Boat Tail Riviera - Big Bad Buick 455 Top End Rebuild - Stacey David's Gearz S12 E7

Full Episode
Stacey rolls in a Big Bad Buick Riviera, and shows you what is possible with the right vehicle and some bolt on parts. This 1972 Riviera is a great entry-level project that won’t break the bank, and has the potential to serve some serious humble-pie to any unsuspecting hot shot that may want to mix it up at the stoplight. As it sits, the big 455 under the hood is a force to be reckoned with, but Stacey shows what a weekend in the garage and a top end rebuild can do for a car like this! Get ready to get your hands dirty and bust a few knuckles as Stacey pulls the old heads, intake, cam, and ignition off and replaces them with performance parts from companies like TA Performance, Edelbrock, and MSD. It’s a lesson in Buick and bolt-on horsepower, and you’re only gonna find it on GearZ.

[@regalgn1]

TA Performance is Badass and those heads are high $$$. All of his parts cost more than the car.

[@TairnKA]

Seeing grill designs like on this and 70s Camaros, Vegas, etc... I'm reminded of a custom touch I would do of cutting off the bumper section directly in front of the grill (leaving an inch of bumper). Fabricate or find round light buckets (like 1940s car headlights), fab mounting brackets and mount the buckets to the cut off bumper ends so bucket trim starts an eighth of an inch ahead of the bumper (place thin rubber seal between bucket and cut bumper end). Modification to bucket most likely will be needed to properly clock driving or fog light in bucket. Modification may be needed to bucket for clearance with grill and/or structure behind grill? ;-)

[@chriscagle6898]

Hey , Stacey can you do a build up on the Carroll Shelby era 4 cylinders. Jeff p.s. I have a 2.5 Dodge Shadow ES and I need some power and exhaust , plus stopping power. Thanks

[@bbb462cid]

TA Performance is the only name you need for your Buick 455. Tell Mike I said "hi". But I certainly would have went with a 795 Qjet if not a Thermoquad at 1000cfm.

[@XCRiders]

I would do something awesome with that front bumper similar to a GEN two Camaro split it !!

[@jamesjunior6982]

A.M.D.. Auto metal.Direct ... Words too

[@Kenjiro5775]

Brings back SO many memories! My folks had a '73 Riviera when I was a kid. I loved sitting in the back, tilting my head back and looking at the world and sky through that huge back glass. 😁👍

[@Ian-of9oi]

Your parents were cool. That’s an awesome car.

[@heavychevy4616]

i LOVE the boat tail buicks! ...FLETCH Lives!

[@kellyh4035]

My dream car, in GS trim. Hard to find.

[@Vincent-ke5zn]

That is a tank, you could hit something doing 40 mph and then get out and see what you crushed

[@cannednolan8194]

Need some of those tools.

[@stevew270]

You can have fun on a tractor, buy an antique tractor!

[@XCRiders]

Stacy David is awesome

[@kellyh4035]

The only thing I disagree with is the head studs. Should always use ARP, but I believe ARP made these anyways. Lol.

[@bunit3691]

I got a question for mr. Stacey David I just want to know what the guy look like that bent you over the casting couch so you can get that job cuz you are sooo awesome at what you do... and fire the guy that gave you those plugs

[@ChrisSmith-wj8yw]

He fro got about timing gear pistons cranke

[@kellyh4035]

These shows always skip over dealing with the a/c gas!

[@lolcomickus]

Nice

[@ronbianca1975]

Hey Stacey! What did all the parts and pieces cost for the 72 Riv. ? Keep up the GREAT VIDEOS !

[@josephrainey1805]

I just looked up all the prices for these parts. Feb 2024 it’s a little over 10k for parts. 😮

[@nferraro222]

Not bad..ish. Burning cash on those heads will come back to bite you later on, when you have to figure out what to do about the rear diff. HD 12-bolts only have two gearsets and posi units are as scarce as hens teeth. I looked for years before I finally said "screw it" and went with a Ford 9".

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Those were some badass jumper cables

[@kevinw5690]

Awesome project.

[@anthonylewis6335]

Awesome!

[@2H80vids]

This is like watching the QVC channel, just with more ads.

[@darrenporsch]

Did they ever finish this

[@carlsegerstrom3989]

I have never seen someone hammer a screwdriver under a head. Is this recommended?

[@17buckrogers]

which is better a double roller chain or gears?

[@bmstylee]

Chains will eventually stretch. Gears don't have that issue.

[@foamdataservices]

But chains are quieter. To get close to the long term accuracy of gears without the whine use a belt set up.

[@leddygee1896]

I wouldn't have put a carburetor on that engine, I would've put a fuel injection unit on it...🤔 great project car by the way!!

[@normansabel1850]

Stop bashing carburetors. Carburetors are cheap, easy and produce the same or more power than FI.

[@micowee6714]

Taking the cam out and putting new in is much harder, you mess up the timing and gotta get it right again, for that you need specific tools. Hes making it seem like a 1 day job, its not