Stunning beautiful Riviera by Buick. And the polish/wax job is flawless perfection. Thank you for maintaining and sharing these 'noble beasts' as Bob Lutz called them.
I had a 67 Riv in my senior year of high school. It was Platinum Mist with a black vinyl top. Strato-bench front seat and AC with the optional 8-track player and speed alert. One of the best cars I've ever had. It was dependable in 1984, and with 113,000 miles it would do a 16 second 1/4 mile with 5 people inside...don't ask.. All in all, one of the best cars I ever owned and I will always want to have one again. Thanks to Adam for bringing all of these cars back for us to see and appreciate. I've had some of the great Fords that he gushes about too. But the RIv at 100 mph was smooth as butter and quiet as a church mouse. I'll never forget the car I fell in love with at 13 years old.
Could you tell when driving this that it was FWD? Smaller FWD cars of the 80s and 90s were so front heavy which made me dislike them a great deal. I always wondered if it even made a difference in these heavier, longer wheelbase cars though.
I'm trying to picture you hitting 100 mph in a 17-yr-old Rivera with 113,000+ miles on the odometer back in 1984, when the national speed limit was 55 mph. Certainly the car could haul ass: It was designed, engineered & built to cruise down the freeway all day long at 75 mph, but where could you floor it to 100 without getting arrested: The Bonneville Salt Flats? Perhaps there were long stretches of I-90 in Montana where you could test the "reasonable and prudent" speed standard, if the Highway Patrol was willing to look the other way, but the rest of us would be tempting fate if we drove more than 5 mph over that @#$%! speed limit. 😤
All American automakers were building amazing cars in 67. GM was building some of the best cars ever. Buick built the best. I love this car, Adam. Thank you for showing it again!
Growing up, my grandparents had a gold / white interior 68'. As an old man, I'm a mopar guy but I will always regard the 2nd gen Rivieras as some of the most beautiful cars ever made. Buick really was GM's best division in my opinion. Thanks for covering the era of vehicles that you do. The pinnacle of American car design.
Thanks for the memories. I learned to drive on this Riviera. A few things not mentioned: you could dial the speed alert buzzer up to 140 in case you didn't notice that you were going that fast 😂. It carries 4 mufflers - I spent way too much money replacing those all of the time. Mine had door handles for the back seat and tons of Bondo by the time I got rid of it. I once had to replace the oil pump on a highway in MO. The mechanic had to cut a notch out of the frame to get it out. Otherwise you had to lift the engine. Fun times...
The first car I drove LEGALLY was my dad's Red '66 Riv GS. He owned his own business and worked from home in the afternoons, so the Riv was just waiting for me when I got home from school at 2:30. Being a Tom McCahill fan, I was into "handling/cornering" so I persuaded dad to get some Firestone Wide Ovals....I then ordered an Addco rear sway bar and Koni shocks. The combination of all three additions made an amazingly agile and flat cornering car. Only down side was installing the rear sway bar....my buddy lost his grip and the damn thing came down an hit me in the eyebrow.....56 years later, I still have the scar.....and fond cornering memories.
That is a beautiful car. Tornado and Eldorado don't even come close to that refined yet simple body. The late 60's brought us the very best automobiles. Thanks for showing us a prime example from that era.
Adam, when I was in high school in the mid eighties my friend had one of these. His grandfather had ordered it new and my friend inherited it when his grandfather went to a retirement home. It was dark green with the deluxe interior in black. It had the 430 and a positraction. Lots of countless hours riding around listening to the Doors first album and some Black Flag as well. 😁 I remember that rolling speedometer well. Good times. Great video Adam!👍🏻 Thanks, Mark
Doug is the type of guy... no wait, wrong channel,lol. I really think that this generation Riviera is gorgeous!!! Thanks Adam for showcasing this beautiful car!!! 👍👍🙂
I'd agree these Rivs were the best overall looking from a clean-muscular design standpoint. But the boat tail generation I've always found to be more interesting to view in person simply because they were just so "out there" in design compared to this earlier gen -hell all other cars as well. Thanks for sharing these awesome beasts with the public Adam 🙂
Simply beautiful in black with white interior. I’m surprised that you have not mentioned the center speaker in the backseat. I remember as a child riding in a family, friends, Riviera, and how cool I thought the rear speaker was.
That's a good point about how hidden headlights often look kind of unfinished when the doors are open. I agree this is the most finished execution I've seen!
I've been watching you for a few years now. Adam, this is without a doubt the most beautiful car you've shown yet! Just stunning! You called the previous Tornado, Riviera and El Dorado the 3 sisters. CA put these together and call them the 3 brothers! Beautiful
I agree with you. That's the best looking Riviera. I'm 73 - I was 17 when this car was made. When I was 19, was dreaming about getting one of these. I never did, darn it.
I wouldn’t take $20 G for mine!!My family sure wants me too,I no longer live at the farm I’m in the city now,the car now lives at my elderly mothers house,where again it’s covered up and mom keeps a sharp eye on it,and so does all the maintenance men,landscapers,neighbors,!!I only drive three times a year,It is a tribute car now with USMC ,Thanks Dad and Pops for your service!
Here's a short-ish list of differences not mentioned in this video pertaining to the 1966 vs 1967 Rivieras. Starting at the front, the metal filler panel that sits between the grille and bumper was painted a flat silver on the '66 as were the panels surrrounding the tail lights. The '67model had body color painted panels. The large parking light covers mimiced the design of the grills. The '66 had multiple chrome ribs comparesd to the '67s single wider bar in the middle. The rocker panel moulding on the '66 had multiple ribs running front to back and were made of alum. The rocker panel mouldings on the '67 were a non-ribbed, smooth , polished stainless steel. The circular ball style vents on the dash were chromed metal in the '66 and chromed plastic in the '67. All the dash knobs on the '66 were metal as compared to plastic ( and a different shape) ones for the '67 The center of the standard steering wheel was a bright metal piece compared to the textured black plastic on for the '67. The ends of the turn signal stalk and column mounted shift lever were of a different design between the two years The door lock button was moved forward approx 12"-16" on the '67 so as to make it easier to reach. The radio buttons used to access different stations were thinner and metal in the '66, compared to thicker, more rounded and plastic ones in the '67 The dash pad in the '67 was made thicker with rounded forward facing surfaces compared to the much thinner and pronounced rigid edged '66 piece.
There were also some mid year changes. The steering wheel with ribs that was used in 1966 was still used on the early 1967 models and the silver horn pad too. It was shared with the Wildcat Custom and Electra 225 models that also switched after the beginning of the 1967 model year. The Riviera scripts on the front fenders also changed somewhere during the 1966 model year. The GS badges changed style at the beginning of the 1967 model year. The hood spear and parking light bezels got more mirror chrome on the mid-1967 models. There was also some silver painted areas that were switched to flat black in mid-1967. The radio push buttons were still metal on the early 1967 models. One new thing for 1967 was the flexible actuating rods for the headlights added a screw that could be loosened with the jack handle in case they would fail to go down at night. A one year only feature as the 1968 model changed to vacuum actuators. The cars that had the optional vinyl top didn't have the "R" emblem in 1966 and the "A" pillars were also painted on the 1966. On the 1967, the vinyl extended to cover the whole "a" pillar.
This is the best looking of the 3 in my opinion. The hidden headlights are unusually elegant, on or off, but I have to wonder if they are hard to keep aligned, with each bulb flipping down each time they are switched on. With the headlights hidden, the parking lights almost look like flush euro-headlights, at least now. I wonder if anyone thought they were some futuristic kind of headlights back then.
I recall thinking they were futuristic headlights on these as a kid, but not sure if I saw one of these Rivs later in my youth when I'd already seen pictures of European headlights in car books.
I very much enjoyed this video as my father owned 1963 and 1968 Rivieras. The very first time I was ever allowed to drive a car by myself was in the 1968 Riviera. I remember going 125 mph indicated.
I believe, Adam, that the light under the edge of the dash was actually a map light as well as a courtesy light. We used to need actual maps back in those days, even at night, and the map light was less glare for the driver if the passenger was reading a map at night to give directions.
A few years later, GM would add an actual map light built into the bottom of the rearview mirror, but they kept the dash courtesy light (which was switched together with the footwell lights). E.G. on the ‘70 Olds 98.
This car is absolutely gorgeous. What a beautiful exterior and interior. Never saw many of these. In general the Rivieras of that era were a rarity (at least in my memory), but I see some of this one in the boat-tail '71 my uncle had (and I actually got to ride in as a kid).
Thanks, not being in North America I’ve never seen any of these on the road so enjoying you covering/ comparing them. Interesting using such similar designs for both fwd & rwd versions ( & given I’m not fan of FWD, I think the Rivera is my favourite anyway!)
Thank you Adam. I still say the interior is nicely detailed. They used to make things so elegant and yet so different although sharing many parts. I can tell you on my 1992 Oldsmobile Toronado it shares parts with the Riviera. The most obvious is the shifted or gear selector plate. There was mechanical parts, the cd player, among other things. Thank you for pointing things as well. It is appreciated.
The Riviera is one of my favorite cars, possibly second only the the 1967 wildcat/lesabre. Love Buicks and 60's to early 70's especially, with '67 just being a good year imo. Have to get a classic Buick again...
I love the originality of the engine bay. I wouldn't change anything. But I would recommend getting some rust converter for places like the header panel and the undercarriage. There are different kinds that have different looks after they cure. So try to find one that won't change the looks too much. If I remember correctly there's a brush on kind that is very thin and won't make it look much different. Just changes the rust to a matte black. I love the way you care for your collection. I only wish I could afford to have even one of your cars.
Thanks for this one, Adam. When you sort of glossed over the aftermarket spark item, it caught my interest. I did some research, and this product was endorsed by Tom McCahill in 1973, a highly regarded automotive journalist that had been around since the 1950s if not earlier. Since RUclips doesn't like when I list links in the comment section, I'll simply re-post what I found, this is from 1973: The electronic ignition that turns on Tom McCahill When Tom McCahill tested Gaylord’s Compuspark™ capacitive discharge ignition, he said flat out; For my money, CompuSpark’s a steal. Under 50 bucks. No moving parts. Fully Electronic, solid state and CD too! It’s built like a brick outhouse. They tried to wear one out and stopped at 270,000 miles when the car fell apart. What’s in it for you? It virtually does away with point wear. Ends plug fouling hassles and puts plug wear way down the road. Often cuts your gas consumption by 20% and makes your engine run clean. 'The Ignition System with a Brain 'T" actually computes spark characteristics to engine RPM. You get the right spark at the right time and the right place. Darned things run great in spark is a heluva lot hotter than a stock ignition. CompuSpark Alaska or the tropics. Why not? All silicon, y' know. And the anti-theft lock really works! "Another thing: CompuSpark is guaranteed one month longer than a Rolls-Royce: 37 months free repair or replacement. 30 day money back guarantee, too! Order your CompuSpark now. It’ll turn you on too! Installs in 15 minutes. copyright 1973 CD Systems Division Gaylord Electronics Inc. Dept. 241M. 2314 Fourth St. Berkeley, Calif. 94710 415/849-0300 CIRCLENO.14ONREADERSERVICECARD POPULARELECTRONICSIncludingElectronicsWorld
66-67 Riviera and all other products being designed by the men in place at time is the finest hour of GM design overall. Not the end but the finest. And if you notice the curve vs point is a GM design quirk that continued deep into the cookie cutter era I.E. 98/88 vs Electra/Lesabre in 1980.
Beautiful machine. One of my friends had a 67 skylark convertible with a 430, and that car would haul ass. I'm a Pontiac guy but this car is slick. Enjoy your work.
LOVE the hidden headlights! Such a killer feature lost to time. Those were big back then, as I'm sure you're aware. The 1st & 2nd generation Chargers particularly. My dad had a 70 Charger, and they were just freaking COOL. 👍🤘 Love the content.
Gorgeous Riviera. GM styling studio put more effort into designing that beautiful "Riviera" script nameplate than they did designing most of their vehicles starting in the 80s. My favorite Rivieras are the original 1963-65 models, but the '67 is a very close second.
I remember trying to race a 66 or 67 Riv with my (very healthy) Turbo Corvair. Sheesh, the light turned green and he was GONE! I was pissed, but highly impressed. In my opinion, the Riv and Toro styling was totally ruined for 68 and newer. They looked fat and heavy, whereas the 66-67 looked lithe and agile. Beautiful car, Adam!
Your ‘67 Riviera - beautiful-and there is nothing on the car that has any ounce of ostentation. My grandfather owned Buick Electras, a 1953, ‘61, ‘65, ‘72, ‘75 and ‘77. Always spoke most highly of his ‘65 and how it was as smooth doing 90 mph on the highways in Nevada as it was around town in the Upper Midwest. I often wonder what inspired the beautiful designs of the mid -60’s in American auto manufacturing, from full size to high performance, because styling was innovative but restrained, stunning. It has never been replicated since. And it wasn’t just automobiles either-a revolution happened in fashion, art, advertising, architecture and interior design -the dowdiness of the ‘50’s was replaced by a sleeker and more streamlined look and can-do energy throughout the country. Was it part of a new era in the country inspired by a Kennedy-esque challenge to do and be better? An inspiration by post-war education and wealth-a generation who had gotten through the bad times of the 30’s and war and were hitting their stride? Our country’s push to go to the moon? Because a clear turning of the page from 50’s excess and malaise certainly occurred.
Although I am a Ford/Merc guy, the 2nd gen Riviera is a stunningly beautiful car. Mid 60s Buick styling is exceptional. The Wildcats were also great looking cars.
Yeah my neighbor had one like that I believe it was a GS another thing different from the toronado was that was front wheel drive.😊❤ Thanks for your content
Nice car. I remember seeing them advertised in the National Geographic magazines of those days. Most of the time it was the ad on the back of the magazine. My dad had a subscription to it and this car stood out. I think it also had quite a high top speed for a US car. Great review again👍
I bet that "Comp u spark" Thing was Installed by the selling dealer when the car was new. Dealers were always installing things like that to make a extra buck, they still do today as well . Love the car. I like the Riviera even the boat tail one from the 70's thanks for the vid.
The converter is also at high stall at idle to prevent "creeping". Just off idle it goes to low stall and, as you say, about 2/3 throttle it switches to high stall for more torque multiplication. WOT from start is pretty impressive. People actually COMPLAINED that the transmission was not smooth enough when the ST-400 came out in 1964 on full sized Buicks and all but one model of Cadillac. I guess its performance aspect was lost on previous Hydromatic and Dynaflow owners.
Fun to see the gearshift quadrant at 6:33. Buick's history with the Dynaflow, a 2 speed transmission that never shifted itself, started life with PNDLR, which changed to PRNDL in 1964 with the first install of the THM400. Yup. A three speed automatic with only one 'low'. Shortly after, they went to P R N D L2 L1. Chevrolet's Powerglide was PRNDL so they used Buick's P R N D L2 L1 notation. Olds and Pontiac went from PNDSLR for Hydramatics to P R N D S L for the THM. Cadillac's Hydramatic offered (D)rive and (S)uper (recalling that 'S' was third gear, not fourth) as "Drive Left" and "Drive Right". The word DRIVE was spelled out with dots to the left and right. With the move to THM, they kept the P R N .DRIVE. L quadrant with the left dot being Drive and the right dot being second gear hold. Same transmission but each division kept their gear quadrant from their original post-war layouts.
But most cars have wasted space when you think about it. How often does my back seat get used ? Rarely. In 20 years, my 2004 Altima back seat has been used maybe 30 times, if that. If you count grocery bags, perhaps many more times.l
A gorgeous car! A friend of mine had one. He told me the '67 year was the last/only year of 10.5 compression. Nice to see that you have another gorgeous GM vehicle, the Toronado, to compare the styling cues.
Bill Mitchell, chief designer at GM, outdid himself with this design & it has stood the test of time very well. A buddy of mine bought a used '67 in the early 70s & absolutely loved it. Another buddy bought a new '72 & it didn't look as pretty as the '67 when parked side by side.
I remember when i was 11 yrs old the toronado and Riviera was new they was a buick delership in downtown Atlanta called hixgreen buick the had a turntabile in front of the dealer.they always had a Riviera on it going around i would always have my dad drive by it i thought it was the most beatiful buick i ever seen thank for the memroies..👌👌👌
Those are the coolest headlights, IMO. GORGEOUS sheet metal, especially compared to soon after with GM's awful huge clumsy 1970s Cadillac Biarritz, etc.
Such beautiful cars and growing up looking at these cars plus the ones my dad and family had, I always thought that when I got old enough, I would be able to own a car like these. They are harder to find but I still should still try.
I was lucky to have owned a 1967 Riviera w the split back front bench seat w armrest. My favorite memories were how smooth it rode, great power and large seats. Mine was white with black vinyl roof, and charcoal cloth and vinyl interior. I drove it for several years. Mom had a 1969, and it was nice, but the 1967 was my favorite. I also owned a 1966 Buick Skylark GS w the 401 Nailhead and Powerglide Auto. Shifted out of 1st gear at 80 mph! I went through a lot of Rear Tires! 😂😂😂
Had a 67 in high school. Ugly sea foam green with a green vinyl top and interior. Painted it a dark blue metallic and dyed the top black. Bought a 66 with a blown motor and black deluxe interior with electric seat. Swapped the interiors and sold the 66 for what I paid for it. Fastest car in school.
Yeah, I like this second gen Riviera better than the first, but remember marveling at the first gen cars when they came out. The cool script Riviera insignia is a home run as well. The Toronado and Eldorado are beautiful, but I like the Riviera the best.
@@fleetwin1 Love the electric headlights, but seems like them staying on when you shut it off with the lights on could get confusing. I'm sure many owners had to be "schooled" by the dealers when complaints came in about the headlights not hiding away properly. Am guessing many of the dealers probably had to be "schooled" by Buick as well. You mention that the new V8 had solid pushrods, wondering how the oil got up top to lube the valve train.....
My Dad had a 67 GS. triple black. My High School friends couldn't believe that it was my Dad's car sitting in our driveway. He went on to have a 68 and my least favorite 71 Riv. Sure would love to have one like yours.
The Wheel covers were also used on the 1967 Le Saber with a Buick crest in the center and also showed up on a late 1960's Caprice with it's own center emblem. I think the 1967 was the last year with bolt head free bumpers. The new bumper on the 1968 had bumper bolts showing.
Love the jab at Doug Demurro.I don't watch him.He is arrogant.I learn something new everytime I watch your videos.I am a gearhead,but don't hold a candle to you and your knowledge of automobiles.Keep them coming.Cheers from Eluethra Bahamas.
Stunning beautiful Riviera by Buick. And the polish/wax job is flawless perfection. Thank you for maintaining and sharing these 'noble beasts' as Bob Lutz called them.
It is slick, which definitely adds greatly to the appeal of the car.
Agreed! 👍
This car is SO good looking! And I’d love to drive one. Adam you have a FABULOUS collection.
I had a 67 Riv in my senior year of high school. It was Platinum Mist with a black vinyl top. Strato-bench front seat and AC with the optional 8-track player and speed alert. One of the best cars I've ever had. It was dependable in 1984, and with 113,000 miles it would do a 16 second 1/4 mile with 5 people inside...don't ask.. All in all, one of the best cars I ever owned and I will always want to have one again. Thanks to Adam for bringing all of these cars back for us to see and appreciate. I've had some of the great Fords that he gushes about too. But the RIv at 100 mph was smooth as butter and quiet as a church mouse. I'll never forget the car I fell in love with at 13 years old.
Could you tell when driving this that it was FWD? Smaller FWD cars of the 80s and 90s were so front heavy which made me dislike them a great deal. I always wondered if it even made a difference in these heavier, longer wheelbase cars though.
@@HAL-dm1eh it was RWD
@@johntamlyn6383 I always assumed it was like the Olds and Caddy. Adam probably pointed that out but I might have overlooked that.
He’s done some other videos on the Riviera, and as you’d expect they’re all well worth watching!
I'm trying to picture you hitting 100 mph in a 17-yr-old Rivera with 113,000+ miles on the odometer back in 1984, when the national speed limit was 55 mph. Certainly the car could haul ass: It was designed, engineered & built to cruise down the freeway all day long at 75 mph, but where could you floor it to 100 without getting arrested: The Bonneville Salt Flats? Perhaps there were long stretches of I-90 in Montana where you could test the "reasonable and prudent" speed standard, if the Highway Patrol was willing to look the other way, but the rest of us would be tempting fate if we drove more than 5 mph over that @#$%! speed limit. 😤
Took my license test in mom's 68 riviera,and did a power slide around a accident,and examenier wrote reaction to hazards excellent!
All American automakers were building amazing cars in 67. GM was building some of the best cars ever. Buick built the best.
I love this car, Adam. Thank you for showing it again!
Growing up, my grandparents had a gold / white interior 68'. As an old man, I'm a mopar guy but I will always regard the 2nd gen Rivieras as some of the most beautiful cars ever made. Buick really was GM's best division in my opinion. Thanks for covering the era of vehicles that you do. The pinnacle of American car design.
I'm only 7 minutes in, but had to comment... What a gorgeous car. This really was peak GM
Thanks for the memories. I learned to drive on this Riviera. A few things not mentioned: you could dial the speed alert buzzer up to 140 in case you didn't notice that you were going that fast 😂. It carries 4 mufflers - I spent way too much money replacing those all of the time. Mine had door handles for the back seat and tons of Bondo by the time I got rid of it. I once had to replace the oil pump on a highway in MO. The mechanic had to cut a notch out of the frame to get it out. Otherwise you had to lift the engine. Fun times...
The first car I drove LEGALLY was my dad's Red '66 Riv GS. He owned his own business and worked from home in the afternoons, so the Riv was just waiting for me when I got home from school at 2:30. Being a Tom McCahill fan, I was into "handling/cornering" so I persuaded dad to get some Firestone Wide Ovals....I then ordered an Addco rear sway bar and Koni shocks. The combination of all three additions made an amazingly agile and flat cornering car. Only down side was installing the rear sway bar....my buddy lost his grip and the damn thing came down an hit me in the eyebrow.....56 years later, I still have the scar.....and fond cornering memories.
That is a beautiful car. Tornado and Eldorado don't even come close to that refined yet simple body. The late 60's brought us the very best automobiles. Thanks for showing us a prime example from that era.
"Toronado"
Adam, when I was in high school in the mid eighties my friend had one of these. His grandfather had ordered it new and my friend inherited it when his grandfather went to a retirement home.
It was dark green with the deluxe interior in black. It had the 430 and a positraction. Lots of countless hours riding around listening to the Doors first album and some Black Flag as well. 😁 I remember that rolling speedometer well. Good times. Great video Adam!👍🏻
Thanks, Mark
Undoubtedly the best overall car of the era. Just the right balance of luxury, style and power.
I thought I liked this Riv better than your Toro, but this vintage Riviera IS the most beautiful.
Doug is the type of guy... no wait, wrong channel,lol. I really think that this generation Riviera is gorgeous!!! Thanks Adam for showcasing this beautiful car!!! 👍👍🙂
Adam > Doug
Doug is mostly unwatchable for me. It seems like he’s trying to out Clarkson Clarkson, but he’s not funny. At all.
I'd agree these Rivs were the best overall looking from a clean-muscular design standpoint. But the boat tail generation I've always found to be more interesting to view in person simply because they were just so "out there" in design compared to this earlier gen -hell all other cars as well. Thanks for sharing these awesome beasts with the public Adam 🙂
Thank you for the tour, Adam. I like all '63-'67 Rivieras equally, They got weird looking after this for quite a while.
Simply beautiful in black with white interior. I’m surprised that you have not mentioned the center speaker in the backseat. I remember as a child riding in a family, friends, Riviera, and how cool I thought the rear speaker was.
That's a good point about how hidden headlights often look kind of unfinished when the doors are open.
I agree this is the most finished execution I've seen!
Absolutely beautiful Riviera, Adam
Beautiful!
I've been watching you for a few years now. Adam, this is without a doubt the most beautiful car you've shown yet! Just stunning! You called the previous Tornado, Riviera and El Dorado the 3 sisters. CA put these together and call them the 3 brothers! Beautiful
I agree with you. That's the best looking Riviera. I'm 73 - I was 17 when this car was made. When I was 19, was dreaming about getting one of these. I never did, darn it.
I wouldn’t take $20 G for mine!!My family sure wants me too,I no longer live at the farm I’m in the city now,the car now lives at my elderly mothers house,where again it’s covered up and mom keeps a sharp eye on it,and so does all the maintenance men,landscapers,neighbors,!!I only drive three times a year,It is a tribute car now with USMC ,Thanks Dad and Pops for your service!
Beautiful Car!
Here's a short-ish list of differences not mentioned in this video pertaining to the 1966 vs 1967 Rivieras. Starting at the front, the metal filler panel that sits between the grille and bumper was painted a flat silver on the '66 as were the panels surrrounding the tail lights. The '67model had body color painted panels.
The large parking light covers mimiced the design of the grills. The '66 had multiple chrome ribs comparesd to the '67s single wider bar in the middle.
The rocker panel moulding on the '66 had multiple ribs running front to back and were made of alum. The rocker panel mouldings on the '67 were a non-ribbed, smooth , polished stainless steel.
The circular ball style vents on the dash were chromed metal in the '66 and chromed plastic in the '67.
All the dash knobs on the '66 were metal as compared to plastic ( and a different shape) ones for the '67
The center of the standard steering wheel was a bright metal piece compared to the textured black plastic on for the '67.
The ends of the turn signal stalk and column mounted shift lever were of a different design between the two years
The door lock button was moved forward approx 12"-16" on the '67 so as to make it easier to reach.
The radio buttons used to access different stations were thinner and metal in the '66, compared to thicker, more rounded and plastic ones in the '67
The dash pad in the '67 was made thicker with rounded forward facing surfaces compared to the much thinner and pronounced rigid edged '66 piece.
Those front turn signals always intrigued me because the lens are clear. Would the bulbs, then, be amber?
65 Rivera will always be my favorite American auto.
yes.@@kenttalsma7906
There were also some mid year changes. The steering wheel with ribs that was used in 1966 was still used on the early 1967 models and the silver horn pad too. It was shared with the Wildcat Custom and Electra 225 models that also switched after the beginning of the 1967 model year. The Riviera scripts on the front fenders also changed somewhere during the 1966 model year. The GS badges changed style at the beginning of the 1967 model year. The hood spear and parking light bezels got more mirror chrome on the mid-1967 models. There was also some silver painted areas that were switched to flat black in mid-1967. The radio push buttons were still metal on the early 1967 models. One new thing for 1967 was the flexible actuating rods for the headlights added a screw that could be loosened with the jack handle in case they would fail to go down at night. A one year only feature as the 1968 model changed to vacuum actuators.
The cars that had the optional vinyl top didn't have the "R" emblem in 1966 and the "A" pillars were also painted on the 1966. On the 1967, the vinyl extended to cover the whole "a" pillar.
@@kenttalsma7906They were amber. You have to get those that say "NA" for Natural Amber., in that case, 1157 NA.
This is the best looking of the 3 in my opinion. The hidden headlights are unusually elegant, on or off, but I have to wonder if they are hard to keep aligned, with each bulb flipping down each time they are switched on. With the headlights hidden, the parking lights almost look like flush euro-headlights, at least now. I wonder if anyone thought they were some futuristic kind of headlights back then.
I recall thinking they were futuristic headlights on these as a kid, but not sure if I saw one of these Rivs later in my youth when I'd already seen pictures of European headlights in car books.
Its a bad ass car.. the body lines are 🔥🔥🔥
I very much enjoyed this video as my father owned 1963 and 1968 Rivieras. The very first time I was ever allowed to drive a car by myself was in the 1968 Riviera. I remember going 125 mph indicated.
I believe, Adam, that the light under the edge of the dash was actually a map light as well as a courtesy light. We used to need actual maps back in those days, even at night, and the map light was less glare for the driver if the passenger was reading a map at night to give directions.
A few years later, GM would add an actual map light built into the bottom of the rearview mirror, but they kept the dash courtesy light (which was switched together with the footwell lights). E.G. on the ‘70 Olds 98.
This car is absolutely gorgeous. What a beautiful exterior and interior. Never saw many of these. In general the Rivieras of that era were a rarity (at least in my memory), but I see some of this one in the boat-tail '71 my uncle had (and I actually got to ride in as a kid).
Fantastic
Love Your Work.
Thank you for sharing these amazing machine's
Cheers
You convinced me This is now my favorite of the trios
I agree that "it is one of the most beautiful cars that GM ever put together". What a fabulous example you have there.
Thanks, not being in North America I’ve never seen any of these on the road so enjoying you covering/ comparing them. Interesting using such similar designs for both fwd & rwd versions ( & given I’m not fan of FWD, I think the Rivera is my favourite anyway!)
Thank you Adam. I still say the interior is nicely detailed. They used to make things so elegant and yet so different although sharing many parts. I can tell you on my 1992 Oldsmobile Toronado it shares parts with the Riviera. The most obvious is the shifted or gear selector plate. There was mechanical parts, the cd player, among other things. Thank you for pointing things as well. It is appreciated.
I love listening to your voice…..very dreamy
That looks beautiful with sleek and flawless bodywork.
The Riviera is one of my favorite cars, possibly second only the the 1967 wildcat/lesabre. Love Buicks and 60's to early 70's especially, with '67 just being a good year imo. Have to get a classic Buick again...
Adam, you sold me, yes great looking headlights up or down. Right, only original once!
Thank you again nice...
Had a 69 Riviera.430.400 Turbo. Looking at another one. Great Cars.🇺🇸🏁
What a great Riv...love the headlights especially❤
Beautifully designed. To me, the 1966-1968 was the most beautiful design of its short life, and I loved the original 1963-1965
I had a black Buick Riviera, but can not recall the model year.
In any event, I loved it.
I love the originality of the engine bay. I wouldn't change anything. But I would recommend getting some rust converter for places like the header panel and the undercarriage. There are different kinds that have different looks after they cure. So try to find one that won't change the looks too much. If I remember correctly there's a brush on kind that is very thin and won't make it look much different. Just changes the rust to a matte black.
I love the way you care for your collection. I only wish I could afford to have even one of your cars.
Thanks for this one, Adam. When you sort of glossed over the aftermarket spark item, it caught my interest. I did some research, and this product was endorsed by Tom McCahill in 1973, a highly regarded automotive journalist that had been around since the 1950s if not earlier.
Since RUclips doesn't like when I list links in the comment section, I'll simply re-post what I found, this is from 1973:
The electronic ignition that turns on Tom McCahill
When Tom McCahill tested Gaylord’s Compuspark™ capacitive discharge ignition, he said flat out; For my money, CompuSpark’s a steal. Under 50 bucks. No moving parts. Fully Electronic, solid state and CD too! It’s built like a brick outhouse. They tried to wear one out and stopped at 270,000 miles when the car fell apart.
What’s in it for you? It virtually does away with point wear. Ends plug fouling hassles and puts plug wear way down the road. Often cuts your gas consumption by 20% and makes your engine run clean.
'The Ignition System with a Brain 'T" actually computes spark characteristics to engine RPM. You get the right spark at the right time and the right place. Darned things run great in
spark is a heluva lot hotter than a stock ignition. CompuSpark
Alaska or the tropics. Why not? All silicon, y' know. And the anti-theft lock really works!
"Another thing: CompuSpark is guaranteed one month longer than a Rolls-Royce: 37 months free repair or replacement. 30 day money back guarantee, too!
Order your CompuSpark now. It’ll turn you on too!
Installs in 15 minutes.
copyright 1973 CD Systems Division Gaylord Electronics Inc. Dept. 241M. 2314 Fourth St. Berkeley, Calif. 94710
415/849-0300
CIRCLENO.14ONREADERSERVICECARD POPULARELECTRONICSIncludingElectronicsWorld
!967 was a good year for all car makers IMO .
66-67 Riviera and all other products being designed by the men in place at time is the finest hour of GM design overall. Not the end but the finest. And if you notice the curve vs point is a GM design quirk that continued deep into the cookie cutter era I.E. 98/88 vs Electra/Lesabre in 1980.
What a beautiful car. I love that year. You really bring a very special and enjoyable sector of RUclips. Thanks for your videos.
Great to see someone collecting these full size cars of that era. Among the very best styling that GM ever offered
Beautiful machine.
One of my friends had a 67 skylark convertible with a 430, and that car would haul ass. I'm a Pontiac guy but this car is slick. Enjoy your work.
I once owned a 68 model riviera.Cheers from Australia keep up the good work!
Beautiful Rivera. I see the design influence carried over in later years to my 1972 Monte Carlo.
Beautiful car. Thank you for the detailed walk-around. Surprised the headrests were such a rare option.
Great stuff!
The standard wheel covers were so used on 1968-9 full-size Chevrolet with 15” wheels
LOVE the hidden headlights! Such a killer feature lost to time. Those were big back then, as I'm sure you're aware. The 1st & 2nd generation Chargers particularly. My dad had a 70 Charger, and they were just freaking COOL. 👍🤘 Love the content.
I've always loved this car's styling.
Gorgeous Riviera. GM styling studio put more effort into designing that beautiful "Riviera" script nameplate than they did designing most of their vehicles starting in the 80s. My favorite Rivieras are the original 1963-65 models, but the '67 is a very close second.
I had a 66 riviera back when I was in High school, miss that car.
I remember trying to race a 66 or 67 Riv with my (very healthy) Turbo Corvair. Sheesh, the light turned green and he was GONE! I was pissed, but highly impressed. In my opinion, the Riv and Toro styling was totally ruined for 68 and newer. They looked fat and heavy, whereas the 66-67 looked lithe and agile. Beautiful car, Adam!
Your ‘67 Riviera - beautiful-and there is nothing on the car that has any ounce of ostentation. My grandfather owned Buick Electras, a 1953, ‘61, ‘65, ‘72, ‘75 and ‘77. Always spoke most highly of his ‘65 and how it was as smooth doing 90 mph on the highways in Nevada as it was around town in the Upper Midwest. I often wonder what inspired the beautiful designs of the mid -60’s in American auto manufacturing, from full size to high performance, because styling was innovative but restrained, stunning. It has never been replicated since. And it wasn’t just automobiles either-a revolution happened in fashion, art, advertising, architecture and interior design -the dowdiness of the ‘50’s was replaced by a sleeker and more streamlined look and can-do energy throughout the country. Was it part of a new era in the country inspired by a Kennedy-esque challenge to do and be better? An inspiration by post-war education and wealth-a generation who had gotten through the bad times of the 30’s and war and were hitting their stride? Our country’s push to go to the moon? Because a clear turning of the page from 50’s excess and malaise certainly occurred.
Although I am a Ford/Merc guy, the 2nd gen Riviera is a stunningly beautiful car. Mid 60s Buick styling is exceptional. The Wildcats were also great looking cars.
Fantastic car Adam!!!!! Wow
Totally the best hidden headlight design ever.
Yeah my neighbor had one like that I believe it was a GS another thing different from the toronado was that was front wheel drive.😊❤ Thanks for your content
Nice car. I remember seeing them advertised in the National Geographic magazines of those days. Most of the time it was the ad on the back of the magazine. My dad had a subscription to it and this car stood out. I think it also had quite a high top speed for a US car. Great review again👍
verry nice filming, great to watch !!! no hectic cuts or close ups !
I bet that "Comp u spark" Thing was Installed by the selling dealer when the car was new. Dealers were always installing things like that to make a extra buck, they still do today as well . Love the car. I like the Riviera even the boat tail one from the 70's thanks for the vid.
The converter is also at high stall at idle to prevent "creeping". Just off idle it goes to low stall and, as you say, about 2/3 throttle it switches to high stall for more torque multiplication. WOT from start is pretty impressive. People actually COMPLAINED that the transmission was not smooth enough when the ST-400 came out in 1964 on full sized Buicks and all but one model of Cadillac. I guess its performance aspect was lost on previous Hydromatic and Dynaflow owners.
1 most beautiful cars ever made Adam!
Hell yeah, I LOVE the ST-400 switch pitch.
Fun to see the gearshift quadrant at 6:33. Buick's history with the Dynaflow, a 2 speed transmission that never shifted itself, started life with PNDLR, which changed to PRNDL in 1964 with the first install of the THM400. Yup. A three speed automatic with only one 'low'. Shortly after, they went to P R N D L2 L1. Chevrolet's Powerglide was PRNDL so they used Buick's P R N D L2 L1 notation. Olds and Pontiac went from PNDSLR for Hydramatics to P R N D S L for the THM. Cadillac's Hydramatic offered (D)rive and (S)uper (recalling that 'S' was third gear, not fourth) as "Drive Left" and "Drive Right". The word DRIVE was spelled out with dots to the left and right. With the move to THM, they kept the P R N .DRIVE. L quadrant with the left dot being Drive and the right dot being second gear hold. Same transmission but each division kept their gear quadrant from their original post-war layouts.
Your a Master
Great video .. fabulous car .. looks good with either the lights up or down .. great video Adam
Someone once called cars like this ‘Monuments to wasted space’. I suppose that’s true, but they are so beautiful. A tribute to pure styling.
But most cars have wasted space when you think about it. How often does my back seat get used ? Rarely. In 20 years, my 2004 Altima back seat has been used maybe 30 times, if that. If you count grocery bags, perhaps many more times.l
A gorgeous car! A friend of mine had one. He told me the '67 year was the last/only year of 10.5 compression. Nice to see that you have another gorgeous GM vehicle, the Toronado, to compare the styling cues.
Bill Mitchell, chief designer at GM, outdid himself with this design & it has stood the test of time very well. A buddy of mine bought a used '67 in the early 70s & absolutely loved it. Another buddy bought a new '72 & it didn't look as pretty as the '67 when parked side by side.
Primarily designed by David Holls.
My parents owned the 1st gen Rivera (1963) and this car (1967). Man I wish I had these cars now.
Beautiful car. Definitely a toss up between this and its sibling the Eldorado. Thanks for the tour.
I would describe this car as understated refined elegance.
I remember when i was 11 yrs old the toronado and Riviera was new they was a buick delership in downtown Atlanta called hixgreen buick the had a turntabile in front of the dealer.they always had a Riviera on it going around i would always have my dad drive by it i thought it was the most beatiful buick i ever seen thank for the memroies..👌👌👌
Those are the coolest headlights, IMO. GORGEOUS sheet metal, especially compared to soon after with GM's awful huge clumsy 1970s Cadillac Biarritz, etc.
Such beautiful cars and growing up looking at these cars plus the ones my dad and family had, I always thought that when I got old enough, I would be able to own a car like these. They are harder to find but I still should still try.
Even the basic 1967 LeSabre with a 340 was a memorable car of my childhood. I don’t think any car ever had better air conditioning.
Wow, what a beautiful automobile
I was lucky to have owned a 1967 Riviera w the split back front bench seat w armrest. My favorite memories were how smooth it rode, great power and large seats. Mine was white with black vinyl roof, and charcoal cloth and vinyl interior. I drove it for several years. Mom had a 1969, and it was nice, but the 1967 was my favorite. I also owned a 1966 Buick Skylark GS w the 401 Nailhead and Powerglide Auto. Shifted out of 1st gear at 80 mph! I went through a lot of Rear Tires! 😂😂😂
That is one delicious jewel of a car.
Beautiful car Adam, I enjoyed the awesome video thank you
It looks strange without cornering lights. Some of the options that car has that we take for granted today.
Had a 67 in high school. Ugly sea foam green with a green vinyl top and interior. Painted it a dark blue metallic and dyed the top black. Bought a 66 with a blown motor and black deluxe interior with electric seat. Swapped the interiors and sold the 66 for what I paid for it. Fastest car in school.
Yeah, I like this second gen Riviera better than the first, but remember marveling at the first gen cars when they came out. The cool script Riviera insignia is a home run as well. The Toronado and Eldorado are beautiful, but I like the Riviera the best.
Yep, the Riviera is the best of all worlds. Our neighbor's rich friend had a 68 Riviera, I was in awe just looking at it.
@@fleetwin1 Love the electric headlights, but seems like them staying on when you shut it off with the lights on could get confusing. I'm sure many owners had to be "schooled" by the dealers when complaints came in about the headlights not hiding away properly. Am guessing many of the dealers probably had to be "schooled" by Buick as well. You mention that the new V8 had solid pushrods, wondering how the oil got up top to lube the valve train.....
Wonderful review of a beautiful car!
During my High School years in the mid-Sixties it was an accepted fact that old guys drove Buicks. Cool old guys drove Rivieras.
My Dad had a 67 GS. triple black. My High School friends couldn't believe that it was my Dad's car sitting in our driveway. He went on to have a 68 and my least favorite 71 Riv. Sure would love to have one like yours.
The Wheel covers were also used on the 1967 Le Saber with a Buick crest in the center and also showed up on a late 1960's Caprice with it's own center emblem. I think the 1967 was the last year with bolt head free bumpers. The new bumper on the 1968 had bumper bolts showing.
"LeSabre"
Quirk Quirk Quirk there now we both said it …………😃. Another great video!
Love the jab at Doug Demurro.I don't watch him.He is arrogant.I learn something new everytime I watch your videos.I am a gearhead,but don't hold a candle to you and your knowledge of automobiles.Keep them coming.Cheers from Eluethra Bahamas.
Beautiful ride my man. All your cars are awesome.
Love the headlights 😃
super cool car - one of my favs of yours Adam
Great video
Honestly the 68 is my preference wiper blades chrome and side turn signals
Thanks!