Pat Curran

Hi Kreed. In addition to the items that have already been mentioned above, the headlight housings should have a frost finish to them. Just the outer rings should be chrome. There is chrome under the frost so chances are it was buffed off. Same with the cowl vents. They should be body color and just the outer edge should be chrome. Buick painted over the chrome and you see numerous ones out there that look like this. Neither of these are a big deal if factory correctness is not important to you. The trunk material is not correct. It should be a tan weave. The spare tire cover looks like it is MIA. The door jamb switches probably need to be rebuilt. If you look at the photos, some shots show the courtesy lights illuminated and in others they are not. This is a very common problem and there is an ROA member that rebuilds them. These switches were junk from the factory but the rebuild with better materials fixes the issues. The seat covers look a little baggy in a few areas but all said and done, the car looks really good in the photos. The wood veneer looks really good as well. The car looks straight and presents well in the photos. The asking price is top dollar for sure. The thing is if you bought one that needs some restoration you would be into it for close to what they are asking for this one by the time you are done. It all depends on what level you want to be at. It looks like a nice ride and I wouldn't mind having it in my garage. Keep us posted!

Looks like a clean example overall but a few liberties were taken that could be corrected if you wanted a 100% correct car. This company usually shoots for the moon with prices but if there was room for negotiation then it would be worth checking out.

The patina on these sure makes them look original. If the line worker ran out of chrome ones then the swap would be explainable. I guess the only way to know for sure is for an original owner of a car to offer their input. I have owned two 64's and three 65's all with deluxe interior and all of mine had chrome. Things can happen on an assembly line due to running changes or supply shortages. I have a 1971 Monte Carlo that I bought new. The rear brake drums on mine are not finned even though the shop manual specifies that they should be and I have seen other original '71 Monte's with finned drums.

I agree as well. Unfortunately, the Feds had their way beginning with the 1973 model year and the stylists and engineers did the best they could do without a wholesale design change. The 71 and 72 have a much cleaner look to them. I like the rear of the 73 better though. Having the license plate in the middle gives it a balanced look.

This looks like a vintage piece based on the style of the GM logo. They offered generic units as well as brand specific ones over the years. In most cases they were a dealer accessory bought over the counter.

That is rusting from the inside out so you have moisture getting in somehow. It doesn't look too bad. I have seen really bad ones over the years and yours does not fall into that category. You may find some previous rust repair work once you sand down the area so be prepared. You should be able to see any previous repair work from the inside. It looks like a patch panel will do the trick.

A great publication! I have been a subscriber since day one. Nice to read an automotive magazine with no advertisements.

Positraction on my 64 because it put a smile on my face every time I put my foot into it and left many a so called muscle car in full view in my rear view mirror!

Gorgeous car Jason. Looking forward to seeing it in person at the Hemmings event.

White was the most popular color for a 65 Riv but I don't know what the breakdown is for a GS. It is interesting that they went from the most popular color to one of the least ordered for that year. Yellow is yellow no matter what fancy name you give it.

I prefer mine stock but I think this one was tastefully done. Nothing radical here. It is recognizable as a Riviera and it still retains nailhead power. The interior is stock for the most part except for the colors, carpet and headliner and the dash and steering wheel have been left alone. Even Bill Mitchell got the urge to be creative with Silver Arrow's I, II and III.

Buick offered a 4 speed mated to a nailhead engine in the Wildcat for a while but I have never seen one in a first generation Riviera.

Big Block 425? Glad this seller knows his Buick's............................

Nice car you have there and loaded up! Your car is one of 454 non-GS Riviera's equipped with the Super Wildcat engine. The "built expressly for" plaque can still be found on numerous first generation Riviera's so yours could be original although reproduction ones were available for a while. The horn bar for the wood wheel can be a fragile piece if it is original so go easy on it if you have to use it. The posi's have a metal tag attached to the drain/fill plug indicating a special fluid is needed. Good luck with it and keep us posted. Welcome to the world of ROA.

As Tom stated, these seat belt holders are not a Buick accessory and it looks like they come off a mid year Corvette. I have them on my 66 Vette and it looks like someone retrofitted them to the Riv.

It looks like black cloth that has faded over the years. Not sure what the switch is on the wood veneer. You can see 2 switches on the arm rest which would indicate power windows and power vent windows. Power door locks were not a factory option at the time. I am guessing that the laminated window sticker is a reproduction piece so possibly some features could have been added by previous owners. Some "brass hat" cars were produced for GM executives that contained options that were never offered to the public on specific makes and models. The data plate would usually indicate if it was a brass hat car or not. Don't know if a Riviera brass hat car was ever built but there have been several documented Chevy's that have surfaced over the years built under the brass hat program.

Jason, where did you get this picture? That is my old 65 that I wish I still had!!!

Other than the exhaust system, this car appears correct and not screwed with. Sure it has patina and with some old fashioned elbow grease this car can be made to be a nice driver or taken even further. What I like about this car is that you don't have to fix others attempts at a quickie restoration. This car has originality in spades and I prefer that. It doesn't appear to be a rust bucket and looks straight all the way around. A new arm rest and some new seat covers would do wonders for this car as well as a good detailing under the hood. How many of these do you see still wearing the original wheel covers? Granted the sellers expectation is a bit high but if someone gets this car for the current bid then they are getting a good deal. I would rather buy an unmolested original Riv for a reasonable price over one that has been fluffed up incorrectly for a quickie re-sale.

And they aren't even the right emblems for the year of the car........................

You're right Jason. The owner really got creative with that upper rad hose!

There are a lot of little things to correct on this car. It looks like the stainless piece is missing where the carpet meets the console on the drivers side. The outside mirror is wrong and I doubt the antenna is correct. It looks to be a solid car but you would have to spend some money if you wanted it to be 100% correct. The silver on silver is a desirable color combo but this car just has a quick flip for profit look to it.

Looks like a custom touch by a previous owner. The pleats are correct but the factory never offered a 2 tone combination in this color scheme.

If you are a member of the ROA, check out the vendors for the 4 note horns. The underside of the hood should be pre-drilled for this option so it is a straightforward installation. Cadillac offered additional horns but the ones I have seen are different in appearance. Not sure if the sound is similar or not.

The first generation Riviera power antenna did not retract all the way into the fender. If you have seen some that do, it has been customized in some fashion.

Right you are Pete! Getting in and out of my 66 Corvette coupe can be a challenge, but once I light up the side pipes and drop it in first, it makes it all worth while!!