A very rare 1972 Buick Riviera Boat Tail Performance Cruiser is listed for a very reasonable price, but it needs a bit of finishing touches

There is a surprising number of project cars for sale, nowadays, and while we are not sure whether to chalk it up to the rise in popularity of electric powertrains or not, the fact is, you can currently get a crazy, partially restored project car, for not a lot of money. Such is the case with this unfinished, 1972 Buick Riviera, listed on Classic cars, which only needs an interior, and has an asking price of $15,000.

According to the listing, the car is currently located in Fort Mohave, Arizona. It also says that this particular 1972 Buick Riviera has been designed and customized by automotive artist, Kenny Youngblood. The car is believed to be a one-off, and in its current state is almost complete, only needing a new interior, door solenoids, and a few rubber seals for the window, doors, and trunk lid.

The car is only mildly customized, which has allowed it to retain the classic proportions. The front bumper, which is body-colored, has been tucked in a bit while the rear bumper has been made flush with the body. The car is completely blacked out, aside from the Budnik 17-inch wheels, wrapped in BF Goodrich rubber, and red stripe following the Riviera’s elegant beltline, featuring a distinctive kink between the door and rear wheel arches. The long front hood features multiple small air extractors, arranged in a V-formation.

Air extraction is important, especially when you consider the Buick’s 462 cubic-inch (7.57-liter) V-8. The engine, drivetrain, and suspension have been touched by Bill Wright of Keith Black Racing Engines. The massive V-8 has been blueprinted and features:

- B&M heavy-duty transmission with a “towing package”

- Plenty of reconditioned parts, like the driveshaft, gas tank, sending unit

Other features include a compact A/C compressor and nylon suspension bushings. The PPG Black Urethane paint and airbrushed Faux chrome side trim are done by Kenny Youngblood himself. The paint seems to be in decent condition and gives the car a bit of a survivor look. The interior, which needs complete upholstery, a features factory split-bench seat.

Here’s the real kicker: the listing on Classic cars has an asking price of $15,000. However, we have found another listing for the same 1972 Buick Riviera Boat Tail, customized by Kenny Youngblood, on Ryno.co, where the same car is listed for $27,000. The listing also suggests the car is at Henderson, Nevada, with the seller being Kenny Youngblood himself. Being on the constant lookout for affordable, cool cars, we’d like to think the ad in Classic cars is the right one.

Whatever turns out to be the truth, this 1972 Buick Riviera Boat Tail Performance Cruiser seems like a great project car with an interesting history. Although the Buick Riviera, in general, is not the first choice for a restoration project – the plethora of MOPARs, Chevys, and Fords seems to be a lot more appealing – it’s curious why the father of Project Performance Cruiser wants to sell it, assuming he is the one selling it.

Dim’s fascination with cars began when he was just six. Born into a family of car enthusiasts and racing drivers, he started learning basic mechanics and driving from an early age. While he loves writing for any car, Dim is most interested in exploring obscure and forgotten cars as well as finding the best deals on the enthusiast car market. His passion took him to car restoration in the Malta Classic Car Museum, where he briefly worked on a 1964 Jaguar E-Type and an Alfa Romeo Junior. In Malta, he also graduated Media and Communications, which further improved his skills as an automotive journalist. Dim is always ready to get behind the wheel of any car and tell you all about it later.