Eric's.64.Superwildcat

Outstanding. Congratulations.

I would exhaust all possibilities to repair the original motor. What troubleshooting have you performed so far, and what were the results? Start by looking at the Chassis manual to determine where there should be 12v power and test those locations with a lighted probe.

I don't know that steel wool is the best thing for cleaning glass. There's a difference between cleaning glass (to get all the dirt off) and polishing glass (which uses a very gentle abrasive in a suspension to buff out fine scratches). I have Griots Griots glass polish which I purchased with the extra polishing pads for my random orbital polisher. You'll get better results with a machine since it can do in 5 minutes what a human can on in several hours by hand. Before you polish anything the glass has to be really really clean. I also have Griots foaming glass cleaner. This isn't just expensive Windex. It cleans really well and removes stuff you can't get off with soapy water. You should wear gloves when applying it. If your glass is good, you might do well with the following: 1. Old fashioned cleaning with hot soapy water (several passes) and rinsed with cool clean water 2. Griot's foaming cleaner (or equivalent) applied with micro-fiber towel. Wear gloves. 3. Griot's glass polish (or equivalent) applied with glass polishing pads on a random orbital machine. 4. Repeat step 1 to remove any residual polish and its abrasives. 5. Glass sealer (any brand) If you were to follow all those steps then your glass will be the best it can be. Obviously, polishing won't correct actual chips in the glass. The only fix for that is replacement. The steps above are for good glass that doesn't warrant replacement.

The crank itself is probably fine. Its most likely that something is binding in the travel of the window mechanism. The outer door skin is fairly easy to remove. Once removed you should be able to find the problem quickly.

I remember seeing a thread about correct first gen tires some time ago but I can't find it. It documented the original whitewall design (which had multiple white stripes close together vs. a single solid stripe). I have a vague recollection that someone mentioned they could still be purchased as a special order from a certain vendor and were quite expensive. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Thanks.

The gauge of the jumper wire seems too small for the amount of current the fan can pull. Ensure that you use properly sized conductor.

Its most likely this is a parts car. Be sure that is what you want to do with your time and your $500.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Buick-Riviera/263668202493?hash=item3d63d97bfd:g:hmUAAOSwjXNa8J7b&vxp=mtr A friend of mine is looking at the '64 in the link above. I noticed it had an ROA sticker and I thought I would ask if anybody knew the car. It is at a dealer in Clarkston Michigan. Thanks.

Below is a photo of what I believe is correct for a '64. I used this photo to polish and paint my wheel covers last winter and I'm happy with the results. Please note that the wheel below isn't mine. I took that photo at the 2015 ROA meet and the car belongs to Bob Stemm.

Here is a link to a thread that documents the process. Good luck with your project. Window Motor and Roller

Hi Rob. Before you spend money on a new window motor you might try removing and cleaning both the existing motor and the window channels. The motor's gears will need to have all of the old grease broken out and fresh grease installed. There is an excellent chance that the motor is fine but that a thorough cleaning of both is what's needed. If you're helping it down by hand it suggests that the electrical circuit is fine, but there is too much resistance elsewhere in the window's travel. It would be very frustrating for you if you installed a different window motor only to have it suffer from the same problem.

How does switching to a non-AC fuel filter make a car run better? Will it increase the possibility of vapor lock on a hot day? Thanks.

Just a follow up on the replacement of the broken window arm. I took the piece to a welding shop and had it repaired for $40. It is now back in service. A photo of the finished installation is below. Thanks for everyone's help.

My current project is working inside the doors to refresh everything and I have a question regarding the gear for the power vent windows. I have the vent window motor opened up and I'm cleaning out the hardened old grease and generally refreshing it. My driver's side power vent window works fine but my passenger side window can be finicky about catching. (The motors function perfectly, I think it is the gears that are the issue). Below are two photos of my driver's side window gear. I see that there are replacements available such as this one at OPGI https://www.opgi.com/riviera/1964/window/window-hardware/BR01467/ However, the replacement is made of bronze. Wouldn't bronze be softer than the original material and therefore subject to failing? As you can see from the photos the teeth on my current functioning window are shifted. I'm amazed that it still functions. I expect that once I get into the passenger's side and remove it I'll find the gears to be in even worse shape than the driver's side. Does anyone have experience with these pieces and their aftermarket replacements? I'd like to do it right the first time so I don't have to open things up again. Thanks in advance.

I was just looking at the rubber replacement kits (which include the felts) on OPGI and Clark's. Clark's doesn't have an 'Everything' kit and it's more expensive than OPGI once you select all of the individual pieces. Is it possible that Clark's is selling from a different supplier? Does anyone have experience with the Clark's window felts?

Ah, now I understand. Thank you Tom!

Hi Ed. I want to understand all of the options available to me regarding the aluminum wheel covers. I'm not sure which piece you're referring to when you write "the knock offs for the cast aluminum covers". What are the 'knock offs' and who sells them? I'd like to have a look. Thanks in advance.

I have the aluminum wheel covers on mine and I just refinished them this winter as they were oxidized and very dull. Keep in mind that the total cost of going with the aluminum wheel covers (which are awesome, btw) is not just the cover. It is the covers + spinners + the logo inserts. The logo inserts are not reproduced, so you may have to pay a fair amount of money for good ones in the after market. The spinners are chrome and over time the chrome will fail. So, again, you may have to pay a hefty sum for good spinners in the after market. You can purchase pitted ones and have them re-chromed, but it leads to the same end (i.e. a hefty sum). The chrome wheel covers can be cleaned, buffed, polished and painted as Pat said. I did the work myself and, although I didn't keep track of it, I'm comfortable estimating 15 to 20 hours of work in each wheel cover.

Can you post a photo of the affected area?

Is it possible to salvage the connector and simply solder it back in place?

Here is a photo of the breaker being referenced. It's the piece in the center. The power posts are facing toward the outside of the car.

Success. I was able to repair the door handle mechanism. I purchased an assortment of throttle return springs at the local auto parts store. I used the largest, which was about 7/8" outside diameter. The unused portion of the spring is in the bottom-right of the photo. I cut approximately 4 loops from the spring and wound it around the post. Once complete I bent each end down so it catches on each surface. It gets zero points for artistry, but its working and I'll be reinstalling the handle mechanism back into service. I was worried that the tension from this spring would not be enough but it is surprisingly robust. To be clear it is has less tension than the original - but not by much. I think it will do a fine job of holding the door paddle in place without it feeling flimsy. Eric

There is an ad in the most recent Riview of a gentleman selling the interior wood kits.

My driver's side door paddle (the front one) works fine but it was always a bit floppy. During my winter project I found out why. Below is a photo of both driver's side door handle mechanisms. The one on the left is for the front paddle (floppy), the one on the right is the rear passenger's paddle (not floppy). As you can see the spring is broken on left mechanism. The right mechanism shows what it should look like with an in-tact spring. I think the spring was probably inserted before the two halves of the door mechanism were welded together, which means a retrofit is going to be tricky. Has anyone come across this and found a spring type that can be used to keep the tension on the door handle mechanism? I went to the hardware store today but I didn't come across anything that would work. Thanks. Eric

Thanks. Although it is not clear to me how a repaired (or fabricated) arm would be reinstalled. The pin that goes through the window frame does not appear to be removable without drilling it out. Is that how others are replacing this arm? If yes, I'd like to learn more about pressing in a new pin and rivet. Also, Ed mentioned that some windows are pressed into their frames, while others are bolted in. Mine appears to be pressed in since there are no bolts. Is this arm replacement procedure only viable on a bolted window frame? Thanks.