The Ridgeline Riviera

A cosmetic-focused restoration of a first-generation Riviera Gran Sport — full repaint, correct chrome replating rather than substitute polished aluminum trim, and a factory-pattern interior retrim.

Buick Riviera Wildcat 465 engine air cleaner detail

The project

The Riviera's clamshell-concealed headlights and low, coachbuilt-inspired roofline were the reasons the owner bought the car specifically, and the mechanical drivetrain was already sound from a prior rebuild — so the full scope stayed cosmetic. Every exterior trim piece was sent out for correct triple chrome plating rather than the cheaper brushed-aluminum substitution some shops use, and the door panels were retrimmed in the correct factory vinyl grain pattern rather than a close-but-not-exact reproduction.

The concealed headlight mechanism was fully serviced and its vacuum actuation restored to correct factory operation as part of the cosmetic-detail scope.