![1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird 1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird](https://americancars-for-sale.com/wp-content/americancars-for-sale.com/2018/09/1963-buick-riviera-american-cars-for-sale-2018-09-04-2.jpg)
The engine seems untouched, but the exhaust crossover plug is rotten, so I’ll have to remove the intake manifold to replace it, which is an easy job on a Buick Nailhead. I have made friends with some members of the Riviera Owners Association, however, and have procured the correct booster for rebuilding (it’s out at the rebuilder right now). Unfortunately, he bought a bad booster that’s also the incorrect one for the car. The previous owner did a lot of the work I would normally have to do, such as replacing the wheel cylinders, fuel tank, brake hoses, master cylinder, and the power booster. Side note: Riviera power windows always have power (i.e., you can operate the windows with the key switched to “off”), which I don’t really like.
![1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird 1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dDZxcqfvzUY/T2Ol2f4wQ4I/AAAAAAAABUA/QWcPf0u7hS8/s1600/63+riv+concept+2.jpg)
It has had some work done, as evidenced by the use of Weatherhead screws in places where the factory used pins to hold things together. The interior is actually in fairly nice condition, aside from that sitting around in a barn forever smell (shout out to my mom for doing a preliminary cleaning).
![1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird 1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird](https://www.thelastdetail.com/galleria_images/654/654_main_l.jpg)
They include electric windows (boo!), Sonomatic radio, and the custom interior package in black leather/vinyl. The car’s documentation also includes this “Glove Box Copy,” which lists the date of production and the original options, which are thankfully few. It has 12 crankshaft degrees of play therefore, it is probably original. I’ll have to add that to my list of items to check. With that being said, my fingers are crossed that he replaced the original nylon cam gear at some point. They must have decided to take the new Riviera on a road trip to Daytona Beach soon after they bought it I hope they were as cool an older couple as their paperwork makes them out to be.Ī little research on the original owner tells me he owned an auto parts store, and considering his impeccable taste in cars, I’m assuming he was a “car guy” who maintained his stuff (at least I hope so). This program is also in the glove box the original owner (who was nearly 60 in 1963 from what I can glean from the internet) and his wife (who was a member of the Motor Club) were ostensibly fans of motorsports. One of the car’s first insurance policies is still in the glove compartment, and it’s a win for the “we’ve always been illiterate” boosters that the insurance agent couldn’t correctly spell “Riviera” back in 1963. That makes me the fourth or fifth owner, and the first who wasn’t related to the guy who first bought it. It then found its way to another family member before ending up with the guy I bought it from, who was apparently a nephew of a previous owner. Fun fact: This might be the first time the car has returned to Michigan since it rolled off the line in Flint in 1962.Īccording to the paperwork, the original owner likely kept the car until his passing in 1988.
![1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird 1963 buick riviera and 1963 ford thunderbird](https://photos.classiccars.com/cc-temp/listing/90/8714/3157870-1963-buick-riviera-std.jpg)
On the other hand, the undercarriage is mostly solid, including the floors, rockers, and the often ruined trunk floor. Unfortunately, it must have spent some time in damp storage, because almost every electrical connector is corroded. The original owner’s name is still on the console plaque (Built expressly for…), and it matches the original title from North Carolina, which is where the car spent most of its life until recently (the last owner lived in Connecticut). I bought the car from a family member of the original owner, who included most of the car’s documentation going back to its original build date of December 26th, 1962. The paint on mine is old and there are blemishes galore, but it will clean up and be perfect for me (which is not perfect at all). Additionally, it’s one of the rare “in-between” Rivieras I’ve seen for sale, in price and condition: They are invariably almost pristine or recently extracted from a cave. That may seem high to anyone who is unfamiliar with first-gen Rivieras, but these things have appreciated steadily for quite some time. It was listed on Bring a Trailer of all places bidding was slow because the car has the obvious hallmarks of long-term inactivity, so I was able to snag it for $12,750 plus the 5% fee that BaT charges to keep the lights on. I’ve bought a Fawn Mist (which is light dependent, a sort of green, gold, gray color) 1963 Buick Riviera that needs quite a bit of work, that’s what. I’m not goal-oriented, and people may think I’m exaggerating, but I’m a weird guy who’s been Riviera shopping since 2001, I finally bought one, and it’s almost exactly what I’ve been looking for. This is possibly the happiest I’ll ever be from this point on, and everything else will pale in comparison to the relief I feel from not dying without ever owning an early Riviera. Aside from the day I was married, I can’t think of a time in my life when I was more certain that I’ve done the right thing than I am right now.