Just curious, what's everyones age, and what year Riv(s) do you own?

[65VerdeGS]

I'll be 65 this August, and my Riv is a '65.   We've been together for 40 years.

 

[Buffalowed Bill]

On 2/25/2019 at 1:35 AM, Buffalowed Bill said:

Good God, I just looked through six pages of responses, and unless I missed one or two responses, I'm the oldest so far! I just turned 75 yesterday. I usually don't worry too much about my age, I'm still healthy, and have been told, many times that I don't look my age, that remains to be seen, but I don't know if any single thing that has made me feel older then seeing this thread! What a great Birthday present!

1963 Riv

1965-22K mile, all original, and documented.

Bill

 

I answered this inquiry four years ago-I'm still here, four years older, with the same two cars and it seems that I'm still the oldest responder. Hard to believe that it has been four years but I guess I have to. I hope that if this thread is revisited in four years I will still be able respond.

 

Bill

[XframeFX]

15 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

I answered this inquiry four years ago-I'm still here, four years older, with the same two cars and it seems that I'm still the oldest responder.

Happy belated birthday  from 2 months ago Bill!

Yes, no stopping Father Time.

Same two cars? Well aren't you the role model! I have two as well but if I have to put one or both in a storage locker due to down-sizing, maybe should let go?

Our cars keep us going. I know I'll stick around with or without a Riviera!

[Buffalowed Bill]

Thanks for the Birthday wishes-It's all good, The Dude abides!🙂

[Buffalowed Bill]

As for my comments regarding being careful not to overvalue your car for insurance purposes. Please read some of the very long thread started by recently diseased AACA forum contributor regarding the problems he was faced with when a small fender bender that he had with his 1938 Studebaker turned into a nightmare when he found how difficult it would be to register the car without the dreaded "SALVAGE" notification on the title.

 

Guess the adjusters estimate to fix damage - 1938 Studebaker is settled 

[LarryDolphins]

I'm 58, my '68 Riviera and '40 Special (just sold this weekend)

[EmTee]

Those Super Deluxe wheel covers sure look nice on your '68! 

[60FlatTop]

On 4/13/2023 at 8:36 PM, Buffalowed Bill said:

many times that I don't look my age, that remains to be seen

OK, I know there are five senses and you imply that sight wasn't used yet.

 

Happy belated birthday, September is 75 for me but I have been rounding up for a while.

[MotiveLensPhoto]

61

 

l973

1995

 

[cquisuila]

french , year 1966 as my riviera 😋

[Finn Riv]

Age 41 and ’63 Riviera. Now it our 3rd spring together😂

[RivNut]

35 and a 1963.
 

Opps, wait a minute, that was back in ‘82.  I still have it. 😄 If you don’t want to do the math I’m now 76.

[Selesté 68 Rivi]

I'm 48 and I have a 1968 Riviera GS

[Markus64]

I am 32 and she is 59.... 😁

 

[Dundee]

12 hours ago, Markus64 said:

I am 32 and she is 59.... 😁

 

Sweet!

liking those ‘thin’ white walls with wire caps!

[wildwilf]

65 years young just bought this 66 matching #s and the rolling chassis for $500 runs great

Edited May 4, 2023 by wildwilf (see edit history)

[XframeFX]

On 4/29/2023 at 4:04 PM, Dundee said:

Liking those ‘thin’ white walls with wire caps!

Great, I'll be transitioning from 30 year 3/4" WSW to new 1.5" WSW tires. Not sure about appearance. Thought they would grow on me. Hmmmm . . . .😕

[65RivProject]

I'm 69 and I recently bought a '65 Riv.  My first Buick was a 1972 Electra 225.  It was a great, smooth land yacht that my kids loved to ride in.  That was over 40 years ago.

Edited May 7, 2023 by 65RivProject
extra info (see edit history)

[joe c]

Born in May 65 with a 65  

[MrAG Riv]

52 with a 63. 
 

 

[lrlforfun]

I got my 65 when I was 24 years old. Still got it today and I'm 71.  Mitch

 

[XframeFX]

17 hours ago, lrlforfun said:

I got my 65 when I was 24 years old. Still got it today and I'm 71.

Man, I thought having my Nailhead for 43+ years was a long time!

I never was a car flipper, partially due to being locked-in unfinished projects.

Looking at posted Rivieras never gets OLD!

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by XframeFX (see edit history)

[lrlforfun]

John:  My adult history is pretty much wrapped up around that car. My parents and many of my relatives rode in it as did countless friends and  old girl friends, many no longer with us. I had it through almost every part of my life, career, living in different places, raising the kids and retirement.  I commuted in it, used it as a spare and even showed it. If it could talk....but I'm glad it's adventures have been relegated to just me and my wife and kids. 

 

Flipper? I was a used car dealer for 30 years and have bought and sold thousands of cars. I had this before I went into business and it stuck with  me long after I retired.  

 

It's fate today? It runs and drives pretty good still but it is very cosmetically challenged. I'm fixing it up a little here and there and one day it's gonna be better than  when I got it.  Mitch

Edited May 12, 2023 by lrlforfun (see edit history)

[ericisback]

I’m 57. I started collecting cars about 20 years ago. I have 2 Buicks - a ‘65 Rivera GS, and a ‘70 GS 455 Stage 1. 
 

I’ve never sold a car from my collection…

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by ericisback (see edit history)

[Dundee]

7 hours ago, ericisback said:

I’m 57. I started collecting cars about 20 years ago. I have 2 Buicks - a ‘65 Rivera GS, and a ‘70 GS 455 Stage 1. 
 

I’ve never sold a car from my collection…

 

Dang that’s a smooth Riv. 

[Craig Balzer]

Eric

 

Nice collection.

Color me jealous  😟

(I have a 65 Rivi GS, 72 XKE Series III OTS and 62 TBird -- (and had a 71 GS Stage 1 I am trying to replace) but you have several really nice rides

 

1965 Buick Riviera GS

1965 Jaguar XKE Series 1 Coupe
1967 Corvette L68 convertible https://bit.ly/2yykRW7
1967 GTO 400 convertible
1968 Camaro 396 SS/RS convertible
1969 Mach 1 R-Code Cobra Jet

1970 Olds 442 W-30

1970 Buick GS 455 Stage1
1978 VW Beetle convertible
2011 Mercedes SLS 

Edited June 11, 2023 by Craig Balzer (see edit history)

[ericisback]

3 hours ago, Craig Balzer said:

Eric

 

Nice collection.

Color me jealous  😟

(I have a 65 Rivi GS, 72 XKE Series OTS and 62 TBird -- and had a 71 GS Stage 1 I am trying to replace) but you have several really nice rides

 

1965 Buick Riviera GS

1965 Jaguar XKE Series 1 Coupe
1967 Corvette L68 convertible https://bit.ly/2yykRW7
1967 GTO 400 convertible
1968 Camaro 396 SS/RS convertible
1969 Mach 1 R-Code Cobra Jet

1970 Olds 442 W-30

1970 Buick GS 455 Stage1
1978 VW Beetle convertible
2011 Mercedes SLS 

Thanks. I’ve been looking for a baby bird for years. Can’t find one I like, at a reasonable price. Great minds…. 😀

[Buick430]

I'm 40 years old, and got a 1967, owned it since 2003.

[65VerdeGS]

On 5/26/2023 at 8:16 AM, Craig Balzer said:

Color me jealous  😟

(I have a 65 Rivi GS, 72 XKE Series OTS and 62 TBird -- and had a 71 GS Stage 1 I am trying to replace) but you have several really nice rides

Hi Craig,

 

How would you compare your '65 Riv to the 62 TBird?  I always liked those bullet bodied T-Birds, and wonder how the Riv and TBird compare in terms of ride, performance, and general build quality.  Care to comment based on your experience with the two marques?

[Aaron65]

Not to talk out of turn, but I have one of each, a '63 T-Bird and a '63 Riviera.  They both ride nicely, but I prefer the Riviera's steering, and the Riviera is significantly more powerful.  I prefer the T-Bird's seating position, but it does have an adjustable seat back (by way of a bolt in the seatback), and I think the T-Bird's interior is a little more swanky.  They both look great, but I think the Riviera looks better.  The Riviera is much, much easier to work on, especially under the hood.  It is incredible that a car as large as the T-Bird has so little room under the hood - the spring towers take up an enormous amount of space.  I'd say they were both built very well, although my cars are both average drivers that are now 60 years old and have never been completely restored.  

Edited May 30, 2023 by Aaron65 (see edit history)

[EmTee]

If the '63 T-Bird is like a friend's '65, it's a HEAVY car despite being unit body construction.  A couple years ago we were talking car stuff and subject of weight came up.  We compared the weights of the T-Bird, a friend's '60 Catalina and my '67 Riviera.  The Catalina was lightest and (surprisingly to me) the T-Bird was ~200 pounds heavier than my Riviera!

[Craig Balzer]

8 hours ago, 65VerdeGS said:

How would you compare your '65 Riv to the 62 TBird? 

Alex

 

Aaron pretty much covered it.

To amplify on Aaron's comments from my position:

 

They both ride nicely - I prefer the ride of my Riviera. A mechanic friend of mine who is VERY familiar with T-Birds tells me the garage that replaced the rear springs on my TBird 3 years ago screwed the pooch. That may be the difference 

but I prefer the Riviera's steering - I find the Riviera steering to be lighter than the TBird's but not excessively so

Riviera is significantly more powerful - I have had my TBird for 8 years and have it pretty well sorted; I've only had the Riviera for 3 years and have only done a little on it (rebuilt Transmission, rebuilt cabs, worked on front suspension steering a bit) so it's not a fair comparison from my seat. Any V8 with 2x 4-bbls in over carb'ed in my opinion. Next summer (or maybe over this winter) I plan to have my Riviera on an in-ground rolling dynameter mostly to have the crabs tuned at idle and at speed so I'll have a better informed position then. My TBird has an open rear end with 3.0:1 gears vs the Riviera with posi 3.42:1. so there is that.

I prefer the T-Bird's seating position - it is easier to get in/out the TBird. The TBird's fat-man's-comfort-tilt wheel helps a lot. My Riviera's steering wheel tilts so that helps but can't compete with the Bird's ease. Once the Riviera's seat is adjusted for pedal reach, I find the steering wheel is too close to me for easy in/out (even considering my belt line).

I think the T-Bird's interior is a little more swanky - I disagree. But my Riviera has A/C and the Birds doesn't. Both have 4x bucket seats but the quality of the build on the Riviera is superior to the TBird. The sweep around dash trim that continues to the back seating on the TBird is cool -- for a while. Then it just takes up space - no glove box. Both have only idiot lights but the Riviera has more.

 

They both look great, but I think the Riviera looks better - I agree but this is why we have horse races every day. The Riviera looks smaller from the steering wheel but is equally spacious. 

The Riviera is much, much easier to work on, especially under the hood.  It is incredible that a car as large as the T-Bird has so little room under the hood - the spring towers take up an enormous amount of space.  - Agree

 

I'd say they were both built very well, although my cars are both average drivers that are now 60 years old and have never been completely restored.   Again I disagree - Buick's build quality is better than Ford's across the board. In the FWIW category, my mechanic friend who is VERY familiar with T-Birds (who has wrenched on 1956-66 TBirds for 38 years (nearly exclusively)) much prefers nearly everything about the Riviera over the TBird in build quality, esthetics, ride, appearance. 

[telriv]

A BIG diff. in the Birds swaging rear end can be completely eliminated with front & rear sway bars.

It feels like the car is wagging it's tail while driving down the street.

My '62 convertible did that for years before I figured it out & installed the bars.

I had Addco make them up for me back in the 70's.

Now it goes straight & true over all driving conditions.

 

Tom T.

[XframeFX]

8 hours ago, Craig Balzer said:

I prefer the ride of my Riviera. A mechanic friend of mine who is VERY familiar with T-Birds tells me the garage that replaced the rear springs on my TBird 3 years ago screwed the pooch. That may be the difference 

I know Leaf Springs can be set-up to ride nice. We still have them in modern 1/2 tons except RAM pickups. They help spread the load on the truck's frame rails when hauling payload in the box.

Which was more advanced for 1963? The T-Bird with it's Unit-Body or the Riviera with coil springs at all 4 corners?

[XframeFX]

I like the T-Bird's Trunk weather-strip in the Deck Lid over the Riviera's

Also, the front seat backs tip straight forward and not angled inboard as with 1st Gen. Rivieras.

[XframeFX]

15 hours ago, Aaron65 said:

I have one of each, a '63 T-Bird and a '63 Riviera.

Many of us seem to be keeping our vintage rides in Storage Lockers?

With down-sizing immanent, my man-cave days are coming to an end. My "other half" is hell bent on a downtown condo. Maybe I should switch to building E-Bikes from a cage in the building's parkade?

[Aaron65]

8 hours ago, XframeFX said:

Many of us seem to be keeping our vintage rides in Storage Lockers?

With down-sizing immanent, my man-cave days are coming to an end. My "other half" is hell bent on a downtown condo. Maybe I should switch to building E-Bikes from a cage in the building's parkade?

I just have too many cars.  I can keep four old cars in my home garage at once, so I rent spots for the others.  Maybe someday I'll have a big barn, but I'll just fill it.  

[NC1968Riviera]

59 with a 1968 Riviera

 

[65VerdeGS]

Thank you Craig and Aaron for your comments on "T-Bird vs Riviera". 

 

As these cars were direct competitors in the market of the day, it's always interesting to hear comments from the men who own and live with them!

 

 

[RivNut]

Here’s a photo from GM showing their X-715 prototype in clay next to a then current T-bird. If I’m correct, 1960 was the last year for the “Square bird” so this gives you an idea of how long it took GM to get the car to market. By hpthe time Buick had won the rights for the Riviera, Ford had completely redesigned the Thunderbird.