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Lowest options on '63?


Guest buickriv63

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Guest buickriv63

Hello, everyone.

Who has the lowest optioned '63 Riviera? I'm interested in this subject, because having myself such a poor-equipped car. My car has only tinted glass, power antenna, a wonderbar radio and, interestingly, deluxe interior.

Who wanted to order such a high class vehicle with so few options? Any suggestions? Originally maybe a northern car (no A/C)?

I bet these are fairly rare rivieras, since they usually were highly-optioned cars. Despite rariness, not so desirable, though.

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Mr first 64 was a car without factory tinted glass, did have the windshield dark band, but not the side glass.

The car was a Texas car, and it was explained to me the prevailing discriminatory attitude of the time, had many caucasion customers not wanting to be viewed through tinted glass.....

That could be a southern car shortage of options.

Dale

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OK Riviera People: I have a white 63 with only a red leather custom interior (it has a motor and tires etc. hahaha). Clear glass all around, no a/c, crank windows, radio and heater. It presently has whitewalls and wire caps which really jack it up. Bare bones Rivs had black walls as seen on the inside cover of the '64 sales brochure.....thus the low (at the time) advertised price.

You know that a 63 lo-option Riv was probable a very good Buick. Nailhead-Dynaflow, I mean, that's a good 'ol Buick! Let's face it this stripped 63 Riv has more options than many of my 1960 models and of course it has the beautiful interior. A '60 Invicta Custom isn't nearly as sexy although the interior is better looking than many other 1960 cars.

Oh, don't forget, today my car doesn't look so good, it's pretty junky. I was just comparing new for new although any 63 Riviera still makes me crazy. I also have a very loaded dark blue 63 that is very appealing. I'm beginning to realize that it's not the options that sometimes make a certain car appealing it is the energy that the car has! Mitch

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What was appealing about the 65 Riv GS I just bought was it's options. It's got essentially every option available in 65. AC, Power Windows, Vents, Rear Windows, Electro-Cruise, Guidematic, Auto Trunk Release, AM/FM Radio with Power Antenna, Rear Speaker, Rear Defroster, Deluxe Interior, Power Seat, ect...

Hopefully it will possess the energy once I bring her back to life.

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I'm beginning to realize that it's not the options that sometimes make a certain car appealing it is the energy that the car has! Mitch

I know what you mean about a car's energy! I chose to keep my lowly optioned '64 with crank windows over my brother's all black and very well power optioned '65 Gran Sport Riviera. The GS was a nice rust-free So Cal car and a real GS car but my '64 was just a better car. Some of you are cringing I know but I've never regretted it.

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I know what you mean about a car's energy! I chose to keep my lowly optioned '64 with crank windows over my brother's all black and very well power optioned '65 Gran Sport Riviera. The GS was a nice rust-free So Cal car and a real GS car but my '64 was just a better car. Some of you are cringing I know but I've never regretted it.

Yep, cringing.:P

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Shortly after I bought my 63, I came across a 65 for sale at a Vegas car show. AM radio, crank windows, standard interior, and NO AIR. IN VEGAS. Only had 68,000 miles on it. I thought, no wonder, who wants to drive a car with no air in Vegas. I kind of fell into the deal on my high option 63, so I was not as up to speed on Rivieras as I was on other makes and models, but at the time I didn't know you could get a Riviera without A/C and power windows, as all the ones I had ever seen at car shows were high option cars. Or, at least what I know now to be high option cars.

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I've puzzled over this issue with my Riv. The original owner bought it with the 425 engine option, but not much else. It has AM radio, tinted windshield and larger 7.60 tires. The data plate lists " D I7 " (and the D has no number). After going through the published options list for '63, I couldn't find anything else it had.

The original owner lived in White Swan, Washington all his life, according to all of the plate registrations I found in the glove box. I'm not sure how the weather is there compared to Flint :confused: but A/C would have been nice to have!

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You've got to remember that the data plate only reflects options that Fisher Body modified a base body for. D meant that (probably) there were holes drilled for the rear speaker and clips for the wires. Options like tilt wheel, cornering lights, four note horns, etc. are NOT listed on the data plate. Those options could be installed with no modifications to the body. Therefore, even if your data plate options are minimal, you may still have other options.

Mitch, does your data plate confirm that your car has leather?

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OK Riv Nut: While I haven't looked at the data plate and I don't even know how to read it I'm like 99.99999999999% sure both of these cars have the original leather.

I haven't mentioned it yet, that I have two other 63's. One a powder blue has a standard interior and is kind of stripped except for pw and full tint. The other one, white with a black custom interior has 65 seats in black (they are going in my black 65 custom,) and is very loaded except for clear glass all around. I am guessing it originally had leather that went South years ago and so the 65 seats.

Again, I am becoming more convinced that the most important thing a car has is it's energy and this determines the level of enjoyment the owner gets from it.

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Mitch,

When you look at your data plate, you can identify the leather option by a J2 code next to the trim numbers. '63 was the first and only year for leather in a Riviera for quite some time. In '64 and '65 you only had a choice of vinyl or vinyl with cloth inserts.

I can get energy from almost any Riviera unless someone has customized one using poor taste.

Ed

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  • 1 month later...

I do see one option on your bare bones Riviera. The wire wheel covers. They were an option. The base cover was a full cover with a large plastic black/silver tri-shield in it. I think I may have a set if you're interested in taking it back even further.

I looked through the pictures in your gallery. You're right, it's better cared for than Air Force 1. Nice car. I really enjoy looking at cars that are extremely well cared for, no matter how they're equipped. For me, the lack of options is a nice change.

Ed

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I do see one option on your bare bones Riviera. The wire wheel covers. They were an option. The base cover was a full cover with a large plastic black/silver tri-shield in it. I think I may have a set if you're interested in taking it back even further.

Ed

Ed-

He has the original stock hub caps hanging in his garage. He put the wires on later just for looks.

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Guest Kingoftheroad

This mention of a low option Riv seems odd to me even though I know there are such cars out there. Being as the Riv is a luxury car, we're use to seeing lots of options on a Riviera...

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OK Riv Nut: While I haven't looked at the data plate and I don't even know how to read it I'm like 99.99999999999% sure both of these cars have the original leather.

If you post or e-mail to me photos of your data plate (close up, make sure everything is in focus and readable) I will decode your 1963 data plate for you and explain what it all means.

(And then I will do my "Carnac the Magnificent" for you.)

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Well Mitch,

I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but if your car has red leather, it's got an option on it. Leather seats were a $188.13 cent option. I told you wrong in my original post. The J2 on the data plate is the code for bucket seats. The code for leather is a three digit number.

Now if you were an ROA member, you'd be able to look in the Member's only section and decode that data plate for yourself. :)

Ed

PS - The code for red leather is 778, that number will be after the J2

Edited by RivNut (see edit history)
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OK Ed: My 63 is a lo-option. The only options are (like I said before) Music, heat, custom red leather. I put on the ww tires and wire caps like Silverarrow which really improve the appearance. As for white walls when the car came out of the shoot....I'm guessing it had them. Back in the day when I was 12 or so the "pipesmoker" types liked the black walls if I can remember.

I think the 1963 Riviera buyers that ordered their cars really dressed them up....or down according to their personality in most cases. Sure there was a certain aspect of practicality like a/c for the hot weather areas and maybe posi in the snow belt but if someone could afford a new Riv I don't think they'd be trippin' on the affordability of the options.

Hi option Rivs...........decadence?

Medium option Rivs..."that's what they had and I liked it"?

lo-option Rivs...........price leader or "we don't need all of that"?

Isn't is fun to theorize? Mitch

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My '63 is very highly optioned. Besides what's on the window sticker, the guy who bought it added some of the dealer things like floor mats, handy mats, purse hook, air shocks, and a vanity mirror for the passenger's side visor.

What I don't know is if he purchased the car before or after he purchased the Air Stream that he pulled with the Riv. I'm thinking he got the Air Stream later because had he had the Air Stream first, he would have checked off the 425 and the posi options. Because of the way the trailer caused the engine to "lug" the PO did have a 3.91 gear set installed at the same time he did a valve job on it.

One other thing it doesn't have is the rear window defogger because he was a Texan. Said he'd "never have need for it." Pulling that Air Stream, he probably didn't have need for the rear window either.

I've attached a copy of the window sticker for your perusal.

Ed

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Not on the window sticker; but I have the maintenance log that shows when he had the dealer install the air shocks. No mention of installing heavier springs. Probably not more than #300 on the tongue; kinda like giving Bubba a ride in the back seat.

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Guest Kingoftheroad
...and likley the "ultra-rare" Trailer Spring (Code 1A - only 81 equipped) and Heavy-Duty Spring (Code 1B - only 713 equipped) options as well.

How rare was the hitch option on the '63 - '65 Rivieras ??

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Guys,

Another reason for lo-optioned cars is to meet a price point for an auto show!

I worked at Royal Oldsmobile in St. Paul as a mechanic in the 70's and 80's. Our new car manger, Doug Gorath, optioned a 1977 Olds 98 Coupe with a sunroof to come in at or below a "comparably equipped" 1977 Caprice sticker price! He did that by ordering the car without AC! That car sat on our show floor for more than 6 months after the show and finally sold in the winter of 1977! The salesmen all called it "Doug's Folly" and one of they earned a $500 spiff for finally getting it out the door!

Lowest option 63 Riviera that I ever saw was in West Fargo North Dakota while Dan Lapham and I were junkyarding up there. The junkyard owner told us he had a 63 Riv for sale that was parked at his dad's place just west of town. We drove over there and found a 63 Riv with some roof damage and absolutely no options! Cloth standard interior, non tint, crank windows, no radio and the base hubcaps! $1900 would have bought it!

Tim

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