new member with 65 rivi

Hey all, been looking at this forum for while now, about a year and a half I obtained a 425 single 4 all matching , almost every option. Getting ready to send her to paint this week, stripped all the trim and chrome, door handles too, shaving it. Pulled the engine and tranny last week due to a vibration at about 3000 rpm, and yes the guy that sold me the car said it was rebuilt motor and tranny but couldn't produce paperwork, so I took it for as is , he put a new flywheel but installed it wrong, with that ruled out I still am sending the motor out to get balenced and .20 over with new forged TRW pistons. Got all the nice stuff for it 66 qjet intake mani that I port matched and did the doc duel plane, 7042240 qjet, Mooneyes valley, fenton valve covers, obrian breathers eelco plug covers, allum star wars air cleaner isky 1101 cam, getting the heads ported , I ported the exhaust manis , getting them cermachrome coated intake too. She will be painted two tone PPG black on top and gunmetal grey on bottom , leather wrapped interior blah, blah , blah you guys get the picture. I want her to go as much as show so any advice is welcome. I named her the "Highway Star":cool:

Welcome !

Any pictures ? We like pictures .

Sounds like a sweet ride, but without pics, this thread is useless. JK. But, please do post pics, and welcome to the forum. Good to hear about another 65 saved from the scrap yard.

I most certainly will , I'm uploading photos from my phone, not sure how to do this I.I know my daughter is 10 she could figure this out.

I most certainly will , I'm uploading photos from my phone, not sure how to do this I.I know my daughter is 10 she could figure this out.

love it ! :cool:

Welcome!

How do you like the fenton valve covers, I saw that obrien's is doing reproductions, is that what you bought or do you have originals? I like the style of them just curious about the quality, I've been told that pml (yourcovers.com) makes awesome ones for the rivs.

I bought the repops from O'Bian truckers, my father was the head metal polisher for Fenton back in 1961 to 67 and said these valve covers look real nice quality, and he did remember polishing those valve covers along with lots of other products, the owner of Fenton was Harvey Fienklestien my fathers boss was Bud Armstrong, Buds son had a show 1958 Impala that he would let the company use while he was away in the service, they used to install products and take to shows, they would tell my Father " put a jewelry finish on it Jack"!

Snake, this thread is driving me crazy because I would like to see some pictures

of your Riviera! Pics please!

Sorry Seafoam65 I only have an IPad and trying to upload these pics, not sure how to do, can I get some help! The moment I start you'll have to tell me to stop.

When you're in the reply box, the third icon from the right in the tool bar (tree in a window?) is your image upload link. I figured it so it should be a piece of cake for you.

Sorry Seafoam65 I only have an IPad and trying to upload these pics, not sure how to do, can I get some help! The moment I start you'll have to tell me to stop.

When you're in the reply box, the third icon from the right in the tool bar (tree in a window?) is your image upload link. I figured it so it should be a piece of cake for you.

There are a lot of different methods of getting the pictures downsized enough that the Riviera Forum

will accept them. I can tell you how I do it, but there are many other ways to accomplish the same thing. I take pictures with my digital camera and then load them into my computer into my

"1965 Buick Riviera file". The pictures will load into my computer just fine directly from my camera,

but the Riviera Forum will reject them as being too large so I downsize the images by half before

posting them. I have a program I've downloaded into my computer called "Infanview" What I do is,

after I have the full size pictures in my computer file, one picture at a time I click on a picture that is too large and bring it up full size on my computer screen. I then right click on the picture and slide

the cursor across the "open file with" line and onto Infanview. This brings the picture up on the screen with Infanview. Then on my keyboard I hit control R, and infanview brings up a chart with boxes indicating the desired size of the picture. I click on the box that is half the original size then

hit save. Next I hit Control S and I hit save on that screen and it replaces the original size picture in my computer with one that is half as large. Now I am ready to post up my pics. I go to the thread and hit "reply", type in "here are some pics" then below the box I typed in I click on "Go Advanced" That will bring up a box below the posted thread where I click on "manage attachments"

That will bring up a box where it asks me to "select file". I click on "select file" I then bring up the desired picture file on the screen and click on the picture I want to post and in the box I click on

"download the file" and it will be attached to my post. If I have another picture to post, I just click on the "select file" at the top of the box and click on another picture the same way, then hit "download the file". When I am finished loading all my pics, there is a box that says "done" . I click on that and the pictures are then attached to my post, then I just submit the post. I know this all sounds complicated, but it is very easy once

you learn how to do it......only takes a couple of minutes to do a picture post.

Was able to post this, not sure how I did it. This is a repop of the star wars aircleaner in aluminum, polished to go with Fenton valve covers and GT breathers all accents are painted POR-15 ford red, not pictured is moon eye valley cover Eelco spark plug covers with ceramic chromed exhaust manifolds and q-jet manifold

That looks awesome!

2011 in stock form, getting it running, taking off door handles and installing remote poppers, electric moonroof ( factory bend) shaved all emblems except trunk tri shield, pointing out all corrections for body shop and stripping all fenders & chrome.

Had a vibration issue at about 2500 rpm, since I was going to paint entire car custom and engine bay too, I pulled the engine and tranny to take a look see. investigating the vibration issue took me too check the off set flywheel, and yes it was installed wrong.

After further inspection of checking pistons cylinder cross hatch and pistons were .030 over, it ensures that it was a fresh rebuild but the person doing the rebuild work was not familiar with buicks. The tranny was taken to a shop to get checked out and was also a fresh rebuild. as for the tranny I had a trans go shift kit installed and new socket connection on the switch pitch detent. I pulled the heads and did my homework on porting and started the porting and polishing business myself. Also under the blue paint on the heads was red original paint, I checkec the head numbers and they are from a 1966 but the block is original.

Here is just a bit of the porting work I started, found out the hot set up was a 1966 Q-jet manifold, that I ported ala Gesseler style and port matched and ported the exhaust manifolds also.

Thanks for the pics....looks like a nice project....keep the pics coming and we'll watch

your progress.

Hey Snake,

You may want to read up on some recent threads on this forum about using Sharpies to mark things on the body. Some members say that there could be a bleed-thru issue with new paint. I'm sure that if you enter 'Sharpies' in the search window you can read up on it. IMO worth looking into as you enter the paint (read expensive) phase.

I'll check it out, but I will post the progress it's been painted but body was stripped to bare metal with 80 grit and sanded with 500 before epoxy priming.

Hey Snake,

You may want to read up on some recent threads on this forum about using Sharpies to mark things on the body. Some members say that there could be a bleed-thru issue with new paint. I'm sure that if you enter 'Sharpies' in the search window you can read up on it. IMO worth looking into as you enter the paint (read expensive) phase.

meanwhile back at the body shop car was stripped to bare metal using 80 grit then hand sanded with 500, now time to look at all the repairs.

lots of repairs on the body, rear window chanel, floor boards, trunk

and some more repairs

and more body work to get it shaved ,smooth and shaped like a bullet.

had to make a decesion on paint, PPG was the paint supplier on my 1995 harley davidson FLSTN, so I chose PPG Vivid Black and charcoal satin bright ( gun metal grey matalic) and PPg DCU 2021 clear. This pain is real durrable, had since 1995 and changed the look on my tanks with a 65 look.

I am curious about the rust on the side of the C pillar on the roof. Was

this a vinyl top car?

I am curious about the rust on the side of the C pillar on the roof. Was

this a vinyl top car?

I have noticed this more with Rivieras , very common is sail panels, rear quarter very back bottom. Passenger floor boards rear window and trunk. The trunk and rear quarter back rust and water damage is due to trunk weather strip failing getting water into the trunk, sail panels and rear window are from the rear window, a lot of damage due to poor design water sits inside the rear window under the stainless starts to rust and rot continue as a cancer effecting the inside of the Chanel and onto the panels, some on the drip rails. Passenger floor board rot is from the wing window leaking from the inside down the side inside panel onto the floor pooling up under the front of the seat. This car I have sat a very long time, it was last operated in 1977 from the original owner and sat since , the guy I purchased it from bought it and cleaned it up to look desent.he got it running but still rough, installed flywheel ( wrong) new batt, new starter and alternated and new brake lines. There was a lot of parts left in the trunk like old flywheel , lifters Pistons rockers tranny shaft. It told me there could be a possible rebuild but not for sure. He painted it blue that looked real fresh so I was skeptical . The guy I got it from said it was sitting against a tree and looks like a large branch fell on it also, it was originally purchased in Bolder Creek Ca, and rested in San Diego Ca, so technically I am the 2nd owner since the guy I bought it from never drove it or registered it. I'm finding out this car is more rare than a GS since there was only 2300 made of this model, it had every option except dual quad and rear end posi, I have a 3.23 posi on the garage floor and a 300 converter that's a higher stall 3200. The guy was asking $8700 back in 2010 i negotiated and only offered him $4000 he kept telling me the engine and tranny were rebuilt but could not produce receipts , we finally decided on $ 5000 , I'm very pleased with this project.

I'm finding out this car is more rare than a GS since there was only 2300 made of this model, it had every option except dual quad and rear end posi.

What's your basis for stating it's more rare than a GS. The only thing more rare would be the non-Gran Sport with the A8 engine option. That would be an LX motor (dual fours) in a base Riviera. What code is on your block? Does the engine serial number match the VIN? Just curious.

All numbers match, if you look up rare it would be the fewest of its kind, and yes there was only 2311 LW 425 Rivieras made in 1965, that's my basis, it's simple English. I agree that a 1965 Riviera Grand Sport is more Desireable, but There was only 2311 LW Rivieras Made in 1965, there were 3850 Grand Sports made that were more desirable than a LW but the LW is more rare since it's the fewest of its kind.

Gotcha. Singel four barrel 425 '65 when the 401 was standard. The rare one is the LX engine in the base Riviera - 454 units.

Time for thye paint, Primered and a coat of sealer primer, sprayed the gunmetal metalic grey let dry then masked off then sprayed the Vivid black let dry. 3 coats of the PPG DBC then 4 to 5 coats of the DCU 2021 clear

after color sanding flat gave Bob Coslett a call to lay down pin stripe.

Awesome thread......keep the pics coming!

After paint 7 pin stripe car was tacked clean and 3 coats of DCU 2021 clear to lock in the pin stripe, engine bay also and chromed some of the door hardware.

Some custom stuff star wars aircleaner was a repop in aluminum, had it polished and mainfolds ceramichromed coated, the carb is a 1972 BBB quadrajet this is the 800 cfm. With all the porting work I did on the heads and manifolds a cam was selected to compliment these mods, I had a custom grind Isky 270 int dur and 280 ex dur, .469 intake lift and 496 ex lift on a 110 LC , the heads were bench flowed with real great numbers, so I was told by others on another site. I am at a stand still at the moment since there is still some small issues at the body shop, Inwill be assembling the motor soon , installing heads valve train , manifolds and tying all in with all the aluminum finned parts that have been painted inside the fins with POR-15 ford red and the block got 3 coats brushed on real glossy.

somemore custom stuff and my ideas, has some 903 stailess waterjetted emblems made for the Rivi, 'Highwaystar" in various parts of the car. instead of wood veneer I perchased real carbon fiber inserts dash and door kit , that should tie in real nice with the interior plans, leather pebble finish two tone black and grey with red french stitching. I custom modified the inside door handles by cutting the squared latch part shaving them and chrome then installing Nickle plated Art Deco knobs. The buick 8 emblem was from a 1937 buick, the console will also be pin striped with the two tone and follow on the dash with red pin stripe on the panels front and rear dividing black from grey, this stripe continues when you open the door on both sides to the outside stripe. Other Art Deco designs will be incorporated into the interior. The Rally wheels were painted with the PPG gun metal grey metallic , the tires will be the Diamondback whitewall with red stripe that is shown on Rivillac ( not mine) the caps were re chromed and bullets added they will be accompanied by bullet lug nuts. More to follow later

More interior ideas, the seats will have these art deco design inserts like the bench seat but centered in each seat, the knife end design is what im expecting, the seats will take on a newer type of countour like the finished ones on the 1958 impala pictured with tan, but like I stated before it will be with two tone black and grey leather with pebble finish and red french stitching. I added Super sport chrome trim to both seats and the bottom seat trim is from a 1972 Newport , the arm rest with storage compartment is from a 1993 Mercedes Benz, I welded a bracket that attaches to the inside of the drivers seat and retracts up out of the way but when you want a proper arm rest on your right side it is proportional to the other arm rest on the door panel, with out that horrible gangster lean. GS stealing wheel will be leather wrapped and hand stitched in two tone with red stitch, the shifter knob will be an Art Deco design lokar 3 speed shifter. As for the tunes it will be a stock Sonomatic am radio that came with the car but sending it out for a conversion that will look original but have all the functions of a modern stereo of today with aux, blue tooth for pandora or iPod or I phone controlled remotely , will be adding my iPad mini with a flexible arm attached installed on the passengers side that will be along side the center console just for music, navigation, videos or whatever. Speakers will be stealth in the doors5 1/4 components front bottom and tweeter in the plastic arm rest near window button, the rear will be in the arm rests also and tweeters a little higher on the panel , center rear seat grill will house a coned sub from inback and sound deadened inside the intire rear seat package tray to the back trunk compartment. Want it to be smooth sound but crisp, the moonroof was a " Factory bend" as they call it , it's a late 1970s GM electric moonroof from a Monte Carlo or Lincoln or Caddy. It's a 40" they cut 41 inch opening clamp on some jigs then start to to chisel the top then start to bend the front metal down and the rear metal folded behind, thus calling it "Factory bend" looking like a factory installation, then the refurbished moonroof is installed from under inside the car, drainage tubes are installed and channeled to the rear trunk area. All electrical is installed and functions with a GM looking window switch , but I am going to use the antenna switch that is on the front dash to open and close it since I deleted the antenna and shaved that area. Setting the seats back 2 inches for a little more leg room, I have some rear seat trim from a 1965 ford thunderbird that I will add to the rear so that seats are inset , and wrap into the center grill . I have some sail panel ribbed trim from the thunderbird that I used in the mockup of the door panels , they look great there. inhad all chrome stainless and trim re chromed and polished waiting to go on the car. More to follow later.

Hopefully will be working on the engine set up this weekend, more to follow.