1965 Buick Riviera

Coupe

401 Nailhead V8

Automatic

494475H948845

Clear

Gasoline

This Riviera has a lot of potential and upside. Take a look at how much properly restored 1965 Buick Rivieras with the "Clam-Shell" headlights are listed for on Hemmings.com and on EbayMotors.com. Then take a look at the their estimated values on Hagerty.com or NADAGuides.com; $33-$40k when properly restored. THE STORY WITH THIS RIVIERA: ---According to the previous owners, their son bought this car in 2014 from its prior owner in Washington STATE, who had begun restoration on this car in 2009. That owner worked on it from 2009-2011 but was forced to stop. The car sat around for about 3 years until it was purchased by the previous owner's son in July 2014. The son, who was in the military, bought this car sight unseen and had it shipped to Phoenix, AZ, and parked in the parents' garage for almost 2 years. According to the previous owner, the son never got around to doing a single thing to the car. The parents got tired of it sitting in their garage and taking up their space & forced their son to sell. ---The 1963-1965 Buick Riviera has been a "Dream Car" of mine for a long time. When I saw one available locally, I bought it right away. Since then, I realized that right now is not a good time for me to invest time and money into a proper restoration. This means the car will sit and take up a parking space in my garage as I very very slowly begin to work on it. POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS: ---The 401 Nailhead V8 (NOT numbers matching) engine is the big mystery with this car. It appears that work has been done and the top end has been rebuilt/replaced. Someone took great care to restore the engine bay and make it look really nice, but it appears that the engine may never have been run after the work was done. If you open the valley cover, you'll see that everything looks almost brand new. My mechanic attempted to get it to turn over but he says it's seized. Without going into the engine, it's impossible to tell what the problem is and the extent of the needed repairs. I do not know if it was never finished, if it was a rebuild gone bad, or if it just seized up from sitting around for 3 years in WA and almost 2 years in AZ. ---3-Speed Super Turbine 400 Transmission. Do not know its condition. Shifts into Neutral. ---Will need electrical, suspension, brake, etc., work all around. BODY: ---Exterior is very straight. There is some rust-through on rear quarter-panels, near trunk, and driver's floor-pan. Frame has surface rust. I've had my body-shop guy look it over and, according to him, it's not outside the norm for a 1965, is not structural, and can easily be worked with. ---The exterior has been primed but is not quite ready for paint and needs more prep to be show-car quality. ---All exterior trim is on the car. ---There is a Bellevue College parking permit sticker on the rear window from 1980, so it's likely spent the majority of its life in WA. It has been parked in a garage in Phoenix, AZ since July 2014. INTERIOR: ---Gutted and in need of full restoration and seats need to be reupholstered. If you look at OPGI, you'll see that there are some very reasonably priced full interior kits for these cars. ---Some kind of basecoat/primer has been applied to interior and trunk. ---Driver-side floorpan has rust and small holes and needs to be replaced. ---Trunk is full of trim pieces from the interior & I think it's all there but I am not 100% sure. Most parts can be purchased on OPGI. FROM WIKIPEDIA: ---The 1963-1965 Riviera is "one of the most beautiful American cars ever built." -Sergio Pininfarina. ---"The first-generation Riviera is considered a styling landmark, and is quite collectible today." -American Muscle Car Club. FROM ME: ---Hagerty shows a Fair (lowest rating) valuation of $9,000 and NADAGuides shows a Low Retail (lowest rating) valuation of $9,405. ---I would rather sell it but don't mind keeping it. ---Cash or wire transfer only. I have Clean AZ title in hand. ---$500 Deposit required PLEASE READ BELOW BEFORE BIDDING!! I want the winning bidder to be satisfied with his or her purchase. I want you to feel comfortable that you got as much info as you need to make an informed purchase decision. I encourage potential bidders to call or email with any and all questions or come see the vehicle in person if local. Please contact me through Ebay for my phone number. For out-of-state buyers, I will provide garage storage for up to 2 weeks after full payment is made to allow for shipping arrangements. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. We will assist the shipping company with the loading of the vehicle. This vehicle is for sale locally and I reserve the right to end listing at any time. Please ask any and all questions before bidding. ***Deposit required within 24 hours after auction end. Full payment due 3 days after auction end.***