1968 Riviera GS pictures finally

I BELIEVE the '71 GS's were the lowest production figure. Could be wrong.... Title the Riv your gonna restore, and stick the plate on the Bonny car. Holy crap, that'd be a hoot to drive on a cold day. Carry a camcorder with ya to catch the shocked looks on the faces of people.
DANG I'd like ta hear that thing........ My goal is mid twelves. If the rods live, it may just do it. Close now, but at 4400 lbs and a 3:42..... Oh boy.

Great car. Brings back some memories.

If we weren't so wrapped up in our own late models, we should be buying up all the old Rivs for posterity. While the 63-65s are classic, I like the 66-68s. The 66&67 have a lot of cues that made in onto our 8th gens. I also like the boattails. I think that they would be easier to tune without having to worry about the electronics.

I won a full NROTC scholarship in 73 and as a reward, my dad bought me a 70 Toronado. We had looked at Grand Prix's and Riviera's. We had owned a 63 LeSabre with the Wildcat engine and an Electra 225. My dad loves to drive fast and we both liked the 455 in the Toro. Years later when I bought my 99 Riv, I let him drive it. We were cruising, along and a Mustang tried to cut us off. My dad was 71 years old yet he couldn't resist outrunning the Mustang. Cracked me up, He said it felt like the Toro with the 455. In that moment we were both 30 years younger.

By the way, the need to go fast is located on some gene. My grandfather passed to his son who passed it to me, I passed it to 2 of my 3 kids.

The Riv wrote:

Boattail Bill wrote:

Hey, did you do an engine swap, or just put a "455" decal on the air cleaner?

What I wouldn't do for a set of T/A Stage 4's and a huge roller.....

Hmmmm - - I just happen to have two "slightly used" huge rollers sitting here that I'll probably not use again!!! Roller lifters, too - 2 sets. (well, most of 2 sets - they both came out of engines that blew to smithereens on the salt, so I don't know how you'd feel about using those.

Have you thought about the Edelbrock alternative for heads? I put a set of them on my '73, the "PLAN-R Research Car" aka "The Green Turd", and they really brought it to life. Of course, they don't have the awesome Stage-2 exhaust port design - - just the stock Stage-1. But I had them checked on the flow bench, and they performed as advertised - - WAY better than the stock (non stage-1) cast iron heads right out of the box. Of course, after my head porter did the bowl blend and competition valve job, they picked up a whole lot more!!!

I've also got "surplus" TA SP-1 and PORTED SP-2 intake manifolds and a coated set of TA super competition headers for Stage-2 through 4, 1.65 ratio roller rockers, TA block girdle, TA lifter girdle - - all for sale to a "good home"

The Riv wrote:

I BELIEVE the '71 GS's were the lowest production figure. Could be wrong.... Title the Riv your gonna restore, and stick the plate on the Bonny car. Holy crap, that'd be a hoot to drive on a cold day.

Off the top of my head, there were 33,000 - some odd '71 Rivieras made, 3100 - some odd being the GS option, so they aren't too commonplace!!

Well actually, my engine builder and I have joked around about taking it to the little local Mickey Mouse drag strip in full salt flats trim and watching the looks on their faces when it runs a 13.5 ET, but a 171 mph trap speed!!! HAH!!!

And actually, believe it or not, it's currently registerd and insured!!!! Of course, I've never been 100% "candid" with my insurance agent or the DMV about how it varies from "stock". If I ever drove it on the street, it would be funny to see the reaction of the cop when he says, "OK, wise guy, let's see your registration & insurance papers on this thing" (thinking I don't have any). Of course, he'd stil write me up for a long list of infractions, starting with excessive noise from no mufflers, then to no mirrors (actually the inside mirror is still there), and if he made me demonstrate, no turn signals or windshield wipers. Anyway, I'm gonna let the insurance & registration drop this time to save money - - sigh

The Riv wrote:

Boattail Bill, I gotta feeling we have alot in common! If you wanna unload that block by the way..........

You mean my $7500 new aluminum raised cam Buick V-8 block? I hate to admit it, but the thought actually entered my mind that selling it (I'm sure there are plenty of eager buyers, since there's been quite a waiting list for some time now) could go a long ways towards helping my current financial situation. Especially if I sold the $3000 worth of custom cam cores that go along with it. - - - - but then where would I be? For now, the plan its to try to just hang tough and see if I can dig myself out.

However, if you're looking for some 455 performance parts that I'd be willing to let go WAY below list, I've got a few. I've got 2 TA intake manifolds - an SP-1 for Quadrajet ("Street Eliminator" = standard port height), and an SP-2 for Dominator, ("Track Eliminator" or raised port) with ported, matched 1" phenolic spacer. (I have the Dominator, too) And I have a set of TA 1.65 ratio roller rockers, and roller lifters, although they've been through a catastrophic engine failure at Bonneville. But I could throw in several extra pairs of roller lifters to choose from. And I've got two BIG roller cams - - one bigger than the other - - also been through the catastrophic engine failure. Would need re-polishing at the very least. Also the billet dual row timing sets, although they're not the stock length and have both also been through the blown engines. What else? A set of ceramic coated Stage-2 super comp headers (2" primaries, I believe - Maybe 2 1/8th"), and a set of CUSTOM 2 1/8" primary (I think) un-coated Stage-2 headers that have higher ground clearance. I've also got a TA block girdle that seems to have survived both failures and a TA lifter bore girdle that had one broken load screw, but otherwise seems OK. I'd probably let all this go for between 1/2 and 2/3 of TA's list price.

Wow, hadn't seen that body style before. May be my favorite. The boat tails are sweet but the belt line around the c pillar is a little off to my eye. It's tight on this one.

Thanks, Jack the R. Bill: I'm running the Kenne Bell Wildcat, heavily
ported in the carb plenum. On top is an AED modified 1050. Running the 1.65 T/A rockers as well. As for the roller, your's would probably be waaay too long on the duration. I'd need max of around 255 degrees
at .050", and around .650 on the lift. On second thought, with such a numerically low gear, you may have a shorter duration cam than I first imagined. Anyway, money for now in going into the "hood fund". It's from a parts car, as the original hood is in my shed. Just cant bring myself to do surgery for the scoop and tach on the original. Sorry to ramble, folks. Next time I post will be the begining of turning a VERY rough parts car hood into a one of a kind, step by step, on the forum.
Same princoples apply regardless of application. If THIS hood can be saved and made to look great, whatever you may have should be a walk in the park! Stay tuned, as we prepare to blow even more money we don't even have yet. Wait til Lorraine finds out about this ..................

All I can say is WOOF! I want one!![/img]

Back finally, off another forum while I built a hard tailed bobber motorcycle.
I posted (somewhere) just now about an about face on the hood
resto. Plans shifted to doing the complete a/c, firewall to condenser.
As soon as parts start rolling in and the money rolls out, pics should start appearing. Since this is really a late model Riv forum, most of you
folks will find this a bit dull. You guys with the older iron may dig it, and
this stage in the life of the 'ol lump is waaay over due. Hope you dig
it.

By the way, I need a channel change solenoid for the 8-track.
Seriously. The 42 year old am/fm still works great, but listening
to the same three songs over and over gets a bit tiring.................

sweet ride