West Coast Classics are proud to present this well know magazine featured chopped and stretched custom 1964 Buick Riviera known as 'Lorraine' and featured in 'Car Kulture Deluxe' & 'Ol Skool Rodz' magazines and built by well know builders Brad Masterson, Gary Brown & John Patsimas. Brad of 'Masterson Kustoms' shop was located in the old George Barris Brothers building in Lynwood, CA and Masterson had apprenticed under both George Barris & Bill Hines!
Hines & Masterson masterminded a top chop with a five and a half inch vertical drop but with the rear window remaining at stock size. The front fenders were extended 4" and the rear quarters were extended 4" at the bottom making the angle above the '65 Riviera rear bumper about the same as the rear windows angle.The hood was reshaped, also extended 4 ", but only in the center. The side scoop area was also reshaped right behind the doors. Gary Brown of 'Brown's Metal Mods' of IN rebuilt the suspension and brakes amd installed and set up the Ridetech air ride system. Brown's cut a two-piece flat aluminum firewall cover and bonded it to the original for a custom smoothed firewall. The original hood ornament was removed and the hood peaked. A 1957 DeSoto front bumper was customized, reshaped and shortened and sectioned front to back as the new grille bar. Brown capped the front ends of the front fenders and made new bezelsto hold the upper pair of a 1966 Cadillac's stacked headlights with aluminum blades in the center. Brown's reworked the power windows and vent wings to work with the new chopped top and customizing the '65 Riviera taillight bezels.
The car was then transported to 'Street Rods by Michael' in Shelbyville, TN, a top notch and well respected street rod builder where a newly rebuilt 1964 425 Nailhead engine was installed with components from 'Egge Machine', 'Alan Grove Components', Speedway Motors', & 'Holley Performance Products'. A new 700R4 transmission was ordered from 'Gearstar' and installed on an adaptor from 'Bendsten's Speed gems', and 'Ron Francis' 24/7 Wire Works wiring system and the 'Vintage Air' air conditioning was installed behind the instrument panel. They also installed the Dynotech rebuilt driveshaft and installed the U.S. Radiator & Maradyne dual cooling fans.
Finally OPGI provided multiple components like seat foam, dash pad, trim, windshield, rear window, weatherstripping and moldings, interior upholstery, carpet & door panels. Stock Riviera colors and inserts were used to make the White & Green custom combination & 'Gibbs Auto Interiors' installed the seat upholstery on the OPGI foam. Custom Autosound provided a resto correct fitting radio with marbleized drum wrap from 'Walopus' and Bob Scanlan from the 'Riviera Owners Association' to cut it to specifications. Con2R rebuilt and restored the Riviera gauges and created a custom two-tone steering wheel. 'Killer Designs by Darin' designed a custom script horn button which 'Con2R' added to the new wheel.
'Tamco Paint' mixed a custom color 'Lorraine Green' and 'Byroms Auto Body' of Tullahoma, TN painted the car. 'Performance Plus Exhaust' of Tullahoma built the custom exhaust system around a 'Waldron' dual cross flow muffler. Patsimas finished the wiring and modified the stock Riviera shifter to work with the 700R4. Jason Wright of 'Preferred Glass' in Shelbyville, TN cut then new windshield to fit the chopped top using a fiberglass pattern that Patsomas created. Jason also installed the rear glass and cut new side glass. 'S&H Chrome Plating' of Madison, TN finished all the chrome and stainless as well as the aluminum headlight blades. 'Tullahoma Seat Cover' installed the interior and created a custom headliner. Patsimas finished the assembly of the car and installed the polished 'Trusespoke' wheels and 'Coker' tires.
This car will remind you of the classic period for automotive customizing, a time when people like Dean Jeffries, Gene Winfield, Ed Roth and George Barris were the standard bearers for a generation. The body was modified by Brad Masterson of 'Masterson Kustoms' in Lynwood, California, but it was a consortium of talent that truly created this car. The body was chopped 5.5 inches, the front fenders were extended 4 inches, and the rear fenders were extended 4 inches and redesigned to achieve a new angle. A gravel pan was added along with a 1965 Riviera rear bumper with modified tail lights, the side scoops were reshaped, and the hood was extended 4 inches in the center and, like the rear fenders, reangled. Gary Brown of Brown's Metal Mods in Port Leyden, New York, capped the fender ends and added single 1966 Cadillac headlights with center blades. He also added a narrowed 1957 DeSoto bumper bar and grille and a new front pan below the bumper. Brown also rebuilt the front and rear suspensions, installed a RideTech air ride system and hung Truespoke 15x6 50-spoke chrome wire wheels. The stock power side windows were modified to accommodate the chopped top.
- Body chopped 5 1/2 inches, front fenders extended 4 inches, rear fenders extended 4 inches and re-angled
- Tail lights filled
- 1965 Riviera rear bumper and gravel pan added
- Reshaped side scoops
- Hood extended 4 inches in the center and re-angled
- Gary Brown of Brown's Metal Mods in Port Leyden, New York capped fender ends, added single 1966 Cadillac headlights with center blades and narrowed 1957 DeSoto bumper bar and grille and new front pan below bumper
- Peaked hood and modified stock power side windows to fit the chopped top
- Smoothed firewall and modified 1965 Riviera taillights
- Brown's also rebuilt the front and rear suspension, installed RideTech air ride system and Truespoke 15x6 50 spoke chrome wire wheels with Coker radial Whitewall tires
1964 Buick 425 CI Nailhead rebuilt by Matt's Speed Shop in Murfreesboro, Tennessee using parts from Egge Machine Bored .020 over with +.010 crank bearings
- Holley 650 CFM 4-barrel double pumper carburetor with stock intake manifold
- Offenhauser finned valve covers and air cleaner
- MSD electronic ignition
- Alan Grove Components drive system
- Maradyne dual electric fans
- Gearstar GM 700R4 automatic transmission with Bendsten's adapter
- Balanced driveshaft rebuilt by Dynotech Engineering Services
- Drivetrain installed by Street Rods by Michael in Shelbyville, Tennessee
- Custom Green and White vinyl seat upholstery and door panels
- Green carpet and pearl console inserts
- Custom Green, White and chrome Con2R steering wheel and chrome Ididit tilt steering column
- Gauge cluster rebuilt by Con2R
- Vintage Air gen IV system
- Custom Auto Sound AM/FM radio
- Ron Francis 24/7 wiring system
- U.S. Radiator 4-core aluminum radiator
- Waldron's dual transverse muffler
New windshield wiper motor
New windshield and back glass
You will look long and hard to find a finer example of this no expense spared and true one off and legendary 'Barris' inspired custom build of this increasingly appreciated 1964-65 Buick Riviera generation classic!
