mt65riv
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Posts posted by mt65riv
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Looks fantastic as always. That stance is killer! I have a question about your exhaust. I put 3" lowering springs on my car and the tires on stock wheels are so close the the exhaust over the axle. Did you modify it to clear your 20s? There doesn't look to be any alternative if you want the pipes to exit out back.
Thanks!
Mike
p.s.
I have been trying to find your grill on ebay but no luck. Do you remember who makes it?
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Thanks for the leads. I did see an original wiring harness - yellow or orange wires I think - and it was easy to take out when the interior was gutted. I didn't get that harness though... I need the switches/motors/wires. Got the panels from here a few years ago. My car came with one motor but I think the mount was wrong. I'll have to look into that again.
Mike
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Wow, it's been a while since I posted this. I was out getting some parts to fix my daughter's car today at an abandoned service station. The guy had the car I was getting parts from and a '65 Rivi. It was pretty picked over but still had the doors/seats/dash and that was about it. It had both the power vents and the guidematic headlight thingy. I tried like crazy to get the car or at least the parts but the owner of the car couldn't be found... lets hope I can find them.
I did hear from a friend that is into 'Vettes that the headlamp motor on the popup '70s-'80s cars is the same as power vents. He said that he has used them on a couple chevys. The question is are there different motors for different cars? He sold the last three he had at a swap meet for pretty cheap... Might be an alternative.
Still working on the floors in mine - what a PITA the replacement pieces are...
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65 RIVI, 65 RIVEY, or reversed RIVI65 & RIVEY65. AZ RIV(I), 1R9I6V5 - too hard! AREIVIR (works in the rear view mirror!
) I saw one the other day - not on a Riv - that was like AGDVRD... could not make heads or tails of it. What is the point of personalized plates if you can't understand them?!? Although I want plates with the vowels removed from my last name - TJNSVLD - looks almost the same to most people...
I had to get GA55ER for my '55 Gasser. Works...
Happy hunting.
Mike
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I like those Canadians. They aren't afraid to drive their stuff.
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Amazing tech. I saw this first with Leno, it blows my mind.
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Cool! Saw the update on FB and I like the color. Good choice. Can't wait to see the results.
Mike
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I had the experience of the Ts rotating when trying to remove my panels and I was able to complete it by using a 6-in-1 tool between the outer and inner panels as a wedge to keep the T tight.
Also, mine had some of that black sticky tar type stuff on the Ts to hold them in the slots, is that what Buick did or would that have been something a previous person did? Is there a spec in the build manual on this?
Thanks for the tech.
Mike
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Not sure what to think about this one. Maybe a bit over the top? At least it's a Riviera.
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I was just pulling a few parts off a '65 locally and the rear tray looked OK until I tried to pull it out. It was cardboard-ish (paper) and disintegrated in my hands. It was exposed to the weather.
I think I will have to go the fiberglass route also like the one that Kraig has. Looks nice.
Mike
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Nice car, dabrille. I like the '58 Impala and the GS too. Are they yours or customer cars? Nice work for sure.
Mike
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Nice work! Keep the pics coming. Always thought that would be a cool car to mimic. Subtle yet wild.
Mike
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It's like that on my Rivs both on the door and the quarter. Doesn't seem like a good idea for water dispersement, though. The one I am working on rusted out under the very front edge of that on the driver side. Maybe because the doors have removeable skins they are somewhat inconsistent? Maybe one of the 'pros' will chime in here.
Mike
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It's like all Tri-Fives are Bel-Airs and all Impalas are SSs...
Nice to see the big $ for a nicely finished Riv. Bodes well for all, I would think.
Mike
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My opinion is that it really depends on what you are buying the car for. If you are going for a high-dollar auction car, it does probably make more sense to start with as rust free of car as you can. To some, a stock rust free car is the most important thing. The buyer may not want to spend $100k on a Riv with patch panels. But that doesn't seem to bother people buying '69 Camaros that have every panel replaced even the roof and still get top dollar. Have you seen Tri-Five Chevys that have been restored that have all new floors firewall to tail panel along with quarters, doors, and front sheetmetal? There were more of both of those cars made than Rivieras.
I look at my Riviera and know that it needs new floors, and that just means it needs new floors. Not that it is a parts car until I can find a Rivi that only needs new stuff bolted onto it. Bringing it back from the dead is a huge part of why I love working on them. (sorry for that reference Mike) It needs the seats reupholstered, should it be junk because of that? It needs the power steering box replaced, should it be junk because of that?
Rusted sheetmetal is just that. Easy enough to replace and do right (or wrong) depending on who does it. If you can't weld and have to farm it out, do it. If you can't rebuild the engine don't you do the same?
I converted my '55 Chevy from a 4-door to a 2-door. I had to get the b-pillars and inner/outer quarters from a couple junked cars along with doors that I had to re-skin. For all intents and purposes my '55 is a 2-door now. All the glass/door panels/carpet/sill plates/trim/etc. are 2-door pieces. Sitting next to a stock 2-door you couldn't tell the difference. Is it that much different than a '55 that had new floors/doors/quarters put on? Not in my book.
More Rivieras should be saved even if they are destined to be 'just drivers' (which is what all of mine will be). Concourse restorations are nice and should be done if that is your goal (and ability $$$$). I get just as much of a smile if I see one at 7-11 or the Concourse d'Elegance in Forest Grove. Either way someone likes the car enough to keep it going and have it out in public.
I'd rescue them all if I could afford to.
Mike
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Are you wanting to go custom for $$ sake? If you have all the parts necessary it might be a cool job. See if you can keep the headlamps in the fenders and use the '63's marker grills instead of going with the center mounted headlamps. I've always liked that.
There should be several cars being parted in Texas if you want to stay '65 but the light parts are very expensive.
Mike
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Wow, I'm not nearly as pickey. I would restore this in a minute if I had the $ to buy it. Good start on a car that should be worth it when finished. The Riv I have needs floors and complete interior anyway so if it was a factory 2x4 425 I'd be stoked. Who knows what other options are visable. Vents, headlamp dimmer, etc. Needs work no doubt, but a parts car? Should be saved.
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Could be good custom tech with photos...
Nice car and an ambitious plan. Hope that it all works out!
Mike
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Nice! Now some seam sealer to hide the welds a bit and you're good. I love Rock Auto.
Mike
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A GS would be valued higher for insurance replacement. Isn't that an agreed value policy? I have mine through Chubb and they took the VIN but the value was a number that we agreed on. Also, as I am improving the car and it's value goes up, I let them know and they make adjustments on their side.
Other than that, check out the ID article just to see what might be under there...
Mike
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Welcome. Your '65 looks like it is in good shape. Nothing wrong with Torq-Thrusts.
It pays to take the old parts for these ino NAPA when you are getting the new ones so you can match them up. I have had problems a couple times on older cars getting the right parts and not just NAPA - O'Reillys, Cost-Less, Baxter's too. If it's not a Chevy it seems to be a gamble on wheter you will get the correct part.
Keep us posted on how things are coming along and enjoy that car!
Mike
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Looks great. I am looking at getting Astros and wonder are yours 6 or 7 inchers? I have a '65 with 3" Jamcos.
Mike
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'Finally got my '63 on the road!!! T.N. 12969 '
Wow! That's a great color combo. Striking! :cool:
I don't know what it is about the silver interior but I love that color. Thought about doing mine ('65) even though it's wrong but I think I am going back to the stock gold exterior and I don't want to think Burl Ives everytime I take the car out.
Mike
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Looks fantastic! Glad that you got some hardware for the effort too. I got wires for mine too but I'm a ways away from driving it...
Mike
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If I sell, what's this car worth?
in Buick Riviera
Posted · Edited by mt65riv (see edit history)
What Ed said. I just sold a front grill/headlight/corner marker set in OK condition for $300. Front drums seem to be in demand if they are good/rebuildable. Not sure if the '63 has the same door pins for interior lights as my '65 but those are always in demand. The steering wheel is a cool one even for someone wanting a different wheel in their Chev or rat or ??? Any other options like the remote trunk release and hose, power vents, etc? Maybe make a list of all the options and what are good and post it here, you never know.
I would pull all the stuff that is good into one pile and all the rotted bondo-ridden stuff into another. One you keep, the other goes to scrap. Even the engine may be worth a core for someone. Either that or take the first offer closest to a grand and consider it a wash... mine was $400 but nothing in the interior was good... maybe the column, that was about it. Too rusty.
I have one in similar shape that I need to just pull the parts off of and scrap. It is just so sad for me to do... sending another '65 to it's final rest...
Mike