Pat Curran

Midnight blue and midnight aqua are separate and distinct colors and both were offered on the 65 Riviera. They were rarely seen colors when the cars were new which is why you see so few now. I have a paint color folder for the 65 in my archives and both colors are listed.

This was a popular color in the GM stable for several years and went by different names for different makes and years. In 1964, it was called Diplomat Blue for the Riviera. I had one with a deluxe white vinyl interior that I owned for 24 years. In my humble opinion it was a killer color combination. The boys at Chevy called it Daytona Blue. The color code for Diplomat and Midnight Blue is the same. There was a 65 small emblem Riv GS in Midnight Blue at the ROA meet in Kentucky with the deluxe white interior that took top honors. It was an outstanding car. For some reason, Midnight Blue was not a popular color choice for the 1965 Riviera and is somewhat rare today. If you have access to the Riviews, look this particular car up.

Back in the day, a couple of companies actually marketed "vinyl top in a can." It was said to provide a textured vinyl looking coating and was a cheap alternative to a factory vinyl roof. Hopefully your car doesn't have that on it! I remember seeing a few applications of this product over the years and it didn't impress me at all. If you have a factory vinyl roof it would be black as that was the only color offered in 65.

Bill, make sure you have the correct filler plate that fits below the speaker grill. The plates used for the armrest option are smaller and your existing plate will not fit without modification. I have not done a conversion but it is fairly straight forward. I added this option when I had my 64 and 65.

Just as a quick note, the side moldings are body colored and just the outer edges are chrome. They came from the factory that way. There are a number of them out there that are all chrome because if you peel the paint off, you will see that there is chrome under the paint and some people prefer the look of all chrome. The console you have in your car is a 2 model year offering only, 1969 and 1970. In case you aren't aware of this, the 1970 is the most horsepower year of any Riviera at 370. Good luck with your car and keep us posted.

It looks like your dash pad is still in place. There are screws just below the leading edge of the pad that are easy to remove. Once all screws are removed, slide it forward to release the anchors just below the windshield. Do not try and lift it up until the anchors are clear of the brackets.

I don't believe so Jason but I am not 100% sure. It has been a couple of years since I sold it. Every hose and clamp on that car was original. The local BCA chapter used mine as a reference for judging purposes. The water pump by-pass hose was attached before the engines were painted, and as a result, was painted in the process. This was also the case with some Corvettes. Not sure if this applies to cars with A/C as mine was not.

My 69 (no A/C) had Corbin clamps and the engine compartment was 100% original.

It will fit a 64 and other than the knobs, the installation is straightforward. I don't see why it wouldn't fit a 63 but I have never tried it. I have swapped radios between 64's and 65's several times over the years and they are a perfect match.

I have Ed. All said and done though, by 65 the car was at the end of the design cycle and sales usually taper off. People want the latest and greatest and be the first on their block to have the new design. I have seen just the opposite happen as well. Sales of the 1985 Riviera were way up because the buying public didn't want the new downsized 1986 which as we all know, was a sales disaster.

The best screw to use is the one with the chrome ring around it. The same screw was used to secure the rear side armrests in place. The ring helps to prevent the actual screw from going through the cardboard. Not sure if they came from the factory that way but I have had several original first generation Rivs over the years with the vacuum trunk release and they all used the screw I described.

I don't know if anyone is reproducing the pins and they are getting harder to find. I have had some luck in the past finding them in the trunks of junked Rivs. Several times I have found some in the space between the quarter panel and the trunk floor. Sometimes they will roll in there out of sight so grab a flashlight and take a look. You may luck out!

It will interchange with a 64 for sure as I have done it. It is an identical unit. The dash in the 65 full size Buick's changed in 65 which is why the part number probably changed. As you said above, the 65 Riv carried over one more year.

I have a complete power seat assembly and frame but no wiring or switches. Send me a PM if you have an interest.

They are all the same radios from a size, fit and appearance standpoint aside from the knobs which was mentioned above. There may be some technological changes within the unit from year to year that I am not familiar with but I don't know for sure and they may have different part numbers as well.

I only mentioned "Surf Medley" because it was Junior Brown's car at one time and I think the guitar sounds real good as well. However, my favorite song to drive to is "Highway Star" by Deep Purple. Crank up that song and put your foot into it!

Welcome Jframe. When you are cruisin' in the '65, make sure you play Junior Brown's "Surf Medley" and play it loud! I would suggest you join the Riviera Owners Association. The bi-monthly magazine is worth the price of admission alone. Let us know how we can help!

I think the plastic center in the wheel cover is held in place by metal tabs but not sure. You would have to remove the spinner from the dish with the spring teeth but I am curious if the spinner itself (less the dish with the spring teeth) is the same unit. Maybe someone knows this for sure and can chime in.

I have no issue with adding options to a car and every Riviera I have owned, except the 97, I have added options to them. But some manufacturers have vital stats on a data plate or fender tag that in addition to a VIN, help decipher what the car really is. This can make a big difference in the value of a car.

The business of selling reproduction data plates, trim tags etc. should be considered criminal activity unless an individual can prove the need to have one to replace the original. The companies that make them should be stopped. It is all about greed and profits.

Ed, the GS wheel cover used the same standard wheel cover as a base from the regular Riviera and other full size Buicks and had the spinner bolted to it. I am not 100% sure of this, but the spinner looks like the same one used on the 64 turbine cover. If so, if you wanted to use a GS wheel cover, you may be able to create your own. The standard wheel covers are always on Ebay for very reasonable money. As others have been saying, I miss the artistic design of the wheel covers. Some were beautifully done and were a piece of art. I have become somewhat bored with the aluminum wheels that dominate the offerings today. One thing about the deluxe wheel cover besides its classy looks though is the weight of those things!

I have a set of the 1966 deluxe wheel covers which are very similar to these but have a spinner attached to them. They are in good "driver quality" condition and have been taken apart for cleaning and re-assembled. If anyone has an interest, just send me a PM. Thanks!

If you know of an old auto body supply/paint shop, they may have reference manuals containing color codes for all interior colors and finish for your year. Each GM division published this material for years and probably still do. These manuals also contain paint codes for exterior trim pieces, rims, trunk spatter,etc. There are notes in these manuals that tell the technician how much reducer to mix in to arrive at the right gloss. There are a number of rattle cans on the market that come close as well but it is hit or miss until you find the right one.

Chevy has 2 versions out there. The one you show has a recessed plastic medallion which was optional on Corvettes. All Riviera's that used this wheel cover had a recessed medallion as well. The other version that Chevy had does not have a recessed center and the medallion sits flush, plus, the medallion is not plastic, but rather a glued on tin or aluminum piece. These can be found on first generation Monte Carlo's and other Chevy's. The wheel cover with the recessed medallion looks the same for Chevy and Buick although I have never put them side by side to compare. It looks like you could just swap out the medallion with no modifications. I had a set of these and they can be easily disassembled for a thorough cleaning and polishing. No other GM division used this wheel cover.

Of the 3 65's that I have owned, 2 of the 3 had the ball top master cylinder cover and they were original. One had the screw on cap but a receipt came with the car showing it to be a GM replacement that was installed at the dealership. Either one would be correct for the year.