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YellowLark

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Everything posted by YellowLark

  1. I have placed my Riviera Convertible up for sale. It is a red/red car in fair-to-good condition. The body is straight and rust-free, the paint is good, and the seats are in very good condition. I have a huge set of documentation that in included in the sale, including scans that I made of many hundreds of pages of parts illustrations and service instructions. This car is driveable and all the major work has been done on it. The reserve is very low, and while this car is not in showroom shape, it is in far better condition than some of the Riv convertibles that have recently sold on eBay. To view this ad on eBay, please go to the eBay website at eBay.com and enter item number 300669631317 in the search box at the top of the eBay home page.
  2. I've been traveling and just saw this post. Two years ago, I bought a junkyard-condition '83 Riviera convertible (that can happen with an eBay purchase . And, I've spent the time since replacing or fixing EVERYTHING on that car. I bought a running parts car that is the identical car with the hardtop. That has been invaluable to me. RockAuto has been the source of most of my new parts. Of course, since I have the 5.0 engine, I also search under Oldsmobile parts and on Oldsmobile forums. For yours, a similar search under Cadillac parts and on Caddy forums should yield good leads. Of course, used and junkyard cars are still found in various places, and on Craigslist. Having been the original owner, at least you have all the parts in place and know exactly what goes where and what they look like, which was not my situation. I am sure that you will enjoy the good information on this forum. Thanks for the photos of your fine car.
  3. Ed, The last mechanic to access those bottom bolts used some type of Play-Doh to stick them to the sockets. Good stuff, because it held strongly to my socket, even though its probably many years old. Next time I visit my grandchildren, I'll ask them for some.
  4. Thanks for the advice, RivNut. I found an illustration in the 1983 Fisher Body Manual that shows the entire window system as a single unit with only three attaching bolts. Two bolts are right at the top, and one straight down at the bottom, which needed the socket taped on. The whole job to pull one side was under ten minutes. Attached is a photo of the window unit with glass (on the bottom), guide panel, and motor. When ASC did the convertible conversion, they apparently designed the rear windows as a simple drop-in installation package. Very, very nice, just pull the whole thing out, put it on a bench, and make any repairs. That design sure beats the wrist-bending and knuckle-busting that other window repairs often require.
  5. Is he going to make two sofas out of it?
  6. I need to do some work on the rear quarter power windows on my 1983 Riviera convertible. I've determined that one of the window motors is dead, and that the plastic guide tape on both windows is broken. So, I need to have good access to both window mechanisms. But, the convertible, being a conversion, poses some access issues. With the folding top mechanisms in the way, I don't see how I can remove the motors and install new guide tapes. Looking at the (attached) parts illustration for this car, it appears that the entire window mechanism is an insert. Is that true? Can I unbolt something and lift the glass, guide panel, and motor out as one unit? That would sure make my repair easier. Any advice is appreciated.
  7. Not sure about the 1963 catalog, but I know that my 1983 Buick Parts Illustration catalog usually gives the screw/bolt dimensions for each part.
  8. DK and NTX, Thanks for the great advice for owners of all older convertibles. Those are the kind of essential tips that I print out and post up on the garage wall, along with other regular maintenance checks, for that car.
  9. NTX, Thanks for the advice. I have a 1983 Buick Chassis Service Manual, which is where I'm referencing the codes. There is no knock sensor on a 1983 307 engine. The V6 turbo had them. My diagnostic tool for this ALDL system is a paper clip, and counting the blinking of the "check engine" light. High tech for 1983 Earlier, I checked the pulse wire coming out of the distributor with a dwell meter, and its perfect. And, now I just drove about 10 miles (circling my neighborhood) with no problem. So, the question now is whether to trust that this won't re-occur far from home? If the ignition module or the coil went bad, would that be intermittent, or permanent?
  10. 51Dyno, The check codes are for the distributor not sending pulses to the computer, which, in turn, totally controls the spark. Without that input, the engine then runs in a "limp home" default mode. While fuel issues are always suspect, I'm pretty certain that this particular problem is ignition-related. Now, if I just figure out what it is.
  11. John, I just filled the tank from empty last week, and even added 20 oz of Techron to it. But, I had just washed the car, and wonder if water may have gotten into the distributor. The problem path for this appears to be with distributor components or associated wiring. I'm learning that a primitive computer system like the 1983, is a very limited advantage. It can do some good things, like controlling the carburetor's air/fuel mix, but it sure lacks the detailed diagnostics of today's cars. Maybe tomorrow I'll find the solution....
  12. Took my '83 Riv out for a Saturday run which went bad after about 8 miles, and limped home with two new error codes to deal with. The car suddenly flashed the Check Engine light, bogged down and stopped. Started right up, but with a top speed of about 20 mph. Except, there were several times where it sped up as normal, but then quickly went back to "limp home" mode. Codes 41 and 42 refer to ignition problems where the spark timing can't function, and a basic ignition mode must be used. Code 41 has changed over the years. But, for a carbureted engine like the 307, code 41 says there is no reference pulse from the distributor to the ECM at a certain vacuum. Code 42 follows this by saying that the spark timing can't function because its circuit is grounded or open. Also, that a bad HEI could cause this. There is a long checklist of what the causes might be. But, have any of you dealt with these errors before? Being pointed in a likely area would be very helpful.
  13. What year car are you dealing with? Ooops - I see that you have a '65. I believe that a company named Detroit Iron has all the pre-1980 Buick parts manuals on CD. http://www.detroitironis.com/GeneralMotorsavailibility.html
  14. What happens when you push the switch? Do the windows go down first? What do you hear? Do you think the problem is electrical or mechanical?
  15. I seem to have fixed the problem, at least for now. The button rods were extended out too high, and the power solenoids were not able to fully lower them, so they kept cycling and cycling. I pushed both buttons firmly down to the door tops, and now everything works as it should. Not sure how I managed to pull the rods up too high, but at least now I'll know to deal with this problem.
  16. Something is going on with the power door locks on my '83. The locks on both doors lock and unlock every five seconds. I have unplugged both door arm switches, but they keep going. Have to disconnect the battery to stop them. I've checked the diagram, but am at a loss to fix this very distracting problem. Any suggestions?
  17. I need to replace the "Parking Release" handle and its short cable that runs from under the dash to the parking brake. Mine is broken in two different ways. For an '83 Riviera, my parts book shows group 4.594 and part 1261708. But, I can't find that part number anywhere online, and local stores don't have generic replacements. Any suggestions? I'm surprised that this part is not easily available. Yes, I do have a parts car; but that part, while it looks OK, is the same age, and I hesitate to disable part of the brake system on a car that has to be pushed around.
  18. That VIN ID website had no entry for my 83 Riv Convertible, 1G4AZ67Y0DE429250. So, it may not be helpful for you. The unique rear seats in the convertibles can be a challenge, as the steel spring webbings in my car were badly rusted, and will have to be re-fabricated, which will probably not be easy or cheap.... Anyway, I have yet to hear of any ASC Riviera roadsters without practical tops, but anything is possible. Once, I cut the top off of a junkyard-bound 1958 Thunderbird, to make a "roadster". I hope your car's condition is more professional, and that we can comment further when your photos are posted.
  19. I just went out and stuck my head under my parts car. It's hard to even locate the oil pan without a lift. Looks like part of the transmission is under the oil pan? OK - I'll just be happy that he knows what he's doing...and, that I'm not doing it.
  20. There is a service station in my area whose manager is very experienced with older cars. He has many 60's and 70's cars as regular customers, and is highly knowledgeable and helpful with his advice to me. However, I brought my '83 in this time to have the oil leaks fixed, and he just called and estimated SIX HOURS to replace the oil pan gasket. Says he got the rate from an old book on his shelf. If I hadn't dealt with him before, I would assume that this estimate is bogus. But, he's previously been very fair with pricing. Why is it so difficult to remove this car's oil pan?
  21. I always try to go at least once a year. Been going for about 20 years. Don't plan on finding specific parts for my Buick, but love the cars, activity, and exploring the vendors' goods to find some new and useful tools. I even plan to eat some sweet-pepper sausages, which I never would do except at a special event like Carlisle. Just a fun day to enjoy. Hope we have sunshine on Friday!
  22. NTX, Because that adjustment is not computer-controlled, and this car has apparently been taken apart and put back together so many times that I had to buy a parts car just to know what's missing or not hooked up. So, that adjusting screw was totally backed out sometime in the past, and I'm looking for a way to access it while the car is running so that I can set it to the proper rpm's. BTW, I just converted this QJet to electric choke last weekend, after seeing that the hot air choke tubes had rusted apart.
  23. Thanks, Larry, But my issue is not with the idle mixture, it's with the fast idle speed adjustment, whose screw is (barely) visible, but not really accessible.
  24. Well, all the books tell you how to adjust the fast idle speed on my E4MC Quadrajet, even have pictures of where the adjusting screw is. But, you simply can't get a screwdriver, or even a special flexible 18" "Carburetor adjusting tool" with little sockets, near that screw. That's because of all the various emissions hoses in the way. How can you adjust that screw when the engine is running? Or, do you have to remove the various hoses and keep trying to iteratively adjust by trial-and-error with the engine off ?
  25. RivNut, Good point about the doors being the same. My biggest challenge is the rear quarter windows, especially the part on the body pillar. Well, maybe I just need to start being creative and see what I can adapt to seal that area.
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