This eye-popping, gold 1966 Buick Riviera was built by Hot Rods and Custom Stuff in Escondido, California. The shop’s owner, Randy Clark, stops in at Jay Leno’s Garage to talk about the build. Randy opened Hot Rods and Custom Stuff in September of 1964, and this car is one of the crowning achievements of the shop.
Close to 3,000 hours went into the work on this Riviera, and the level of detail is insane. While this 1966 Buick Riviera was under the knife, an entire 1,500 hours was dedicated to the paint job alone! The custom panel painting accounts for a large amount of the paint time; this style of paint design is not for the novice painter.
Even though the car has clearly had a lot of work, it still looks like a Buick and hasn’t lost it’s identity during the customization process. This custom Riviera started out as a fairly nice car, and underwent a full makeover. The engine and transmission were rebuilt, it got a new rear end, rebuilt Buick brakes, it’s been lowered, and the top has been chopped 3-1/2”.
The Riv also rides on an AccuAir air suspension for a ride that’ll make you feel like you’re floating. Powering the Riviera is a 425ci engine with dual 4-bbl carbs — the car was not originally equipped with the 2×4 setup, so the team had to install a new manifold to make that work.
Under the hood, the engine bay looks as if the car had just left the showroom. While the 2×4 carburetor option was not factory for this particular car, it was a very limited option in 1966, so even that looks like it belongs under the big hood. The a/c and alternator have been upgraded, but mostly everything else has been restored to stock.
Colorado Custom Cycle Wheels made the 18-inch wheels to mimic the stock 15” wheels that came on the car. All the trim is factory, but the doorhandles and truck lock are all shaved. The inside of the car is fairly original in style, with a color scheme to match the exterior.
This banker’s hot rod has not lost it’s original style, while also having head turning style at the same time.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
