65VerdeGS

Hi Telriv, I just went and checked my Riv's doors - on both the spring and arm are intact and in place, nothing missing. I'll have to study the operation of the door more closely to see what would cause the door to override the detent when parked at an angle

For sale - Set of power vent window gears. These are brand new, never used. These gears are made of Bronze, which is more durable than the OEM pot metal gears. Exact fit for 1963-65 Rivieras. Bought from CARS two months ago - their part # VG595. Still brand new in the packaging, never used. My cost was $89.50 for the pair, plus shipping. Sell for $65 for the pair, plus shipping to you.

For sale - Set of two brand new door locks with original style GM keys. Fits 1963-65 Rivieras. Bought from CARS two months ago - their part # DLS596. Still brand new in the packaging, never used. Cost $was 36.00 plus shipping. Will sell for $25 the set, plus shipping to you.

Yes, and the TH-350 first gear is 2.52. That's why the acceleration is noticeably better than with a Powerglide.

I'm sure that's a very nice combo! I considered swapping in a 2004R for the 2-speed Powerglide in my '67 Corvette, which has a 3.08 rear. Instead I went with a built TH350. This was a way less expensive swap vs. using the 2004R, was a near bolt-in, and gives me way better launch from standstill with modest RPM's on the highway.

Hi Tom, You often come up with interesting details about our cars... It seems strange the factory would put non-matching rear seat belt buckles on a Custom interior car. Oh well. Do you have a photo of a standard '65 seat belt buckle?

Do these bushings have anything to do with the door not staying open past the hinge detent thingy? I don't think my doors have ever had their bushings replaced. They don't sag, but the driver's door won't stay open on any kind of incline.

Hi Doug, Well, that's disappointing to have the windshield arrive broken! I've ordered the same windshield from Summit, so your experience doesn't bode well for mine arriving in one piece. Please let us know how Summit responds regarding your damage claim. I'd expect them to send you a replacement at no cost to you. Knowing how things went for you will help me in case I have a similar experience. Thanks,

I've never head of such a thing before. I 'm surprised road dust would cause such extensive damage. Could it be that some a truck drove by venting some harsh chemical? Or that a corrosive chemical drifted down from above, pitting the windshield and back glass? That might explain why the side glass was not affected. Good luck getting the damage fixed.

No, these pieces were never painted - only chromed. Ditto for the ribbed section at the rear of the center console by the ashtray. I'll be curious to see how the piece turns out once you have it chromed. Sometimes there is a loss of 'definition' to the detailed casting areas when such pot metal pieces are rechromed. Good luck with the job.

Hi Mark, In case you're interested, here's a decode of your Riviera's body plate: Date built: First week of December 1964 BODY - assembly sequence number = 48,752nd Buick built for the 1965 model year ST - Style 1965 Riviera 2dr coupe FB - Flint manufacturing plant TR - Trim code 601 - Blue vinyl standard interior PAINT - DD - Astro Blue (note the meaning of the STAR after the paint code remains a mystery!) Options: E - Tinted glass, all windows X - Power windows T - 4 way power driver's seat S - Remote trunk release 2R - Rear seat speaker 3T - Rear center arm rest 4F - Remote control mirror (driver's side) 5K - Door guard mouldings 5G - Rear seat belts Note that not all options installed on your Riviera are coded on the firewall body plate. Fischer Body only coded those options that were installed in the body back of the firewall (inside the car) prior to the body being mated to the engine/chassis on the assembly line. This means options like Cruise control, Guide-Matic, 4-note horns, etc. could have been factory installed on your car, but these won't appear coded on the body plate. Probably the rarest option in your Riviera are the rear seat belts. Very few were so equipped. I don't have the percentage here, but it's well under 5%. Any chance you could take a photo of the rear seat belts? I don't think I've ever seen a factory installed set on a '63-'65 Riviera!

Hi Bernie, You recently bought a Pilkington #DW00629 windshield for your '64. Did you notice anything strange about the shaded band across the top? Is the shading and tint the same as the original windshield? Thanks,

Yes, I this ad was pulled down from the Vancouver CL yesterday. Good to know it was a fake. Figured as much, - the low price was the first sign.

Nice story Ed. - that price is stupid cheap!

A side note about the Burgundy Mist car, is that sticker on the air cleaner next to the snorkel correct for the year?

What about the optional BUICK tachometer? I know these were offered by dealers back in the day. I've seen some added to our 1st Gen Rivieras - some where the ashtray lid is, others somewhat awkwardly strapped to the steering column. Anyone know if the Buick tach was offered with brackets to fit the '63-5 Rivieras?

HI Tom, Yes, I first tried using the small prybar I have. But it's angle was too wide to get enough room to pry against the column cover with the curve resting on the hub. Your suggestion prompted me to find another tool to pry with, and I was lucky to have the channel-lock pliers at hand. Funny how simple jobs get complicated without the right tools!

Hi Gene, I finally got around to installing the chromed steering cover you sent me last fall. First, I had trouble getting the steering wheel pulled b/c I used the wrong bolts and stripped part of one of the threads (Duh!) I got that sorted out so was able to proceed with replacing the cover. One challenge as others have noted was removing the old pressed-on cover from the steering column. I tried various methods, including Tom M's small prybar method, but that old cover wouldn't come off. Then rooting around in my toolbox I found a pair of Channel-lock pliers that turned out to do the trick! By gently prying with the jaws against the hub around its circumference I was finally able to get the cover off. Here's the new cover installed: Looks much better! I'll put my old cover in the mail for you this week, as promised. Cheers,

As many of us do, I occasionally peruse Craigslist to see what's out there. My search for Buick Riviera turned up this surprising listing close to me here in Canada: Of course my interest was quickly drawn to the fact that this is purported to be a Gran Sport, highly optioned. Also, the seller is claiming to be located near Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, just a ferry ride away from me. Upon closer look I noticed some 'anomalies' such as the bullet outside rear view mirrors on both sides, and the Gran Sport emblems on the fenders and trunk are not in their factory correct locations. Nonetheless, the car has the 2x4 engine, deluxe interior, A/C, etc. The first hint that something may be amiss with the listing is that the price is rather low, especially as the seller is in Canada and presumably is asking for Canadian dollars ($1.00 Cdn = $0.70 US). So, I sent an email via CL's server to ask the seller a few questions about the car. A day or so later I got a reply via CL from the seller, but he didn't answer ONE of my questions. He asked for me to communicate with him via my personal email. That raised another red flag. A closer look at the listing's pictures raised further suspicions. The vegetation behind some of the photos is not consistent with what you'd normally see here in the Pacific Northwest (I'm an expert on trees). Hmmm. To further investigate whether this may be a scam listing I Google Mapped the supposed location of the seller (as shown on the location map in the listing). The houses and trees don't match the photos in the listing, confirming my suspicions of this being a scam listing. I further read on this forum that there had been ads for a green GS floating around online that were scams. Is this the same car? Lastly, how does this scam work? If the seller gets my personal email address, what could he do with it? Wouldn't he need rather more info to do something nefarious? I'd never buy a car based merely on an online ad. I'd want to go inspect the car and drive it, etc. A transparent scam would be to offer a car like this for super low price hoping some sucker might send a money order or bank transfer without actually seeing the car in person. Do people fall for that? Your thoughts?

Thanks Tom! Good to know. I called Summit yesterday and ordered item 400043595 - tinted/shaded windshield w/LoF logo (Pilkington DW629), for $96.99. This is the same as ordered by Doug (Kdml). The cost, including shipping to Canada with tax & duty only came to $133.24. That's an excellent price! I couldn't get the free shipping offer, as this only applies to USA orders. I was told the windshield is shipped from Pilkington to Ohio which is their international ship depot before it's sent FedEx Ground to me here in Canada. So it could take several weeks before it arrives here. Summit allowed me to have it shipped direct to my glass guy's shop, saving me having to haul the thing from my house to his shop for installation. I ordered the windshield over the phone and their agent Bryce was very helpful. I'll let everyone know when my windshield arrives. I hope it arrives in good shape!

Right you are Ed! My bad. I think what my glass guy said was that OEM windshields were 3/8" thick, but some repros are only 1/4" thick. Maybe Tom can confirm the thickness of the OEM windshield he has?

Hi Tom, It would be helpful if you could measure the thickness of your OEM windshield as I want to contact Summit to ask for the thickness of the windshield they are selling. My glass guy told me that many replacement windshields are thinner than stock. I think he mentioned OEM being 1/4" thick, with replacements 3/8". He said this isn't a big deal as they add more sealant to compensate so there won't be issues with the height of the installed windshield in relation to the moldings. So, if you could confirm the thickness of your stock w/s, that would be great. Thanks,

Thanks guys for your advice, The car drives fine at the moment (no pull to one side) but its been some time since I had it aligned. I don't drive it that much, so am not too concerned at this point. Before I take her in, I'll re-index the steering wheel to the hub so things are lined up properly once the alignment is done.

Hi Doug, I was pretty excited to read your post about a '65 shaded and tinted windshield being available from Summit at such a reasonable price! Thanks for sharing this info with us. I have a '65 still with its original, pitted windshield. So, I'd love to get a new one. Being able to buy a replacement for only $127.15 all-in is simply amazing! I'm thinking to order the one with the "Generic LoF logo". Did the folks at Summit indicate that this is an etched logo, as appears on the original windshield? Did they explain the difference between this cheaper windshield logo and the other, more expensive version? You said the more expensive one has a "sprayed on" logo. Is that the only difference? Is custom date coding included on the spray on logo (which wouldn't be correct BTW)? I'm not hung up on the logo business, just want to understand the options before ordering myself one. Thanks again for sharing your discovery!

Hi guys, Well, here's an update. As Winston remarked, there are scribe marks on the wheel hub and steering shaft. I just didn't see them before (Duh!). So, I removed the wheel and repositioned it. However, even when the marks are lined up the wheel is still hanging a bit left when the car is going straight ahead. That bugged me so I took the steering wheel off again and moved it another notch. Now the wheel spokes are balanced left-right when the car is going straight. Does this indicate I need a wheel alignment? It's been quite some time since I last had the front end aligned. I don't recall having curbed the front wheels or anything to throw the alignment out. Would the alignment change over time on it own. Would it make sense to reposition the steering wheel as per the scribe marks and then take the car in for an alignment? That would let the alignment guys know that something wasn't right. Correct? Thanks for your tips on this.