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rodneybeauchamp

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Everything posted by rodneybeauchamp

  1. BTT Good news is I now have two extra sets of functioning keys with resistors plus door keys. If I can get help with the correct transponder number that would be good. Have read where dealers can identify the correct one from the VIN. My VIN is 1G4GD 2214 V 4712737 built January 1997. TIA Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  2. And another small win today! As you would be aware later Buicks used a VATS (vehicle anti theft system) incorporating a special security ignition that had a resistor built in to the key. The security system would measure the resistance on the key and only start the engine if it was the correct value. GM used 15 different resistance key blanks (see photo listing) so it was critical to source the right key. After measuring the resistance (prods are placed each side of the key) KeyBits Lock and Key in Warrington, Virginia were able supply VATS key blanks for the ignition and GM blanks for the doors/trunk. More importantly they were able to post them for a reasonable amount too! After getting these cut locally now have three sets of keys that work perfectly. All that is required is to find the part number for the transponder (they have different frequencies) and I can make up a full set. It probably doesn’t seem such a big deal, but our locksmiths in Australia don’t have these blanks so no option but to source them from the USA. My little trusty multimeter came in very handy! Photos or it never happened! Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  3. EmTee, when I have finished with this one, you may come and get it! I think currently they are a sleeper, much like the first generation Riviera where they were almost forgotten. Now that the Riviera is no longer a nameplate they will start to become collectible. There are a few Facebook sites dedicated to the β€˜95-99 already. And currently quite affordable with low mileage versions under US$10k. Took me about six months to find mine. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  4. John, I would have to agree. The seats are a huge bonus as my backside has not complained once. Living in Encounter Bay (South Australian country) a lot of our trips are 40miles or more one way to the big smoke so comfort is important. And can’t wait to try it on the freeway again. I think passing/overtaking manoeuvres will be very safe. And the daytime running lights are a real bonus too. Makes it quite visible. cheers Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  5. Thank you Dave, much appreciated. The suspension difference was almost a sticking point with me trying to find a β€˜98 or β€˜99 because of this but when you look as the sales figures with 18827 1997 models, 10,953 1998 models and a paltry 1956 1999 models, the chances of finding the latter two in similar condition was not going to be easy. I’m happy to live with it given the low mileage. Have seen some owners put on the suspension brace from a Cadillac (I think) that bolts between the two strut towers to improve body roll but I doubt I will be driving that vigorously. Although I may entertain a polyurethane sway bar kit that is produced. cheers Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  6. Hi EmTee, it is a very smooth engine that feels strong. A bit cautious about putting my foot into it too much given it is a new to me Buick that I am still getting used to. It is very quiet and ride is soft but stable on our undulating and winding country roads. Had it up on a freeway at 110kmh (70mph) and it gets there easily then loafs along on the flat. Certainly lacks some of the torque of the 401 but that’s not a problem. Many years ago I had a β€˜94 Holden Commodore station wagon with similar derived 3.8litre naturally aspirated engine with rear wheel drive, 4speed overdrive auto and there are some similarities. Doesn't feel like a front wheel drive car at all. Very pleased so far with the ride and super super comfortable seats. Even Jo thinks she might drive it (once) Looking forward to sorting out a few gremlins (A/C not cold, CD and cassette not playing) and getting rid of those horrible rear indicators. Looking forward to adding a lot more miles on this one. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  7. And another trip out today with Jo and another couple to a recently renovated cafe for breakfast. And a nice drive as well, with an opportunity for some photo shots on a type of road this Riviera would never have seen before, let alone travelled upon. A short distance down this well maintained dirt road was a stall advertising fresh sourdough bread and other homemade buns. Unfortunately it is only available on weekends, so another time! Anyway, photos or it didn’t happen. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  8. Hooray hooray hooray! We now have a legally registered Buick Riviera. All that hard work finally paid dividends. Inspection day was the 28th December. Left early as it had to have a police identity check first to make sure it was not stolen and the engine/VIN matched the Import Approval. All good there so then on to the next inspection place for a full roadworthy check. Had to show all lights were working including the new rear amber ones, headlamps and park lights, brake and reverse lamps, wipers washers and horn. Then on to a hoist where front suspension and steering was checked as well as under body. Back down again onto a brake testing roller to determine both service brake and park brake efficiency. Inspector found a small fluid leak at the LHR calliper which I was able to get repaired locally and back for re-inspection on that same day. Weep was from a loose banjo bolt, nothing major but glad they found it. Inspector passed the vehicle and provided an interim authority for registration. After more paperwork at Services SA ( who were very helpful ) was able to register the Riviera for three years on Historic Registration with unrestricted 90 days per year. And have secured the rights to display an older plate that pertains to this Riviera. No photos here as both facilities displayed signs prohibiting any photography. But out and about today, Sunday 31st December for the first time in the Riviera with breakfast with some fellow car enthusiasts. And could not resist this opportunity with my old β€˜63 Riviera, my old β€˜63 Skylark and my new β€˜97 Riviera. If you look closely, in the background is Grant Z green β€˜41 Buick. Nice to be back into a nice Buick again, they are meant to be driven. Some photos otherwise it never happened. Happy happy Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  9. Often I find when writing a new post or answering another, I need to save what I have written before posting. This could be because I want to find something in a resource, such as a photo or go and take a new photo. I find I always don’t have 100% of the information at hand. Is there a way I can start a topic and save it as I go BEFORE I post it? At the moment I find I have to do several edits to achieve this which is not always ideal. Many thanks Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  10. Watching with interest. Would make a hit (and some $$’S too) at a local Coffee n Cars event! Amazing what a small group can accomplish. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  11. Spent a relaxed hour or more reading this post. Amazing skills and talent shown here. Looking forward to seeing it at the finish line. cheers Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  12. Jim, not sure if I mentioned it here but there are some great factory resources put out by Rochester on the rebuild and setting up of their series of carburettors. If you search Rochester 2GV guides ( may come up through Mikes Carburettor Service) you will find genuine manuals for rebuild and setup that are invaluable. Once you can identify the tag numbers the rest is straight forward. I found them useful on my β€˜63 Skylark with the 4GC and printed off the relevant pages. There are some great original resources out there but. cheers Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  13. Sebastian, that coupe has your name all over it. Would be an exciting restoration or refurbish under your care. And a perfect stable mate for your current Buick. Besides, once completed, what will do? It’s only money and you can only spend it once! Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  14. Bob, for what it is worth, my β€˜63 which was built in October/November β€˜62 came with the Star Wars style compass when I bought it. It was a high end build with lots of options including leather. No doubt the original owner had it installed when he had it delivered. At the time I didn’t like the look from day one and removed it and eventually sold it for a fraction of what I now realise they are valued at! In Australia we didn’t need a compass so much as in the US with your dedicated numbered highways as 101North or 235West. But if you can find one they certainly are the go. BTW were probably used across the β€˜63 range too! Just my two bobs worth Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  15. And while you are in there you may want to do a clean up and refurbishment of the lens using some very very fine wet and dry with lots of water and detergent followed up with some polish. And clean up the globes and maybe a splash of paint on the inside of the housings. Just my two bobs worth Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  16. Nailed it! Literally. when I was digging into the front turn signals on the LHS it seemed to dislodge the wheel arch moulding. I tried to push it back over the clips but no matter what I tried it did not clip back in. Thought what I needed to do was remove the moulding completely then slide the clips into the grooves. What I found was that all bar two clips were broken, no way were they going to slide in and hold. The clips are available from the US however the freight would be horrendous so pondered whether there might be another solution. If you check out the first photo you can see how the tags either side slide into the moulding to hold it in. These clips then push up into the fender and are held in along with the plastic liner by large head removable push-in clips that are used extensively on the body. My original thought was to use a staple but chose instead to use small brads. Using a number drill and pin-vise was able to drill two holes in the centre of the plastic clip and slide them through to protrude either side. They were a snug fit. Found it best to remove the plastic part from the clip to drill the hole so it was vertical. They needed a small amount of encouragement with the plastic hammer and some soap but once in the moulding they were firm but could be moved. What resulted was a firmly held clip that I was able to slide along to the correct positions that I had already marked with tape and marking pen on both the moulding and the fender. I think the pictures will explain the story. Super happy with the result. The two beers after the job was complete tasted sooooo good! Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  17. Think these are known as Torx drive. There are special drive bits required to undo them. Ensure the drive bit is square to the head otherwise they can easily be damaged by rounding off the points. Ask me how I know this 😳😳😳😳 Rodney. πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  18. Hi Erik, there are a couple of Facebook groups 1995-1999 Buick Riviera as well as the Riviera Owners Association group that are worth reaching out to. And there is a forum called Riv Performance that might be worth joining. Have had some help with all of those groups with my β€˜97. Good luck Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  19. Jim, just re-reading you post and I totally agree. If those standards were acceptable in 1997, then that’s how it should remain. Having to β€˜upgrade’ to later standards is hypocritical and a double standard, given that all other β€˜97 models on the road only have to meet that years standard. We do not have yearly inspections here (although some would like to see it happen because of the revenue dollars) however this must be inspected at time of compliance, which I don’t have a problem with. And as to the rear turn signal lamps being red, these cars account for 0.00001% of our National Carpark. interesting to look back at the comments, they are all appreciated. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  20. Just a thought. Would it be possible to make the front curtains on both sides with a good size window for safety. Then have a set of insert pieces that could be held in with Velcro on both sides to bring the window size and shape back to the original for the show field. The inserts would be made to blend in with the curtain sides and the Velcro would be hidden, yet be strong enough to hold when driving. Just a thought from down under Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  21. EmTee, the hoop with the β€˜20s -> β€˜60s era car is the asbestos issue raising its ugly head. Our Government states that we cannot import any product which contains asbestos. My understanding is that a large overseas country provided building products, crayons and children’s toys manufactured with asbestos. since then as an absolute overkill, authorities started to look at EVERY IMPORTED ITEM, including older vehicles. You guessed it, they went over the top, demanded all the asbestos be removed at the owners expense. It has set up a couple of firms in the US that remove old brake shoes, clutches and gaskets that contain asbestos. There was a blog with pictures some years back where a pristine high value early Mustang was butchered by the authorities searching for asbestos. It has certainly slowed down the imports. And luckily for me GM stopped using it many years before my 1997 was built. Even so, I had to sign a declaration that there was none. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  22. EmTee you are soooo right. This is a very modern car with all the bells and whistles. Apart from Apple car play … thank goodness! The thought of having to pull off door trim panels, remove seat belts, rear quarter trims, rear seats and parcel shelf from a pristine vehicle mortified me at first. Breaking all the plastic clips. Let alone cutting into the wiring for the brake lights and turn signals. And then tapping into the front turn signal wiring as well. Cutting a new parcel shelf. What also concerned me was jumping into to wiring circuit knowing there were airbag systems and OBDII systems lurking. Sure it made me more careful, but still very very wary. What irked me the most was four things. A 1995 Riviera in Victoria (state next to ours) was passed for registration with the existing tail lamp/turn signal lamp wiring as per factory. No alteration required. When I mentioned this to our authorities they chose to ignore it, forcing me to go the route of seperate lamps. One other was that the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214 for side intrusion bars already meets the requirements of our Australian Design Rule 29/00, yet the authorities ignore this and demand an engineer physically inspect and report what is mandatory on Buick Riviera the US. At a cost to me of AUD$495 by the way 😒😒😒😒 Having to replace all the seatbelts with ones that carry our Australian compliance tag is ludicrous. Given the FMVSS, no doubt Buick seat belts would not be a problem. Again a AUD$900 cost. 😳😳😳😳 And the last thing, to locate the child seat anchorages in totally different locations is just bizarre. Buick and GM engineers crash tested these bodies and built them to a high structural strength standard, 25hertz which was higher than anything on the market in 1995. If it sounds like I am having a rant, you are probably right. I have spent many many shed hours and quite a few dollars sorting these changes to make it comply, which to me …… I could have been driving it! You are absolutely correct in that it makes zero difference to how it will be in the end. Good thing is, we are almost to the finish line. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  23. Thanks Wayne. I might try to reach out to a sympathetic Buick Dealer/Parts Department with my VIN as they should be able to trace the part number for the correct frequency. Contacting GM Overseas in Canada was very unhelpful, so this will be my next step. See what transpires. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  24. Check out the short YouTube video. It does all of those things. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
  25. Yes, that is the driving force! I want to drive it. And it’s how they collect the tax dollars. AUD$313.00 for the inspection and a further AUD$46.00 to obtain a one day permit to drive to the inspection station. Still, it’s only money and I would have spent it elsewhere! Lee, I congratulate our Government for their lateral thinking. We don’t make a cracker here any more since our manufacturing industries went to China, no longer have an Automotive Manufacturing Industry. Tax dollars have got to appear from somewhere, otherwise how do we pay our politicians. Problem with our Government Departments, is one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing. What is acceptable in one state regarding lighting is not acceptable in another. Don’t get me started. In the end it will all work out, it is just how many hoops needed to jump through. Rodney πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€πŸ˜€
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