JohnD1956

Forget what the old owner told you. First thing to check is the timing. Reset to the factory setting. Next check the front of the radiator core for bugs or other debris blocking the airflow through the radiator. Change the thermostat. My 56 manual recommends a 160 degree thermostat, but see what your manual recommends first. My 56 was a hot runner, but I had two long time leaks I finally fixed and it was solved. One a leak in my heater core, the other a leak in a core plug. There has been talk on these forums of water jacket debris blocking the rear most coolant passages on the straight eights. Unfortunately it appears the head must come off to address this. But before doing that, pull the radiator, and turn it upside down and back flush with the most water flow you can get. Do this in a clean white bucket and check the bottom after the water settles for debris. If you have a lot you should try to filter the return hose to the radiator. there are some inline filters available but one guy said to put a piece of panty hose over the top hose mount on the radiator and then install the hose. Be sure to check this filter often for cleaning and to assure yourself that there is no more need for it before removal. If none of these things work I'd be looking for a head gasket and pulling the head off. Just be careful of the manifolds so you do not break them.

Just checking in to see if there is any Hotel information available yet? Thanks

From the Standard Catalog of Buick: In 68 the six would have been an inline six, and the six would have been available in two models, the Special Deluxe (43300 series) and the Skylark (43500 series) . Note that the 350 V8 was also available in the Special Deluxe as an option. The Special Deluxe Wagon (43400 series) and Skylark Custom (44400 series) would have had the 350 V8. The first 3 numbers in the VIN ID indicate the model. Basically just drop the two 0's in each model above. For example, the Vin ID on the Special Deluxe would start with 433. One thing of note: There was a GS 350 available that year, and the Catalog says it is a trim package of the 43400 series, which means the Special Deluxe Wagon and the GS 350 share model identification numbers. Sounds pretty odd to me but I assume they are right.

There are so many subjective items which makes it very difficult to put a value on something like this. Low milage and garage kept are big pluses. 4 door with few options are big minuses. However, these types of cars are showing up at events and drawing big crowds for their originality. And this does not even address if you like the color, or the style. In this case, if it were my friend, I'd advise him to hold on to the car for at least six months before making a decision. This would give him some time to deal with the grief he is bound to experience. And it would help him figure a price that would leave you two as friends. If your friendship is not compelling, then that's a different story alltogether. As for what to do to start it, take it away without starting it at all. Once you have it home, remove the spark plugs and put some PB Blaster into the holes every day for a week. Pull the distributor cap while waiting and see if there is any moisture in there. If so replace the points, condensor Rotor and cap. If not return the cap and remove the coil wire from the center. Also remove the hose from the fuel line to the fuel pump. After 5 or so days I'd squirt a little marvel mystery oil in the cylinders, and try to turn it over in the rotation direction with a socket and breaker bar on the harmonic balancer bolt. If it spins a complete rotation I'd clean the old plugs and regap, then put the plugs in and turn it over with a new battery for a few revolutions to get some oil flowing again. After that I'd spray a little starting fluid in the carb and give it a try. It's bound to smoke quite a bit with all that blaster and mystery oil in there but that should not be a concern at this point. If it fires, then I'd find out what to do about the old gas, and I'd put a new fuel pump on before trying it again. The good news is these are stout little motors. Often the weak points are the water pump and the bolts that hold it on. Also sitting that long may result in reduced life for the nylon on the cam shaft timing gear. But the replacement sets of gears and chain usually outlast the purchaser. Respectfully submitted,

Welcome to the world of Buicks Airflow. A 66 Riviera is quite a start and a beautiful car. As for basic information you may want to get a copy of the Standard Catalog of Buick. For 66 you can get any of the three editions. But here is some information from the catalog: There were 45,348 Riviera's produced in 66. Sounds like a lot to me but I'll look for production information or maybe some one else will chime in? Anyway, the GS was an option package which included heavy duty shocks, Posi rear axle, and some trim items like a chrome aircleaner and aluminum valve covers. The stock engine was a 425 cu in with 340 HP. A dealer installed option was a 360 HP version which had 2 4 bbl carbs. there has been some talk that 401 cu in engines can be found in some of these cars. I think, however, that this is more prevalent once the cars passed on to 2nd and 3rd generation owners who would just as soon change an engine than fix what went wrong. As for what went wrong, I can only speak from personal experience with a 65 Electra and 66 Gran sport. at 99K or there-abouts, both engines need timing chain and gears. Also the Electra developed a rear main oil seal leak around 140K while the GS had low oil pressure from 120K on. The Electra's tranny went out three times and coincidently we broke 3 sets of motor mounts. The drive shafts may be a problem as I believe they are two piece units with a CV joint in the middle. Other than that that 66 Riviera is a beauty, and if I ever dive into a Riviera again, that is what I'd look for. Good luck.

I saw a neal nice looking BMW convertible today. 4 seater with nice white leather seats. Looked brand new. Old guy driving it... and when he passed me I thought to myself...my old go kart sounded better than that thing. What I see is that some people would not look twice at a Buick even if you had a gold engine in it and were giving it away. Unless it has a foreign name on it, they have the perception that it is inherently flawed. Towards that end it is usless to put a 4 cylinder in a La Crosse. Doesn't matter what they do people will still think Buicks are for old people and American cars are unreliable, when nothing could be further from the truth. But it is true that the Beemer sounded like a singer sewing machine to me. And that's not the first one I've heard like that. Also it seems to me that more Toyotas, Hondas, and Nissans, rather than Buicks, are driven by the elderly. Perhaps it's just my neighborhood. But I think it is safe to say that unless GM builds a reasonably priced entry level Buick, the image of the Division will never be changed. After all, given todays economy, how many 28K cars can anyone expect to sell to younger Americans?

Stop with these electra's already... you guys are killing me here!:eek: ps: got any more to look at?

Good information again Willie. So a 750 CCA it is. Now to await payday!

Just taking a shot at predicting the future. I'm certain that within a short time period we will see the end of all separate GM models and Divisions across the board, and we will witness a GM Buick, GM Chevrolet, GM Cadillac, and even a GM Pontiac. Of course there will probably be a GM Corvette, and a GM Truck too. Each car will be the best seller from the different Divisions but the model names will be dropped. If this is right, the GM Cadillac will be Luxury sport V8, The GM Chevrolet will be an entry line vehicle with some format of a 4 cylinder, The GM Buick will be a mid sized luxury wannabe, with some format of six cylinder, and the GM Pontiac will be a V8, probably an entry line sport model. The GM Corvette will be the cash cow. The GM Truck may be the only line with two vehicles, a pickup and a mini SUV. GMC will also continue as a separate Division specializing in commercial truck applications. Whew, now I need a beer.

Good advice Bryan. I support that entirely!

After considering all these suggestions, I decided to follow Willie's first since it appears the battery will fit the box and hold down almost perfectly. Turns out I can get a series 31 heavy duty commercial battery from my Napa guy for a very reasonable price and if I want to spend $20.00 more I can get one with 1150 Cold Cranking Amps. Not sure I'll go for that one but I bet that will spin the ole girl over pretty good alright. Anyway, thanks for all your ideas and special "Thanks!" to Willie for this information.

Thanks for the great ideas and recommendations. It's been a big help.

The 8 year old battery on my 56 has failed. It's time for a replacement and I'm just wondering what batteries others may have found that fit in this spot? The original number would have been a 3 KRM 62. That's no longer in production. I should note I am trying to just preserve this car and use it as a weekend driver. So I'm not keenly interested in the new space-age looking types. I just want something that looks unobtrusive and has a reasonable price. Can anyone make a recommendation? Thanks

You say you have used the car somewhat, so just how old is that fuel? If three years or less, I might suggest putting one large, or two smaller STP gas treatment additives in with filling the rest of the tank with fresh new fuel. Older than that and it's a real crap shoot. Especially if it's sat with less than a half tank. Two ways to get most of the fuel out are to try siphoning from the filler neck. Auto part stores should have siphons which come with bellows on them so you can start the siphon flowing withoput sucking on the pipe. This is, of course, highly recommended. Another way is to raise the car and disconnect the fuel line from the back of the tank, and then add a new piece of fuel line to drop below the tank and let it siphon out that way. This is a bit trickier to get started. Some have bought an electric fuel pump and then set it up in a temporary setting to pull the fuel out from the disconnected fuel line. Jst be sure the car is fully supported by frame jacks before you go under there. As to new fuel, you really have little choice. Most of these cars will still run on todays high test. The good news is the Buick Engines do not require additives for lead. The bad news is untill you get at least one or two tanks of fresh fuel you really won't be aware of other problems form the 20 year siesta. Keep us advised of how you doing with this. I'm sure many others will chime in with advice.

Congratulations Bob. That's going to be a nice car when you're done, even if it is not perfect. There is plenty of room in the BCA for cars that are clean daily drivers. Of course now you have an important first task even before you get the car, finding secure storage for it. I'm not talking about problems from human vandals, I'm talking about crimes from 4 legged rodents. The last thing you will want is any storage that is susceptible to mice OR damp and dark which increases the possibility of mold growth. If however that is all you have available, let us know, for suggestions on how to live with that type of environment. Good luck.

Wow, those Pontiac people are sure passionate. Shame some of them still think Buicks are for the older people only. But the real shame is GM still has the same top management attitude screwing up the entire company!

Welcome to the BCA # 44871. And the frame is looking really great. Thanks for the update.

What a tease! The sites not up till July 29th. Meanwhile the last Time Magazine had a picture of 4 Buicks, the new LaCrosse, the Lucerne, the Enclave and the Regal concept car. The Regal was hidden but it sure looked nice. While I'm not happy to see Pontiac disected, I am at least hopeful that measn Buick will make this concept car in a two door version for the market.

Wow, what a story. Not much worse than finding you need a repair 600+ miles away from home. But you wound up in a great place with guys who cared about you and your car. Thanks for providing the details. This would make a good story for the Bugle and those who will never see this on line version. I hope you submit one to Pete.

Look on Craigslist. These cars come up regularly and in many cases they run, but can't be driven for other reasons.

Have to agree Leif. Very imporessive collection and work to restore those cars.

Looks to me like old slow drivers have switched from Buicks to Hondas and Nissans. See a traffic jam? Chances are there is some past prime driver in a Honda tying things up. BTW, saw Portholes on a new Caddy two days ago, and that driver was NOT going slow!!!

I like the electronic copy. Yet, it's possible that the number of members who are "on line" is so small, that savings would be negligible. Is there a target reduction number ( in printed material) that makes this a positive economic solution? If it is large, like a thousand or so less printed Bugles, it may be difficult to find that many people even on line. Still, I see benefits for those not recieving the Bugle timely due to circumstances outside the control of the Club.

Watch out for Rod bearings. If the engine is good it will last well over 150K. If it is weak you will probably get to 130K. Also be prepared for an A/C compressor failure eventually. New ones are available and the way to go, but it won't be cheap.

Gee Frank, sounds like an adventurous trip. Great to hear about Doug helping you out, and nice thinking on the generator repair. And congratulations on the long distance award. That's awesome.