By Brian Brennan – Photography by NotStock Photography
The 1963 Buick Riviera, owned by Thomas Duty and his wife, Eileen Papas, holds sentimental value as it was the first car Eileen learned to drive. Friends Cale Kern (of Cale Kern Hot Rods), Bryan Barlow, and Jack Davis also contributed to the construction of this car. It’s important to note that Eileen selected the wheel and tire combination, as well as the body color and interior details, and she expressed a wish to retain the original Nailhead engine.
The vehicle features a 1963 Buick Riviera body with subtle custom enhancements, including 1967-68 Firebird taillights and rear wheeltubs widened by an inch. The front and rear bumpers have been modified and closely tucked into the body. Bedford Body Shop handled the bodywork, and Jack Davis painted it in a BMW Tanzanite Blue two-step basecoat and clearcoat from Spies Hecker. The factory trim and badging have been preserved, maintaining much of the Rivi’s original look.
However, the tucked bumpers, Billet Specialties wheels, and Diamond Back–prepped Goodyear tires provide the intended final touch. Thomas tells us that he uses Wizards Products to keep the shine shining between and during the rod runs and car shows they attend.
The Buick features Billet Specialties Velocity wheels measuring 19×12 in the rear and 18×8 in the front, all fitted with Goodyear Eagle F-1 SuperCar rubber. The front tires are Goodyear sized 225/40R18, while the rear tires are 315/40R19. You will notice that the sidewalls have been scrubbed of factory lettering and replaced with a smooth profile featuring the added vulcanized “redline.” The Goodyear F-1s were sent to Diamond Back Classic Radials where they cleaned the sidewalls and added the Redline thin-wall line to the tires.
In speaking with Diamond Back Classic Radials we discovered they do many custom tire orders. In this case, Diamond Back uses a vulcanization process similar to tire manufacturing to apply custom rubber. Their specialized rubber features a butyl lining that prevents oil penetration and darkening. This technique enables Diamond Back to customize specific orders while adhering to sidewall regulations. They offer various widths, colors, and multiple stripe options, allowing for extensive customization.
The interior boasts a factory dash fitted with Dakota Digital gauges. Kern installed the American Autowire kit, which controls the Buick’s electrical system, including the instruments and Restomod Air A/C. The steering wheel, made by Billet Specialties, is connected to a Flaming River tilt column. The seating comprises factory front buckets and a rear bench designed to mimic twin buckets, all rebuilt and upholstered in Alante wine-colored leather. This same wine-colored leather is used on the door and kick panels, while the upper dash area is also padded and covered in leather.
The headliner is upholstered in Alante wine-colored vinyl and the carpeting is burgundy wool. This work was completed by Brian Barlow of Interiors by Ed. Accompanying the seats are a pair of burgundy-dyed Juliano’s seatbelts. The center console features a factory “waterfall” design that separates the dash and runs between the bucket seats. A notable detail is the engine-turned inserts that adorn the console. The console contains the Lokar shifter, A/C controls, vents, and the stereo.
The chassis is built on a stock 1963 Buick Riviera frame from the firewall back. The front clip was sourced from Roadster Shop and installed by Kern. It also includes tubular upper and lower control arms from Roadster Shop, along with their spindles and front sway bar. The setup features rack-and-pinion steering from them, combined with a Flaming River tilt steering column. The rear suspension is centered around a Ford 9-inch rearend from John’s Industries (now owned by Moser Industries) with 3.50 nodular gears and 31-spline axles. This configuration is supported by a custom four-link setup and a driveshaft fabricated by Kern. The chassis employs Ridetech coilovers at both the front and rear. Additionally, the rear sports a custom Panhard bar created by Kern.
Braking is handled by Wilwood, which features 12-inch drilled-and-slotted rotors paired with Wilwood four-piston calipers from the Dynalite series at both the front and rear, along with a Wilwood master cylinder and a custom pedal assembly crafted by Kern.
The V-8 in the 1963 Buick Riviera is a 401 Nailhead featuring a 0.030-inch overbore. It now includes 10.25:1 pistons and uses factory iron heads secured by ARP hardware. Factory polished finned aluminum valve covers from Buick are now installed. The fuel system is designed around an Offenhauser dual-four intake with Fast fuel injection throttle bodies. An electric fuel pump, submerged in a Rick’s Tanks gas tank, supplies the fuel. Kern fabricated the custom air cleaner. The ignition system depends on an MSD electronic distributor, an MSD coil, and plug wires. Holding the stored energy is an Optima RedTop battery relocated to the trunk.
A March polished serpentine belt setup powers accessories, such as the alternator, power steering pump, and A/C compressor. The exhaust system includes Kern-fabricated headers and a 2-1/2-inch stainless steel exhaust with Stainless Works twin mufflers. Matched to the Nailhead is a 4L60E overdrive with a 2,800-stall speed converter run through the gears via a Lokar shifter.
Thomas and Eileen’s current ride, this 1963 Buick Riviera, is no stranger to receiving awards. It has taken home several top awards for Outstanding Custom, a Goodguys Custom Finalist of the Year, an Alloway’s Pro’s Pick, and a Dave Kindig “Bitchin Ride” award. We’re glad to see he’s still building stunning hot rods. MR
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