65VerdeGS

The car will scrape on the exhaust flanges ahead of the resonators which hang lower than any other part of the vehicle. Sounded nasty, but no damage was done as I went really slow over the bump!

Hi Ed Yes, I've mixed up the Gran Sport and H2 "Ride and Handling" option. Sorry about that. Technically I should refer to the H2 option springs, not GS springs, as there is no such thing, other than the majority of Gran Sports were apparently ordered with the H2 option Your post opened with the statement that "all Rivieras came with the same springs". Did you mean "all standard Rivieras came with the same springs"

My '65 Gran Sport is riding on its original factory springs. Soon after I got the car almost 40 years ago I installed 1" steel spacers underneath each rear spring. That's sufficient to bring the car to the correct ride height when the car isn't carrying any extra passengers (i.e. driver only). About 20 years ago I installed air shocks in the back to bring the rear ride height up when carrying back seat passengers. Unless I pump up the air shocks the car will scrape on regular height speed bumps if I have anyone in the back seat. Two passengers in the rear make it worse! The ride height of the car without any passengers and empty trunk (spare tire and jack only) is 24" front, and 23" rear. That's with the air shocks deflated. These measurements are from ground to the inner edge of the wheel well. I'm thinking to replace the springs with a set from Coil Spring Specialties, and replace the shocks with set of Bilsteins all 4 corners. In my case would it be prudent to replace the rear springs only? Or, should i replace all four springs at the same time? What are the pros and cons (other than cost) of replacing all 4 springs vs. replacing only the rear (sagging) springs? Did Buick install different rear springs on GS cars with A/C? My car does not have air conditioning. Does that make a difference to the rear springs that should be specified? I want to ensure the car does not sit higher than stock for a GS once the new springs are installed. I've seen Rivieras with replacement springs that sit way too high, something I wish to avoid. Anyone willing to share their experience and advice on replacing springs on a '65 Gran Sport would be much appreciated! Seasons Greetings!

Addendum: Jason Zerbini is another 2nd Gen expert who would also know the rust proclivities of your '66.. He may be able to advise you on best way to deal with that base-of-windshield rust.

JFranklin - you are not alone for I had t look Jr. Brown up also. We learn about more than just Rivieras on this forum!

Hi Hugo, Anything is restorable, given enough time and $$. A skilled welder can probably cut some fresh patch panels to replace the rusted sections beneath your windshield. I'm no expert, but I had similar rust issues in the back window channel of my '65. The bodyman who did my car repaired it by cutting out all the rusty sections and replacing with new steel that he bent and fabricated to match the original metal. Darwin Falk, our resident 2nd Gen expert, can advise on other options and more importantly, if this type of rust is actually repairable. Does it extend further down and back along the firewall? Good luck with your project.

Yes, at 4:46 you see Junior Brown piloting his white '65:

Money well spent as the steering wheel is what often meets our eye as we drive our Rivieras! Someone in New Jersey needs to ask Steering Wheel Bob if he'll take on an apprentice so his skill-set honed over 55 years can be passed on to the next generation.

That rubber cone is a gasket to keep dirt & water out of the inside of the door.

I plan to attend the BOA Annual Meet in Spokane next year. Would be nice to meet up with any forum members there.

Not defending anyone who makes inferior parts, whether they come from Mexico or China or anywhere else. Most iPhones are made in China yet few would argue that they are inferior products. Just saying.

Bob - the two photos attached to your last post show up for me as black squares. Can you re-post them?

Hi Bob PM sent.

The spare is held down with a rod hooked at one end, and threaded at the other. The hooked end is held by a tang welded to the center of the 'shelf' where the tire is stowed. The tire is held down by the jack base plate and secured with a big 'wing' nut. Getting the spare onto the stowage shelf, fishing the hook onto the tang, then securing the whole jazz with the the jack base plate requires a fair bit of strugglng, esp. if your spare is a 235-75 15 like mine!

If your interior is black (with black vinyl or cloth seats) then likely the painted interior plastic console and lower dash is likely a dark charcoal color. This would be painted with a 'satin' finish - not matte. This same color would be used on the metal trim pieces surrounding the back seat, and in between the seats, etc. Post the TRIM code from the Fisher Body plate on the driver's side firewall. This code will reveal the interior trim type (Standard or Deluxe) and color your Riviera was born with.

I paid $2,000 for my '65 GS in 1983. The guy wanted $2,200 but it needed a muffler, so I got him down a bit...

Found this ad in an 1988 copy of "Auto Trader" advertising a Gran Sport for sale in Florida: Sounds like a pretty sweet deal at only $3,000, and that was his asking price. That equates to $7,757 today according to the US Inflation Calculator found here: https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ Boy, these cars sure have gone up in value in the ensuing 34 years!

I'm not getting any...

Hi Brian, No worries - if one becomes available, let me know. Thanks, Alex

Hey Brian - those came up beautiful!y! Did they have cracks in them, or just dulled? Are you offering any of them for sale?

Bob - Are you reproducing the wood wheel horn buttons now? Is the photo you posted a prototype, or are these available now, and at what price? Thank you,

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. My question was precipitated by this eBay listing for a passenger window for a '65: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/183762995386?fits=Year%3A1965|Model%3ARiviera&hash=item2ac920c8ba:g:1oIAAOSwqz9baePk&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoHb29szZ7xGkIAIbC3g5pEYoAk3knMTSHbGUiUuH7UAPP4ZGyI%2FDD1D0qQNytNyHSioV1loeug18xJPkj4BqdtbCf6FVih3i%2Bvb3uis3TKmIfZLBxiZ1IR%2BLXeFB%2F9Q5Xsb4r3REKzFy7L25D9qoi%2FQrAdTF1B9eth6JXasxcc5hzV%2B8br63USdAwNQzrDLrk60njjA%2B3jtfWu3IIomxRKk%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4rsotWLYQ The seller states that the left and right door glass will interchange, so I thought to verify his statement. Any red flags come to mind when you look at this listing? My driver's tinted glass is a bit 'cloudy', definitely noticeable when compared to the other windows. So I'm thinking about replacing it, and perhaps this is a good window glass to get? Your thoughts?

Is the door glass for driver and passenger side interchangeable? Can one use a passenger window on the driver's side? Other than the "Soft-Ray" logo being backwards, what other downsides would there be to using a passenger window on the driver's side? Are there any mods that have to be made for the swap to work?

Last night we watched one of my favorite James Bond movies: Goldfinger! I think this was one of the best Bond movies ever made. It included all the classic 007 elements: pretty women, the legendary Aston Martin DB5 loaded with all those cool gadgets beloved by boys of all ages, and the male chauvinism that would never be allowed today. In this movie you'll see laser beams, an early digital read out (on the bomb countdown timer, of course), and lots of cool production cars from the '50's and '60. Knowing this film was made in 1964 I enjoyed spotting cars during the movie. An early example of product placement, most of the vehicles used in the film are Ford and Lincoln products. However, in one scene I spotted an unmistakable white 1963 or '64 Riviera! In this scene, "Odd Job", Auric Goldfinger's henchman, is driving a mob boss to meet his fate when he passes the Riviera driving in the right lane. Another great car spotting film is 1967's Point Blank, starring Lee Marvin. Classic is a scene in a "Big John's used-car lot featuring many C2 Corvettes. The sharp-eyed will spot a dark green 1965 Riviera Gran Sport parked in the lot, sporting ribbed rocker moldings and two-bladed GS spinner hubcaps: What's your favorite car spotting movie?

Hi Gene, That would be great if those seat trims can be made available again. Do let us know, as there will be interest in them!