1958 Buick Riviera

1958 Buick Super Riviera 2 Door Hardtop It's no wonder this car threw us for a bit of a loop. Very few '58 Rivieras have come through our door and it turns out that only 13,928 2 door hardtops model 56Rs were produced in 1958. What's more apparent is that all Buick models for '58, from the Roadmaster to the Century, shared much of the same profile and none of them were small cars. The rear quarter trim is shared throughout the line and is almost as distinctive as the previous year's Bel Air, even if lacking the longevity of recognition. For consignment, a 1958 Super Riviera 2 door hardtop with a title verified 54,353 actual miles. This car exemplifies 50's styling with enormous chrome features, fins, long stretches of polished trim, fender ornaments, and a grille that is a masterpiece of design. With a 127 ½ inch wheelbase, its size is as impressive as its features. Exterior If you slowly pan this car from front to back, you can stop every few inches to point out an interesting feature. The grille is a series of floating chrome squares, seeming suspended in mid air in a grid over a massive front bumper. Above it, dual headlights reside under a chrome brow and a V-emblem on the nose which is repeated on the fender ornaments. Along the back, the quarter panel is adorned with a spaceship shaped chrome leaving a trail of aluminum trim that stretches all the way to the back of the car where it meets a substantial piece of fin trim that takes in a larger than life tail light over another massive rear bumper with more detail than your company's spreadsheet. The curved glass at both ends is boldly bordered by more shiny metal and the C-pillar has additional chrome bars to fill the canted space. The paint is in nice shape but much of the chrome is pitted and there's surface rust on the bumper guards. Interior The brochure touted custom quality interiors and indeed, there is attention to detail on the inside as well. The door panels alternate two hues of blue vinyl with a strip of metallic trim around the stitch patterned insert. We note some separation and warping of the header on the driver's door panel, but all else seems to be intact. Cloth and vinyl covers the split bench while a similar but different pattern of cloth covers the rear bench where we note patina on the metal ashtray and some separation on the sidewall. The once white plastic rim of the steering wheels is heavily cracked and yellowing but its central components, a horn ring around a hefty metal T, are in good shape. As the dash cover curves towards the doors, a switch panel with electric window toggles is uniquely placed in a metal base which shows patina. In front of the driver, rocket inspired switches and an instrument cluster behind more gleaming metal and configured horizontally. Some of the switches are large dials and levers, unlike most everything you've seen and despite the patina on the dashboard, it's still a treat for the senses. There's a pushbutton AM radio and clock on board, helping complete a jukebox-like persona. Blue loop carpet below is in good shape and the headliner is intact but showing some age while the enormous trunk is lined with carpet and contains a spare in a hard case with, yep, more mirror-like metal! Drivetrain Under the big hood is a clean 364ci V8 rated at 300 horsepower which Buick proudly touted in numerous places on the '58 brochure. It has a 4-barrel carburetor and a Dynaflow 2-speed automatic transmission with 3.23 gears in the back. Power drum brakes are on all four corners and you'll need them to stop at gas stations along the way. Undercarriage Fairly clean for its age, there's plenty of patina and surface rust underneath but nothing invasive or structural, however one tailpipe has a hole. A big X-frame dominates the underside, not an easy task and there are some large components there. The dual exhaust goes wide, then comes closer together just before exiting out the back vi