1965 Buick Riviera

My new project is AMT's '65 Buick Riviera.  I would have really liked it if this kit was a GS or Gran Sport version, but the GS version has improvements over stock that you really can't see on the outside.  My paint will be Dupli-Color Emerald Green Metallic with a Tan leather interior.  The wheel covers will be replaced with Buick's Chrome Plated Road Wheel and they were a gift from streetrod aka Barry Fadden.  Thank you Barry!  My inspiration for this build is a '65 Riviera GS that I have seen at several car shows.

More Riviera to come...

Very cool project, Mike. Would be great to build it with the 'nailhead' powerplant. The only external indicators of the GS are the emblems on the front fenders and tail, I recall.

Looking forward to seeing the build.

Based on my research, this model is a Riviera GS and not the standard Riviera.  I suspected that this model was a GS since it came with the dual carb setup and was missing the side vents between the door edge and the rear wheel arches.  Too bad AMT never saw fit to call this model a GS like they should have.  This is also very old tooling since the chassis also includes the exhaust system and most of the front and rear suspension.

I got the engine mostly assembled and I drilled out the distributor cap for ignition wires which were superglued into place.  I may have to find a piece of wire here in the shop to make plug boots from.  



More Riviera to come...

At this point, the engine is finished minus the air cleaner and painting the transmission.  Typical of AMT, the trans is a manual and the actual car came with an automatic!  I don't have a resin GM auto trans so it'll stay this way.

Very nice Mike...!

You're a building machine Mike. Great to see your work here.

Thanks guys! After looking at the two lumps that is called "carburetors", I'll just glue the air cleaner on top and call it a day. Now to get onto the rest of this build.

"Lumps" indeed for the carbs. More like blobs. Rant over, and this Buick owner gives a thumbs up.

Lumps, bumps, blobs...there is vertually no detail to these. Maybe I'll dig through my parts box for something better.

I have replaced the kit carburetors with a pair from my parts box.  These are much better looking than the two lumps from kit.

More Riviera to come...

Nice and chromey!

The engine is looking good Mike. Good call on changing the carbs.

Thanks guys! They may be the wrong carbs, but there do look better than the originals.

Under that massive air cleaner, no one will know.

Those massive air cleaners do come in handy. When we were young, we'd have pizza at the local beach parking lot where we hung out. My buddy drove his '65 421 Pontiac to pick it up, then we'd lay the pizza on that massive air cleaner which was still quite warm.

I just love these old Rivs! Yours is looking great

Thanks Mike and Geetee66!

Gave the Riviera a bath yesterday and I let everything dry in the paintbooth overnight.  This morning, I gave the Riviera a good coating of Tamiya Light Grey Surface Primer.   I'll let this dry for a bit and give the body and hood another good coating of primer in prep for the Dupli-Color Emerald Green Metallic.
More Buick to come...

I did some paintin' yesterday.



More Buick to come...

I did a mockup of the Riviera to set and check on the stance.  I like it!



More buick to come...

Nice, green paint and tan interior always look good Mike.

Thanks dublin boy!

Looking great Mike.