Had a 83 with a 307 olds engine that one ran very good. I got 17 mpg around town and was able to plow thru deep snow with that front wheel drive.
Rode in a few but have not owned a 3rd Gen car, but several 2nd Gen's. Stock and apple to apple comparison I liked the ride in the 72 better than my 68. 2 completely different styles. Depends on what you like and how different you want to be.
I really like the styling of both, the 67 just appears more sinister, with a lack of massive chrome bumpers. I'd imagine the 3rd gens ride even better, but I haven't fixed that on my own car to a great extent so I can't say. Either way, you know you want one
Looks aside. Im talking ride, saftey, drivetrain 430 vs 455, sp400 vs th400. And John i do want one. Always hated the 2nd gen and loved the 3rd. But the 2nd gen grew on me big time.
Had both and driven many thousands of miles. This will come down to personal preference. I can say with confidence one is NOT better than the other from a reliability and driving experience. Its what you personally like. Obviously there is a huge difference in appearance between the 66-70 and the Boattails. Both are great road cars and mechanical parts are readily available for both. The boattail is big and it feels big sitting behind the wheel but surprisingly it handles its size quite well so even though its bigger it doesn't negatively affect handling. Always have to consider parts availability, aside from mechanical parts that are shared with other GM models and are available, there are a lot of boattail specific parts such as body and interior that are increasingly hard to find and can be costly. Not much is reproduced for either but the 2nd gen probably has the edge if any. I've had either a 66 or 67 for 40 years and 71 and 73 boattail for a combined 7 years. As much as I love the 66/67 if I had to pick only one, it'd probably be a 71 or 72 just because the styling is killer and demands attention on the highway but again that's personal preference. No matter 2nd or 3rd gen pay up for a car that is in great condition and well cared for. Parts are a big challenge for anyone restoring or even partial restoring. Couple other notes. the 66-67 with the switch pitch trans makes the car fast for its size in stock form. No contest with a boattail. That's an often forgot about difference in early 2nd gens. Not sure why Buick discontinued that after just 3 years. Really helped launch a big car without side effects. As far as safety not much difference except I "think" (not sure) front shoulder belts started showing up in 68 as standard. Rear shoulder belts were optional through the boattails and its rare to find them on any later 2nd gen or 3rd gen.
Ronnie I’ve had a 67, 68 and a 69. I drove the 67 from Colorado Springs to Maryland in 1994. Excellent ride, smooth power and great looks. Gave it to my parents to drive when one of their grandkids wrecked the family car. They wanted to keep it! They loved it. I thought the rolling speedo and the Star Wars were COOL!! I also had several boattails. Now I did get them closer to the end of their lifespan but I pulled the drivetrain out of all 4 of the boats and scrapped the cars. I would have never done that to a 66-69. I might have done it to a 70, but that is just my opinion. I don’t like that style! And I personally never liked the ride or visibility in a boat tail.
The boattail looks good from the back more than the front, reminded me of some chick...She didnt last. I love that bent dash too. Now isn't the Riviera the top car for Buick during these years? Where does that put thrle Wildcats. Are they on the same chassis?
It was the top car. Wildcats are, I think, on the Electra chassis. Rivieras had an X frame that differed from the other cars
Well right now Boattails are hot and projected rising value. Not just my opinion. https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/12/18/2018-winners-and-losers?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=18_December_19_HagertyNews
The 67 I had was NOT a GS, but it had the Star Wars air cleaner. Sure it could have been added later but it was a low mile, original car that I assumed was original. It was white with black top and black bench seat interior. Met my wife while driving that car! It was sweeet! Ronnie I’m 6’ 1”
As others have said: HUGE differences between the 2nd and 3rd generation Riviera model. I did a fair amount of research on the topic in the early 90s before deciding which generation I was going to purchase. There was one major deciding factor: The primary feature of the Riviera which set it apart from other vehicles in the division was the cruciform frame. All other models were built on a standard perimeter frame, which has less torsional stiffness. The cruciform frame allowed for better handling, and also sported the 3-link/track rod rear suspension. This is the same rear set up used on NASCAR, so it can't be all that bad. The 1st and 2nd generation Rivieras from 63-70 were built on the cruciform frame. The 3rd generation models were built on a shortened-Electra chassis, which is a perimeter frame. By that time, the Riviera was on its way from a hardtop sport coupe to a full-size freeway cruiser, and safety standards coupled with the OPEC oil crisis were putting a lot of limitations on performance. I love the performance of the 430 block in my 67 with the big-port heads. The following year introduced a lot of emissions hardware, added length & weight, and the front/rear styling changed to be less to my liking. By 1971, the car got a lot bigger and a lot heavier, and performance took a hit. Yes: a lot of people find the 3rd-generation styling very striking...for me, I'll be content with the '67.
Wow thats good information. And the 2nd gen does look like a nascar car if you look at it right. Thanks for your post.
You met your wife in that car, nice. I asked about the hight to get a general reference because I'm 5'11. It probably was ordered with that air cleaner.
IRT safety you can eliminate all Gen 2 as compared to Gen 3. Gen 3 has a standard 2 rail frame. Safety compared to any new car, you can forget about any Riviera, or classic for that matter... Performance: "drivetrain 430 vs 455, sp400 vs th400" they all have pros and cons. So find a Riviera you like and go for it.
