From the moment I saw the First Generation Buick Riviera, I wanted one badly. The styling is breathtaking, the interior is as luxurious as you could hope to find, and the V8 under the hood offered excellent performance. However, this 1963 Riviera has fallen upon hard times and is screaming for some TLC. The question is whether it is a viable restoration prospect or will its fate rest in becoming a donor for other projects. Located in Greensburg, Kentucky, this Buick is listed for sale here on eBay. The seller has set the auction to open at $975, although there has been no action. They also leave a BIN option of $1,500 for those wishing to avoid the auction scene. Barn Finder Larry D has a well-developed radar for spotting interesting classics, so thank you for referring this one to us, Larry.

When Buick launched the Riviera, it had Ford’s Thunderbird firmly in its sights. The T-Bird was the undisputed king of the Personal Luxury Car segment, and Buick wanted a slice of that pie. The Riviera caused a sensation when unveiled, with styling that was crisp, clean, and many considered a step above what Ford offered. For this Buick, that praise remains in the distant past because time has been unkind. The seller recently purchased three of these classics as a package deal and decided to part with this one. It drove to its current location but hasn’t moved for decades. The deterioration is so severe that it is difficult to determine its original paint shade, although there are spots that suggest it may have been attractive Silver Mist. As part of the restoration, the buyer would need to strip the car to bare metal to achieve a high standard of finish. That is the tip of the iceberg because there is rust in the lower extremities, and the seller says that the floors and trunk pan require replacement. The heavy layer of dust makes it impossible to assess the state of the trim and glass, although the seller sourced a replacement for the damaged grille. So far, what we’ve seen suggests any restoration will take a lot of time and effort and could drain a wallet pretty quickly.

The Riviera’s exterior condition has softened us up for what we find when we open its doors. These cars were the height of luxury motoring, with interiors that were sumptuous and well-appointed. Once again, time has taken a heavy toll on the trim, dash, and pad. It will require nothing less than a complete retrim, which will not be cheap. In addition, the seats and factory radio are gone, leaving the buyer with the challenge of finding replacements. That is not a prospect I fancy because First Generation seats aren’t thick on the ground. With power windows and parts salvageable from the dash and console, its status as a potential donor car is looking more likely.

Lifting the hood reveals the 401ci V8 that would have produced 325hp. The car’s luxury credentials are confirmed by the inclusion of an automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. While its ¼-mile ET of 16.7 seconds may not seem spectacular today, it stacked up well against the competition in 1963. The seller indicates that this classic drove to its current location, but it’s worth remembering that more than two decades have passed since that day. The seller is candid when they say that its mechanical condition is unknown. If the motor turns freely, reviving it without spending a fortune may be possible. However, it will require plenty of additional work on the brakes and other vital components before being considered roadworthy.

Seeing a car like this 1963 Buick Riviera in this state makes my heart ache. Classics like this don’t deserve to deteriorate to this point, which raises the question of this car’s financial viability as a restoration project. If its next owner restored it to the highest standard, it could easily command a value of more than $30,000. Getting it to that point would require a lot of time and effort and more than a few dollars. It would demand a rotisserie process to achieve that goal, and such an approach is rarely cheap. So, what do you think? Is this Riviera a project, or is its destiny to serve as a donor? Sadly, I believe that the second option is the correct answer.