Kevin Dawson, of Lima, took over the customization of this 1964 Buick Riviera after his father passed away. The customized effort included air suspension, one of the most popular modifications that car enthusiasts do to make their vehicles stand out.
LIMA – When Kevin Dawson brought his 1964 Buick Riviera to the Charity Car Show earlier this year, he was reminded of the enjoyment his Dad received while working on the vehicle.
“We found it around four years ago in front of a barn near Van Wert. There was a lot of rust on it, but Dad (Richard Duncan) saw what it could be,” the Lima man said. “It was Dad’s project, but he passed a year after we bought it.”
With the project in Kevin’s hands, the effort to customize their prize vehicle continued.
Tops on the list was an air suspension system. The factory shocks and struts were replaced with air shocks that allow for adjustable ride height at the touch of a button.
While the air ride is most noticeable, it was just part of the effort to customize the Riviera.
“It has a custom interior, custom radiator, custom grill and relocated headlights,” Dawson said.
The car has a Buick 425 Fireball V8 engine, more commonly known as the “nailhead” by enthusiasts for the unusual vertical alignment of its small-sized valves. The Motor City Garage website describes these features as the result of putting both intake and exhaust valves on the intake manifold side of the “pent-roof combustion chamber.”
What makes this car so special to Dawson today is simple.
“My Dad liked it,” he said.
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