RIVNIK

Greetings Brtele. Ive been searching for years for an NOS lens or a even a nice used one, with no luck. Unfortunately Clarks no longer stocks them. There was some recent talk on the forum about a reproduction being considered by another source that apparently went nowhere. There may be used ones available but If you want a quality piece be mindful. Ive acquired several over the years that all turned out to be as bad as mine, & have tried several techniques to restore them to no avail. The problem: the hard plastic black plate can be polished to a like new condition, but the soft plastic letters deteriorate over time & usually crumbles when disturbed. Despite numerous efforts the lettering has defied attempts at amateur reproduction as yet. Hopefully reintroducing the subject may produce some more helpful info. Drew

My condenser was a mess with the bent vanes. The PO or whoever previously worked on the car was very careless with dropped tools, ect. As the AC was not working at the time I eventually decided to either restore it or replace it w an aftermarket system. After removing the condenser it was easy (although time consuming) to straighten out the many dings to the vanes. They actually make a tool for the job, a radiator vane comb. But save your money, because the Riv condenser vanes are not straight but zigzag & that didn't work as intended. I found the best tool for the job is a small flat-nosed,spring-loaded needle-nose pliers I have, typically used by jewelers. It was meticulously time consuming but worth the effort.

I cut a strip from a ribbed black rubber floor mat (HomeDepot) just wide enough to fill the gap. (sorry no pics, I removed it recently to take off the condenser for repair). I cut several slits around the edge to accommodate body trim clips (the common folded-over type who's proper nomenclature escapes me). those were pinched onto the frame members that surround the gap. Filling the gap not only hid the unsightly bent condenser vanes but probably helped to direct more air through the radiator.

mine's more of a blub blub blub than a glug glug glug. better look into that. sounds like you're using too much gas. BTW: if you've previously replaced your exhaust w an aftermarket "stock"system, an NOS muffler may not fit. Measure before buying

If it's the exhaust rattling it may not be detectable on a conventional lift, as the suspension & wheels will be hanging low(and one of those may be the offending part) You need to lift by the wheels to find where the contact is occurring. My rattle sounded similar to what you described. I was able to track it down by backing up onto floor ramps. However if it goes click,click,click like a CV joint then telriv & Jim are probably pointing you in the right direction.

I celebrated 10 days ago

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen! especially the jack stand reminder! drew

on a related note: Can I safely lift a front corner on my '65 with a floor jack placed under the frame just behind where it starts to curve upward (directly adjacent to the trans pan)? or is it better to raise the entire front using the crossmember? I should probably know this after owning the car for 30+ yrs. doesn't hurt to ask, right?

after watching several cars fall off two post lifts on Youtube I would be reluctant to trust one with my pride & joy just sayin'

Greetings to you & all our friends down under! Dynamat is the brand name of a specific product but has almost become a generic term for many brands of auto insulation. most consist of a layer of rubber or tar like insulation w a layer of thin aluminum backing on one side & a peel & stick layer of adhesive on the other. Main functions are for deadening sound, vibration, & heat, which 1st gen. Rivs are known to produce a lot of. Many use it on floors as the Riv's exhaust is in close proximity to your feet, but some go hod wild with the stuff, installing it on the roof, firewall, & inside the doors for sound deadening. Folks who have gone all the way claim their Rivs are much quieter. It takes a lot of prep work to get it to adhere properly, but the Riv you're lookin at appears to have been prepped already. good luck & we hope to hear more from you soon

that pretty much solves the mystery. except for what appears to be some type of protective cover slipped over the end of the "upper retainer". anyone come across one of these while disassembling their rear seat?

Im stuck inside from knee surgery & can't get to my body manual. It should have instructions & possibly an illustration showing the orientation of the brackets. anybody got one handy?

just a reminder to anyone interested, I have a very nice driver quality 73 rear bumper(w/out rubber or hardware) that a club member can have for $300.+shipping. It is in as good condition as the one on Ebay listed for $1500+. Can't offer free shipping but one could pickup while vacationing in beautiful sunny Orlando.

Waldron mufflers come in at least two different grades of sound. do you know which this one is?

Well, close but not exactly! Your photo will do the trick, though. As it clearly shows, the brackets actually attach to the seat frame & engage the framework behind the seat. I was picturing the other way round. So kudos to DrownedRiv! BTW; if there's a good story behind your name we'd like to hear it, & is that a build sheet attached to that seat frame?

Its been awhile since Ive been under there, but if I'm picturing it correctly those brackets mount on the framework behind the seat back. near the top on either side you will find the mounting holes. the brackets are situated with the arms pointing downward. corresponding brackets on the setback frame slip upward into them, then bolts go thru the loop brackets on the frame bottom into corresponding holes. If Im wrong on any details Im sure a smarter person, of which there are many, will respond. Drew

sorry

ronski musta' wised up & moved on. Either that or Ol'Yeller turned out to be the lemon it appears to be & he's too embarrassed to admit he got took. just sayin'

They should market that slider & plate. Or strike a deal w Vintage Air, since they are already reproducing their logo. Anyhoo you really lucked out. There's a few hot rod shops here in Orlando, but none (that I know of) have the ability to fabricate a part of that quality. How 'bout throwing us a bone & give them a shout out at the same time. p.s. Hey Schmiddy! Good to see your voice!

Bargain w him for just the parts you need if possible. If not, do the door-cards! & think hard before going w the ostrich hide. Someone might mistake you for Paul Manafort!

Brilliant observation, Mark & Tom! I'm considering taking them off.

Look at the selection of aftermarket steering wheels by Grant. They make a wheel that is styled after the '60s era Corvette, but very similar in appearance to the Riv GranSport wheel, only with a smaller diameter & fatter rim. Had one on my '65 for years & considered it a big improvement to the large skinny stock wheel, although it would not cancel the turn signal. The Grant wheel also comes with an authentic looking Riviera "R" hub. Eventually I restored my stock wheel & reinstalled it for the sake of originality, but I have to admit the car drove better with the modern type fat rim. Anyhoo, good luck with your project. We've all got your back! Drew. ps Ed: IMO, credit for "Dynaflow Hum" also goes to the great Frank Zappa, who I believe Jim was paraphrasing. Who knows what what else Jim was up to in the '70s!

greetings, Rivee. At this point you may already have, but if not, you need a subscription to the Review club magazine, where you will find vendors for new & used parts & tech tips. You need factory shop & body manuals, which can also be found there or on eBay. Also on eBay you can acquire a laminated, full-color electrical schematic, as the ones found in repro manuals are generally illegible. You should search this forum for Riviera63's used parts list & start acquiring everything you will need. I also recommend Clark's Corvair, AB&G, Classic Buick, & CarsInc for new & used parts. Check with the forum before making any large purchases, as some sources are known to have problems with parts & service. You may also want to keep your eye out for a good, relatively rust-free parts car to provide the metal you're going to need. Not sure where you're at in Cali, but you may be within driving distance of several desert junkyards in SoCal & Ariz. known to provide rust free Riv body parts. Look for them in the Review. & Don't forget you have a great resource at your disposal in the form of a ten yr old. When I was his age(here we go) my Dad's hobby was buying old cars to fix up & resell. In the process he taught me everything I know & instilled a life-long love of cars, which is something we need more of. & thanks for saving another Riv from the junk heap of history! drew

My advice is to ask before taking your wife's garment steamer. I "borrowed" my wife's cheap Walmart blow dryer for my headliner installation & when she found out she would not allow it back into the house. She retaliated by ordering the most expensive blowdryer she could find on the interwebs. for the price I could have had a top of the line shop heat gun, plus beer & pizza for several days. Just sayin'

Mike, I'm trying to understand what I'm looking at. If that is a model you built & not a real car, it is a masterpiece of faux antiquing! With the details on the wheels, hubcap, carbs, misplaced canister, etc. that cannot be a common scale plastic model. Takes me back to my childhood, when old discarded models were subjected to all manner of atrocities. I would detail them as rust buckets or wrecks, hit them with fireworks, blowtorch, & use them in disaster dioramas, etc. Please show us more of your art if possible. Drew