65 Glove box won't close - tips or advice?

[Guest Rivdog]

I know this must be a common problem because in about half of the Riv's I see the glove box won't latch shut. I'm having this problem as well. I fiddled with it for about 15 minutes and can't figure out why it won't close. Is there a trick or what?

 

 

[RivNut]

Most likely a broken hinge plate.  The hinge is attached to plastic.    Great design, uhn?

[petelempert]

Rivdog-I had the same issue. Here's what I did. First, put on some relaxing music and get yourself a tumbler of bourbon. This is an annoying fix and you'll need to be relaxed, patient and prepared to spend about an hour without getting mad and breaking things even more. Then, open the door to the full open position. Take out the felt/paper liner. If possible, remove the lower padded section (where your knees hit) so you can access from below. From there you'll be able to see if you have a hinge attached to broken plastic as Ed noted. If broken plastic is the problem, you'll probably need to fix the plastic base with some JB weld or other epoxy (sort of a PITA). In my case, I just had some parts that over the years had gotten way out of alignment. Gently loosen all the screws related to the door, hinges and catch/lock. Take the door off and see if you can align/tighten the hinge screws to the dash without the door on. Then, try and put the door on but leave the catch screws loose. Trial fit it a few times to get it straight but do this without the catch being fully tightened. Once you get the door correct (opening and closing) then start messing with the alignment of the catch. Finally, put some lubricant on the hinges and re-assemble. Mine now snaps shut with authority. It's like a switchblade. Good luck. PRL

[RivNut]

Good advice, but I prefer gin and tonic. 

 

Pay particular attention to what Pete's saying about the catch.  You don't want to have the door latch itself shut then not be able to get it to release.   I also noticed that your glove box door has the same turned up veneer in the lower left corner that 90% of the 1st generation Rivieras have.  The catch releases but the door won't spring open.  So you stick something behind the door to pry it open, BUT you get under the veneer instead of the door.  Opps.  I've seen a couple of Rivs that have used the knobs from cigarette lighters, the same as all the other knobs on the dash, and mounted them on the face of the door.  If you didn't know it wasn't supposed to be there, you couldn't tell.  Then you use the knob on the door to open it rather than a screw driver or nail file under the veneer.  The hardest part is to get the veneer to lie back down.

 

Good luck,  just take your time, and go one step at a time.

 

Ed

[Pat Curran]

As Ed states, the design was not great from the get go.  The same basic dash was also used on full size 63 and 64 Buicks.  I was lucky to find a 65 Riv in the junk yard about 10 years ago with an unbroken hinge and I swapped out the right hand side of the dash on my car.  I'll never do that again!  It was a pain but an effective fix without a band aid.  The parts car did not have a trunk release in the glove box which probably prolonged the life of the hinge.  Another issue with these is that the top of the glove box liner starts to sag and did so at an early age.  Buick issued a metal sleeve that slides on to the top of the glove box liner to prevent it from sagging.  They shipped these to the dealers and they were a free fix back in the day. 

[Guest Rivdog]

I continued to fiddle with it and fixed it (sort of). The issue I don't think is the broken hinge plate. If you look at my first photo above, i took a small screwdriver and attempted to move the catch while pressing the button. I finally got the catch to rotate so now it will accept the door closing. It closes and latches now but it's a two handed process to close the door. I press and hold the button and then close the door. I will try the suggestions above (substituting vodka for gin and bourbon) but at least now I can get the door to close. Thanks to everyone for their help! 

[RIVNIK]

 I have messed around with my glove box door for twenty two years..... I repaired the broken plastic with JB but it still isn't perfect ....I just quit goin in there at some point. One of the annoying things I found with the whole design was the stiffness of the spring in the light switch. It takes too much pressure to compress that spring which puts stress on the repaired part. I removed the switch and everything works better (except the light of course) .The door closes nicely, and when I press the button the door still pops out enough to open it.... Drew

[Guest Rivdog]

Solution for me: I sold that car and bought another one that doesn't have the issue. Problem solved!

[slosteve]

While we're on the subject of the glove box door, would someone please tell me the safe way to remove the emblem on the door. I've noticed the two small, round plastic fasteners(?) on the backside but don't want to break something without asking the folks who have gone before me.

Steve