CheezeMan

Just a week before Lexington, I managed to bust the n/s switch while trying to fiddle with the shifter bushing under the console. Yep, while I had it all apart, I pushed the shifter too far north and shaved the pin right off the switch, with a swift and clean slice; reminiscent of Arby's meat slicer. After the "oh-crap" (more expletives followed), and then the sense of "what now? Lexington is a week away"... Having tried super glue, elmer's glue, epoxy and many other adhesives in the past with horrible results, I decided not even to attempt those old remedies that would most certainly yield a catastrophic failure at the wrong moment. I had already bought some Plast-aid <Plast-aid® multi-purpose repair plastic for your repair solutions.> for repairing the console (the bolt "fingers" at the top that always break). So, I decided to try this stuff on the n/s switch. It worked! I drove all the way to Lexington and back without issues. The switch repair stayed all the way. This stuff is amazing! Ok, yeah, I still bought a replacement switch... If I ever need it.

Is that how the scratch got on my car?

Attaching a photo of the clips, and the spare tire bracket. Seems you could use both.

found this hanging in Sloan today... maybe they have more info. You can contact Sloan to look up information on this car from the Perry Archives.

Yes, checked that. This photo shows when I first put on the new parts last year.

Steele, 'twas bored one day and played with a photo sticher.

Trying to get ready for Lexington... I completely went through the brakes last year (machined the drums, replaced the following: shoes, springs, wheel cylinders, soft hoses, stainless hard lines, master, rebuilt the booster), but the front right brake just never adjusted or seated right. I've put about 400-500 miles on it hoping that would wear them in. The problem is that when lightly pressing on the pedal (parking lot maneuvers or low speed stuff) I hear the front right give the normal engaging noises but then keeps repeating them like some have described as an out-of-round condition. About the only way I can think of it, is that the primary shoe starts to make contact then doesn't complete, and it repeats with the spin of the wheel. Just like it needs an adjustment. I took it to a local olde-time garage just after doing the work, and the owner said I had them adjusted almost right, and finished it for me. he told me to drive it a few miles to wear the corners off. He is also the one who machined the drums for me. Since then I've put 400-500 miles on and manually adjusted the star gear several times, to the point where it is tighter than the left, so it pulls a little right when breaking hard. Under harder braking, they work just fine (other than a slight pull). Any ideas? Thanks!

Looks a lot closer to production than the previous concept...maybe we'll see a version of this produced.

Change your name to "Buck" and tell the folks it is personalized.

Makes me want to start a new thread, "Girls dreaming Buick!"

I heard they design the gauge to stay near full longer, and then drop like a rock at the end on purpose. They want the needle to stay full as long as possible to give you the impression that it is sipping instead of sucking the gas. So, when you put in what is about 1/2 the capacity, the needle will be a bit higher that 1/2. I have another car that the gas runs out long before the needle goes down. Now thats a problem. I need to fill it before it reaches 1/4. Been stranded a couple times by that.

My '63 has a 425. The carb number is 3578S.

I would like to extend a big Thank You to whomever dropped off several recent Buick Bugle issues on my doorstep, including the most recent on the 50th Anniversary of the Riviera. Thank you!! I enjoyed reading all of the issues; So much that I just filled out the BCA membership form and sent it in. (Although I don't know who dropped them off, I have a suspicion of who it may be. Therefore, I used his name as the member who referred me. )

When I tried the dealer for this part, they sent me to Trim Parts. Trim Parts You need to be creative in searching this site. Seems they don't catalog the Buick parts very well. I had to search for Chevy to find them. Like Ed said, they were common between car lines over several years. I ordered mine replacements from them. This link should take you direct to the lens. Trim Parts You may want to get their catalog. It will be easier to find parts. There is a button on the contact page to request the catalog.

I recently purchased a copy of the first picture from a guy in the Netherlands who claims to own the negatives. He indicated that this photo was shot in March 1963, but did not know the location. does anyone know or recognize the building or location? this is one of my favorite pictures.

Ed, thanks for getting that on the ROA site!

No brainer... got my vote. Please post pics as the restoration continues forward. Good Luck!

Here is a quote from another, but completely unrelated post that seems to fit the "level" of discussion here.

Just make sure that the trans is up to operating temperature and on a level surface before checking or adjusting fluid levels. Most transmission services need the trans hot. Make sure that the fluid is the correct color and not burnt. Draining and replacing with new fluid may help. Has it been leaking, and someone keeps filling it with too much fluid? Check if the shift control linkages are worn. You may not be getting it into gear correctly. Since you have the manual, look up the section that talks about diagnosing the automatic transmission. Maybe one of the problems/causes listed can help you. Do the simple things first, before tearing into it.

Yes, it could be part of a dealer training filmstrip. I bought a copy of such (for '63) that was transferred to DVD. It is an old slide filmstrip with an accompanying record. When you play the record, it will probably have a special sound-effect to indicate a manual change of the filmstrip that a person would have to do while playing the record. There is a similar type of filmstrip on youtube if you would like to see how it works. 1963 Thunderbird vs Riviera Filmstrip - YouTube

They could put some color back into it. Specifically red, white and blue. Vote for your favorite, or submit your own design! . .

1963 Chicago Auto Show Caption: "A popular display in the 1963 Buick exhibit was the full-size four-door hardtop that automatically split itself down the middle, exposing the inner components of the engine bay, drivetrain, six-passenger interior and large trunk.".

Randy, Any update on the ribbed aluminum? I've been looking for better pieces as well to fix my scratched ones.

I've noticed that the seafoam green deteriorates down to an ugly shade of green over time. If the paint were fresh, it might appeal to more people.

There are 2 things that make this even worse: 1) Riviera units are different from every other Buick. 2) '63 is different from '64 for Riviera. You might have better luck winning the lottery than finding another one. BTW: I just finished fixing my old one. It was frozen shut like most others have experienced (ditto the broken TEMP control lever). I dis-assembled mine, freed up the center shaft and then re-assembled. Not the prettiest thing with all the tool marks on it, but the gate moves freely now. Still need to do some testing before I pronounce this a success.