RIVNIK

My 65 had a similar creak......rear wheel bearings......MIDAS replaced them for a song. Drew

congrats, this will turn out to be a nice ride. BTW, before you tear into those rear windows try something I learned on the forum here years ago. My window were all struggling til I emptied a small can of WD40 into each window compartment (widows up)using the little red tube through whatever cracks & holes I could find, trying to coat every surface & mechanism. After a little soak time & a few ups & downs they worked like new & have ever since. Prior to that revelation I had to warn everyone not to roll down those windows and sat around dreading the day I would have to summon the courage to tackle the problem. Repairing and realigning those window is no fun I've been told. Can't wait to see your Riv all cleaned up! Drew

Depending on what you consider "light work",of course. This sounds crazy to some, but not long ago I discovered MIDAS MUFFLER when a car guy I was chatting with suggested them. The local shop employs a couple of "old timers" who seem to know everything about 60's Detroit iron. They have performed quite a few repairs that I didn't have the facilities to accomplish myself, mostly undercarriage work, but have also fabricated lines for a conversion to double master cylinder and have diagnosed other problems that have baffled me. I have always been pleased with the quality of service and cost. They told me it's not uncommon for their stores to employ experts in older cars. I am pretty sure they are nationwide. Good luck, Drew

I believe both of those items should be readily available, either on Ebay or at your local parts store. Check it out. Drew

OOPS!

Hey Arnulfo! I was just going to report the EXACT same thing when I read your post. I could NOT chase down the source of that vibration! Someone told me to take it to MIDAS, that they sometimes have old timers working there that know everything. I was at my wits' end so I said WTH and did it, and believe it or not! a guy there knew exactly what it was! A bad rear axle bearing! It was cheap too! Drew

Those hangars are priced according to perceived demand, not the cost of production. A company like Waldrons has the facilities and machinery to produce them very cheaply. They are similar to other hangars and probably have identical components, and the amount of "tooling up" they might have to do is negligible. Waldrons doesn't need you guys to defend them. They're a company and and as such their drive is to make money, and they know they're the only source so they can charge whatever they want. They're not providing these to you out of the good of their heart. Rise up, fellow commoners! If you don't push back once in a while this will happen more often. Manufacturers of reproduction parts need to be reminded that the demand is driven not by concourse fat cats but by regular guys trying to get by as cheaply as possible. Those hangars should be half the price.

I know someone must hate it when I do this, but.......If you can't find that perfect set of door guards, and you probably can't, go to Pep Boys and for $5 get a set of vinyl "chrome" door guards for pickups, tap them on with a rubber mallet, and carefully trim off the excess. They will not damage the paint. If they're carefully installed I guarantee no one will notice the difference. You won't worry yourself to death about denting your hard-found real ones. And you can rip them off anytime and clean everything up with a little Goo-Gone. And they don't ding when you hit something! And if you do find that elusive pair you can keep them safe on a shelf til the next show.

Sup lowrider..... nothing beats a genuine Riviera wood wheel, of course.....it's almost like a "holy grail" that everyone wants to eventually acquire, but have you priced one lately?! I could only justify the expense if my Riv was in concourse condition. An alternative is a wheel made by Grant Industries which somewhat resembles the Riv wheel and looks good in the car. It is real mahogany and has three spokes which are identical to the Riv wheels', only without the notorious horn bar. The horn is activated by a center button with a very genuine looking R emblem. I couldn't afford a repro horn bar and center hub ( mine were hopelessly broken & pitted, and I lost all the mounting hardware anyway), so I sold my "wood" wheel on Ebay, purchased the Grant wheel with the proceeds, and took a small vacation with the money I had left over......seriously. If I had any complaints they would be #1, the wood was much darker and shinier than it appeared in the Ebay auction, and matches my interior wood even less than my original wood wheel,(which was never great anyway) & #2, the edges of the spokes were sharp and had to be softened up with emery cloth in order to spin with one finger. Sorry I can't provide a link because I'm somewhat techless, but Google Grantclassiccarwheels and you will find several dealers who handle them. By the way, I in no way intend to disparage anyone for putting a high value on certain hard to find parts, and I commend you guys who amass enough parts to provide them to the rest of us....I couldn't have restored my 65 without you. I merely offer this idea as an alternative for anyone who can't afford or isn't concerned with strict originality Drew

What works great on any smooth plastic surface is a Turtlewax headlight lens clarifying kit with the 3 numbered abrasive pads. Made my taillight, trunk tri-shield & instrument lenses look like new! Drew

I havent double checked it, but AFAIK Mustang Project does make a sequential kit for the 65.........and no offense, but that 12yr old who called a Mustang a Ferrari needs to be taken behind the woodshed for a little American history 101 lesson! I hear this all the time from my friends....their kids have no interest in cars whatsoever. I think they're happy thinking they might not have to eventually buy them one, but instead of an old jalopy to fix up, they're going to want a new Prius to get them to dance class, if you get my drift.( insert obligatory"not that there's anything wrong with that" here) I don't have one of those little monsters myself, so it's up to you breeders to instill the American Dream in them before it's too late, and that includes healthy doses of Automobelia, GI vs Narzis, cowboys & indians, etc! Get on it! You're losin' em! (this editorial brought to you by Rivnik who apologizes for any offensive content)

Hey Seafoam! When you can, give us a rundown on how to fabricate or purchase a fusible link and how to install one. I can find no clear info or instructions on the subject. Fatbuick! I have average sized hands and had very little trouble installing the headlight switch through the fuse panel. What helped was a pair of long nosed, lockable hemostats (also known to some as a "roach clip") which I used to grab the tab on the ground ring and hold it in place while positioning the switch behind it. For Gods sake don't try to remove that dash pad unless you have to! Drew

The paint & wipe method is problematic because you're removing paint from only the top surface, when you should be removing paint from the other two rib surfaces also, or at least from the outer & upper (most visible) surfaces. In other words, the entire rib should be chrome, with just the valley painted. I found it fairly easy, although painstakingly time consuming, to mask and paint. Get some 1" blue tape, a box of razor blades, and a six-pack and go to town. Have someone lock you in a well lit room and order them not to let you out until you're done. Carefully mask along the upper surface, fold the tape around the rib and score it along the underside of the rib, then run the razor along the underside. If you're working with a clean, undamaged rib and a sharp blade, your cut should be clean enough to use on the next rib....if not flip the tape over and use the other "factory" edge. Next, you can haggle over shades of grey till the cows come home, but IMO Krylon and Rustoleum satin black look great and are both excellent products......p.s. My 65 is a dark silver/grey so the original grey on the rockers,clams,wheels, & grille gave the car a "washed out" look. That effect may not happen on a light colored Riv. Peace & love! Drew

IMHO a 65 riv is "look at me" enough with adding a vanity plate. If you can't find an available name that satisfies you consider finding an AZ plate from 65 and registering it with DMV. My 65 FL plate looks great & generates a lot of interest, all of it positive. Sorry, I know it's a point of pride with some people, but I think vanity plates make most people cringe.

Welcome to the club! Not enough Riv enthusiasts down here but there is a thriving classic car culture. Look me up if you're in Orlando or at a cent. Fla show with your 65.... would love to see it! Drew

Tons of fun! You'll be the envy of everyone on here after they see this story...Drew

I tried pinstripe tape but found it hard to work with. I experimented & ended up with 1" 3M blue masking tape. I rolled out about 15" at a time (aprox. 1 revolution), laid it down lightly on a clean surface & marked it down the middle with a fine point pen & straightedge, peeled it up & rolled it carefully back on the roll, then cut down through several layers with an xacto, giving me two 1/2" wide strips. ( 1/4" strips are harder to manage) Each strip will do two ribs on your clams or rockers. The shorter the length the easier to work with. I carefully masked the topmost (most visible) surface, folded it down over the vertical surface, then the underside, tucking it tightly, then ran an zacto down the crease. If you made a nice cut when you split the roll of tape, then the piece you're left with should have one good straight edge and will be perfect for the next rib. I say this because ribs are not all even, and neither will the edge that you trim off be. Hope that makes sense. You'll need a six-pack & and plenty of blades.Have a ball! Drew

Hey Clams, If you're going all black on the Ghost, I recommend Krylon satin black (if you don't mind using "over the counter" product) it has proved to be a great finish & very durable. After hours of masking off the chrome on my wheels, clams & rockers I was on a crazed masking rampage so I did the grille also. On my dark silver/gray 65 the original charcoal was very close to my paint color & the result was a very washed out look. Now it looks great! Would love to show you but I guess I need to get a 12 yr.old to teach me how to post pics on the forum. One day..... Drew

my 65 has Firestone FR380 P225/75R15 whitewalls. The stripes are 3/4". According to my local Firestone tire expert they are meant for pickup trucks but he recommends them for the Riv. They look great and ride like a dream. They are a tight squeeze to be sure, but I haven't experienced any clearance problems. Drew

One of mine fell off recently. I found remnants of window tape in the channel which I cleaned out & found a strip of rubber tightly bonded to the bottom(front inside surface) of the channel. I fitted the strip to the widow, masked the edges so I could tell how far I could go with the glue, and removed the strip to expose the area to be covered, then reattached the trim piece with a two part clear epoxy rated for metal and glass. It is ON there for sure. I don't remember seeing any clips holding the trim on. It fit snugly, but was easy to get on. You shouldn't have to pound it much to get it to seat properly. maybe you haven't cleaned the junk out of the channel completely . Tell us what happens! DREW

Greetings! I accidentally cracked the inlet line to my condenser years ago and since I had other major A/C probs I never got around to fixing it ($$$), and probably won't any time soon. It stands to reason that my Riv would run cooler if I remove the condenser altogether, doesn't it? I don't perceive a cooling problem, but then I don't have a temp gauge so I can't be sure. Just wondering. Any suggestions? Drew

Update on my headlight switch replacement: It took some perseverance, But it was essentially easy to replace the switch through the fuse access panel, although admittedly it would have been impossible if my hands were any bigger. You should be careful not to put too much stress on the old wiring when jockeying the fuse panel out of the way, likewise with the flexible vent tube. The hardest part is aligning the ground ring, which has a tab that fits in a slot in the dash opening, with the slot on the switch. If you have a pair of locking hemostats or tiny needle nose you can reach through the hole and grab the ground ring by the tab & have an assistant hold it in place while you finagle the switch into position behind it. Then hold it tight while you screw the escucion(sp) into the switch. And here's a tip that will prevent you from having to do it all over again like I did....Before you install it you need to attach the knob/actuating rod to the new switch, pull it out into the on position, remove the knob (using the button on the switch), THEN install the switch....The rod will not snap into place properly if the switch in in the closed position. Another helpful tip....Have a couple of beers or a martini beforehand, not three cups of coffee. You may have to maintain a contorted position for some time and you need to be cool, calm, & collected. Drew ps They make it sound easy, & it may be, but if it's not already cracked don't take that dash pad off if you don't have to....if it's going to crack,that's when it's going to happen, & you'll hate yourself ($500-$700 worth) afterward!

If you decide to go to a dual master cylinder it is an easy switch...You can buy both the '67 Delco & the Bendix at NAPA ahead of time & return the one you didn't need.....they are inexpensive. I couldn't get mine installed right away & NAPA said I could keep them until I got around to it. Rivnik

Hey devildog! There is a pair of 65 Riv buckets on ebay in decent shape.....actually, if you go to vintage parts & search for 65 bucket seats you will find a big selection of mid sixties seats....later Rivs, Eldorado, GTO, Chevelle, etc. Could be something else you like from the right era. Rivnik

That Olds air cleaner was a pretty cool air cleaner, but that Riv air cleaner is the air cleaner of all air cleaners! Nice restoration job! Better get to work painting that block! Drew