Dan, if the chioce is between the 65 and the boattail, the 65 is the obvious winner. It has a much wider following and will be much easier to get your money back out of when you decide to bite the bullet (after you pull it back out of Flora's a$$) and do a top drawer restoration of the much rarer and more valuable Hurst! p Seriously, look into what you'll need to put that car back together first. You'll be happier and much better off financially. It is a sought after piece that even a dual-quad '65 GS would have a hard time matching in wow-power.
Yes, the 65 is probably the nicest of all Rivs, but I would still take a '71. Not only am I a contrarian, but I like to make a statement! And if a 65 Riv pulls into a parking lot, everyone's reaction would be WOW! Look at that car! But if a 71n pulls in you will get a LOT more attention because of its unique shape and appearance. Yes, the interior is a zero compared to the 65, and the hidden headlights and razor edges on the 65 are awesome, but the boattail evokes an enormous amount of emotion either way. THAT'S what I loke doing. And a 600HP 455 ain't bad either!
As much as I love the boatail Rivs, If I HAD to choose between the two I would take the '65. Depends on what kind of money you have to invest. Parts for a '65 are going to be harder to find and cost a little more. In '71 the Riv began sharing the same platform as the LeSabre, so parts are easier to find. And a '71 - '72 Riv can still be had for a reasonable amount of cash. It's a tough decision. I want them all! :stmad: :laugh:
Don't be so sure. Ever try finding seat covers for a boattail? Dome light covers? headliner? emblems? All sorts of stuff is made for the 63 - 65 Riv. The boattail is the ugly stepchild it seems. I'm amazed at how little attention they have received from the aftermarket/Riviera suppliers.
W.T.F. :af: NO I'M POSITIVE :stmad: :stmad: :stmad: WHAT'S WITH BUST'IN ON THE BOATTAILS ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :stmad: :stmad: :stmad: uzzled:
Now that I've given it more thought that is true. Initially I was thinking along the lines of suspension parts etc. Its us owners of '66 to '70 Rivs that have the hardest time I believe. I'm grateful that TA Performance has made items for us. :TU: I should get my exhaust system today from them. COME ON UPS DRIVER! Don't just drive by today!:beer
I really like the boattail Rivs, they have a lot of style to them and you don't see a whole lot of 'em. I think they would be easy enough to find parts for though, there were so many of them produced and it seems like you can still run across them in junkyards. I wouldn't mind a '71 GS Riv... I know where a '73 Stage-1 Riv is, but from the one picture I saw of it it looks pretty rough. I don't know if it is still there, but it would be an interesting car to have.
The '65 is a nice car. The rear end is a little...wrong to me, though. The boattail Riv is such a handsome car. And you can always put dual quads on the 455. I had a '73, but in 1991 when I bought it, I already had my '70 Skylark, and the '70 needed an engine. I couldn't afford two cars, so...away it went to the scrap heap in the sky, nobody would buy it from me. I vote for the boattail. I prefer the '72 models, myself. Very stylish car.
The 2.5" And a new pair of Flowmasters to go with it. And it is here at work waiting to go home with me! (Snoopy happy dance) You should see the gerry rigged system that some previous owner put on it! :blast: Welded, sectioned, "Mongo make fit" type of craftmanship. I at least put matching mufflers on it when I bought it, (had 2 different lengths) but have been waiting to do it the way it should be for years now. Finally! She's gonna sound sweet! :beer
I should go for the '65 Riv, no kidding. Last 6 years we had a Boattail import overflow in the Netherlands, i guess there are about 100 of them around nowadays. '65's are cool, I like the clampshell hide-away headlights on them! And they had the best rearbumperdesign of the 60's Riviera's.
I love all Buicks. And I am not saying that I don't like Boattails, because I love them also...........BUT, the question was which one do I like the BEST. That would be the '65. Possibly the most beautiful car to ever come out of Detroit. Way ahead of it's time in styling IMHO. No car has ever looked that cool!
Ok, I love boattails... my first car was almost a boattail... but I gotta say, if I had money for either then its gonna be a 65. I love the body style, the stacked headlights are beautiful... in fact... that is the deciding factor. If it were a 64, I'd say get the boattail. Nevermind how cool Nailheads are. I love a 455 as much as the next guy but... nothing says "cool" like Nailhead.
65 Rivieras are THE most beautiful cars ever built!!! I will own one some day. i also like boattails, espescially 71's. probably should buy a boattail unless you have a comfortable sofa to sleep on.
