1963 Buick Riviera

465 Wildcat Coupe

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

7J1050845

Clear

Gasoline

"Which part was she playing: the pawn or the queen?"  - Philip Marlowe in "Red Wind" 1963 Buick Riviera 72K original miles Oregon car from new Rare '465' Wildcat option Up for bids is this very original Buick, a 1963 Riviera.  The Riviera was the product of GM Styling Chief Bill Mitchell and designer Ned Nickles.  It's said that Mitchell's trip to the London Auto Show in 1959 inspired him to create a Grand Tourer that could compete with European cars.  The Riviera debuted in 1963 to rave reviews and was an instant success.  Tom McCahill of Mechanix Illustrated called it "the greatest forward stride Buick has ever made...a truly fine-handling car, as good as any made in this country today". First generation Rivieras seem to be finally getting their due in today's collector market, they represent an example of GM excellence from the early 60's and are considered by many to be an easy to live with car that has both stylish appeal and solid engineering.  The trick with Rivieras though is sorting through the junk to find the jewels, if you've been tracking them on eBay you probably know that really good ones are hard to find.  This car was sold new right here in Portland at George Wallace Buick, about 2 miles away from where the car now resides.  The car has had 3 Oregon owners from new, it remains an excellent, unaltered example of one of GM's most iconic designs. Click to enlarge any of the photos below, a link to a slideshow of all the enlarged images is available to view at the bottom of the page. After the first owner traded the car in for a newer model in 1966, George Wallace Buick sold the car to the 2nd owner, a Mr. Hugh Reppeto, of Portland.  The Reppetos owned the car for the next 38 years, until 2004, at which time I purchased it. I sold the car that year to a collector in Bend Oregon and recently had the opportunity to buy the car back with about a 500 mile difference on the odometer. The car wears an older repaint in its original color of Artic White.  The paint finish is well preserved, glass smooth to the touch and with good shine.  On close inspection you'll find some touched in chips scattered about and other small flaws.  That said, the car does look terrific running down the road but is not quite ready for the concours field, it's the proverbial 10 footer.  The body panels on this Riviera are very straight with no dings or dents, the knife edge styling on the rear fenders, roof line and trunk lid are all very crisp.  The car is super solid top to bottom with no rust issues anywhere.  This is an Oregon car, the land that rust forgot. The car has the optional finned alloy wheel covers with the correct "early" Buick Tri-Shield centers.  The 63 differed from the 64 in this respect, as well as in using the Tri-Shield for the hood emblem and tail light centers.  Additionally, the word "BUICK" on the trunk lid was replaced by a "Riviera" script logo for 64, that's one way to tell these 2 very similar years apart.  The wheel covers are all in great condition with no discernible wear.  All 4 of the wheel center emblems are in good original condition, with no fading or spidering.  Reproductions are not available, these are excellent originals. All of the body panels line up nicely, the doors click closed with a one finger push.   All of the trim on the car is in very nice original condition, bumpers are untouched originals and still nice after 48 years.  The very bottom of the front turn signal assemblies and the tail-light bezels were both prone to pitting on these cars, you'll notice that these are in great shape.  All of the glass are original LOF date coded pieces in great condition, even the windshield. All of the signal lenses are clean and without cracks or hazing.  The Tri-Shield emblem on the hood shows good clarity and color, most of these became sun baked and faded quickly, this one has survived.  The interior is all original and reflects the car's low miles, it's in fantastic shape.  This is a heavily optioned car, ordered extras include: Leather seats   *    Power windows   *   4-Way Power seat   *    4-Note horn   *   Deluxe wheel covers   *   Remote trunk release   *   Remote mirror   *    The interior has held up beautifully, you can tell that this has been a cherished car.  From the carpet to the headliner, it's like stepping back in time.  If I had to pick on something, I'd say that the front seats show some aging to the leather, but in this case, after 48 years, I'm going to call it patina. Very nice door panels showing just a little wear on the driver's side armrest, otherwise they're pretty much mint.  When the deluxe interior was ordered it included maple veneer on the door panels and those nifty door handles in reach for the back seat passengers.  All 4 accessory floor mats are in good condition.  The back seats don't appear to have seen much use.  The rear speaker grill and parcel shelf are in fine condition. The original headliner is still very nice.  The dash pad shows no cracks, no shrinking, it's like new.  Steering wheel (with tilt function) is in excellent condition with no splits.   All interior lighting works.     All gauges and idiot lights operate correctly.  The Speed Minder works, the clock only works intermittently.  The radio works, all slider controls move smoothly, power antenna works, basically everything in this interior works as it's intended to, and the clock is trying. The 4-Way power seat works well, and all power windows work smoothly.  The footwells are very clean in this car, you can tell a lot about a car by looking down here.  The glovebox looks like new, the remote trunk release works perfectly. The trunk shows the typical wear and staining that this lining material was prone to.  A look under the parcel shelf shows all original insulation, wiring, and cardboard backer on the rear seat.  Early 63 Rivieras mounted the spare tire to the right floor, later in the production year they changed the location to above the axle. Buick offered 2 engines for the Riviera; the standard Wildcat 445 (401cu, 325hp) and the optional Wildcat 465 (425cu, 340hp), which this car has.  I would imagine both engines offer similar gobs of power, but it's always a plus to have the bragging rights to the rare equipment.  The 445 was already Buick's largest engine for 1963, they bored it out 1/8" to make the 465, the number indicates torque rating.  This car is one of 2601 made with this engine option.  All 1963 Riviera engines were painted silver, the only year for that color.  The car starts at the flick of the key and runs great, it's a bit cold blooded at first but comes into its own quickly.  This motor makes a lot of power, putting you foot into it will definitely cause spontaneous grinning.  The famed Dynaflow transmission operates perfectly, with the silky-smooth imperceptible shifts it is known for.   The car brakes well, tracks straight, laughs at potholes, and cruises along with ease.   Being an Oregon car, the undercarriage has no undercoating.  Folks, we're looking at 48 year old bare steel floorpans here.  They tell the story of this remarkable survivor car. Click here for a slideshow of all of the enlarged images. About the Reserve Price: The reserve is held in confidence, please just bid at the level that you are comfortable with.  This auction ends Friday 7-22-11 at at 12 Noon Pacific Time , 2 PM Central , 3 PM Eastern, 7 PM GMT. About Payment: I will contact the winning bidder via email within 3 hours of auction completion.  I would like a $500 deposit (paypal, money order or bank check) within 2 days.  Balance is due (bank check or bank wire transfer only) within 7 calendar days of auction end. The car will be securely garaged until pickup. About this auction: This auction process is a legally binding contract into which you enter when you click "confirm" on your bid.   Please have finances in order before you decide to bid and please ask all questions before you decide to bid.   Basically, please only bid if you are ready to purchase this car.  Car is sold as-is with no warranties express or implied.  License plates are not included unless the winning bidder is an Oregon resident.  Any disputes regarding the sale of this vehicle shall be resolved through binding arbitration exclusively in Multnomah County, Oregon under applicable state laws.  By bidding you agree to these terms. About me: Please check my feedback, I take customer satisfaction very seriously and am a licensed, bonded and insured dealer in the State of Oregon.  I own this car outright and the pictures were taken last week.  You and/or your representative are welcome and encouraged to inspect the car in person before the close of auction. I can be reached at 503-891-7702 between the hours of 9-5.  Previously sold inventory is available to view at www.cascadiaclassic.com Post Auction details: The transport cost is the responsiblity of the winning bidder, although I can certainly help with logistics.  I have a wholesale account with a transport booking service and can help you find a reasonable shipping rate.   Overseas bidders may contact any of these international shippers for a quote: Schumacher Cargo Horizon Auto Services California Shipping Thanks for looking!