Vehicle Description
Cruisin Classics is proud to present to you this incredibly
well-restored 1964 Buick Riviera! This beauty spent the first 30 or
so years of its life in sunny California before moving to
Mississippi, then Ohio in 2013. From 2013 to 2017 this Riviera
underwent an extensive restoration that touched every aspect of the
car, and we have a thick book filled over $100K in receipts to
prove it! The paint job alone was $25K, $13K was spent on
re-chroming, and over $36K was spent on the frame-off restoration -
and that's not near everything. The transmission was rebuilt, the
engine was rebuilt by well-known Beach Performance with a price tag
of over $4K, and the new harness and wiring topped $4K. Note that
all this work is in "2014 dollars", when shop rates were only
$60/hr - just imagine what it would cost today! Not only does this
car come with a book of receipts, it also comes with many original
registration slips that date back into the mid 70's, the original
owners manual, the protect-o-plate, and the original hang-tag from
the climate controls (so cool to see!). Lets take a deeper dive
into this exceptional Buick....
The paint-work on this Riviera was done almost 10 years ago but it
looks like it was sprayed last week. The show-quality white
metallic paint combined with the abundant chrome and coke-bottle
styling makes this car a literal feast for the eyes! From the front
view, a chrome spine follows the center of the hood and culminates
with a vertical circled "R" Riviera hood ornament near the forward
edge. Sculpted sections on both sides of the hood lead back to
chrome vents on the wiper cowl cover panel. The bright,
forward-angled eggcrate grille is home to dual side-by-side
headlights in bright bezels and it's flanked by curved slotted
chrome "towers" that house the parking lights and turn signals.
Beneath, a mirror-finish bumper follows the front ends angles and
curves. Bright body side molding begins at the bumpers, follows the
lip of each wheel well and leads you to the rear bumper. Bright
trim frames all of the windows and follows the body line from the
rear quarter windows to the rear of the B-pillars. Dual chrome side
mirrors, "Riviera" script fender badges, rear quarter panel
horseshoe ornaments, bright door handles, and a faux chrome vent
under the rear window add to the visual pop. At the rear of the car
is another gleaming chrome bumper with a large license plate area
flanked by lights. The tail light lenses feature circled "R" logos
and the lip of the trunk wears a "Riviera" script badge. This whole
beautiful white and chrome package sits proudly atop Showwheels
grey 5-spoke Streeter wheels with Primewell PZ900 tires up front
and Toyo Proxes S/T's in the rear.
Under the hood is an immaculate black engine bay that is home to
the numbers matching 425ci Wildcat 465 V-8. This big V-8 was
factory rated at 340hp and 465 lb ft of torque - plenty of power to
make this long car get up and GO. The green block is topped off
with finned aluminum valve covers with red Buick lettering, a stock
intake, a 4-barrel carburetor, and a large black air cleaner with a
big red "Buick Wildcat 465" sticker. Exhaust flows through headers
and newer pipes mufflers to exit at the rear with a sound any car
enthusiast will love. Other items of note under the hood include
power steering, A/C, and an old-school glass washer fluid bottle.
The A/C compressor spins freely and the clutch engages, but it does
not seem to cycle and does not blow in the cabin. While we have not
investigated why it is inoperative, we can see that all of the
necessary components are present and hooked up. The Wildcat V-8 is
mated up to 3-speed Super Turbine 400 automatic transmission that
shifts imperceptibly smoothly. The brake system has been upgraded
with a newer master cylinder, booster, and stainless steel lines to
support the front disc and rear drum brakes. A quick look at the
incredibly clean black undercarriage lets you know that every
detail was attended to during the restoration, including bringing
the suspension back to its former glory. On the road it's a
pleasure to drive, with an excellent balance of comfort and
agility.
When you open the drivers door, 5 courtesy lights all come on to
fully illuminate an absolutely exquisite red interior with bright
accents. The interior of this Riviera is so breathtakingly stylish
it begs the question "why don't they make cars this cool anymore?".
The beautiful OEM door panels feature power windows, side mirror
toggles, and cranks for the vent windows. The red vinyl bucket
seats match the style of the door panels and look like they were
just reupholstered yesterday. Slide into the comfortable drivers
seat and smile as you find that it is power-adjustable. The rear
seats are bucket-style and separated by a 6X9 speaker set in an
ornate chrome grille with the circled "R" logo on display. A center
console splits the front seats and angles upward to become part of
the dash. The horizontal portion of the console features an ashtray
and rear-angled lighter for back-seat passengers, a storage box,
and a chrome button-topped shifter that bears resemblance to a UFO
in shape. The upwardly slanting section of the console is home to a
flip-door ashtray and separated controls for heat and A/C. Above
where the console meets the dash is a central vent and a Delco
"Sonomatic" AM radio that has now been converted to AM/FM. Hiding
under the chin of the dash just above the radio are controls for
the working power antenna and map light (that resides above the
glovebox to the right). Across the dash is a ribbed aluminum bezel
that serves as a backdrop for the big round 140mph speedometer and
a 4-in-1 fuel gauge with oil, temp, and amp warning lights. The
odometer reads 75,714 and the title confirms that to be actual
miles! Between these large gauges in an analog clock that is
currently inoperative. Flanking the gauges are a knob for the
working 2-speed wipers and a pull knob for the lights. At the far
sides of the dash are spherical air vents with a bright finish. In
the glovebox on the passenger side is what appears to be an
auxilliary cord for the re-worked stereo. The red vinyl dashpad and
the rear package tray are crack-free and in great condition. At the
drivers fingertips is a 2-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with
a Riviera "R" at the center that is mounted on a bright tilt
column. The tight white vinyl headliner is accented by chrome
interior A-pillars and red window surrounds. Looking down you'll
find top quality red carpet, carpeted floormats with "Riviera"
script logos, and red pedals with stainless trim. Around back is a
completely finished trunk that is car-show ready. It features the
same carpet as the car's interior, vinyl side panels that mimic the
door panel styling, and a full spare covered with red vinyl to
match the sides - it really looks top-notch!
This '64 Riviera certainly set the standard for personal luxury
vehicles in it's day and this beautifully restored example proves
that it's styling still resonates every bit as much today! You will
definitely be hard pressed to find another Riviera that has been
restored to this level - with show-quality paint, beautiful chrome,
a frame-off resto, rebuilt numbers-matching engine, upgraded
brakes, and an interior that will knock your socks off! To top it
all off, it comes with a 3-ring binder full of receipts, the
Protect-o-plate, and a collection of original registrations. Give
us a call today or, better yet, come in and see this over-the-top
cool 1964 Riviera for yourself - you won't be disappointed!
ENGINE
425...for more information please contact the seller.