RIVIERAS INVADE RIVIERA LANE - Buick Car Club of Australia Inc

JULY 2015
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Lead Story Headline
ROA AUSTRALIAN REGION
RIVIERAS INVADE RIVIERA LANE
VICTORIA HOSTS AN OPEN DAY
Caption describing picture or
graphic.
AA
Inside this issue:
Secondary Story Headline
This story can fit 75-125
words.
Your headline is an important part of the
newsletter and should
be considered carefully.
In a few words, it should
accurately represent
the contents of the story
and draw readers into
the story. Develop the
headline before you
write the story. This
way, the headline will
help you keep the story
focused.
Examples of possible
headlines include Product Wins Industry
Award, New Product
Can Save You Time!,
Membership Drive Exceeds Goals, and New
Office Opens Near You.
Inside Story
2
Inside Story
2
Inside Story
2
Inside Story
3
Inside Story
4
Inside Story
5
Dianna Thomson Photo
Inside Story
6
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 2
Editorial
The local ROA took the
opportunity in May to attend the 40th Anniversary
meet of the Buick Car Club
of Australia as a shakedown run for the upcoming
Australian Regional event
at Wagga Wagga in late
August this year.
John Forster #13148
“..he is
anticipating a
great ROA
meet in 2015.”
We were met with some
rather wild weather on the
day prior to the event start
but this settled down and
overall it turned out to be
a pretty good weekend.
We enjoyed ourselves and
met some interesting locals including at our car
show that was held in the
“middle of nowhere”. Even
so, a couple of spectators
found us and reviewed our
cars.
Jeff and Marilyn Bidstrup
attended in their immaculate 1973 boat tail which,
even now, shows only just
over 13,000 miles on the
odometer. It was no surprise to many that this car
was voted Best Classic
Buick at the meet.
This is a remarkable condition car, it looks and
feels brand new and would
make a great feature car in
a future edition. Something
for me to work on with Jeff!
There will be a more comprehensive story on this
outing in a coming edition
of the eMagazine.
gether seamlessly and he
is anticipating a great ROA
meet for 2015.
If you are yet to get your
registration in then you
may need to move smartly.
There is a form at the end
of this magazine.
Please enjoy this edition of
The Australian Riview and
hopefully we’ll see you out
and about in your Rivs
sometime soon.
On the subject of the
Wagga Wagga meet,
meet organiser Tom
Kunek has
advised that
all plans are
coming to-
G’day from the Regional Co-Ordinator
With the cooler days of
autumn, it seems like May
has been a great month for
Riviera owners in Queensland and Victoria.
Linda Hall
#10723
Regional Coordinator
John and Laurene organised a very pleasant weekend meet in and around
Warwick to celebrate the
40th Anniversary of the
Buick Car Club in Queensland. Despite some wet
weather on the Friday, the
meet attracted a good
range of Buicks, including
a good display of beautiful
Rivieras. The line-up of
Rivieras at our ‘secret’
Show and Shine was a
sight rarely seen in that
small country locality.
From my blue ’64 to the
Bidstrup’s immaculate
boattail, the Rivieras, and
indeed the other Buicks at
the Meet, presented a very
impressive scene.
And in Victoria, Tom has
done an excellent job in
bringing Victorian Riviera
owners together for a fun
day at Riviera Lane.
Where else in the world
would you have two keen
Riviera owners living in
Riviera Lane? There was a
great roll up of people and
some beautiful Rivs. From
all reports, it was a fun day
and a great example of the
wonderful ROA fellowship
that exists amongst ROA
members everywhere.
Well done, Tom.
It is really great to see
such enthusiasm for the
ROA and these stylish cars
in our country. I
am sure this enthusiasm will
be continued with the 2015
Australian ROA Meet to be
held in Wagga Wagga 27 30 August this year. Tom is
organising this meet and I
know many have already
entered. It is shaping up to
be our best attended meet
ever. So if you haven’t entered yet, please complete
your entry form, make your
bookings and get set to enjoy a terrific weekend of
Riviera fun. It’s not far away
now and we would love to
see you there.
Thanks again to John for producing this excellent Australian Riview. Don’t forget
to send your Riv stories to
John - I’m sure he would appreciate your articles of interest.
keep those
Until next issue
beautiful Riviera
’s rolling!
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 3
#13148
What Might Have Been
I think we all get a level of
fascination by wondering
about what might have been.
And to see what might have
been you can always rely upon
design exercises to give you a
clue.
Ever since Harley Earl drove
out of the plant in the Y Job as
his personal car, I am sure we
have all wanted to emulate
that ability to drive a one off,
future based auto that would
set us apart from the crowd.
I recently found a photo of a Riviera
that almost was. It is in the catalogue
of GM Advanced Design and is labelled the 197X Buick. I guess we
can all see where it led to – the radical Boattail Buick of 1971.
From the
vaults at GM
Advanced
Design—the
197X Riviera
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 4
1967 Buick Riviera GS
My journey to getting my
67 Riviera GS started about
four years ago with my
father and I having a plan
of me swapping my speed
boat for a 1937 Chevy
Master Deluxe sedan
which my Dad and I would
restore together (with the
addition of a 350 V8.)
“.. So I was
rapt!”
He was a retired farmer
who started his working
life as a mechanic working
on these cars and I’m a
boat builder of twenty
years, so we were both
tradies and could turn our
hands to most things. But
six months later my father
passed away unexpectedly which left the car restoration tasting a bit sour
and me without my mentor
and mechanic.
The car sat for about a year
without anything happening to it.
Everyone who I talked to
was either not interested in
working on it or said that
the money I had put aside
was not even close to being enough to getting the
job done.
It felt like I was hitting one
brick wall after another.
So after a year of not being
able to face working on
the car by myself, I decided to get rid of the Chevy
and use the money I
planned to spend on the
restoration ($15000 NZ)
and find a car that would
be road legal so I could
drive it and enjoy it
straight away with my wife
and kids.
The search was on!
At the start I had no idea
what I wanted; I have
owned a 1972 Holden HQ
which I loved, so a big car
was on the cards. I really
liked mid-60’s Chevy Impalas but they were well
out of my price range so I
started trawling through
NZ auction web site Trade
Me.
Soon I came across a 1967
Buick Riviera GS, New Zealand new and right hand
drive.
I had never seen them before and was blown away
by how cool it looked. Big
muscle car shape rear end
and the mean angular front
- cool!
I was hooked big time. I
just kept coming back to it
over and over.
The car was in Auckland
and I was in Wellington so
I got a friend to go and
have a look at it. The report was good with it
needing a tidy up but all
the parts were there and it
was road legal.
I ended up winning the
online auction and three
days later I was on a plane
to Auckland to pick it up. I
drove it back to Wellington by myself and it was
great, so I was rapt.
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 5
1967 Buick Riviera GS
The Riv is a New Zealand
new car on the original
plates. It has never been
deregistered and has
matching numbers.
It was brought here in 1967
by the General Manager of
GM Wellington for himself
and has had a right hand
conversion. I don’t know
whether it was done here
in NZ or before it got here,
but it is a very nice job.
The only modifications it
has had are a 3” lift at the
back and the 20” Foose
nitrous rims 20”x 8”on the
front and 20”x 10” on the
rear. The rubber is
245x35x20 front 275x40x20
rear which came with the
car and I quite like the
look of them.
I’ve had it for three years
now and most jobs I’ve
done have been maintenance. The car, as it turned
out, had been neglected a
bit but I am enjoying doing
most of the work myself.
I’ve had to rebuild the
drive shaft, replace the
water pump, replace all
the ball joints and bushes
in the front end, rebuild
the carburettor and power
steering, replace timing
chain and sprockets, and
replace the head lights
with more modern ones.
I have just ordered new
shocks and springs and am
going to lower it by 2”from
standard all round to give
it a bit of a meaner stance.
I also have bigger front
and rear sway bars coming. I guess I’m not really
too much of a purist but I
won’t change too much
more - just improve handling and performance but
not straying too far away
from the old school look.
My family love it!
Photography
by Dianna
Thomson
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 6
1967 Buick Riviera GS
It’s a great cruiser and
always gets a lot of looks
from people with its big
20” chrome rims, its size
and the great low burble
of the 430 V8.
“I can’t really
get why they
are not more
popular with
the classic
muscle car
crowd.”
I still have the original rims
which I will fit one day. It
also has the original Star
Wars air cleaner
which always gets
some comments.
It is a bit of a challenge getting some
parts as it’s not just
a case of dropping
down to the shops
to pick things up.
I think this is one of
the best looking
mid-60’s cars ever.
I still can’t get over
the sheer size of
the thing, a two
door coupe that’s a
metre longer than a four
door Holden HSV - cool!
I can’t really get why they
are not more popular with
the classic muscle car
crowd. But for me this is a
keeper. I’ll just keep ticking off all the jobs on it that
needs to be done and have
a massive smile on my face
when I’m cruising with the
family.
Cheers
Matt Houghton
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 7
1967 Buick Riviera GS
Photography
by Dianna
Thomson
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 8
Series I Convertible by Buick
Apparently it’s not only
mere enthusiasts for the
Riviera that longed to
make a convertible using
the Series 1 cars as the
basis.
Interesting, but . .
“.. it’s hard to
better the look
of the first
Riviera.”
Reynolds Buick in West
Covina, California has unearthed and put up on the
web photos from Buick that
were taken on the GM Styling Patio in the summer of
1962. They depict a convertible Riviera that it is
advised is not a fibreglass
mock up but a modified
body in white series 1 Riviera.
Featuring a parallel arm
top mechanism and a top
deck similar to that found
on the Corvette of the
time, the convertible went
a long way to mirroring
the coupe hard top look.
It is believed that the convertible did not proceed
due to the issue of the
coupe looking better than
the convertible. It was not
considered right at the
time that the convertible
should be less appealing
than the standard coupe.
A good assumption I believe and as any series 1
owner will tell you, it’s
hard to better the look of
the first Riviera.
Nevertheless, here are
some of the photos from
that summer of ’62 day on
the GM Styling Patio that I
am sure you will enjoy.
Photo credits: General
Motors
#13148
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 9
Showing Off the Concept
Ray Knott, ROA #1, has
uncovered a great old advertisement for the Silver
Arrow III and featured it in
a recent edition of The
Riview.
Here in Australia the presence of concept or show
cars is a wild imagining
and yet it appears not uncommon in the USA.
As recently as 2007 GM
provided the Silver Arrow
III for display at the Buick
Club of America National
Meet held in Bellevue,
WA.
Concept cars by Holden’s
are usually reserved for a
couple of big motor shows
and then they are put back
into the precious basket
and rarely to be seen
again.
As a Club, we were able to
prise the Coupe 60 project
out of Melbourne for a one
day display on the Sunshine Coast but only after
signing our lives away and
providing suitable protection and security on the
day.
Of course no one was allowed to get too close to
the Coupe 60.
In the USA we often see
concept cars with the public brushing against them
and getting a real good
look.
If only we had the same
opportunities here in Australia and wouldn’t it be
great to get a concept Riviera to our National Event
one year.
I’ll just keep dreaming . .
Concept on
show at
Bellevue, WA
#13148
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 10
The Silver Arrow II Mystery
As the last story related to
Silver Arrow III it seems
opportune to revisit a story
from a couple of issues
ago.
The mystery of Silver Arrow II continues to haunt
me!
The Riview of July/August
1987 contains a great story
on the SAII complete with
photos of a 1970 slightly
modified Riviera.
The photo caption credits
Buick Motor Division for
the provision of the photo.
Surely this must be the
elusive Silver Arrow II?
“I must say
that The Riview
article is most
convincing . .”
I included an article in the
January edition of The Australian Riview regarding
the Silver Arrow III which
also included the Silver
Arrow II. In that case a
1972 Riviera, not unlike the
Silver Arrow III.
Imagine my surprise when
I again stumbled in the GM
Heritage Centre website to
see the 1972 Silver Arrow
II again proclaimed to be a
1972 Riviera.
I am left in a quandary,
with two seemingly reliable and authorative references, who was right!
The Silver Arrow II appears to have never been
shown publicly so photos
of this mystery car are
very hard to obtain.
As the years roll by the
mystery
will
only
#13148
deepen as those who were
there are no longer here to
relate the true story.
I must say that The Riview
article is most convincing
and with factory plates 0000-00 it certainly looks the
goods.
Ray Knott’s research is, as
always, impeccable so this
leads me to ask the question, does anybody out
there know anything about
the car that the GM Heritage Centre has tagged as
the Silver Arrow II?
However, it was just prior
to publishing that I read
The Riview article and this
cast great doubt over the
Silver Arrow III being a
1972 Riviera.
From The Riview V3 E5
July/August 1987
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 11
1978 Coming Up Next . .
On the following pages we
have been lucky enough to
get a member’s story from
Linda Hall on her 1978
LXXV Riv.
You would be aware that
these are very rare especially outside of the USA.
As a compliment to the
story I have attached this
website and YouTube video link to another LXXV
and again this one is outside of the USA, it is on the
Scandinavian peninsula.
#13148
The link is: http://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=yzDVsRENwzY
Again, this car is
also in great condition.
Please enjoy the live
action!
Potential Riviera?
Back in 2010 Buick came
out with a concept car under the revived Wildcat
nameplate.
Well you didn’t have to
look too deeply to see
where some of the latest
Riviera concept car lines
came from. A mix between
an early sixties Corvette
and the famous boat tail
design of the seventies
Riviera, this car looks fan-
tastic!
Photo courtesy of GM
Four seats continue the
Riviera theme although I’m
not sure how hot you
would get in the back seat
if this ever got to Aus.
I have included it here in
the Australian Riview and if
you can’t see why, then
perhaps you need to reintroduce yourself to the
Riviera.
Don’t Miss the Wagga National Event
There’s no reason to miss
the Wagga Wagga ROA
Australian Regional National Event coming up on
27-30 August this year.
It’s getting close so don’t
miss out!
“I’m jolly sure that if we had
come to Wagga in a Riviera I
wouldn’t be doing this right
now!”
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 12
The Wedding of The Year
Tom Kunek
ROA#3845
It was March 21st when two splendid ’65’s assembled to be part of the wedding of
the year.
Tom Kunek’s nephew managed to get Tom and Brian Crummy’s ‘65s to become the
Bridal Carriages for this wedding and if that doesn’t make it the wedding of the
year, I don’t know what it takes!
The photos tell the tale and it is clear that both Rivs cleaned up well and presented
beautifully on the day with many comments from the people who were not associated with the wedding also chiming in their admiration for the duo.
What is of interest is that the lead Riv (Brian’s GS with white interior) was owned by
an Evangelical Minister for Texas who used the car many times for weddings that
he performed.
So it’s a function of the car that has come full circle on the other side of the world.
“..the
wedding of
the year!”
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 13
How to Make Your Series I Handle
As far back as I can re-
member I always enjoyed
pulling my toys apart and
working with my hands.
Consequently, I chose a
trade when I left school;
Fitting & Turning, then
Toolmaking.
As a classic car collector, I
like improving their performance and recreating
parts which are difficult to
find.
Hence, I had moulds made
from original fan shrouds
to reproduce stronger fibreglass versions for 65-66
Wildcats/Electras and
more recently for 63-65
Rivieras. I can have more
made for $250 + shipping
if anyone wants one.
Tony Gentilcore
ROA# 10107
It's made to fit easily with
no cutting or welding and
unlike others I've seen
from the US it sits up higher than the diff and no
ground clearance is lost.
The difference is remarkable as fellow ROA member
Tim Harper can attest after
competing in Targa Adelaide in his 65.
I can also have more complete rear kits made by my
supplier or just a heavier
duty front bar for the same
price.
I can throw the Riv around
corners and it sticks with
minimal body roll. To remove the wallowing we
ing 22mm in dia. includes
all mounting hardware
required.
The more recent project
was to improve the handling of my 65 Riviera. I've
always had heavier diameter front bars made for my
Buicks but for the 65 I
wanted to really flatten out
the corners like a modern
car and had a rear sway
bar kit designed and built.
get at highway speeds on
undulating roads I replaced the shocks with
custom valved Bilsteins.
Available online under
Custom Sway Bars at
www.mako.com.au
Rear Sway Bar Kit - $289
Bolt-in, no cutting or weld-
Front Sway Bar - $289
Replacement heavy duty
front bar 26mm dia with
new urethane D-bushes
and saddles.
See detailed online instructions: http://
www.mako.com.au/
buick/65rivswaybar/
Tony Gentilcore
ROA# 10107
NSW
How to make
your Riv
handle like it’s
on rails.
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 14
Sometimes You Just See Them . .
Following
To celebrate 75
years of Buicks
“As it
happened the
car was not for
sale . .”
the formation of
the ROA
Australia
Region and
the inaugural ROA
Australia
Region
Meet held
in Coffs Harbour in 2010,
Brian decided it was time
we went to an ROA National Meet in the US. The
2011 Meet was to be held
in Branson, Missouri so
plans were made for us to
attend the Meet. The ROA
Meet conveniently followed on from the Buick
Driving Enthusiasts (BDE)
Meet in Dayton, Ohio, so a
perfect opportunity to attend both events.
The planned trip must
have sounded exciting to
John and Laurene Forster
as they decided to come
with us. This may have
also had something to do
with the fact that we had
purchased a very nice ’65
Riv which John was inter-
ested in. But that’s another
story.
After picking up the Riv
and touring with the fun
loving BDE’ers, we turned
south west and headed
towards Branson. Situated
in the Ozark Mountains,
Branson is known as the
“Live Music Capital of the
World”. The town boasts
nearly 90 live shows in 50
+ theatres on any given
day. Rather like Las Vegas
without the casinos and
gambling. It is a clean,
family town with three
large lakes to add to the
fun things to do.
Naturally the boys were
much more interested in
all those shiny Rivieras that
were parked in the host
hotel car park. From the
‘63s to the ‘90s the Rivieras
filled the car park and
looked spectacular. It was
great to meet Ray Knott
and other ROA Regional
Co-ordinators as well as
catch up with some ROA
people (who were also
BDEers) who we knew.
Linda Hall
ROA# 10723
It’s funny how a particular
car will catch your eye.
Brian had been spending
some time admiring a very
nice 1978 LXXV with just
49,764 miles on the
speedo and talking to the
car’s owner who we knew
from previous BDE meets
we had attended. Yes, you
guessed it - it became obvious he was interested in
the car when he was keen
for me to ‘have a look at
the car, sit in it - see if
you’re comfortable in it’.
As it happened, the car
was not for sale at the time
but the owner indicated
that it could become available if he was able to secure another Buick that he
wanted, a 1985 GNX.
Well, the Meet finished,
we continued touring back
to Los Angeles and then
returned home.
A couple of months later,
after a number of phone
calls and letters from Brian, the owner of the LXXV
contacted us saying he had
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 15
Sometimes You Just See Them . .
purchased the Buick he
wanted and the 1978 was
now available. So with no
undue delay, we arranged
for the funds to be transferred and the car to be
transported to the shipper.
In due course, the 1978
LXXV arrived. At last, the
car that had taken his fancy
in Branson, was now safely
at her new home in Redland Bay, Queensland.
The 1978 Riviera LXXV is
one of only 2,899 produced by Buick to celebrate Buick’s 75th Anniversary year - so it is a very
rare car. All of these Anniversary model Rivieras
were made the same black and silver bodywork, silver leather interior, full vinyl roof and wire
wheel covers.
The ’78 is a beautiful touring car with its large, comfortable arm chair leather
seats. We have taken this
car on several ROA and
Buick Club runs both local
and interstate since 2011.
Sometimes you just see
them.....
Linda Hall
This car has since been sold
to Greg Massey in NSW.
Armchair
Luxury at its
Best
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 16
as
r
e
vi
Stars and Their Cars
When you think of Riviera
you naturally think of top
end, top drawer, or top
whatever!
The King of Rock’n’Roll
“What cars
did you see
them in?”
So when you look to the
top end of the entertainment market back in the
early sixties you think of
Sinatra, Martin and Presley. What cars did you see
them in?
Look for yourself at the attached photos.
You might ask
yourself, what
was Elvis doing
in a Buick - he
being the consummate Cadillac man. Well
perhaps as the
first Riviera
started life as a
Cadillac proposed model
by Bill Mitchell,
it makes sense.
No need to
write in about
Ri
Elvis’ taste in cars, we
know he had Lincolns and
other makes as well, but
you must agree that he
only indulged in top of the
line cars and that’s why he
drove a Riviera!
In both photos the cars
featured are ’63 Rivs.
As a footnote, you might
#13148
not be aware that Franks’
son, Frank Jrn (Frankie),
also had a Riviera. He
bought a ’69 Riv on the 27th
September 1968 from
Lauesen Buick in Los Angeles, California. Frankie
would have been 24 years
old at that time.
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 17
Modified Riv ?!
#13148
You might recall last edition of the Australian Riview we included an article
on a cab over version of the ’65 Riv.
Just to keep with a theme of modified Rivs (and this is a stretch) but take a
look at this Riviera. All that is left is the front light towers and a bit of the
guards!
You may think this is a modified ’57 Corvette but that would only be one
interpretation. I prefer my version at this stage.
The ROA Regional National Event
If you haven’t already
on time this September.
booked don’t forget to do
so soon.
We will be meeting in
Wagga Wagga this year
and all the planning is
done. Entry form on the
last page of this edition of
The Australian Riview.
“It’s just not good enough
Phil, we’ve come all the
way to Wagga Wagga and
I want to ride in a Riviera!
Let’s get out and come
back in 2015 so we can
Don’t be like the Queen
join in the ROA Regional
and Phil when they visited
Wagga too early. Be there National Event!”
Not much left
of this ‘65 Riv!
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 18
Australia Can Do It
Readers will recall the Avenir was a Buick concept car that was awarded the Concept Car of 2015 at the Detroit Motor Show. That vehicle was a working car and
there are a number of available links to see this fantastic Buick concept in action.
Meanwhile at the Melbourne NGV Federation Square is a new exhibition called
Shifting Gear: Design, Innovation and the Australian Car.
This exhibition celebrates Australia’s important and proud history of automobile
design and engineering and reflects on the heyday of the Australian car industry.
At the entry to the exhibition is the original clay model of the Buick Avenir. The
concept car was designed and constructed in Melbourne by Warrack Leach and
the GM Australia Design and North America Design Teams.
This is the first time the design study has been shown in Australia.
Entry is $15 and the Exhibition will run until 12 July this year— Be Quick!.
Could this be the next Riviera?
Never, as it has four doors.
Even with its
four doors,
this is a pretty
nice looking
Buick!
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 19
2015 ROA Australian Regional Meet Update
Australia’s Most Riviera Friendly City
27 – 30th Aug 2015 –Wagga Wagga, N.S.W.
Host motel
Garden City Motor Inn.
Mark or Fiona
2 Day Street - Wagga Wagga –
2650 - NSW
Daily Events of the 2015 Australia
Region ROA Meet
Thursday – 27th Aug
Registration, tea and coffee from
4:00pm
02-6921 3646
Evening meet and greet will take
place in the Motel restaurant.
[email protected]
Evening meal from 6.00pm.
ROA Rates.
Single - $99.00
Welcome address by Linda Hall
followed by Meet Briefing.
Twin - $107.00
Friday, 28th Aug
Twin - $115.00 (2 people sleeping separate beds)
9:30am First day we are off north
to Temora Aviation Museum.
Triple - $123 per night (3 people sleeping in 2 beds. 1 x
Queen, 1 x Single)
We will gather in Day St. in front of
Garden City Motel. This street is
very wide so will be easy to assemble together so we can leave as a
group.
Overflow Motel:
City Park Motel – 02-6921 4301
1 Tarcutta Street (around the
corner of Garden City Motel)
ROA Rates
Single $93.00
Twin $113.00
Triple $128.00
Please note that our host Motel
is now fully booked and new
bookings will be directed to
City Park Motel. Mark Baker is
the manager of our host motel
but he should still be your first
point of call for bookings to our
overflow Motel.
City Park Motel is very close to
the host Motel.
This way there is one focal point
for bookings. Also if there are
any cancellations Mark will be
able to accommodate you at
City Garden if you wish.
Ring Tom Kunek (Meet Organiser) if you have any questions.
Mob 0419 658 500
The drive to Temora will take about
50 mins.
We will tour the museum and then
have lunch overlooking the runway.
After lunch it’s free time to explore
the town of Temora and the surrounding area.
Dinner will be held at the Riverine
Club (Est. 1881) which is the perfect place for us to relax and immerse ourselves in the finest private members club in rural Australia.
Saturday, 29th Aug
9:30am Show and Shine next to the
Visitor Information Centre Cnr
Tarcutta and Cross St.
12.00pm Lunch at Wagga Beach on
the banks of the Murrumbidgee
River.
1.30pm Men are off to Gundagai to
visit an interesting custom and restoration shop.
Ladies have the afternoon to relax
or visit the National Art Glass
Gallery – Morrow St. which is a
short walk from Wagga Beach.
6:30pm Dinner venue to be
advised. Pay as you go.
Sunday 30th Aug
Today is our busiest day of the
Meet.
Brian Hall suggested this run, so
the name of today’s run is called
“Brian’s Run”
Brian’s Run to Junee
9.00am We leave our Motel to
go to Chris Wilson’s Farm near
Wantabadgery.
9.30am Arrive at Chris’s farm
for Morning Tea and a brief talk
by Chris about his huge farm.
10.30am We leave the farm and
travel North to Junee.
11.00am Visit the Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum.
12.15pm Lunch at the Junee
Liquorice & Chocolate Factory
licensed Restaurant. Pay as you
go.
After lunch you are free to visit
the Monte Cristo Homestead
which is the most Haunted
house in Australia!
Or you can explore the Junee
township and then slowly make
your way back to Wagga.
6:00pm Bus from Motel to RSL
6.30pm Dinner and awards will
take place at the Wagga RSL.
10:00pm Bus from RSL back to
Motel.
Note: Tom is in the USA thru’
June so will not be able to process entries during that time.
Registration deadline is 31 July,
2015.
#3845
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 20
Tom Kunek
ROA#3845
Rivieras in Riviera Lane 2015
This year’s Victorian Regional event was held at
Riviera Lane, Blackburn.
Riviera Lane is a roadway
named after the Buick Riviera and has 2 ROA members (both 65 Rivs) that
share it’s address.
People started arriving
around 11:00am and the
last at noon.
This gave plenty of time to
park our cars in Riviera
Lane and also Nailhead
Alley which runs off Riviera Lane.
“All up we had
13 Beautiful
Rivs to
admire!”
All the other cars were
parked in garages facing
Riviera Lane and 3 Rivs in
Tom Kunek’s back yard
facing the Lane.
All up we had 13 Beautiful
Riv’s to admire!
The star of the show was
Lynda Duffus’s 1965 mild
custom which was parked
right in the centre and sunlit for all to admire.
The other outstanding Riv
is owned by Rod and Julia
Grave, their Black/Black
1963, which has been in
the family all it life.
There was plenty of conversation happening as
well as locals who gave a
visit to see what’s going
on.
Plenty to eat and drink and
the weather was just magic.
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 21
Riviera Lane 2015
2015 in
Riviera
Lane—
good cars,
good
friends,
good
times!
THE AUSTRALIAN RIVIEW
Page 22
Suppliers and Repairers
We will run ads until advised to withdraw
them. Please ensure that when your items
are no longer available you let us know so
that we can ensure the freshness of the
information contained w thin this section of
the magazine. Many thanks!
If you have had a job well done from a repairer, then why not let others know about it.
Send in details of your good experiences so they can be printed here.
Dan’s Classic Auto Parts of Portland OR - www.dansclassic.com
Rob Croxford has had dealings
with this firm and advises their
prices are reasonable, their
communication is terrific and
they are very good to deal with.
BJ Panel Restoration and Fabrication,
Thornlands. Qld.
Bill - 0403 120 921
(panel beating, rust repairs,
fibreglass repairs, modifications)
Bill works in conjunction with Carr Creation Auto Refinishing,
Graham Carr - 0411 588 272
Annvid Auto Upholsterers,
Mt. Cotton Auto Electrics,
57A Island Street,
Cleveland. Qld. 4163
Mob: 0429 193 815
Spectrum Rubber and Panels
Pty.Ltd.
P.O. Box 328,
St. Marys. N.S.W. 1790
http://www.knfilters.com/
search/applications.aspx?
Prod=E-1360
Note: There was a Dual Quad
filter, if you can’t find listing try
by Dimensions.
The K&N HP-2003 oil filter suits
Nailheads and Rivieras up to
1978, check listing:
http://www.knfilters.com/
search/applications.aspx?
Prod=HP-2003
Tel: 02 9623 5333 Fax: 02 9833
1041
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.spectrumrubber.com.au
Thornlands. Qld.
(spray painting specialists).
24 Smith Street,
Capalaba. Qld. 4157
Tel: 07 3390 3444
Repco now stock K & N filters for
Rivieras.
The K&N E-1360 Aircleaner suits
single carb Buick and Riviera applications from 1965-1967,
see listing:
The Market Place
Go to www.knfilters.com and
click on BUY you get a list of suppliers and installers for your Australian postcode
Note: This is not in any way an
63 64 65 Riviera Console Ash Tray Lid - New Wood - perfect
chrome - $60
For Sale 1972 Riviera - only 3rd owner - have replaced exhaust with stainless and all belts, hoses
and tyres, overhauled the carby and dissy - 90,000
miles believed to be genuine. Ill health forces sale
of this car. $25,000 negotiable. Test drive any time.
Car is located in Caboolture, Queensland. Dennis
Jennings - 0417 291 290 email:
[email protected]
63 64 65 Riviera Power Antenna chrome bezel only - $30
For Sale Set of four Series I hubcaps. Slight damage
to two. $100 for set.
69 Riviera Stainless Steel Centre Hood Spear - $30
Sue [email protected] Ph 0413 799 709
65-66 Wildcat Electra Remanufactured fibre-glass Fan
Shrouds - $250
67 - 69 Riviera Top Radiator Support Panel - $30
66 - 70 Rear window exterior louvre (smooth and for vinyl
tops) - $40 each.
71 Riviera Tail Light bezels - need rechroming - $30
For Sale
65 66 Buick Wildcat Electra Le Sabre Locking gas Fuel cap $25
NEW! 63 64 65 Riviera Remanufactured fibre-glass
Fan Shrouds - $250
63 64 65 Buick Riviera Power Steering Internal Gears 18:1
ratio - $40
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4
Page 23
The Market Place continued
66 67 68 69 70 Buick Riviera RH Rear Drip Rail Section - $20
For Sale: Riviera parts
66 Wildcat Electra AM Radio - $50
1966-67 door shells R,L, straight, no
rust $300 each
63-65 Riviera Factory Radiator Top and Bottom
Tanks - $40
1966-69 door window glass R,L $90
each
Shipping not included, email me for photos or
more info.
Electric window motor $120
Tony Gentilcore 0408 964 217 email: [email protected]
For Sale 1979 Riviera. Concourse winner, 2012
Griffith Riviera Owners Meet - Top Car. On full
rego, engineered to ADR ($3,000). No rust whatsoever and in top condition. $3,000 of spares with
Buick workshop manual and memorabilia. Contact
Bob for more information and pictures. Price
$25,000. Call 02 45777269 (Windsor area NSW)
For Sale Parts for 1964 Riviera
Good door sill plates alum., horn, door window
crank (vents), seat belt sleeves (black), door panel
chrome that holds switches for window left and
right, two L brackets that fit around headlight, inside door handle, centre cap with tri shield, windshield hoses and metal nozzles that fix under hood
for spraying on windshield, cigarette lighter for
console, trunk lock with key and inside latch, hood
ornament, dimmer switch, choice vacuum pull off,
head light switch, distributor cap, front and back
stainless wheel well trim, right hand chrome door
trim bottom 375-298RT.
John Williams, Charleston, IL.
[email protected]
Parting Out 1968 Riviera, complete car, was
weekend driver before rear end smash. Car is in
USA but can be dismantled and parts posted to
Australia or packed in my next container coming
over for nominal shipping fee. Ring Doug Hawkins.
0418 631 233 or 07 5543 6927
For Sale: 1 x 1968-69 n/s fender with small marker
light, excellent cond., no rust or damage.
1 x 1966-67 headlight motor, good working order,
includes one flexible coupling.
3 x 1968 rear side marker lights (tri shield design).
1 x 400-430-455 waterpump used or will trade on
any 1965 parts.
Steve Moore 02 6884 9904 Email: [email protected]
1966-67 air grille panel (base of
windscreen) $30
1969 RH front mudguard straight, no rust $300
1969 rear window guides $25
1969 sun visors (black) $80 pr
1975 tail light assemblies $90 each
NEW - Riviera script, the one with large R, early
60’s ? $80
1963-65 lower chin parking light assemblies
VGC $250 pr
1975 bonnet emblem (new) $70
Why not take
out an ad in
the Review?
Riviera Sales brochures 1963 - 8” x 10” colour 6 pages $40
1966 - 10” x 10” colour 6 pages $40
1968 - 10” x 10” colour 8 pages $40
1995 - 5” x 10” colour 4 pages foldout $20
Ron Noonan 02 9631 4763 Email: [email protected]
For Sale 1974 Riviera. White with black
roof. ONE OWNER. Original paint. RHD.
Comes with spare tyres and spares. Rego
LUE-666 $18,500 ono John Stewart 03 5358
1787
All new ads
are also
emailed to the
Australian
ROA group as
soon as they
are received!
For Sale 1967 GS400, Complete and 90% assembled and running. Greg Naris
[email protected]
Wanted 1965 Riviera, Alan Wren 07 3282 3474
For Sale
1967 Riviera - excellent condition - 94,857 orig
miles - LHD - always garaged and well maintained - $27,500
1962 Le Sabre - very rare totally original car factory air - LHD - excellent condition - 90,487
orig miles - $26,500
Contact Linda Hall 07 38292222 Email: [email protected]
ROA AUSTRALIAN REGION REVIEW
Share The Pride
ROA AUSTRALIAN REGION
AUS + Qld Regional Co-Ordinator
Linda Hall #10723
PO Box 383
Cleveland Qld 4163
[email protected]
Vic + Tas Regional Co-Ordinator
Tom Kunek # 3845
[email protected]
0419 658 500
NSW + SA Regional Co-Ordinator
Tony Gentilcore # 10107
[email protected]
02 9453 9199
This e-magazine is produced under the auspices of the Riviera Owners Association USA and the Buick Car Club of Australia Qld Inc. to cater for the needs of car enthusiasts with an
interest in the Riviera produced between 1963 and 1999.
Riviera Owners Association – PO Box 261218, DENVER, CO
USA, 80226
303-233-2987, [email protected] , www.rivowners.org
It is a medium created for the exchange of stories and ideas.
Its aim is to support enthusiasts in Australia in the preservation and use of the Buick Riviera built between 1963 and
1999.
The editors welcome contributions at
[email protected]
Membership
Please encourage any Riviera owners you meet to join
the R.O.A.
W E’ RE ON THE WEB!
WWW. RIVOWNERS. ORG
It's simple, just log on to the R.O.A. web site.
DON’T FORGET, IF YOU DO SELL YOUR RIVIERA, LEAVE DETAILS ON JOINING THE ROA IN THE CAR
Nominations Abound for The Riv
In the last edition, last page
the fact that each of the Top
100 cars had to include all of
the following attributes: Collectability, Desirability, Hallmark Status, Distinctive Styling, and Popularity; and with
a little bit of our own gut
instincts thrown into the
mix.”
This time they started from
1900 and moved forward in
time so rather than list them
from 1-100 in order of greatness they are date numbered
so no verdict given on which is
No 1.
So was the Riv in there—
you bet!
piece, we looked at the Hemmings Top 32 cars to restore
and naturally Riviera was
there. This article dated from
2010 and so it was worth us
taking a look at Hemmings
from 2013 when they nominated their Top 100 cars of all
time.
In Hemmings’ own words they
established the Top 100 with
this criteria in mind: “. . our
methodology was based on
Here is what they said:
“1965 BUICK RIVIERA GS
With inspiration taken from
Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, the
Riviera's knife-edge lines
combine to produce an automobile design that is con-
#13148
sidered by many to be the
most beautiful post-war
American car of all. Inside
oozed Rat Pack-era casual
elegance; the Gran Sport
version stiffened the suspension and added a dual-quad
425-cu.in. V-8, giving the GS
uncommon performance to
match its up-to-the-minute
glamorous style.”