Pat Curran

Watch out grave digger!!

Most leak from the rear window over time. It is common for rust to form under the stainless molding, particularly in both corners. Another source is the ribbed decorative molding that fits between the rear window and the trunk lid. The sealer around the mounting studs can dry out and begin to leak. The trunk weather strip can be a source as well.

A nicely optioned car for sure and an unusual color combo. I did notice that the under hood insulation is missing but the replacement kits are available at a reasonable cost and would take you less than an hour to replace. The trunk looks original and although the lining is stained, there is a plus for originality these days. If the car shows as well in person as it does in the pictures, I don't think the asking price is unreasonable.

I wonder if the gold one has a star wars air cleaner under the hood? It would be a nice plus if it did.

How can the gold one "appear correct and unmodified" when it has a 430 engine? At least they are including the original block. A nice looking car though.

It is nice to see these wheel covers on a 65 GS. The road wheels have become so common over the years ( and in addition to the Pontiac 8 lug wheels, probably the nicest wheels that GM ever produced) the wheel covers get my vote!

I think the coral one was a 64.

I believe the Midnight Blue 65 GS is the same one that took best of show at the ROA meet in Lexington, KY?

I hope so too Randy. If not, I will take them to Hershey in the Fall and see what happens there.

These showroom binders are in really nice shape. No missing pages or samples. They also contain bulletins from Buick that were inserted from time to time as options were added or deleted during the production year. Lots of pictures, upholstery samples, carpet samples and detailed information on all Buick models including the Riviera. I bought these from the Buick Dealer who originally sold my old 69 when they retired and closed the dealership. Send me a PM if you have an interest. Thanks!

Here is a picture of my old 69 with the antenna fully retracted. The antenna was original to the car. I am assuming the 69 is the same as the 68 but not 100% certain. Hope this helps.

There is a set for sale in the latest ROA Riview for a 63. Price is $350 and listed as nice driver quality.

Hey Randall, thanks for posting those notices. Hope you are well. I miss the NC climate!

Some Buick dealers were offering these conversions back in the day. Don't know if it was ever an approved accessory by Buick or not. Maybe someone can chime in if they know more?

Everyone has their favorite for some reason or a combination of reasons. Bill Mitchell envisioned the car with concealed headlights from the get go but it took a couple of years to make it happen. I think the 65 was the first GM car to have tail lights fitted into the rear bumper? I know the Thunderbirds had tail lights as part of the overall rear bumper design prior to the 65 Riv but look how many copied that in the following years. The merits of every year/generation of Riviera have a fan base but just having one is what counts. My two cents.

You're right Ed. I once saw a 1964 Wildcat and the owner had put the cast wheelcovers on his car. He swapped out the emblem and put the Wildcat emblem in from the standard wheel cover. It looked great. BTW, I know you and I have questioned this before but is the spinner on the 65 GS wheel cover the same as the cast wheelcover? They look the same but I have never tried to swap them. If so, it could be another source for an emblem.

Like any other parts for our cars, condition dictates the price. I am not sure what the going prices are these days as it has been some time since I have seen a set for sale. They are easy to maintain compared to the wire wheel covers of the same era. I had them on my 64 that I owned for 24 years and they looked classy on the car. The 63 and 64 were the same casting but the 64's were painted black between the vanes. It is not difficult to add or delete the black depending on which year you need. When I bought my car, the aluminum had oxidized a bit and I had them bead blasted and re-painted the black areas. They came out great. The spinners are the same for both years but of course the logo in the center is different between the two years. The Buick tri-shield for 63 and the "R" logo for the 64. I would guess that you would have to pay at least $50.00 a piece for presentable examples, quite possibly more depending on condition. A number of these were damaged over the years by unsuspecting people who tried to pry them off not realizing that the spinner pops off to access the lug nuts. Curb rash took its toll as well.

The finned aluminum brake drums that Buick used back in the day were considered the best in the business and praised by articles in many automotive publications at the time. I realize that technology marches on and there are advantages with disc brakes in some applications but I don't think the cost of swapping to discs will increase performance that much under normal circumstances to justify the cost. Hot rodders used to search out the Buick aluminum drums for their effectiveness and aesthetics and you still see many rods still fitted with them at car shows today.

I saw this ad a few minutes ago. A beautiful car! Note how well the moldings line up at the bottom of the fenders and doors as well as trunk lid moldings where it meets the quarterpanel. I'm surprised there is no A/C but it has the somewhat rare stereo multiplex unit. The color combo is spot on. The price seems a bit high but if you bought one in average condition at half the price you really wouldn't be in that much better shape if you spent the money to get it in this condition.

As Winston states above, the last generation Riv's are famous for sending units failing. The good news is there is an access panel in the trunk so you won't have to drop the tank to replace it. I bought my unit for my old 97 from Rock Auto several years ago. Not sure if they still have them in stock but if they do, you can't beat their prices and quick turn around. Not sure what your issue is with the speedometer but you can expect a few electrical gremlins as the cars get older. Mechanically, the 3800 V6 is very reliable and durable and will go 200,000+ miles if it has been properly maintained. The weakness with the Series II which your car has, is the intake manifold gasket will fail. Chances are yours has already been replaced. Good luck and please keep us posted.

What a nice example! Don't see many without a vinyl roof and still wearing the original full wheel covers. I hope it goes to a good home.

They were actually made of plastic to look like wood. The base is chrome plated metal so they held up well. The top was cone shaped and glued in and sometimes they get loose from drying out but all you have to do is unscrew the entire top, clean it and re-glue it in. You could probably make a real wood one if you had the right tools. All 64's and 65's came with them probably to match the wood veneer on the console.

Or if you really want to jazz up the appearance, find a set of the cast aluminum bolt on wheel covers that were offered for the 63 and 64. If you have the correct wheels on your car, they should already be pre-drilled to accomodate these covers.

Make sure your lug wrench is visible to the judges. I had mine tucked away under the spare tire so it wouldn't slide around in the trunk and forgot about it. Ding!

Congrats! I think you have a nice ride there! Keep us posted.