$400 Buick Riviera turned into $3M wild custom car that's worth more than Bugattis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis after 22,000-hour transformation
Published on Jul 09, 2026 at 12:08 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jul 09, 2026 at 12:08 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Over 22,000 hours, this $400 Buick Riviera underwent a remarkable transformation and was turned into a $3 million custom car.
That makes it more expensive than Bugattis, Ferraris, and yes, even Lamborghinis.
Talk about a makeover.
What exactly changed to make it so valuable?
We’ve seen a lot of remarkable customization jobs
Over the years, plenty of ambitious gearheads have worked their magic with car projects.
For one Floridian man, that meant turning a cheap BMW M5 into a supercar using only Temu parts.
Then there was the time a Honda Civic Type R was turned into a track monster.
They were impressive, there’s no doubt about that.
But for one Buick Riviera, it was about to undergo a transformation like no other.
This $400 Buick Riviera had undergone a big transformation
This car started off life as a 1963/64 Buick Riviera.
That is, before master fabricator JF Launier of JF Kustoms got his hands on it.
Over a 22,000 hour process, the car was completely reimagined.
Fittingly branded the Rivision, the customized car has gone on to win the prestigious Ridler Award and even made an appearance on Rust Valley Restorers over on the History Channel.
Despite now being worth $3 million, the Rivision was still more than capable of tearing it up.
This was no showroom piece.
That all sounds well and good, but what had actually been done to this car to make it so valuable?
The Rivision didn’t happen overnight – it took 22,000 hours of hard work
Launier hand-built almost every panel on this car, creating something that HotCars likened to ‘a mash-up of a C2 Corvette, a Le Mans racer, and a modern hypercar’.
The beating heart of this yellow beast is a 6.0-liter iron-block LSV V8 accompanied by twin rear-mounted turbochargers.
Even without the 20 psi of boost provided by the turbochargers, the engine clocks in with a mighty 500hp.
The full set-up can reach 894hp, practically making the Rivision a supercar.
This car can get up to 175mph and has amassed 1,300 miles on the odometer already – so this clearly isn’t some garage queen sitting looking pretty.
It would certainly do a good job of that if it had to though, because this was one seriously nice looking car.
And the fact that it was created without 3D scanning makes it all the more impressive.
From the billet wheels down to the hood straps, every part of it had been designed for the Rivision.
All in all, it cost Launier $300,000 to bring this project to life.
That included remortgaging both his own home and his parents’ house.
It was absolutely a risky move, but we can say wholeheartedly that the final product was worth the sacrifice.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
