RIVNIK

I prefer a roll-up bag. Check out roll-up tool bags on eBay & Amazon. You'll find a selection of bags you can load up w crowvet's great list, or buy a complete kit. A roll-up fits nicely in one of the Riv trunk's nooks.

Schmitty eat your heart out!

I think you're right. The idea was to have the housing removed from the car. Removing the splash guard should provide access to the bolts holding it to the fender.

Can anyone explain why an AC car needs a return fuel line & a non-AC car doesn't?

I recently restored my stock wheel by filling a few cracks & having my local bodyshop shoot it w black lacquer. Turned out perfect, save for one problem. The plastic chrome decal thingy that runs in the groove is long gone. Even though a few GMs had similar feature I can't imagine there is a product specifically made for this. Has anyone attempted to recreate this strip? Schmitty are you still out there??

Hey Marcellus, If you Google '69 Riviera Images the vast majority of cars shown have rally wheels, but the few that do have hubcaps have those very ones, so probably yes. Someone here probably knows for sure, though. Drew

Ditto on my 1st Waldrons muffler. After 10 yrs or so the pipes are fine, but the muffler crapped out quickly. Very disappointing for a company that has such a good reputation. Or do they? It just occurred to me that while I think that, I don't actually know that(typical) Any opinions? Any sources for a higher quality stock-type muffler?

Ditto Turbinator! A few years ago I experimented w LEDs in the taillights & instrument panel, as per discussions on this forum. The dash & console LEDs were a huge success but I had the same problem in the taillights. Before I spent more on bulbs & flasher, I decided to try the low-tech approach. I got great results from cleaning the sockets, grounding them well, & gluing sheets of mylar-type reflective material into the housings. Not quite 21st century quality, but a big difference nevertheless.

Hey Ed! This could be your new calling. If they turn out well I'll send you my old ones. BTW, what's my club member discount?

Thanks you guys! Just what I wanted to hear. Actually, since my last entry I did some closer inspection & discovered a serious snag. My muffler is preventing me from removing the tank.. Many moons prior I had replaced the exhaust system w one from Waldrons. Later I found an NOS muffler on eBay & purchased it for a spare, assuming it would bolt into the Waldrons system. Not so! When the Waldrons muffler eventually blew out I found the original to be too wide to bolt in. Oh well, I never did like the original muffler, which looks an awful lot like a hot water heater strapped under the car. So I took the Riv to Midas. They installed a similar but much smaller diameter muffler, which, even though it was way too loud, I thought improved the look from the rear. However the new one is oval in cross section & the way it is situated prevents me from accessing the gas tank strap bolts! So, since that muffler & the resonators are also beat I now plan to replace the entire exhaust system, probably w another Waldrons. I will have to farm this one out, as I found before an aftermarket system may have to be tweaked a bit to properly fit. After that I will tackle the gas tank, unless I can get a good deal on doing it at the same time as the exhaust. Anyhoo I may soon have a 65 muffler for sale. PM me if you're in need. And has anyone found a source for original style exhaust hangers? Waldron custom makes them but they are very expensive! thanks again, Drew

Thanks to everyone for your rapid response. Here's my situation. Aprox 20 yrs ago the Riv underwent a partial restoration. I got a call from the "restorer"one day saying he had found a few pinholes in the tank. He told me could coat the inside of the tank w a new product he referred to as a "pink slime." Fast forward 20 yrs. when the Riv starts to run like crap & I decide to rebuild the carb. In the bottom of the bowl I find about 1/4in deposit of what looks like red Georgia clay. The same substance came out of the fuel filter. After the carb rebuild the car ran great for a while but the problem eventually returned. (of course the proper thing to do would've been to address the tank immediately, but oh well) Then I remove the filter & find the same substance. I must assume that it is the tank coating degenerating after 20 yrs. So re-coating is probably out. I like the sound of a stainless tank but AutoCityClassics' ad doesn't specify stainless. I'll give them a call later. What I also need are tips on the actual replacement procedure. Looks to be a pretty straightforward job but in my experience there's always a snag. Can I accomplish the job solo? Can I do it w the car either on the ground or on jack stands? What's the best way to remove the old gas? Is there a preferred product or method to flush the fuel & return lines? If the original sending unit appears to work properly can I just replace the sock? If I decide to replace the sending unit can I bend the float to match the original & assume it will gauge properly? I know! It's a lot of pesky questions, but it pays to be prepared, right? Thanks again

Greetings! Trying to psych myself up to replace the gas tank & sending unit on my '65. I've looked in the Review, at several suppliers,& on eBay. They are all in the same price range, & all appear to be the same tank(as pictured anyway), but I'm sure there are some landmines out there somewhere, considering the sketchy manner of some distributors. Any help on where to buy & installation tips would be greatly appreciated. i.e. can I do this solo? do the straps need insulation(rubber strips, etc)? As always, thanks for the advice. Drew

Of course! I knew that. dammit!!

Perfect question for me, as I also seem a little dumb, or so they say when they think I'm not listening. And sometimes when I'm right there in front of them, come to think of it. If my memory fails me I believe I installed soundproofing, padding & carpet first. Then door cards & armrests. Next, the seat back assembly, then the package shelf & trim. Next, speaker & grille. Lastly, the seat bottom, which pushes in & catches like most US autos of the day. It's an easy install & pretty straightforward. Watch your wiring. Good luck!

I'm told they are the same motors used in most large GM sedans from the 60's till the 80's. I do have a GM parts cross reference manual buried around here somewhere but hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in w that info. I bought the motor from a reputable seller years ago, when my drivers side slowed to a crawl, but during installation I discovered that my real problem was gummed up register & channels. Having said that you should probably check the condition of your channels, rollers, & electrical connections before replacing the motor. From what I understand these motors do fail, but it is rare. Drew

Hi Joe, I have one NOS ‘65 drivers side (L) window motor for sale. I think I paid 80$ for it 20 years ago. You can have it for that plus shipping. PM me if interested. I also have a ‘73 rear bumper in very nice driver condition. Drew

vacuum lines suck

Greetings Vancouver! I don't have the Riv in front of me, but if my memory serves me well the turn signal assembly is held in place by three Phillips head screws. One is obvious at the bottom of the housing, the other two somewhat obscured between ribs at the top two corners. After removing the screws I believe the entire assembly can be removed. Good luck!

One model of Sun oil pressure gauge matches the Rivs big gauges nicely & fits perfectly in the clock hole. Best mod I ever made! Ashtray is reserved for my 50 yr old lucky rabbit's foot, which hung from mirror til PETA came along.

Gotta love AB&G! (Gene, sorry to talk about you like you're not sitting right there, but it's all good.) I've gotten great parts & conversation from him for years. As you may know, his Pop was a WWII war hero, so he comes from good stock. In RivWorld he is definitely one of my heroes....& now that he's properly buttered up maybe he'll give me a break on my next order. Just thinking about all those Riv parts makes me drool more than I normally do. I actually offered myself up for adoption several years ago, hoping to inherit some of that wealth, but as I remember Gene wasn't interested. He reminded me that I was probably older than him anyway.

Just like it's owner, some might say! Despite the tag, the Riviera actually came quite well equipped when I bought it just over 28 yrs ago. In '92 it was black, in very nice driver condition, at, just around 64K miles. It was an impulse buy, but I had always admired the model. It actually never occurred to me to check the numbers, but it wouldn't have made any difference. Unbeknownst to me, a previous owner had outfitted the car with all factory AC, complete deluxe black interior, power seat & windows, Rally wheels, rocker trim & aluminum valve covers. I figure the parts must've come off a wreck. This went undetected until the car underwent a partial restoration a few years later. So do I win the short tag prize?!

Hey Doc! Sorry for my negative input, even before knowing what the article was about. I read the report & appreciate you sharing info that is important to everyone. I'm always leery about such breaks in "protocol",as it were. They can cause havoc, as me & others experienced in a similar work related forum. Problem is I'm chronically paranoid about being surrounded by science deniers (read that "Floridians") & thought I sensed another anti-mask or pro-chloroquine screed. Learned my lesson. I will review & update my mask collection. Drew

Whatever it is it is an intrusion. Why don't you save it for an appropriate forum. Thanks

don't do it