Project "The Gent" - New to classic cars

[Kool-Aid]

Hello everyone, I am excited to be finally posting on this site! A little background about myself, I have been into cars my entire life and I have always been into racing and building high HP cars but after building several Cobras and Lightnings I picked up an extremely low mile 04 Cobra (11,400) and I got into the cruising/car show scene. Now I'm hooked  and I want to build a custom classic. My Grandpa always owned mid 60s Buicks and my dad's first car was a 63 Riviera and after always seeing how unique these cars are compared to all the other cars you see at the shows I knew the Riviera was the one.  

I had been keeping my eye on a Craigslist add for a little bit and finally decided to go check it out. It was for a 1963 Riviera with a 401 and 81k on the clock and another 63 parts car with full interior/ tirm and a spare 401. The car looked pretty clean besides a few small rust spots, the owner said it was a posi car so I took a gamble and snagged it up. I for sure want to keep the nailhead but I am going to be building it so any good websites for performance parts/builders would be appreciated. 

 

From what I can tell from the body plate the car was 

Built in Dec 

#11,834

Blk/Blk Interior

Per seats

Arctic White

Can anyone help me figure out the other letters?  Thank you 

 

[Rivman]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your find. Here is the info you requested.

 

12A = first week of December 1962

788 = Black Leather & Vinyl

J2 = Power seat, 4- way adjustment

CC = Arctic White

D = Provisions for any of the five radio options

I6 = Soft-Ray tinted glass – all

N2 = Air conditioning

SU7 = Remote side view mirror/Power windows

 

Your first move should be to join the ROA, all of the above info is available on the website, and it is money well spent.

 

I'm sure you will get plenty more inputs also, again, Welcome & Congrats!

[Kool-Aid]

1 hour ago, Rivman said:

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your find. Here is the info you requested.

 

12A = first week of December 1962

788 = Black Leather & Vinyl

J2 = Power seat, 4- way adjustment

CC = Arctic White

D = Provisions for any of the five radio options

I6 = Soft-Ray tinted glass – all

N2 = Air conditioning

SU7 = Remote side view mirror/Power windows

 

Your first move should be to join the ROA, all of the above info is available on the website, and it is money well spent.

 

I'm sure you will get plenty more inputs also, again, Welcome & Congrats!

Thank you for the info!

[PWB]

Congrats and welcome aboard!

 

[RoadShark]

Welcome.  There's nailhead info to be found here also:

 

https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?forums/da-nailhead.9/

[NC1968Riviera]

Welcome to the forum. As stated previously, consider joining the Riviera Owners Assn. (Link on forum home page or https://www.rivowners.org.)

 

The investment is worth it due to the wealth of year by year info available.

 

Regards and enjoy!

[Seafoam65]

           Ditch the STANT lever cap radiator cap. The lever is subject to hitting the underside

of the hood and denting the outer skin of the hood. If it hasn't already happened it is a miracle.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[68RIVGS]

. . . welcome to the wonderful world of RIVIERA, and the ROA  forum !

[Kool-Aid]

On 8/15/2017 at 4:33 PM, Seafoam65 said:

           Ditch the STANT lever cap radiator cap. The lever is subject to hitting the underside

of the hood and denting the outer skin of the hood. If it hasn't already happened it is a miracle. 

Thanks for the info!

[RivNut]

One thing you should do is turn your battery around so that the positive post is not next to the fender.  The top of the post in that configuration is very close to the braces on the bottom side of the hood.  More than one of us hashould experienced a huge electrical problem when the positive post touches part the body. 

Some sources for "modifying" your engine would be:

J&C's (Carmen Fasco)Tonawanda, NY

Russ Martin, Grass Valley, CA,

Tom Telesco, Norwalk, CT "If I don't have enough it, you don't need it"

TA Performance, Scottsdale, AZ

 

The options stamped into your data plate list only the options installed at the Fisher Body plant. Other options installed during final assembly do not appear anywhere but on paper work that came with the car.

 

Ed