"My" first car - a '64 Riv with a 425 nailhead

Just cruising the forum and noticed there was nothing on the 425 Nailhead topic. - Figured that just wouldn't do!!

So fortunately, I've got a little. Back in about '65, when I was a little tyke (maybe 8 or so), my dad bought a '64 Riviera from the bank on a repo deal. The car was only like one year old, so for our poor family, this was a big deal - an almost new, top-of-the-line Buick. Anyway, within a year or so, we were living out in the sticks, and not on a regular school bus route, so my mom would take us to school every day in the Rivi. I got to really love that car.

Then, when I got my driver's license and got a job in '75, they let me drive the Rivi. - - WOW!! When my dad would drive it, there was no set speed limit in Nevada on the open highway. Instead, it was "safe and reasonable". Well, my dad had a thing about going over 100, but we frequently cruised in the 90's - right up to about 98. After I started driving it, I quickly learned it would top 130 (according to the speedo, which went to 140). So "speed runs" were a fairly common occurrance. Eventually, my dad decided I was being a bad boy and took the car away from me. And in another year, my younger sister was driving it. But after awhile, and after a mis-hap (she hit the edge of a manhole cover that was not completely "down" with the cross-member and bent the whole front end down), the car was pretty much permanently parked.

Fortunately, my dad is the type who never gets rid of anything, so he still has that car under a tarp. He's 85 now, and is maybe realizing he can't do everything he was going to do "someday", including restoring that car and getting it back on the road. So in the last couple of years, he's asked me if I'd like to have it to restore, and finally I told him "yes". I hesitated, because the boattail is really my baby. I like them more than the '64, even though to the rest of the world, the '64 is far more a "classic" than the boattail. So I don't know when I'll ever get the time, money, and ambition to restore that thing, but I guess it's on the agenda. I've noticed TA Performance carries performance cams, headers, roller rockers, oversized valves, and dual carb manifolds for that engine, so I could really hop it up if I wanted. It was pretty hot stock, so I can only imagine what it would do with the performance mods. Nothing crazy like my salt flats boattail, but another 30 or so horsepower would really be nice.

Thanks, Bill! Always great to read about the classic Rivieras and their engines.

We need some pictures of that as soon as possible! 63 is my second favorite year next to the 95-99 generation. Something about them just screams POWER! Looking forward to hearing more about your adventure.

'65 was my favorite. When they hid the headlamps, it just made the car look so mean!

I don't have a digital camera yet (yeah, I'm a dinosaur - I admit it), but my girlfriend does. The car's in my old hometown at my folks' old house about 110 miles away from here. We have it on the agenda to get a picture of the "fleet" some day. Wow, I just realized - - if we got them all - including my dad's old '64, the girlfriend's '97, the other '97 I bought for my mom, and all my boattails, including the "project car", a '71 Rivi GS with the engine out, that would be quite a collection. Hmmm, let's see - - - that would be 7 in all!!!!

How come this thread looks completely different than anything else on the board?

Bert





"My" first car - a '64 Riv with a 425 nailhead


Author Message
Boattail Bill
Apprentice



Age : 51
Joined : 22 Nov 2008
Posts : 87
First Name : Bill
Location : Carson City, NV

Subject: "My" first car - a '64 Riv with a 425 nailhead Yesterday at 1:31 am

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just cruising the forum and noticed there was nothing on the 425 Nailhead topic. - Figured that just wouldn't do!!

So fortunately, I've got a little. Back in about '65, when I was a little tyke (maybe 8 or so), my dad bought a '64 Riviera from the bank on a repo deal. The car was only like one year old, so for our poor family, this was a big deal - an almost new, top-of-the-line Buick. Anyway, within a year or so, we were living out in the sticks, and not on a regular school bus route, so my mom would take us to school every day in the Rivi. I got to really love that car.

Then, when I got my driver's license and got a job in '75, they let me drive the Rivi. - - WOW!! When my dad would drive it, there was no set speed limit in Nevada on the open highway. Instead, it was "safe and reasonable". Well, my dad had a thing about going over 100, but we frequently cruised in the 90's - right up to about 98. After I started driving it, I quickly learned it would top 130 (according to the speedo, which went to 140). So "speed runs" were a fairly common occurrance. Eventually, my dad decided I was being a bad boy and took the car away from me. And in another year, my younger sister was driving it. But after awhile, and after a mis-hap (she hit the edge of a manhole cover that was not completely "down" with the cross-member and bent the whole front end down), the car was pretty much permanently parked.

Fortunately, my dad is the type who never gets rid of anything, so he still has that car under a tarp. He's 85 now, and is maybe realizing he can't do everything he was going to do "someday", including restoring that car and getting it back on the road. So in the last couple of years, he's asked me if I'd like to have it to restore, and finally I told him "yes". I hesitated, because the boattail is really my baby. I like them more than the '64, even though to the rest of the world, the '64 is far more a "classic" than the boattail. So I don't know when I'll ever get the time, money, and ambition to restore that thing, but I guess it's on the agenda. I've noticed TA Performance carries performance cams, headers, roller rockers, oversized valves, and dual carb manifolds for that engine, so I could really hop it up if I wanted. It was pretty hot stock, so I can only imagine what it would do with the performance mods. Nothing crazy like my salt flats boattail, but another 30 or so horsepower would really be nice.
_________________

"World's Fastest Riviera" (182 mph so far)
1971 Boattail, full roll cage, 4-wheel coil-over suspension with 4-wheel 4-caliper disc brakes, Goodyear Eagle "Landspeed" tires (300 mph rated), Stroud parachute, full door net, etc, etc.



AA
Administrator



Age : 31
Joined : 13 Jan 2007
Posts : 6955
First Name : Aaron
Location : C-bus, Ohio

Subject: Re: "My" first car - a '64 Riv with a 425 nailhead Yesterday at 5:37 am

Boattail Bill wrote:

I've noticed TA Performance carries performance cams, headers, roller rockers, oversized valves, and dual carb manifolds for that engine, so I could really hop it up if I wanted. It was pretty hot stock, so I can only imagine what it would do with the performance mods. Nothing crazy like my salt flats boattail, but another 30 or so horsepower would really be nice.

I was advised not to cam mine. if you get around to doing so please let me know how it worked out. are you on hamb with it yet?

jonly,
What is hamb, other than an abbreviation for hamburger.
Damn it, now I'm hungry.
Rick

Rickw wrote:

jonly,
What is hamb, other than an abbreviation for hamburger.
Damn it, now I'm hungry.
Rick

That's it, I'm having Salisbury Steak tonight!

I am assuming they are talking about hokey ass message board. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/

AA wrote:

'65 was my favorite. When they hid the headlamps, it just made the car look so mean!

When you see the '65, it just looks like it was designed for the clamshells in the first place...

I couldn't pass up the horseshoes on the side of the 63/64, and it's cheaper to hide the lamps than it is to put the shoes on.

Yeah, those are cool too.

I just noticed something... With the big motor, didn't it come with the Super Turbine 400, with the switch-pitch converter?

I'm building this thing like johnny cash's cadillac - one piece at a time.

Eldo wrote:

Yeah, those are cool too.

I just noticed something... With the big motor, didn't it come with the Super Turbine 400, with the switch-pitch converter?

I believe you are correct on that. I think '64 was the first year for that transmission and '63 Rivs would still have the Dynaflow transmission.

I'll remove the tranny nomenclature until I can confirm exactly what it is...

54_nailhead wrote:

Eldo wrote:

Yeah, those are cool too.

I just noticed something... With the big motor, didn't it come with the Super Turbine 400, with the switch-pitch converter?

I believe you are correct on that. I think '64 was the first year for that transmission and '63 Rivs would still have the Dynaflow transmission.

Thanks. I do know that in the big cars, it ran from '64 to '67 (wish I had one in my '69...)

my 64 riv has the straight th400,,,, the 65's have the switch pitch th400,,,,