Vehicle Description
1963 Buick Riviera Highly desirable first-year Riviera with the
same California owner for the last 8 years! Rare 1 of only 2,601
outof the 40,000 1963 Rivs delivered with the optional, larger
engine Original, numbers matching Riviera Wildcat 465 V-8 (code
JW542) engine with four-bbl. carb, displacing 425 CID, making
10.25:1 compression and 340 hp/465 tq with dual exhausts Engine was
a factory upgrade from the base 401 CID V-8 Final year for
two-speed Twin Turbine Automatic Transmission Silver Cloud Metallic
(code D) exterior with Custom Interior in Medium Red Original
factory power steering, power brakes, power windows, center
console, tilt steering column and original spare tire Original
lined trunk, deluxe steering wheel with wood interior appliqu�s
Documentation include original owner's manual and a Clarion stereo
user's guide Own this Vehicle from $502 per month-call 636-600-4600
With its razor-sharp lines and simple yet bold form, Buick had
unveiled a stunner. Along with Chevy's newly redesigned two-seater,
Head Stylist William Mitchell and General Motors delivered a fierce
1-2 punch to the rest of the automotive design world in 1963 with
the Buick Riviera and put Ford's Thunderbird on notice. MotoeXotica
Classic Cars is proud to present this highly desirable and optioned
first-year Buick Riviera. This example was built sometime during
the final days of February 1963 at General Motor's Flint, Michigan
assembly plant. It left the line with the following options - power
windows, tinted windshield, driver's remote sideview mirror,
Sonamatic AM radio and the powerfulWildcat 465 V-8. It was
delivered Ullian Buick, Inc., in Framingham, Massachusetts and sold
to its original owner on March 8, 1963. It has resided in
Chowchilla, California with the same loving owner for the past 8
years. This is a very special and rare Rivera, its finished in very
desirable silver exterior with red interior and most importantly it
is optioned with powerfulWildcat 465 V-8 and dual exhaust. Out of
the 37,399 Rivieras produced in 1963, only 5% had the optional JW
Wildcat engine producing massive amounts of torque! And this
particular Buick still has the numbers matching motor! Dressed in
Silver Cloud Metallic (code D), the car's paint and trim are in
overall great condition with minor imperfections while the car's
windows are in better-than-average shape. The car's bodywork is
straight and its engine bay is very tidy, the battery appears new,
the chrome bumpers are in very good condition and they fit tightly
to the body. This Riv rolls on Road Handler whitewall tires, size
215/75R15 at all four corners and each tire surrounds a steel wheel
topped with a factory wheel cover. Both tires and wheels are in
very good order. Underhood is the car's original, numbers matching,
JW542 Riviera Wildcat 465 V-8, breathing through dual exhausts.
Buick's marketing department decided to focus on the engine's
largest number, its torque figure, and post it prominently on the
air cleaner. Unfortunately, without a salesman or mechanic to
explain it, many people came to believe the engine displaced 465
cubic inches instead of, in this case, 425 cubic inches. This 425
CID Nailhead V-8 makes 10.25:1 compression and puts out 340
horsepower plus the aforementioned 465 pounds-feet of torque and
was a factory upgrade from the car's base 401 CID Nailhead V-8.
Driver convenience features include original factory power
steering, power brakes, power windows, center console and tilt
steering column. Inside, the Medium Red Custom Interior (code 778)
is in overall excellent condition. The front buckets and rear
demi-buckets look fantastic with their distinct red inserts and
vinyl bolsters, as does the matching red carpet. The contrasting
white headliner is in very good order, as is the original two-spoke
steering wheel with the car's name spelled out on the hub. The red
instrument panel and inner door liners are excellent order, as is
the space age center console and floor-mounted shift lever. While
there is the original Sonamatic AM radio in the dash, it has been
bypassed in favor of a modern Clarion AM/FM stereo with CD player,
USB port and MP3 capability. Custom interiors included: Cloth and
vinyl or leather and vinyl upholstery Full-length door armrests
Door latches for rear seat passengers Real walnut trim inserts on
door and quarter trim panels Circular Buick Tri-shield ornaments on
door panels The center console featured a black textured vinyl on
both the Standard and Custom interiors for 1963. Wood veneer wasn't
used until 1964, and then only with the Custom interior. The
production Riviera was introduced on October 4, 1962, as a 1963
model. Its distinctive bodyshell was unique to the marque, unusual
for a GM product. It rode acruciformframe similar to the standard
Buick frame, but shorter and narrower, with a two-inch narrower
track. Its117-inch wheelbaseand 208-inch overall length were 6.0
and 7.7inches shorter, respectively, than aBuick LeSabre, but
slightly longer than a contemporary Thunderbird. At 3,998pounds,it
was about 390 pounds lighter than either. It shared the
standardBuick V-8 engines, with a displacement of either 401 or
425CID and the unique, continuously variable designtwin
turbineautomatic transmission. Power brakes were standard, using
Buick's massive "Al-Fin" (aluminum finned) drums of 12inches in
diameter.Power steeringwas standard equipment, with an
overallsteering ratioof 20.5:1, giving 3.5 turns lock-to-lock. The
Riviera'ssuspensionused Buick's standard design, withdouble
wishbonesup front and alive axlelocated bytrailing armsand a
lateraltrack barin the rear, but theroll centerswere raised to
reduce body lean. Although itscoil springs were actually slightly
softer than other Buicks, the Riviera's lighter weight made its
ride somewhat firmer. While still biased towardsundersteer,
contemporary testers considered it one of the most drivable
American cars, with an excellent balance of comfort and agility.
The elegant, ground-up styling sported new "Coke bottle styling,"
with the middle of the body exhibiting a tapered tucked-in
appearance. There was no trace of the "Sweepspear"" used
onbeltlinesof earlier Buicks with the Riviera package. Buick's
401CID "Nailhead" V-8 was initially the only available
engine,fitted with dual exhaust as standard equipment and the
turbine drive the only transmission. Buick announced an optional
340horsepower, 425CID version of the Nailhead in December 1962.
Total production was deliberately limited to 40,000 vehicles (in a
year that Buick sold 440,000 units overall) to emphasize the
Riviera's exclusivity and to increase demand; only 2,601 were
delivered with the delayed availability larger engine in the 1963
model year. With the same power as the bigger Buicks and less
weight, the Riviera had sparkling all-around performance:Motor
Trendfound it capable of running 0-60miles per hour in eight
seconds or less, the standing quarter mile in about 16 seconds and
an observed top speed of 115 miles per hour. Inside, the Riviera
featured a luxurious four-place cabin with frontbucket seatsand
bucket-style seats in the rear. A center console with floor shifter
and storage compartment built into the instrument panel divided the
front. Upholstery choices included all-vinyl, cloth and vinyl, or
optional leather. Standard features included two-speed windshield
wipers with washers, a glare proof rear view mirror, reverse
lights, a parking brake on warning light, safety buzzer, electric
clock, padded dash, trip odometer and more. A deluxe interior
option included real walnut inserts on the doors and below the rear
side windo...for more information please contact the seller.