Paul K.

Good camshaft discussion thread below from years ago. Many of us have been down this road before and my journey has a brief explanation in my post from 2011.

I wasn't impressed with the car either. Personally, I didn't like the paintwork. The right sail panel had divets in the paint from unfinished sanding and the metallic looked too large to me. All said, hard not to like any 1st gen Riv.

Ditto. Thanks, Keith for YOUR support by reproducing these parts.

Does anyone have their classics insured with Hartford through AARP? I've had Hagerty for years, but notice Hartford is offered with an AARP discount. Thoughts?

What did the seller say about the interior and engine swap? Being the son of the original owner, I assume he has known the car all of his life.

PM sent

Sold.

1966 shop manual. $35.00 shipped to lower 48 states.

Some of the best cars I have owned I felt I paid "too much" for at the time of sale. But I learned early on its better to "step up" and pay for the best you can afford. Often a cheaper car in the end. I bought my '64 Riv in '81. From what I remember, they were not "all over the place" for $1k.

+ 1 on swapping for a set Buick Road Wheels.

FWIW, my 64 has the rear seat armrest with standard steering wheel. Also has the base interior with manual windows and A/C. They could be ordered or built any way.

Adding a little "levity" here: If the photo you posted above is from your car, then it will be a coolant drain very soon! That part is one of your engine block core/freeze plugs and its looking rusty, weak and will begin to leak sooner than later. Depending on the access, a special tool may be required to install a new plug. https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4603-Frost-Remover-Installer/dp/B000XSGKYO

@ RivNut. The trans is out on a pallet and rebuilt prior to storage 5 or so years ago. From your message, its the same as the Buick. @ EmTee, will check the numbers. It looks like the original Harrison tank. Thanks to both of you. Can anyone provide measurements of the A/C condensor for a 64 Riv? Mine went missing years ago. THX.

Does anyone know if the radiator for a 64 Cadillac DeVille is the same as a 64 Riviera? My neighbor has one and it sure looks the same. Also wanting know if the 64 Cadillac transmission and AC condensor are the same? I haven't gone back to take measurements but thought I would ask here first - maybe someone here has a Hollander parts interchange manual? THX.

Yep. That would be nice and the best of everything in one car IMO.

That depends on what you like. I could mention a few thoughts but It’s a topic for a separate thread. BTW, I like ‘65s. 🙂

Not positive about 1st Gen Rivs so I defer to the experts here, however, your thinking makes sense. GM stamped a lot of frames with the VIN on the frame rail - RF on 66 and 67 Cadillacs and LR frame rail on 72 Pontiacs. I mention these vehicles because I owned them. According to research I did for my 72 Grand Prix, GM used an engraver that was a roller type. It was not uncommon for the last few digits to not be as deep or legible as the preceding numbers. A CA CHP officer once told me EVERY vehicle has a VIN stamped SOMEWHERE on the frame. I'm skeptical when someone uses the terns like "EVERY" and "ALWAYS." Law enforcement agencies have books that list the locations of VIN plates and what type of rivets they are attached with plus locations where VINS are stamped on the frame or unibody.

Thanks Deanko, good info. No offense to anyone but those Corvette guys! 🙂

First, contrats on a quick and relatively cheap fix with success. However, sometimes I've not been so lucky. R-12 is about $20 per pound give or take. Investing in some inexpensive gauges and a vacuum pump ($60) is a prudent measure for others in a similar situation. By evacuating the system before adding refrigerant and confirming no leaks, If there was a leak without testing first, you would not have wasted a pound or more of R-12. Ask me how I know? https://www.amazon.com/Orion-Motor-Tech-Conditioning-Maintenance/dp/B08V5JWJSB/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvITMrIW0-QIV1Bt9Ch0wEQGzEAAYASAAEgLzx_D_BwE&hvadid=410037927523&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9052460&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7058989007119826229&hvtargid=kwd-316671003563&hydadcr=7466_11110444&keywords=r12+gauge+set&qid=1659851679&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExU1pOWTRZSVdVTk5HJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODExNTM0MVpEUDVWVDJKTjczNSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDQ0MzE1MlJDREc0SzkwNTVHMCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU= https://www.harborfreight.com/air-vacuum-pump-with-r134a-and-r12-connectors-96677.html

Reading this thread, a question comes to mind. For Concours judging, are correct engine bolts necessary to avoid point deductions? I've had a few of my non Buick cars Concours judged but my Buick is my long time "driver" (40+ years) so I don't really care about perfection. When I rebuilt my engine, I installed new and correct length/grade bolts but generic ones. The bolts pictured in the kit look like generic hardware store bolts and don't have what I call a "flat washer head" like the factory provided. Its been a while but I remember Nailhead engine parts fastened with these type of bolts are the valve covers, timing cover and water pump, intake and exhaust manifolds and possibly other parts. Probably overthinking this but have always been curious from a judging perspective if bolt heads are noticed.

Studies prove that synthetic oils provide better lubrication and anti-wear protection. These are facts. Other studies dispel myths that synthetic oils will leak from an old engine. Most engines have used neoprene seals for years and if your gaskets are good, it won't leak. Your Olds 307 will be fine with synthetic and I like the earlier mention of using a synthetic oil and adding some ZDDP. However, I'm still in the "Dino" camp like many and have had great luck and many miles using conventional oils (how does 260k miles on a Ford Aerostar with never a valve cover off sound?). When sold, it still ran great, 20 mpg, and passed CA smog tests easily. I was using Castrol 10w30 but no longer use that brand and for no negative reason. Today, for a conventional non-synthetic oil, I use Valvoline VR-1 Racing Oil which contains roughly 1300 ppm zinc (.13%). I started using the 20w50 viscosity in my air-cooled Porsche 911 as recommended by many others in the Porsche community. The Porsche is a hot-running and capable of high revving engine. The selection of viscosities for VR-1 is limited but they do make 10w30. Often gallon jugs are on sale so I stock up when I can for my Rivy and El Camino. Until something changes, this is my "go to" as its a name brand, and has the zinc. Its also ready to pour or an engineered all in one product. Regarding one of the OP's questions - A lot of things besides zinc can cause a cat to fail, primarily rich air/fuel mixtures and misfires. So, for me, zinc is low on my list of concerns. PS. The zinc in oil topic is a never ending rabbit hole. 🙂 https://www.sclegacy.valvoline.com/about-us/faq/racing-oil-faq#:~:text=Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil contains," Racing Oil%2C which contains . https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-10W-30-VR1-Racing-Motor/dp/B00DJ4FMK2/ref=asc_df_B06XKT6Z2R/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241961652672&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4156796233229686420&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031293&hvtargid=pla-599373295604&th=1

Hi All, Its been a while since on this forum as I sold my '41 Cab 8 years ago. I have a radiator that I want to sell. Its an old original, however, one inlet and outlet spouts were blocked off when the car had a Cadillac engine. The previous owner went back to the Lincoln engine ant this radiator came with the car. I don't know what its worth, but from what I've seen on ebay around $250? I'm in Carlsbad, CA which is SoCal. Local pick up would be best but I will ship if needed at buyers expense. Paul

Check the oil pressure hot and idling in gear as mentioned and with a mechanical gauge under two conditions: 1. After driving in city or urban areas for a few miles and 2. After a sustained highway drive -say 5 miles over 50 mph If the hot and idling in gear pressure after the highway drive is under 5 psi or noticeably lower than the urban/city drive, then there could be worn engine cam or main bearings. I realize the engine was "rebuilt" but thinking "worst case" its possible the rebuild was a quick ring and valve job. I say this because you mention the oil consumption at such low miles on the rebuild. But lets not go there just yet. Also make sure your idle speed is set high enough - around 550 in drive. That's just a close generic specification for a GM car with AC.

Thank you Ray and Tom for the info.