Back in the late 90s I paid $900 for a 1969 Buick LeSabre. It was an awesome car – huge, seating for 6, power front-bench, A/C, power windows etc. It’s paint was shot, the drivers side window wouldn’t go up, I had to replace the front brakes and generally speaking it was in unknown condition. After driving it for a few months, failing to fix the driver window and realizing its not fun driving in the rain with a missing window, I had it towed.

Fast forward 20+ years those 1960s cars are now 50 to 60 years old and they represent a time when the US auto industry were adding bigger and bigger engines, before there was much in the way of emissions controls but yet they still sported modern conveniences such as power windows, seats, brakes, A/C etc. I wanted to own a piece of that history. Living in California, I also wanted a 1975 model year or earlier car to avoid having to get it smogged.

After much research, I gravitated to old Buicks which had big, powerful V8 engines, 401ci or larger. I then saw the Riviera and its aggressive styling and sleek looks. My research on the first-gen Riviera found that it was widely regarded as an incredible American design. The 1965 model year appealed to me due to the cleaner lines compared to the ’63s and ’64s and those clamshell headlamps.

Turns out the 1965s are in short supply. Scouring the internet, there were relatively few to choose from, ranging from fairly mediocre condition “original” cars to your standard retail marked-up classic car showroom “restored” models. And that’s before you glance at a Gran Sport, even rarer and more expensive.

I ended up finding one on ebay, sold out of Newport Beach so I was able to go see it before I finalized the purchase.

This blog is intended to represent the discovery process of me understanding how to maintain a classic car, a 1965 Buick Riviera…