MaineDoc Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I am looking for a nice 63 Riviera and may have found one. It is yellow now. Was that an original color offered? What name was used for this color and what would be the code? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
63 Red Riv Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Here are the codes, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZRIV Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Welcome to the forum. Color chart for 63 does not list yellow. There was a sunburst yellow in 64, code K. Look for the paint code on the Fisher body data plate and we can tell you what it was originally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdminc Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 MaineDoc, Welcome to the forum. Let us know a little bit about you. And don't forget to join the Riviera Owners Association - there is a wealth of information in the club members and archives.If you look at the body plate on the car that you found (the body plate is located on the drivers side of the firewall in the motor compartment - it is a silver plate usually with some overspray on it) you can use the table provided above to determine what color it is supposed to be.This link may help too - Body Plate InfoWhat part of Maine are you from?Rock Ongord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Curran Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I am looking for a nice 63 Riviera and may have found one. It is yellow now. Was that an original color offered? What name was used for this color and what would be the code?Although Yellow was not offered, Buick did accept special order colors. I don't recall what the code was for a special order color but it was covered in the ROA Riview and it would be on the data plate. Only a few were ordered this way so chances are your color may have been changed at some point by a previous owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 I was sent some pictures and it looks like a soft yellow. I have asked for a picture of the data plate to find out more. The car was a promotion give away by Coke or Pepsi in 1963 so maybe it was a special. The interior is tan cloth. Hopefully I will get the information soon. I live in central Maine and have played with Corvettes mostly. Now have Corvette # 26 and #27 as well as a 56 BelAir convertible. I have always liked the early Rivieras and decided that this is the time. I will report back about the color issue when I know more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 Based upon the interior it must be Fawn Mist or Willow Mist. What are these colors in plain speak? I think Willow Mist is a green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 If you google search 1963 buick color codes and paint charts you willfind a chart with all the color chips on it. Willow mist is green and fawn mist is a pewter color Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Owner says original color was a cream color but I'm not sure what Buick called that. He says in repaint that a light yellow was used. In Corvette circles such a color change substantially reduces value. Same for Riviera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kaber Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 This is a 64. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Curran Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Owner says original color was a cream color but I'm not sure what Buick called that. He says in repaint that a light yellow was used. In Corvette circles such a color change substantially reduces value. Same for Riviera?Buick offered a light tan or beige color in 63 but no yellow. They offered yellow in 64 and also offered a color called bamboo cream in 65 which is a light yellow. Color change is a personal choice thing. A judge at a BCA event would note it, particularly if it was a color not offered for a specific model and year. The ROA would not hold it against you at one of their meets. So, it can hurt the value depending on how far you want to go with the car. If you like the color and if it is a solid car at a fair price, then go for it. You can always revert back to the original color at some point. Let us know what the data plate says and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) If the car was originally beige then it would have to originally have been painted code Rwhich was called Desert Sand. Edited January 9, 2015 by Seafoam65 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZRIV Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Owner says original color was a cream color but I'm not sure what Buick called that. He says in repaint that a light yellow was used. In Corvette circles such a color change substantially reduces value. Same for Riviera?The general nature of the average Riv owner is they are not purists. Often this can depend on what color the car is going from and to and if the new color compliments the interior color. In my opinion, when changing colors, its always nice to use a standard color offered the same model year. Doing that will insure little change in value on a Riviera. Using a color that wasn't available in model year isn't always bad either as long as its a high quality job and a pleasing color that accentuates the lines of the car. Due to variables, color choice in the context of value is tough to have one opinion paint every application with the same brush. (no pun intended) Typically a good rule of thumb is a color with high curb appeal to the biggest population will provide the best opportunity for protected or increased value due to improving the perspective buying pool.Nowhere has this been more evident than in the big BJ and Mecum auctions and ebay as well. I've seen cars painted non-matching data-plate colors sell for as much or more than matching paint cars all things being equal because they were awesome colors which got more people involved in a bidding battle. People often buy cars on emotion and nothing gets juices flowing like a killer color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 This is a 64. I had a 1965 Riviera with the same yellow paint color, it had a green interior, I should have kept it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 The data plate says RR which seems to be Desert Sand but the interior is tan and should be black with Desert Sand if I understand correctly. Probably color change both in and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Look at the data plate and see what the trim number is. Desert Sand with Saddle interior would have been an acceptable combination as would Desert Sand and Sandlewood. Saddle came only in leather and the code for that is 798. Sandlewood came in vinyl (or cloth.) 736 is the code for the vinyl; it is a light beige color. There were probably other acceptable color combos as well. Your data plate will tell you how it came from the factory. Someone with a salesman's book could tell you all the acceptable interior choices for different paint colors.Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanZverina Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Cool pictures, Kaber! Thanks! But IMO I don't think there are too many colors in which the first-gen Riv doesn't look good! That's what's known as testimony to superb styling! As an aside, I spent quite some time in the OEM auto industry in Detroit, and I'd always say that if one saw a car (or pickup/SUV) coming 'round a bend on a snowy day all covered in road salt, and it still caught your eye in a good way, then that was truly a good design! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 OK, I have a photo of the data plate. 10A STYLE 63-4747 FB 2855 BODY TRIM 798J2 RR PAINT ACC D 16 SW7 74 I'm not entirely sure the "SW7 74" is what is there. Can someone translate this data plate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 63-4747 = 1963 Buick RivieraFB 2855 is the production number out of 40,000. Based on this data, this car is a very early production model - plain dash, not ribbed aluminum, 120 mph speedometer vs. 140 mph for later cars. The spare tire is mounted on the trunk floor, and other items that are available if you search the archives. (At the very top of the trim tag will be a code for a build date. 9 = Sept, 10 = Oct. etc. There is a letter with the number. A = first week, B = second week, etc.)Trim 798J2 = 798 is saddle leather, J2 is power seatACC = accessories D = equipped for a radio (could be one of four models)I (not 1) 6 = Tinted glass (all, not just the windshield)S = remote mirrorWithout a picture, I can't go any farther. The letters you posted are not consistent with what we have at our disposal or have seen on other data plates. No a/c ? or power windows? unusual for a car with custom interior and leather w/ power seat. a/c not so much if the car came from the north.Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Above is a shot of the data plate. The car has power windows but no AC from photos that I have of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean1997 Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 [TABLE=width: 322]<tbody>[TR][TD]U7 = Power Windows[/TD][/TR]</tbody><colgroup><col></colgroup>[/TABLE][TABLE=width: 225]<tbody>[TR][TD]Z4 = Automatic Trunk Release[/TD][/TR]</tbody><colgroup><col></colgroup>[/TABLE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Built 10A; the first week of Oct. 1962. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Monsjou Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Hi,I saw this Riviera in a film and my first reaction was that it wasn't a nice combi.After looking it several times it got better, but still..... I don't think it's original Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 You're right. No two tones and/or vinyl tops as original equipment on '64 Rivieras. Plus the quarter panel vents have been reworked.Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineDoc Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I have just joined ROA but where can I find the codes to understand the data plate entries for 63-65 Rivieras? Also, any great books to understand more about these cars? My background is with early Corvettes and there the information is plentiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) The trim codes are in the member's only section. Until you get that your Riview, in which the user name and password are posted, you can't access that section. The user name and password change with every issue. JoAnne will be sending a copy of the latest Riview with your other membership stuff ASAP.Trim code information for the '63 is there, but the data code plate info is for cars built starting from 11/23/63 - or bascially the '64 and '65 models. I can help you with the '63 info. What you need to know up front is that the data plate only list options for the back half of the car as it was being built in Flint. Options added after it left Flint for final assembly are not on the data plate. So things like cruise control, four note horns, cornering lights, tilt wheel, wheel cover, tire size - which determines wheel width, guidematic - auto headlight dimmers, and twilight sentinels are not on the plate. Unless you happen to have the original window sticker, there's no data available as to how the car came equipped from the factory with those other options. There is however a total list of options and their cost on the website so it's possible to identify what options are on your car, but you won't know for sure if they were from the factory or dealer installed. One other thing to realize is that, when compared to other Buick models, the Riviera has as standard equipment lots of things that were options on other cars. If you're interested in that, I'll post that for you. I've got the window sticker from my car that details all of those standard features on Rivieras that were options on other Buicks.Ed Edited January 13, 2015 by RivNut (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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