Turbinator

Ed, If you can paint over chrome and make it stick with a 3M scuff pad I’ve been doing it all wrong. The chrome must be removed so the coating can adhere to the substrate. Im happy to be wrong. I remain teachable. Turbinator

The chrome plating has to be removed from the substrate so your coating ( paint or powdercoat adheres). Personally, i media blast the work piece with appropriate media like 80 grit aluminum oxide. Then chemical treatments for cleaning and improved finish of the coating. Of course all the dings and deep scratches have to be repaired before you paint or powder coat. Turbinator

Kreed, you can paint or powder coat. In both cases my experience was the substrate has to be prepared. Take off the chrome with media blast, ( blast cabinet with at 5 hp 60 gallon compressor) but not so aggressive you pit the metal. Clean again. If you are going to paint the way to to go is multi stage and cure. If you powder coat you need the gun, powder, dry air, electricity, and an oven. That is the short version. Spray painting is not hard if you read up and have time for the learning curve. For instance I powder coated all the brackets, fan, pulleys, nuts bolts, heater plenum myself. No big deal. I will say you get dusty as all get out. Turbinator PS powder coated my license tag. Not perfect, but much better than paint.

I have a customer request I make the 63 hood emblem in the black background silver Tri shield configuration. The customer votes with their dollars so I give them what they want. Turbinator

Ed, I used the “ here after “ line. Never worked. Turb

The burning question is in your restoration are you having the wheels chrome plated and the web powder coated? Is that it? Do you they check the wheel for true spin.? Turbinator

TRUE, never used center emblems for cast aluminum turbines and full wheel covers for 63. $38.00 each $5.00 flat rate postage.

4 available- buy one wheel per each. By example one wheel costs $85.00, 2 wheels cost. $170.00, 3 wheels cost $255.00, and 4 wheels cost $340.00 plus shipping as exact cost of USPS ground to your address and $30.00 for packaging, materials, and lugging to the post office for all 4 wheels. S/H $10 for one wheel plus postage, $15 for two wheels plus postage, and $20.00 S/H for three (3) wheels. - all wheels have been media blasted Powder coated wheel inside and out with exception: Face of wheel buffed out. Webs are hand painted. All center caps are included. All wheels spin true All wheels are crack free. A real bargain for all you get. Size stamp inside wheel 15x6JX51mm 25535279 number stamped inside wheel bobburnopp@icloud.com

If I ever do such a thing I’m taking the whole dash out. Steering mast, center console, everything under the dash.

Well, Sir your record keeping gets an A+. How you got the heater core out without cutting metal from the engine side is exemplary. I’m content you got the job completed. I’m just as happy to let the mystery stay a mystery. Turbinator

Seafoam, righto on all points. I took a short cut as a TEMPORARY repair. My leak was in the same location as yours. I carefully applied a Colton thread size bead of silicone around the trim. I’ve got some other repairs that are ahead of the permanent repair. Once the repairs are finished I’ll take ( or someone else) will remove the nuts to make proper repair under the leaking trim. Thank you for your input. Turbinator

There are tail light gaskets and tail light frame bezel mounts. Two sets of gaskets on 63/64 for tail lights. climb in the trunk with flash light and look for surface rust as indicator where the water is coming in. Another trick is get in the trunk and have some poor a cup of water over known leak locations. My leak was the exterior front trunk The metal piece between the back window and trunk opening.

Oh, I get it now. You were being humorous. You did this work in 2002 because you looked it up, but you can’t remember. I’m on the same page now. You had me going there for a minute. Turbinator

From the engine bay you might need some room to work. You said you took the heater core from the engine side out without any cutting? well if you removed the heater core from the engine bay without cutting any metal..... you are pulling my leg. I know you have some pretty good mechanical moves up your sleeve so I’m all 👂’s. turbinator

Jim, I read on the forum where a gent did not remove the engine, but removed items like the carb, coil, and other items I cannot remember. The gent seemed to believe removing the heater core from the engine bay was worth taking a lot of the engine apart to do the work. All I know is the wrestling match I had with AC hoses and the evaporator box reinstallation has me shy of doing anything under the dash pad. Turbinator

Mr Konga Man, is the “ engine side” the same side of what is known as the engine bay. My car is a 63 Riviera. I had to cut out a rectangle just a tad outside the perimeter of the heater core. My engine was out of the car. I thought while I have the chance to fool around with the heater box and check things I went ahead and had a grand old time check the spring that opens and closes the door. I tested a single port vacuum actuator that had great stroke and plenty strong. I was just not able to match up the swing of the door and stroke of the actuator to work that satisfied me. I put the dual port single actuator that works fine as I tested with a Mighty Vac. Maybe it will work.

I removed my heater core from an empty engine bay. I’m no help in removing your heater core from inside. IF YOU REMOVE your evaporator your misery rises exponentially. I’ve had my evaporator in and out twice. Both times I had to hire a full time pro to finish bolting the evaporator in place. It really was hard, real hard. I wish you good luck on your heater core removal. Tubinator

I do have some room left for one more outlet. I’m putting in usb/aux fitting where the lighter once was. To drive a 40 watt guitar amp from the cigarette lighter seems a little shaky. The inverter is probably a better choice to drive the amp as they require a lot of powder. Placing the inverter/ converter behind the dash could be dicey maneuver. You sparked another idea for reliability enhancement without changing the look of the automobile. There must be a solution to replace the tube fuses in that blasted hard to reach location. It is an electrical connection you could hide in the trunk? Maybe a breaker box like you have in your house with breakers instead of fuses. It’s possible I could plug my amp in from the trunk? An recommendations are appreciated. Turbinator

Bernie, got em all in. Bob

Ed, did the Garmin require a 12 v inverter/converter to accomdate the receptacle? Seems like a neat addition. If I had a 12 volt receptacle I plug in my guitar amp easily enough when I’m on the road in my red zRiviera Turbinator

Of course, on any hand enjoy what you have and make it or leave it how you like.

The screen could be seen, but accurately touching the very small icons to activate what it is you want might be a challenge for some. A voice activated system might just be the way? The voice activated widget could be stowed behind the dash. Eye strain and safety would be a non issue. The ash tray could stay an ashtray! And when you went to a show the ash tray door could remain open. Voice activation and sound alerts for over heating and no oil now is another feature for consideration. A Tesla cloaked in a Buick zRiviera skin!

Ed, it seems to me the eye strain would cause blurred vision. What happens if you do not have someone that can use a sextant ? And last, no navigator on board? Turbinator

Mr Konga Man, it would seem the screen that small in the ashtray would be hard to see and then touch a screen that small would be problematic. There are limits to what some technologies can and can’t do. For instance an aid to help with navigation in the car is helpful for me. I bought a 63 Buick Engineer approved accessory Dinsmore Compass with light for night use. The Compass has an attractive chrome like finish and tells you exactly what direction you are traveling. The compass is mounted up where the rear view is also mounted. A man must know the direction he is traveling. Turbinator

Ed, I agree if you are going to have gauges at all I think they look better out of sight when not being used...just my preference. My single dual function gauge is in the ash tray proper. It took a period of time to fit the gauge in so I could see the thing, but it fits. Some say if you keep the damn engine up to snuff you won’t need gauges. In theory on going proper maintenance and repairs eliminates the need for gauges. In the past some of repairs did not hold as they should. So, from now on I’m wearing a belt with my suspenders. Turbinator