TampaRiv

Where are you at in Ohio Gary? I was just up in Columbus for a couple of months this summer, I've lived all my life up there except for the last 4 years here in Tampa. I had to leave my Riv here in FL, and wanted to keep working on it, but it didn't make sense to transport it up/back to OH. BUT, like the car-obsessed doofus that I am, I acquired a 67 Newport up there, and am now recommissioning that old boat!

I got no time for the likes of Rumsfeld.

Hello gents, I'm writing from Columbus instead of Tampa, as I'm up north for a couple of months visiting friends and family and working for clients up here. Columbus is a great town, and getting bigger and busier like every place else it seems. My question tonight is about Vintage Air Systems for use in the Riviera, specifically my '63. I have seen several of these units lately in a variety of cars from a '67 C10 Pickup, to today's sighting in a '67 Healey 3000. My questions are: Do they work well? Are they easy enough to install that a layman can do it? (By layman I mean a guy who has a high degree of mechanical skill and troubleshooting talent, but not a lick of AC experience). Can the original Riv ductwork and controls be adapted? Tampa is great from Nov. 1st to June 1st, but it's hotter than shit in June-Oct, so the AC is a must. I would be glad to hear your stories of the Vintage Air products, and particularly which set-up is right for the Riviera. Finally, I bought yet another car today, a 1967 Chrysler Newport 2-door hardtop. I stole the car, and it is really nice. Some sorting will need to be done of course, but that should be fun, and, there's a Mopar section to this website so hopefully those guys will be as helpful as you chaps here in the Riv section. Amazingly, the '67 Newport coupe is actually longer than the '63 Riviera....The Riv is 17 feet 3 inches (correct me if that's wrong), and the Newport comes in at an even 18 feet! It's a 2-door! Insane. Oh, and some research on the interweb told me that the slab-sided Chryslers were designed by a guy who left Ford after designing the '61 Continental. Cheers from Buckeye-land Rich

Thanks Keiser for the useful info. I appreciate all the comments and the help.

Thanks for the info fellas, I plan to pick the car up tomorrow morning, and take it to my buddy's shop for some cleaning and maybe try to figure out the electrical issue. My whiz-kid friend is on a motorcycle trip to the BMW gathering, so it may not be until next weekend when he can help me sort that electrical problem. But it will be fun to clean the car up and get myself familiar with it. I still can't find the camera.... Rich

Can somebody tell me where the Newport Custom fits in to the Chrysler lineup in '67? I assume the Imperial was the top-dog model, and the New Yorker was below the Imperial. Was the Newport the entry car for Chrysler? What did the "Custom" designation include? Was the Newport Custom better equipped than the Monaco (which I know was a Dodge)? Just trying to educate myself about Mopars. Thanks! Rich

Many thanks for your post Craig. The plan is to have the owner locate the title, then tow the car to a friend's shop here in Columbus so I can start to sort through it. I may need some stuff while I'm up here in Ohio, so I'll be sure to give you a call. Come August I will probably trailer the car down to Tampa, and will need stuff once I start working on it down there. Thanks again for the post, I really appreciate the interest and support. Rich PS, I do not have one of those infernal I-phones, and don't care if I ever do. SO, when I locate my digital camera, I'll get some photos of the car and post them. Thanks again.

Hey Jack, I bought the car. The guy just couldn't keep it any more, he had some health issues. He said he had started it just last week, but there wasn't anything at the key...no crank. He had put a voltage regulator and coil on it recently, and it did start and run, but there appears to be some electrical gremlin he hasn't found yet. We agreed on $1250. The interior is quite nice, except for the driver's seat back. The body seems pretty solid, and the underside looked decent from what I could see. Floors and quarters look good, and rockers too. So, I'll tow it down to the shop this weekend and see if we can get the old 383 running. If I can find my camera I'll post some photos. Cheers, Rich

Thanks Jack. I could see that the Newport would be a good complement to my Riviera...big floaty Detroit cars. I plan to leave a note on the car this evening, so I'll let you know if anything comes of it. Thanks again from Columbus, Rich (from Tampa) If olive oil comes from olives, and vegetable oil comes from vegetables, where does baby oil come from?

Hello Mopar fans, I normally post with the Riviera group (I just bought a '63 Riv on March 1st, and after a 27-year dormancy, It's on the road again!). It's a "rolling restoration", and my wife and I are loving it. But I do have an affliction, so now I have my eye on a '67 Newport Custom that has been basically sitting on the street, not really moving much, and I want it. I come up from Florida to Ohio in the summers, and this red '67 Newport has been sitting on the street for at least 2 years. It changes position, and has good plates, but the tires are low and I'm thinking of leaving a note on the car to see if the owner would sell. I can't detect much (if any) rust on the body panels. One spot on the black vinyl roof is bubbling. The car is red, not sure if it's a factory color. Interior is nice. But it's just sitting on a busy street (amazing it hasn't been hit yet), and it just seems like the owner has no good place to keep it. Anyhow, the car really has my interest, so I'd ask you fellows for any advice about this model. I've owned a half-dozen A-body Darts, and my Dad had a '66 Monaco, but I have no experience with the Newport. Thanks for any help, I appreciate it!

Thanks Bernie, tell me more about removing the dash cover...... Rich

Thanks Bill and Gary, and everyone else who posted about the LED bulbs. I got busy so I'm just now responding. Next question....how difficult is it to change out the dash/ gauge bulbs? I assume it involves what I call "dash yoga", which has you contorting on the floor of the car whilst trying to locate something under the dash and then you get a Charley Horse. At least a couple of times recently I wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to get out from under there! If there's an easy way I'd like to know...

Thanks Gary, can you possibly post a full list of the bulb numbers you used? Thanks for the help, Rich

Hi again, work is progressing well on my '63 Teal Mist. Thanks to all who have responded to my posts, the knowledge and advice has been extremely helpful and most appreciated. Today I had the car in the muffler shop, and they were removing the exhaust pipes from the two downpipes running rearward. It turns out that one of the flanges on one downpipe was broken, and had been patched together. So, a new replacement manifold is the next part to order. BUT, clearly visible inside the pipe near the flange was a butterfly valve, which was obviously corroded shut a long time ago. Apparently the last guy to touch the pipe cut about half of the butterfly out to keep the exhaust flow going. SO, the questions are.......what was the function of this butterfly valve?; and at this point is it necessary?; and is this a part that can be sourced and replaced? I plan to get a new exhaust manifold, so I don't know if that new/old manifold will include this valve. Thanks gents, Rich

Now you have.

Terrible Ted? The Motor City Madman? I guess this club will accept anyone.

Guitars and Rivieras. Bob, I'm right there with ya. Throw in girls and beer and what more could you ask for!

Thanks Swede, I emailed those guys. Sounds like a great solution to the problem.

Hello again gents, My dash lights are too dim, and Jim C. tells me that there has been some discussion about LED bulbs available. Can anyone speak on the availability of LED bulbs, and specifically how many are required for the 63 Riviera, and more specifically where to obtain them, and how to install them? Those big gauges would look so great if illuminated brightly. My headlight switch is new, but still the gauge lights are too dim. Thanks guys, Rich

Wow, thanks Bill. Not in a million years would I have guessed that would be the way the thing was oriented. A picture tells a thousand words. Thanks again Bill, Rich By the way, the Point or Leinenkugel beers are on me when I'm up there don't-cha-know eh?

Thanks to all who responded. My visor brackets are exactly like the ones in the photo that 1965rivgs posted. Does anyone have a photo of this type mounted? Rich

Hello Gents, You may recall that I managed to install a new headliner in my '63 Teal Mist about 6 or 7 weeks ago. It turned out really nice, as many of you were kind enough to mention. I still have some kind of pinched nerve in my neck from doing it, and my right arm goes numb from time to time. I'm writing because I failed to record the orientation of the 3-holed mounting plate that holds the sun visor. I can feel the general location of the plate through the headliner, and I can feel the large hole where the "ball" tucks into the roof, but I just don't know where the screw holes are located. SO, if someone would be kind enough to take a photo of the plates as mounted on their car and post it, I would really appreciate it. I sure don't want to go poking a bunch of wrong holes in the new headliner! Cheers from Tampa, Rich

Why does the blue threadlocker come in a red tube, and the red threadlocker come in a blue tube?

Well said Winston! I keep going back and forth. My gut feeling is that with absolutely every brake component being replaced, the system should be safe and reliable. And I myself have blown out old brake lines on dual circuit vehicles and had no brakes at all. Thanks for the comment, I got a kick out of it!

I see that I was under-thinking the topic. I didn't realize there was quite so much technical stuff to consider. I like Bernie's look there...a taller and skinnier tire. And of course I'm trying to economize, so I went with the Venezia 215/75/15 WW, found them on ebay from simpletire (with free returns) for $275 for 4 tires, free shipping. If I don't like them, I'll send them back! Thanks guys, Rich