68 Riviera found in garage

[Bill Sorensen]

I came across a 68 Riviera in a garage that has less then 50K miles on it. Looks to be 100% original, is is worth going through the restoration and what would it be worth as is? No body work required just paint. Original color is dark burgandy. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

[ol' yeller]

Bill, I did a '69 Rivi frame off restoration ten years ago. It was the most expensive car/project I have ever undertaken. Almost nothing is available in the aftermarket. Buying NOS from ebay is a very expensive way to go. I found the best way was to buy parts cars that had what I needed and then get rid of what was left. The driveline alone is very expensive to repair, parts are hard to find as are people who know what they are doing with a 2 piece driveshaft. The engine and trans are not that much of a problem but the 430 is kind of an orphan between the 401 and the 455. I had mine balanced and blueprinted. Other than a .30 overbore it was rebuilt to stock specs. Interior is mostly plastic and after 40 plus years most of it is pretty brittle. Rechroming those huge bumpers was very expensive. The headlights and air conditioning take a near genius to figure out the vacuum lines and ports and if you do find the genius, they'd better have small hands as the dash is very crowded behind the all plastic front. Mine had rust in the rear quarters and under the windshield on the lower passenger side. JC Whitney had aftermarket quarter panels but they were a very poor stamping and I had to cut them up and use the pieces to patch the rust holes.

I am embarrased to say how much I dumped into mine and there was still some fixes needed. I rebuilt the chassis and drivetrain, reupholstered the interior (no kit was available) repaired the body and repainted the entire car. The quality of the restoration was top notch and yet when I finally sold it to stop the bleeding it only brought $13K on ebay. This was about 9 years ago. That was about what just the bodywork and paint cost me. I didn't restore this car to make money or turn it quickly. My plan was to fix everything and keep it. It became apparent that keeping the car was just going to keep bleeding me of money. On the plus side, once I got the vibration out of the driveshaft the car was a joy to drive. It was powerful, rode like a Buick should and handled very well. The guy I sold the car to later sold it to someone in Qatar. Hopefully he had deeper pockets!

If you do decide to go ahead, make sure all the chrome/stainless is there and in good shape. If the grill is broken or cracked, replacement is hard to find and very expensive. Low miles can be good but they can also be bad as the car never got exercised over its lifetime. Lots of stuff wears out from time as well as mileage. Sorry to be so negative but I had a really bad experience with a similar car.

[Guest Rob J]

Sorry to say, but 68's just aren't all that desirable, and don't bring much. I saw a 69 that was original, had under 20k miles on it and mint condition bring around 20k at auction a couple of years ago.

[JZRIV]

Bill,

We need more details on the condition inside and out, what options it has, wheels, what interior, and what your ability is to perfrom work yourself.

100% original can mean many things. If it hasn't been maintained during storage be prepared for alot of work and cost to make it road worthy and reliable. How was it stored? Does it run?

The advice above from ol'yeller hit many nails on the head and is painfully honest.

When you ask is it "worth" restoring, do you mean "can I sell it for what I have in it in parts when its done"? Even if you got the car for free you couldn't do that. A quality paint job alone will likely exceed its value.

On the other hand if its one of your favorite cars and you plan to enjoy it for many years, as long as it needs just basic refreshing and you're able to do mechanical work yourself and willing to live with a lower cost paint job, it could be a worthy project. Your payback will be the enjoyment it provides. Often times these cars are best bought in premium condition as your money goes alot farther......but on the flip sometimes its hard to put a price on the mental therapy a project car can provide. Just depends where your interests lie.

Edited December 24, 2012 by JZRIV (see edit history)

[Guest Steeleco]

The main thing is WE NEED PICTURES. I'm with Jason whereas it's what it's worth to you. If you can have fun with it and feel it's an acomplishment it may not matter what you can sell it for. The 68 is a pretty cool looking car. It will certianly be a head turner when you drive it around.

Merry Christmas

[60FlatTop]

In 2010 I spent about $4,000 on my 1960 Electra. Here is a 2005 picture. You could call it Before:

And here is a 2011 picture, After:

As you can see, there are hidden costs in an old car.

Bernie

Edited December 24, 2012 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[Guest BJM]

I came across a 68 Riviera in a garage that has less then 50K miles on it. Looks to be 100% original, is is worth going through the restoration and what would it be worth as is? No body work required just paint. Original color is dark burgandy. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

I am disappointed to hear in an initial comment "what's it worth." However, by stating what's it worth as is, perhaps you are inquiring what to pay for it now. In that case, as Jason states, we need far more details. Does it run well, any leaks, condition of interior, on and on.

Assuming it's a nice 50,000 mile original car only needing paint to be a #2 car, then I would go as high as $7,000.

People should not restore 68-69 Rivieras with the intent of flipping them, period. A restoration should be done to make it a more enjoyable owned car. Then enjoy the car for several years.

I owned a 68 Riviera and got to the stage where I lifted the body off, middle of a body off and lost interest. I can confirm what others have said. Miles of vacuum hoses, virtually no parts support. It made me appreciate the complexity and precision in which these cars were built initially.

[Bill Sorensen]

Thanks for the info, I will try to get some photos and post them with additional questions. sounds like I need to do more research.