Pat Curran

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.

This has to be a high watermark for a 65 GS and for this kind of money, the car should be perfect, and I mean perfect. It sits a bit too high in the rear, the upper front bumper isn't mounted correctly or else it is bent. The front license plate bracket is missing and the radiator cap is an aftermarket unit. Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful car and I would like to own it. The points I bring up are correctable but for the money this car sold for, the new owner shouldn't have to spend a dime. Based on the deluxe white interior, it would be a mid production car as it wasn't offered initially and there aren't many left like this. It is a beautiful color combination. Tom brings up a very good point as well regarding the repro rivets. It might be explainable but I hope the new owner did his homework before pulling the trigger.

Ed, if you could find the piece of cardboard for a pattern, you can use a piece of Masonite or similar product with the same thickness and it will last forever. I did that in my 64 as the cardboard was shot.

There are 4 mounting points for this plastic piece, three of which mount to the console and one to the floor. It is an odd looking piece but it was meant to support the carpet from the back.

If we are talking about the same plastic piece, the piece on the passenger side was also designed to help aid the carpet hold its shape and should be behind the carpet. Without this piece, there would be a void behind the carpet and it would be floppy.

I took the resonators off the stock exhaust on my 69 and it gave me the mellow rumble that I was looking for without being too loud.

It's an eye opener when a "Screaming Chicken" Trans Am sells in the six digits!

SMS auto fabrics is another good source as well but I don't know if they stock pre-made kits. They may have the yardage though.

The V8 in a 79 or 80 had a 350 in it. The body style lasted through 85 so I wouldn't think any major surgery would be required to do a conversion although I have never done one. I would swap the entire running gear to include the transmission if I were to do one. The other concern is how many of the other ancillary components are compatible. Maybe a tech advisor for the 79-85 can chime in here.

It is interesting how the values of these are less than a 65 GS when this is the rarer car if it is in fact a factory dual quad car.

Buick is more Opel today than it is Buick. The Cascada is based on an Opel and the current Regal is a re-badged Opel Vectra. I have a Regal and it rides, handles and feels like a German car.

This one had been a "no sale" on Ebay after several listings the past couple of months. It looks like the seller did well by holding out.

Alexander, I have the 1969 dealer showroom binder that has all the fabric, vinyl and carpeting samples for every Buick model for the year. The carpet is also listed as "antique gold" however, the link you attached is probably as close a match as you will get. This was not one of the more common interior colors and I don't know of a particular source other than the one you posted but some suppliers will sell you additional yardage for the door bottoms and kick panels. Keep in mind that you will need additional vinyl to trim the edges of the carpet for the door bottoms and kick panels if you can't find them pre-made.

If you open your door very slowly and it drops down when it clears the latch, you have an issue. The hinges are adjustable and that may be all that you need. The hinges on the first generation were rugged so try adjusting first before you make any other changes. If you have the shop manuals for your car, the adjustment procedure is outlined.

Sharp looking car but most concepts get watered down if they make it into production. The interior would most likely be modified but I really like the look of the car. It would be nice if the Riviera name was resurrected but I'm not convinced it will be. I think Buick has been re-inventing themselves over the past few years and a name linked to their past may not fit in with their marketing plan. Time will tell.

I'm sure that kept the costs down and the bean counters at GM happy!