard tire piles. The aluminum center's chrome always goes to crap, so it rip all I can loose before sandblasting and bondo'ing the pits. Prime, and paint the centers gold with several coats of clear to polish off brake dust. These unilugs were the only rims I had on hand that would mount the GM fullsize 5x5 pattern. I didn't do the gold 5spoke to sell for a change...
I only had to pay retail for one of the tires. One of the 275/60s that are dwarfed in the Huge rear wheelhouses.

I think the sidepipes look good but are a bit too short. They solved a lack of funds issue as we ran tight on our deadline of making the show, so we've left em. They only offer 2-1/4" ground clearance. Which means I lose count of the pipe scrapes pretty quickly @ 70+ on interstates and have to drive carefully elsewhere too. I actually angle myself out of my own driveway...

 

[detmatt]

I really love the boat tail Riv's and this one has some great vintage mods, really kool! These Riv's and the ones that preceded them have always made me look twice, sometimes more.

 

[Rattle Trap]

Yeah! That was the intent with this one. Late 70s early 80s style. You get it!

It seems that while being primarily Mopar guys, we're both fans of style! I find I like the Riviera's back to 52. But of them all, the 71 really speaks to me as different. It has features that didn't carry over to 72. But it just doesn't strike me as a Buick at all as a styling excersize. There is absolutely no proof for my thoughts, I've checked. But I would swear that as a styling excersize, this car was penned in 1960. From the body details to the interior, I truly believe that the Boat Tail Riv was originally drawn and abandoned as being the Corvette redesign for 63, if GM would follow Fords lead into a 4-seat sportscar.

Obviously they didn't go that route with the midyear Corvette. Yet once it had been out of production for a couple years, Buick had a very Corvett'ish design to produce. At least they did it right. The Riviera only came with the top engine, the 455. Unlike the choices of engines in Vette's. Strange I'd be attracted to it as much as I hate Vette's after refinishing so many.

 

[bluefury361]

I love those riv's and have had a couple of them in the past. Heck of a road car.

I don't much care for the side pipes but can understand the budget thing.... The OEM exhaust sys on those cars is rather complex and seem to have a short life span.

Wheels....... Gotta love the original cone centered Buick road wheels.

 

[polara71]

I agree with everything said.. ..

Selling will cause regret

 

[72Fury]

It really depends on your direction. Do you need the space, cash & time for something more important? If not, I would keep it. You can always find another one, but it's never the same.

 

[Stormer]

Don't sell.....

 

[commando1]

I think I am somewhat qualified to chime in on the Riv. I bought a new '72 and up to this day I want another Boat tail.
My advise is you really should keep it. The heat you're going to take from the guys who love them in their purity is going to be without mercy. Rather than let them beat you up in some Buick forum, keep hot rodding it and enjoy the hell out of.

A lot of us C-body guys know all about this.

 

[detmatt]

The mid sixties Riv's are my favorites.

 

[commando1]

The mid sixties Riv's are my favorites.

I can't even dream of affording one of those.
What's your thoughts on this one I made an offer on last week.
I couldn't think of a better counter balance to my New Yorker....

 

[detmatt]

I don't hate it Stan however I feel the front of the car is having an identity crisis...
I'd see that car coming at me and not know if it were an Olds, Chevy, Pontiac or a Buick.

 

[commando1]

I don't hate it Stan however I feel the front of the car is having an identity crisis...
I'd see that car coming at me and not know if it were an Olds, Chevy, Pontiac or a Buick.

You're dead on in your observation. It calls out to me because I had a 78 LeSabre Sport Coupe I bought new and that car is in my top 3 best long term cars I ever owned.

Same as this but in the same color combo of that Riv.
Like getting my old car back but only top of the line this time around.

I loved these when they came out later. Called the "Palm Beach Edition"
Be perfect for me now - lol!!

That same year, my friend at work bought a '78 Bonney Coupe...

and a second friend at work bought a '78 Olds 88 Holiday Coupe...

We parked next to each other every day with the three of them lined up like GM soldiors.

 

[71ChargerSE]

I've always liked the Boat tail Rivs. I do like the early-mid 60's versions a little more, missed a deal on a '63, white with a red gut, ended up with a '67 Mustang coupe for a first car in the same color combo. Guess it's a good thing in the end, I ended up as a Mopar guy :yaayy:

 

[detmatt]

Stan, those are all great looking cars and I see your attraction to them, I especially like the LeSabre.

 

[commando1]

I put 120k miles on it and years later I had a waiting list of buyers...

 

[bluefury361]

I can't even dream of affording one of those.
What's your thoughts on this one I made an offer on last week.
I couldn't think of a better counter balance to my New Yorker....

Those are beautiful cars in their own right..... but they fall short of the previous Riv's IMHO. The shared body and downsized, (350...?), engine just don't measure up to the 63-75 full size, big block road cars they were.

 

[Rattle Trap]

If you're interested in the slightly smaller Century. Theres a76 Pace Car in MN for sale.

 

[commando1]

Those are beautiful cars in their own right..... but they fall short of the previous Riv's IMHO.

I don't consider these true Rivieras actually. They're simply top of the line late 70's GM B-bodies. Coupe DeVilles/Electras/98's on a shorter wheelbase or loaded up Lesabres/Bonnys/88's. Poor car is caught between a rock and a hard place.
That's my view anyway.

If you're interested in the slightly smaller Century...

Hahahahahahahahahh.........






NO!