rodneybeauchamp

Check over in the Riviera Forum as one of the members sells a suitable hi-torque mini starter that would suit. (Thinking it may be Tom Telesco but not 100% sure) cheers and good luck Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Ah, and here I am thinking it was your video. Need to read more carefully 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Did you end up reconnecting the cigarette lighter socket. As my first thought when you said you had kids that it would be a great power source to plug in their iPads and devices. Going to be a nice family cruiser when done. Enjoy 😀😀😀😀 And BTW, shedding blood is normal on any Buick you work on. Comes with the territory and is proportional to the degree of difficulty in the job. Probably a formula somewhere. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Not 100% certain, but if you can remove a door lock cylinder, a competent locksmith should be able to cut a key for it. Gather the same key also locks the glovebox, however the glovebox lock cylinder may not be as complex as the door one to cut from. If the car is drivable, you can then check the results while you wait. Correct GM key blanks can be found on the internet if your local locksmith does not carry them Good luck and some photos if you have. We all love photos Cheers Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

And a few more! 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

As the poster implies, we had a great turn out for our first Buicks on the Beach meet. Organised by Grant with the green ‘41/42 coupe (on the Pre-War Buick forum) and Roger (custodian of my ‘63 Riviera), 22 Buicks with their owners turned up for a morning get together. Many of these Buicks I had never seen before! Hopefully it will turn into an ongoing event, perhaps two or three times a year. Well done to the organisers and owners! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Seller says is is a 90hp flat head six, think he means it is the Pontiac motor. 222cu inch? just my two bobs worth Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Tell the truth, haven’t searched at all. Still on the work bench at home. Worst case scenario if I need to revert back to orange turn signals, I might use the reverse lamps with orange globes. But am hopeful that that won’t be necessary. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

You may be able to obtain a US Postal address to assist getting your parts shipped overseas. I have used a company call Shipito with great success if a supplier won’t post overseas or wants to charge exorbitant postage rates. You just quote your unique US address and it gets sent to them. They then resend it to you address in Germany. The fee is very small. Last time I used them was when the supplier wanted US$99.00 to ship a remote key fob (transponder) to Australia but cost me less than half sending it to Shipito, who then sent it to me. Good work on your Buick too! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Haven’t posted for a while. Attended the annual GM Day car show last Sunday organised by the Tri Five Chevrolet owners group. It was a water bag trip for Lester and I, leaving home at 6.00am for a two hour journey to Gawler, a country town North of Adelaide. A week before I spent some time with a clay bar and some Carnuba wax and give it a touch more shine. Must admit, I was underwhelmed by the product I chose and will look at another brand. The clay bar did remove a few minor blemishes however overall the paint surface was very smooth, testimony to the previous owners. Surprised by the amount of interest the Riviera created, with many taking photos and stopping for a second look. Only other Buick was a ‘57 two door Special coupe in tan and white which was parked along side in the Buick row. And surprise surprise, those pesky orange turn signal lights fell off a couple of weeks ago. Pleased with how clean the rear end looks. Any way, photos or it did not happen. Photos courtesy of the Facebook posters! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

The book was great but can’t wait for the film version. Yes be very pleased to see a video. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

I saw a recent video of an early Buick that had a “diaper” style drain pan fitted underneath the engine to catch the spills. Appeared to be held on with adjustable leather straps in each corner similar to a belt buckle. It caught my eye as it swayed a bit as the Buick started off. No doubt the owner sees this as a way to control the mess and could be incorporated on many of the earlier vehicles. And no doubt organisers of shows would be appreciative also. Just my two bobs worth Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Interesting read. Would like your thoughts and opinions on how difficult it was to remove the standard system from the dash. Looking at the ‘97 shop manual, it is not a five minute job and I am soooo wary about breaking all those impossible to replace clips and fasteners. Would like to keep the standard system however the CD and cassette player are inop however the radio and speakers work well. Am currently using a device that plays music from an older iPhone via an unused FM channel but would love to have the CD player and cassette working. Interested in how you went about it? What to be careful of. What is easily broken. Rodney from down under 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Know this is an older post, but many years back a friend with a ‘61 Tempest had a new front sway bar made by a spring shop using the old bar as a template. He had it made using a larger diameter than stock which help reduce the body roll. Don’t think there was any issue reusing the existing clamps and hardware but it made it a nicer car to drive. Just my two bobs worth from down under Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Hi Marcapra, if you Google Borg clock restoration, there is a great video showing how they operate and how to successfully make them run again. Most just require cleaning of the contact points to see them telling time. Often owners did not get them repaired once they stopped working so the mechanism is usually sound. I repaired a Borg clock in my ‘63 Buick Riviera several years ago (2017) and it is still working well even though I sold the car. I also posted a detailed post with photos explaining what I did and will add it here. Far better to get your original clock working a gain rather than substituting a modern quartz mechanism. Members 1.5k Location: Encounter Bay SOUTH AUSTRALIA Other Clubs: Riviera Owners Association Buick Australia Club American GM Drivers Club Posted June 17, 2017 While typing this, am just listing to the periodic thump from the clock while on bench test. After looking at the different stories, decided to invest Aus$11.00 in a bottle of Shellite and after dismantling the Borg clock, soaked the mechanicals for a day. Periodically, I gently turned the wheel and got it to run for a few seconds. While this was all happening, cleaned up the chrome bezel and removed some fine scratches on the lens with some car polish. After a few times, it managed to wind down enough by itself to close the contacts and then consistently did this. Then used a needle file to clean up the points. After letting it dry for a short time, used a La Belle model railroad oil with a needle point applicator on the axle points for all the gears. Hooked it up to a 12 volt power source a few hours ago and it just keeps ticking away! So so forget the quartz conversion and try a clean and lube on the old one first. You never know what may happen! ? From a very very happy Rodney from down under. Just my two bobs worth from down under Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Ah, the joys of motoring. New A/C compressor, orifice valve and accumulator fitted and air conditioning is cold, cold, cold. In fact as a seat of the pants judgement seems much colder than before. So much so, that needed to turn the fan speed down on the way home yet outside was showing 90 degrees F. At the same time got the guys to install a brand new set of AC Delco drive belts as I had no idea of when, if ever they were changed. Judging by the condition of the old belts, look as they might be the original belts fitted ex factory. Regardless, they are all new now! From the write up in the shop manual, it is not a straight forward task, with engine mountings and other bits needed to be removed to provide access. The shop said it was a cow of a job! 😀😀😀😀😀 And as another win today, managed to successfully program the new remote transponder that arrived. Was very apprehensive about jumping the OBDII port but followed the directions given in the shop manual (which were identical to those supplied with the paperwork in the car. As suggested, made up a fused jumper wire ans per the photo and to make access easier, removed the sound insulation panel under the drivers side of the dashboard. This panel has a socket where the port is housed so removing it gave much better access and visibility. Both key sets and remotes work as intended. So all in all, happy how things are progressing. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Great that it all worked out and you now have correct oil pressure. Can I ask the reason why you run it for a couple of minutes without coolant? Not heard this one before. Thanks Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Well another Coffee N Cars event at Pier 28 Café in Clayton Bay. With just over 60 cars attending this morning, it was a great event. The cafe was alive with owners having breakfast or just coffee, live music from a duo outside and some great cars with a lovely view over the lake. Certainly a nice venue. And a milestone for my Buick when I got home with the odometer reading 12,915miles meaning that we have clocked just over 2,000 since it arrived in Australia. Gotta say, they have been very enjoyable miles too! This Riviera is a nice Buick and is the nicest car I have ever owned. Smooth, quiet and super comfy and will be a long term keeper in my book! Photos or it didn’t happen. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

And as far as the best car in the show, I thought this jinker took the prize. Not sure how old the driver is but I am sure that they will be in their own hot rod once they reach legal driving age. While dad towed it around, mum kept up with the umbrella keeping the little tacker in the shade. Certainly kept us all amused. And some recent fuel economy figures from the trip showed 418.2 miles @ 25.256 USMPG and 386.3 miles @ 24.797 USMPG which I am pretty pleased with. These figures were with the A/C running most of that time and with country driving at around the 100km per hour (60-65mph). Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Well, you can’t win them all. Noticed over our sojourn away that the A/C was not keeping up. In fact my side was blowing warmish air while Jo’s side was considerably cooler. Not freezing cold, just cooler. When we got back the technician at Southern Radiators showed me the problem with the aid of an ultraviolet light and special glasses. Around the front of the compressor and lightly splattered over the radiator hose was the telltale green sign of a leak. Should really be fixed under Buick’s warranty however I’m not sure whether they would wear it. Anyway we have a new compressor, orifice valve and system filter coming to be installed. Watch this space. In the meantime on the Sunday before was our American GM Drivers annual car show, “The All American Day” which showcases American and Canadian built vehicles and their derivatives that were imported and had Australian bodies fitted. With over 300 entries turning up on a warmish day it was a successful event for our club. It is also our major fundraiser for the year as well. By pure coincidence I ended up alongside my old ‘63 Riviera now under the care of good friend and fellow club member Roger. And a bit further down was my old ‘63 Skylark under the custody of Kevin, who is slowly bringing it up to the next level. To my surprise the ‘97 Riviera drew lots of attention as most people at the show would never ever have seen one before in the metal. Many don’t know what it is as the R symbol on the deck lid is the only feature apart from the Riviera script on the quarter panels. And as it looks nothing like a boat tail or first generation Riviera most are stumped. To help out I have a laminated copy of the original window sticker each side as well as a typed information sheet on the dash pad. Anyway pictures or it didn’t happen! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Totally disagree. If you or I had packaged it properly and taken it to the nearest post office, US airmail would be a fraction of the US$99.00. It smacks of I can’t be bothered to do that so whatever the FedEx online shipping calculator says, that’s it! Currently RockAuto are shipping two Buick radiator hoses to me for around AUD$55.00 which weigh far more and are physically much larger than this key fob. Go figure! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Hi Darryl, Welcome to the AACA forum and the world of Buick ownership. There are strong Buick clubs in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and West Australia that are worth joining, with many members owning prewar Buicks. There is also an Australian prewar Buick e-magazine that you can get sent to you as well. Please consider posting some photos of your ‘23 and perhaps starting a blog under “Me and My Buick” cheers Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

If the switch can be dismantled you may be able to service it yourself. Often it is dirty or corroded contacts that just need to be cleaned with a Dremel, fine wet and dry rub or fine file. Usually it needs the plastic base unclipped from the metal case where they are crimped over by the factory. Got nothing to lose by giving it a try and everything to gain if you get it working as it should. And don’t forget to clean up the wire terminals where it attaches to the wiring harness as they can give problems too! Have done this process with a few ignition switches and light switches with great results. Just my two bobs worth Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

FWIW I bought my ‘63 Buick Riviera through GR Auto in 2015 and had it shipped to Australia by a third party. Same style of advertisement with lots and lots of worthwhile photos which helps show up any issues or potential problems. What they advertised on their site was what I received in Australia, nothing more, nothing less. The only thing I would do differently is NOT get them to provide an inspection or roadworthy. I would get that done by an outside party. Or inspect it yourself, along with another unbiased observer who can look with their head and not their heart. Looks a lovely Oldsmobile! Hope it works out for you. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Those types of spanners are so much fun to use. Had my set for a while now and thinking I need a Metric set for the ‘97 Buick Riviera. You will enjoy using them so much, you will probably want to go back and redo all the previous wrenching you have done so far using the new ones! Just kidding, really enjoying your work on this one. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀