Pat Curran

Winston, I sold the car I am referencing back in the late 80"s. My recollection is that it was darker but now you have me second guessing myself! In an effort to avoid bad advice, I would like to withdraw the reference to the dark green interior. It is also possible that someone changed it before my ownership as well. The car was verde green originally but was painted white at some point in its life before I got it. It also had a 425 out of a 64 in it as well so who knows? The others that I mentioned I am sure of. Thanks!

Some attaching points are hidden. You also have to remove the belt molding directly beneath the vent window. This molding hides a couple of attaching points and comes off easily. There is a screw in the leading edge of the molding. Once removed, slide it forward. If your car has a remote mirror, you will have to deal with that as well.

The option book does not list a code for separate headliner choices. Not all interior colors were used on the headliner depending on the color although most were.. In 65, a silver headliner was used with black interiors. My two 64's had matching headliners (one blue and the other white) and in addition to what I mentioned above, my other two 65's had matching headliners (one saddle and the other dark green). All had deluxe interiors so I am not sure if there were differences with standard interiors.

I am not familiar with anyone in your area but while doing your research, make sure whoever you select has had experience rebuilding nailheads. I'm sure a good qualified mechanic can do the work but these are not small block Chevy's.

I like the placement of the mirror closest to the driver. My 64's and 65's were useless as the vent window post would partially block the view.

64 and 65 with deluxe interior had chrome on the A pillars, above the side windows and around the back windows. Most 63's that I have seen have the chrome on the A pillar only but as some have stated, a change was made at some point. Silver headliners were used in 65 for cars with black interiors. One of my 65's with saddle interior had a matching headliner.

I never had a problem with my 430 in my 69 on premium pump gas. I never tried regular in it though. I would occasionally put a dose of lead additive in it but I could never tell if it helped or not. The engine was totally original with less than 10,000 miles on it. Sure wish you could still get the old Sunoco 260. My 425 would fly on that gas!

I think you should apply for a patent for your creation! Thanks for the follow up.

Those are 63 emblems on the doors.

Based on your issue with removing the fasteners you now know why the body shop didn't remove them! Some repros are hit or miss for an exact fit. Buying items for my 71 Monte Carlo which I bought new has been really difficult for a perfect fit.

$22.00 for a clock knob............Are you kidding me?

Dash and steering wheel is out of a 65 as well.

For those who would like to see the difference in fender scripts, check out the burgundy/tan 64 that is on ebay right now. There are close ups of each fender and you will see that one fender has the open script and the other fender has a closed script.

Of the 3 parts cars that I have dismantled over the years, none of these have ever come off without a fight. Just keep working them as best you can and be careful not to bend them. If possible, see if you can get some tough fishing line behind it at the top. Keep sliding it back and forth as you work your way to the bottom. Good luck!

Ed, I haven't seen any offered yet and it may be a hard sell to get someone to reproduce it as it was a one year only design. Hopefully someone will.

Tom, I knew they went to a closed script beginning in 66 but I didn't realize that the open script was taken out of service in later years. I have been lucky over the years in finding NOS open scripts packaged with the speed nuts at very reasonable prices. I once stopped in to a Buick dealer in the late 70's for a hood ornament for my 64. The parts guy was happy to see me telling me he couldn't wait to get them off his shelf and sold me the ornaments for .50 cents a piece. I took the whole box!! Those days are certainly gone!

I have had 5 first generation Riv's over the years and they all had what I call speed nuts holding the fender script in place. I have never seen a fastener like the one you posted for this particular application so I don't want to give you bad advice. This is such a confined area and is tough to work on when something gets stuck and it would be a lot of effort to take the fender off. If your car has the original scripts you may want to hold onto them instead of cleaning and selling them. Some of the repros on the market are not exact reproductions even though they are being advertised as such. One way to tell on the first gen cars if you have an original script is the vertical line on the left of the capital R does not meet the top of the R. Some of the repros do not leave the gap and the vertical line connects to the top of the R. They most likely did this to keep tooling costs down. To make it even more interesting, this only applies to the scripts on the fenders. The scripts on the rear of 64's and 65's never had the gap. I know it is a minor point but some are really concerned about authenticity. Either way, a shiny repro will look better than a dull original.

The original design had a drain hole on each side (the sides facing the wheels). Unfortunately, the drain holes were not at the lowest point of the muffler but close. Some condensation would remain in the muffler which lead to premature rust through for vehicles with limited use. Back in the day when these cars were daily drivers, it wasn't an issue. Between 1972 and 2010, I became a curse to the local Midas shops with replacements for my 64 and 65. They never turned me away though.

I can answer # 4. The buzzer is a speed alert that will sound if you go beyond a set speed of your choice. The knob at the bottom of the speedometer is used to set the desired speed. There should be a needle with a yellow tip in your speedometer that you move with the knob to the desired maximum speed. If your car has cruise control, the speed alert buzzer is automatically deleted and the knob and needle is used to set the speed for the cruise.

I have bought from Waldron's in the past and was satisfied. The transverse mounted muffler is prone to rusting, particularly from lack of use. It is not unusual for them to develop rust holes in 3 years with limited use. I haven't bought one in a while but if Waldron's offers a muffler in stainless steel I would consider it if you use your car on a limited basis.

Steele is a family run business and their products are excellent. I have also used Soffseal as well.

I also like the wheel covers on your car but you will find that they are impossible to keep clean. Most have installed the chrome "road wheels" today and I have had several Rivs with them, but it is nice to see that the wheel covers are still on the car, particularly a GS.

Welcome to the forum and do yourself a favor by joining the Riviera Owners Association. The benefits will be well worth it. Nice unmolested Riv you have there. The fact that the "Star Wars" air cleaner is still with the car is worth the price of admission! Let us know how we can help!

As stated by Gord, it is the same as other GM cars of the era. It is a little on the flimsy side because of the bucket style seats in the rear so be sure to support it evenly when taking it out of the car.

I forgot to mention in my original response to be careful when removing the seat bottom. I have had the seat frame catch the vinyl on the arm rest and rip it. Same thing when re-installing the seat bottom.