1963 Riviera Goodguys winner.

[mt65riv]

Here's the quote and photo.

The "PPG Dream Car" award winner here at the Goodguys 22nd Heartland Nationals is this bad-to-the-bone 1963 Buick Riviera! - Des Moines, IA

Mike

[Guest Lasse]

X 2, no disrespect, but why would anyone cut holes in the sides of a -63? That makes me all cold inside.

[steelman]

With 100% no disrespect intended to anyone's hard efforts..."customizing" that vintage of a Riviera is like adding sugar to pop. One of the few cars that is difficult to improve upon....the '65 in black and lowered a bit is about the best that I've seen that "works". Again, IMHO.

Mark, really? This from the man whose handle represents the most customized 63 Riviera on the planet? Seems a little odd is all. No disrespect intended, just sayin'.

[RivNut]

X 2, no disrespect, but why would anyone cut holes in the sides of a -63? That makes me all cold inside.

Buick are noted for their ventiports. The only problem I see with this car is that there are only three per side instead of four.

https://www.google.com/search?q=buick+portholes&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.eWU&biw=1243&bih=600&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=23PcUdSgF5TA9QTU_YGIDA#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=buick+ventiports&oq=buick+ventiports&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24.34522.36532.0.36701.10.6.0.4.4.0.143.554.5j1.6.0....0...1c.1.19.img.4eh5Wf-sH_g&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.aWc&fp=db53765e4bdb9ad1&biw=1243&bih=600

[60FlatTop]

The only issue I had was the three holes. I would have done four.

My car is planned to lose it's vinyl top in the next 18 months and I have been thinking about a silver roof, sail panels and deck area, keeping the maroon sides and hood. I thought about tu-toning the maroon the way they did the silver. I even thought about pancaking the hood like the Silver Arrow and making a solid grille panel operated by a calorostat.

I like the '63.

Bernie

[slosteve]

With 100% no disrespect intended to anyone's hard efforts..."customizing" that vintage of a Riviera is like adding sugar to pop. One of the few cars that is difficult to improve upon....the '65 in black and lowered a bit is about the best that I've seen that "works". Again, IMHO.

I agree but people keep trying and I like alot of them, including this one. The big wheels with 'rubber bands' just don't fit these cars though.

Steve

[lrlforfun]

OK Riviera People: I too join the ranks of "leave it stock". For those who want to make your first-Gen Riv pop, especially the HAMB People......who have changed around more of these than I care to think about......

1. Get that front sheet metal in as perfect alignment as possible.

2. A lazer straight body isn't an absolute but straight, no rust and good gaps are small details that really bring the styling together.

3. Factory tinted glass really makes these cars elegant.

4. The factory height with a little bit of sag through the years is perfect.

5. Having the car run good, everything working and RELIABLE is a big way to enjoy these cars. A Nailhead hittin' on all 8 with 150 pounds per cylinder is nothing short of fantastic.

6. Stock exhaust may be a pain to some, but these cars really run great with a good factory set up. They are also whisper quiet. Want rumble? Get a Harley or a 57 Chev with a loaded engine.

7. Whitewalls for me are a must. I also like wire caps although the poverty caps aren't that horrible. the Formula Fives? They're OK but they don't pop when the sun hits them or the car is in motion.

8. Personally, I like dark colors with light interiors.

9. Stock interiors with some degree of tidiness are no slouch. Clarke's products are a great way to go.

10. It doesn't have to be perfect or even close. My suggestions are that, only suggestions. I believe that most people are in agreement that these cars were nicely designed right from the factory. We all want to improve the looks. I think my suggestions are spot on. What do you think? Mitch

[arnulfo de l.a.]

not feeling the two tone ,ports or wheels. i agree with silver arrow. black and lowered is the best i have seen. theres a member here that has a black 65 with buick spokes.i think its a gs. imho that car is perfect! if i had the $$$ i would do the same to mine. but then, im of the opinion that any car or cycle looks best in black especially if the chrome is in good shape.

is the top on that car(good guys winner) chopped or are my tired old eyes once again deceiving me?

arnulfo

[RivNut]

OK Riviera People: I too join the ranks of "leave it stock". For those who want to make your first-Gen Riv pop, especially the HAMB People......who have changed around more of these than I care to think about......

1. Get that front sheet metal in as perfect alignment as possible.

2. A lazer straight body isn't an absolute but straight, no rust and good gaps are small details that really bring the styling together.

3. Factory tinted glass really makes these cars elegant.

4. The factory height with a little bit of sag through the years is perfect. But ride quality suffers. If you want to go lower, put in some 1" lowering springs

5. Having the car run good, everything working and RELIABLE is a big way to enjoy these cars. A Nailhead hittin' on all 8 with 150 pounds per cylinder is nothing short of fantastic.

6. Stock exhaust may be a pain to some, but these cars really run great with a good factory set up. They are also whisper quiet. Want rumble? Get a Harley or a 57 Chev with a loaded engine. The placement of the muffler way to the rear is the cause of most of the corrosion in the exhaust pipes

7. Whitewalls for me are a must. I also like wire caps although the poverty caps aren't that horrible. the Formula Fives? They're OK but they don't pop when the sun hits them or the car is in motion. Rivieras NEVER came with poverty caps; the wheels won't even accept them. Wires may sparkle in the sun, but they come no where close to the cast aluminum covers with chrome knock-offs. The knock-offs spinning in the sun are the cat's meow.

8. Personally, I like dark colors with light interiors. I think the general consensus is that lighter colors better accentuate the break lines in the body

9. Stock interiors with some degree of tidiness are no slouch. Clarke's products are a great way to go.

10. It doesn't have to be perfect or even close. My suggestions are that, only suggestions. I believe that most people are in agreement that these cars were nicely designed right from the factory. We all want to improve the looks. I think my suggestions are spot on. What do you think? Isn't that what Bill Mitchell was trying to achieve with Silver Arrow I? But a car like that wouldn't appeal to the broader conservative buying public.

Mitch

IMHO

Edited July 10, 2013 by RivNut (see edit history)

[lrlforfun]

OK Ed: A few things to clear up. When I say poverty caps I don't mean the dee deez (dog dish) I mean the standard full wheel covers . The tin can muff in the back really lasts a while if the car is run occasionally and weeping holes elongated at both bottom ends. Even discounting the fact that they don't last as long as some muffs they are still the (IMO) ticket . The Silver arrow changes give me the creeps.

All in all except for a few minor discrepancies we are both on the same page here. One note. I saw a burgundy 62 Corvette on the road here today. It had Ohio collector plates on it, it had a circular sticker on the doors saying Lyon's Club Tour and it wasn't real prissy either. I really liked that car because it looked like a nice Corvette that somebody was having some real fun with. All that prissy stuff......just ain't me. Mitch

[RivNut]

You'll never see me spend a ton of money just to have a "pretty car." I'll do most of the work myself, farm out that which I'm not capable of, and drive the wheels off of it when I can. I put 197K on my '63 and enjoyed every mile of it.

I guess I've never heard of the standard wheel covers being referred to as poverty caps; to me that always meant the dog dish style. So, given our differences in semantics, I'll go along with you on that one. I still say that the location of the transverse muffler caused a lot of early replacement of exhaust pipes.

Do you sometimes wonder if car stylist go home with a headache every night because their "dreams" are shattered by accountants and marketers?

Ed

[BadgerRivFan]

No portholes on a Riviera. Period. IMHO

[Guest Rob J]

Not my cup of tea. But, to each is own.

[Guest cwheelin]

I think the car is awesome but than again Im not into stock styled cars

[mt65riv]

Wow, a lot of good posts. I was just happy to see a Rivi represented and respected. I personally care for some of the mods, but it is a cool car. The main thing that I don't like is the portholes... or the wheels. But I'm older and my tastes are different than younger builders. I know that my friend that is building a '61 bubble-top Impala thinks it looks better with 18 and 20 inch Americans. Whatever floats your boat. At least they are having fun with their cars. I like them as stock restos, lowriders, resto mods, street rods, even gassers. Not all are ones that I would want to own, but they are 'in the family'.

I think that a win for team Riviera is a win for team Riviera.

Mike

[60FlatTop]

You might be internet literate about Buicks if:

All Buicks have portholes.

Every '30's and 40's Buick is a Roadmaster.

All Electras are Deuce 'N a Quarta's.

Really? Your Uncle, Aunt, or Doctor had one exactly like mine?

Bernie