Pat Curran

The one pictured is correct for a 63. The 64's were painted black between the turbine vanes and had the "R" medallion in the spinner. Love these covers!

Most of the repro ones on offer have the capital R with the top of the R closed (no space between the slanted verticle line and the curved top). Buick switched to this style in 66 and the replacements from Buick for the 63-65 began to appear as the original supply dried up. This is an acceptable replacement. If you are a purist and want to retain a period correct look, have your current ones re-chromed. This applies to the fenders only. The rear ones on the 64&65 did not have the space. I have not bought any of the reproductions so I can't attest to the quality of the current offerings.

The 69 Camaro canister is very close to the Riviera and they are being reproduced. The major difference is the vacuum inlet nipple is curved on one of them and the other is straight. Once the hose is on, most people wouldn't notice the difference.

The mechanical parts remain in good supply. The bumper fillers are available from the aftermarket but most reports that I have read claim that they need some tweaking to fit properly and are a bit of a pain to replace. They don't come pre-finished so you would have to paint to match.

You can google both on the internet by year and compare photos and features. You may also want to include the Oldsmobile Toronado in your comparison. Each one had its own distinctive looks as well as dashboards and interiors. You can look up period road tests from Motor Trend and Car & Driver from back in the day. From a mechanical perspective, you may want to avoid the Eldorado with the HT4100 V8 engine which was plagued with issues. This engine was not available in the Riviera or Toronado.

The 1979 and 1980 had the Oldsmobile 350 V8 and the Oldsmobile 307 V8 became available for the 1981 model year and remained in production through the end of the 1985 model year. Reliability has been good as long as the engine has been properly maintained. The 350 offers a bit more power which is a plus in a car of this size. Acceleration with the 307 can be described as "leisurely" but adequate enough to get the job done. These cars are very comfortable and stylish cruisers. Make sure all the electronics are working as designed. Another area to examine are the bumper fillers which have become brittle and discolored with age. Do your homework and buy one that has been well cared for with low mileage. There are usually several for sale with less than 20,000 miles in Hemmings or on the internet. Prices are still reasonable for a nice example. Keep us posted!

Of all the 64's and 65's I have owned over the years, the trunk floor was always the same color as the body. Buick did not use the spatter paint that was common in many GM cars of the era.

You are losing vacuum somewhere in the system. Check your hoses and the canisters for leaks.

They have it listed as a 64 but I believe it is a 63.

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.