Hazdaz

I was watching it on and off the last couple of days and missed that Riv. Actually missed all the Rivs that went up on the block. Might be cool to go to one, but its a whole lot of the same over and over again if you sit down and plan on watching nothing but it all day. Mustang, Camaro, Lambo, Mustang, Corvette, Ferrari, Mustang...

I'm sure the old fogies in here have 15 year old flip-phones with tiny little buttons and an antiquated menu system which requires total concentration to get the camera going, but on a newer phone its literally a double-twist and a click to take a pic. Its far less effort or attention needed than the standard touchscreen infotainment systems that all modern cars have. Not saying its the smartest thing to do, but on a road I am very familiar with, at a pretty low speed, its a tiny risk I was willing to take. Anyone that claims they haven't taken far, far worse risks is a liar. Is this going to continue because the winter lull has everyone bored because their cars are stored away for the season, or are people going to start posting pics of their rides and move on?

Closed course. Professional test driver.

Had to start her up and go for a cruise even though there is still snow on the ground.

That was great, thanks for sharing. Also, I gotta say that usually when I see pics of a '65 it's during the day with the lights hidden. But in this video with the clamshell open, you really do see a resemblance to mid 60s Cadillacs with the stacked headlights and the big open grill in from. It really shows just how well the Riv could have fit into the Cadillac lineup if the brand managers had decided to give it to Caddy instead of Buick.

If one Hollywood movie or one popular TV show comes out with a 1st gen Riv, then forget about it. Prices are going to really skyrocket. If Buick finally wakes up and released a worthy next-gen Riv, then that too would really push prices way higher. But its got to be a worthy successor - like an ATS/Camaro-based RWD car with unique styling. Doesn't have to be retro, but it better be a showstopper.

Love the resto-mod look except for that steering wheel. Always thought those steering wheels looked tacky on any car they are put on. Also while I love the wood veneer done on the console, not loving it around the gauges. Seems like its just too much wood there. Other than that, I'm sure this turns off the old-timers, this is my kind of build.

People want to say something - anything - and usually the first thing I get asked is what year is it. It's the equivalent of bringing up the weather or other similar "small talk" when they want to say something but just don't know what to ask. I don't really hold it against them, it's just a conversation starter.

The Riv is big by modern standards and one of the main reasons is that it is so squared off as someone already mentioned. The other big thing is that the trunk and hood are so long. Even on a modern car that might be similar in length, you are sitting far closer to the ends of the car than you would on these older ones so the new ones feel smaller to drive. It is also because of this last issue that the 1st gen Riv even being as big as it is, is so darn tiny inside. My other car is some 2 feet shorter in length, and yet the usable interior volume is far greater than it is in the Riv. Simply getting into to it is sort of a chore because you expect the door to start further forward to allow for easier ingress. Ultimately that's where people start calling it a "tank" is because there is this weird dichotomy where usable interior space is small compared to the exterior dimensions. These cars really did come from a totally different era.

Love the stance. I assume airbags?

Nice looking Riv. Good color combo. This might be a smaller car from the era, but a first gen Riv is still going to be a big car for a lot of UK roads. Tell us how it all makes out.

Yes, I've always planned on joining and yet I always get caught up in something else that distracts me. I think once Turkey Day is over and done with I might be able to find some time and join.

That first pic is by far my favorite. Gotta thank the girlfriend for taking these shots.

So there are no replacements for these kinds of parts? I've always considered making reproduction parts but never put much effort into it because didn't think it would be lucrative enough.

9.x MPG here on average.

How easy is it to even get to the clock to remove it (1st Gen cars)? Does the entire dash have to be disassembled? What kind of prices have you gotten for converting it to quartz?

Trying to figure out if this would fit the '64 Riv: https://www.kanter.com/productdetail.aspx?DeptNo=1600&MakeName=Buick&MakeYear=1964&CategoryID=73&ProductCode=329&Router=Gallery Part # 02769J SK 13137B for 1964-1965 Buick full-size Part # 02774J SK 13155A for 1964-195 Buick Special/Skylark Is the Riv considered full-size or special? Not sure which one to order. I'm also not sure if they come in pairs (the description says "Each" but the picture shows two, so I will probably have to call them to clarify) Does $95 sound like a decent price or should I be trying any other sites?

Well "lucky" me. It wasn't the oilpan that hit after all. The structural cross member in front of the oil pan was what hit. Trying to assess the damage now. I think I'm going to end up wishing it was the oilpan.

Am I seeing this correctly... They want you to jack the car from the bumper?? What if you have a floor jack? Do we have the car up on the pinch welds like you do a modern car? Any info would be appreciated since I'm actually outside now trying to assess how much damage my oilpan got from the hit the previous week.

Some of the proportions of the sketches look off, but I like the ideas behind it and I can appreciate the amount of work that went into it so far (even though it's not even close to being done). It's also very telling of how much work goes into designing, engineering and ultimately building something as complicated as a car. Some folks see a sketch and think it's half done. This also just makes me wish even more that Buick brings back the Riviera name in a vehicle worthy of the heritage. A Camaro/ATS-based 2 door coupe would be sweet.

I don't think this is that low

Wow, I leave for a few days and it seems as though all hell breaks loose in here! Wasn't trying to start WW3. Quite honestly I don't care if anyone likes the "restomod" look of my car, because I absolutely love it the way it is. But I can also appreciate the stock look as well of course since that's how the car was originally made. And as with most of my purchases, I won't settle for "stock". Black River, when I get home I'll have to get the tape measure out and see how much lower mine is from stock. I don't think mine is lower than yours, but I don't have a frame of reference to compare it to. How high is it from the ground to the top of the front wheel well on your car versus a stock Riv? And as I mentioned before, this (I hope) is a random fluke, but because some of the roads around here (its a beach area) are not the best, i rather be safe than sorry. I know a skid plate would actually make ground clearance worse, but if I rather scrape up a skid plate than bash up the oil pan.

Manhole was about 1/2" or more higher than the oil pan. Car is not that low, but holy crap was that a hard hit. It wasnt just the manhole cover. The road bowed up in that region and the manhole cover was at the very middle so you wouldn't think much of it, but because the car is so wide but the road narrow, it clearly didnt make it. I actually think a lot of cars would hit on that road as well. The oil pan on the Riv looks like steel which is probably the only reason is survived. Modern cars typically have aluminum ones and it would have been ripped clean off. I was actually driving it earlier today and the steering is definitely off now. It's pulling to the right, which is something it was definitely not doing before. Roads in beach towns tend to not be the best, so a skidplate for some added safety seems like a good investment.

This is probably a non issue for original cars, but my '64 is lowered and I smacked into a raised manhole earlier today. It was one of those hits where you feel it in your bones. It dented the oil pan and I hope that's it. It didn't look like it was leaking. It's too dark to check on the damage tonight, but I'm thinking maybe I should be installing a skid plate just for safety. Any of you folks know anything about this?

That was a fun read, but start it at page 1. The link goes to one of the last pages.