60FlatTop

Ex-Navy here, I always thought of my '64 Riviera as a version of the NCC 1701-D shuttlecraft, 'course I ain't really right. Bernie

It is interesting that this string has come up again. Dealing with the incredible lack of knowledge around these cars has been as frustrating as it has been incredible. I purchased my car with a knocking engine and no transmission action. I bought an old stock quality rebuilt engine, had the transmission rebuilt with a new torque converter, and pretty much provided a blank check. The transmission is quiet until I put it in Drive or Reverse. Then the pump whines very loud. It has been back to the rebuild shop twice. The first time was when it would not upshift when first installed. The fluid was badly carbonized and I figured they just threw the valve body aside and never cleaned it internally. It was fixed in a day. Then the whine started and it was returned again. When I called for an update I was told I better talk with my engine mechanic. Supposedly the engine vacuum was too high and causing the modulator valve to pull out too far and make the pump "overpump" beyond its capacity and whine. I asked how low the vacuum was supposed to be to avoid this and did not get an answer. I gave my nephew instructions to remove my car from the transmission shop property and not enter into a discussion with them. Apparently I am supposed to tune the engine in some manner that reduces the vacuum. Give me a break. Sometime before spring I will take it to another shop and have it done right. I will probably have to get in the car and put it in gear, then raise my voice above the whine and loudly say "Make that whine stop." I imagine it will cost another $1,000. It is interesting that it comes right after totaling over $1200 in the new exhaust for my '60 Electra. That started out as a complete "factory" replacement system from a well known pipe bender in Buick circles. The only parts left from the original purchase are the tailpipes. Everything else, front and intermediate pipes and muffler (it did not muffle) are in my nephew's scrap metal pile; just junk and the labor for trying to make it fit right. Oh, and then there were the new points and condenser I put in the '60 Buick just for general principle after nine years. One week later the wire fell out of the condenser and the car had to be flat-bedded home. I am being very careful about who I deal with for any service or parts. Next year the garage will be expanded and the cars will be cut back to 1960's or older. Parts that have taken boat rides will be excluded from the shelves. Only original old stock will be allowed. Well, let's see if I have a quiet convertible next year. And if I have to fix it myself. Bernie

Nice, it only takes a couple of minutes to stop and capture a picture like that. The season is just right. Bernie

I got this from an image search for '65 LeSabre:

John, here is the Riviera in a fall picture from last year. To make it big I think I link from a URL and then uncheck the local reference box. I don't know how it works but it does.

There is something about the sunlight once we get into September. They always look better: My wife and I had a talk this morning. Health problems started in February and it looks like the cars will have to go. I will probably wait until spring to offer them for sale, although someone who really wanted one could preempt the schedule. Bernie

Around 1988 my wife's daily driver was a 1962 Electra 225 6 window, factory red with a white top. It was my first Dynaflow since about 1972 when I had the black 1962 Invicta 4 door sedan that my Grandmother replaced with her '68 Wildcat. My wife's was fine unless it sat for a few days without driving. Then it would leak until you drove it a bit. At that time Zerniak's Auto Parts tore down the "steel building" that had housed windshields, some parts bins, and a whole bunch of used transmissions. The trannies were being scrapped. One was labeled in yellow tire crayon as "62 Buick". I figured I better grab that just in case. I remember I paid $35 for it. I brought it home and put it in the cellar of our 1853 house. The recent forum string encouraged me to go down and check it this morning. It is still in standby. You never know when you might need one; 24 years, well, I didn't have to feed it. A side note on the sprinkling can, my wife bought it when we were dating. She was a Hippie and I was a hard drinking, Buick drivin' redneck if you can image. She bought the sprinkler because it was old fashioned and durable. I few trips to the garden with an already heavy sprinkler filled with water gives a person a different feel for old fashioned. We have a plastic one now. Hoarders, it starts so innocently. Bernie

I always liked those '77 and '78 Rivieras. When they came out I noticed the styling ques from the '63 and '64. The return of the coke bottle flare in the quarters was nice. And the size; the Rivieras had grown pretty fat over the years. They stand out in a crowd today. Bernie

On those long term storage cars I like to disconnect the fuel line at the carb and used my MyTvac brake bleeder bottle to draw fuel from the tank. I check the gas drawn into the bottle to see how bad it is. The first two or three can look real bad. If it stays bad, drain and put in fresh. Then use the MyTVac to prime the system up to the carb. Doing it this way keeps the dry diaphragm from flexing while it waits for fuel and from over grinding the starter and heating up the brushes and armature. I guess that tip is a little late for you,rr. Maybe it will help another. Bernie

That bad rap is not terrible to perpetuate. I don't sell cars much. I buy them. The Jaguars are gone from my list temporarily. I have had six and bought them all at great prices because of the perpetuated bad rap. And I would never say anything good about the, hell, they don't run most of the time and if you get one started it will probably catch on fire. I think there is a Jag or a Packard in my near future. Maybe one of those slush boxes too. Don't forget, gs is going sky high. I have a few bucks and might be dumb enough to let you unload that horror story on me.

I'd hit the Buy It Now button in a minute if I was in the market. Nothing looks fishy and I bet Gramps is the owner. Look at the row of trash cans. Poor old guy probably needs to buy food for all his kids who moved back home. I bet he took as good care of the car as he did that nicely groomed yard. Bernie

No idea of the application, but those 12 spring Borg & Beck style were a bear to push down. I swapped out a diaphragm clutch in a '57 Pontiac for one of those and regretted it. Probably why it has installation marks on it. Bernie

I have been thinking about this Dynaflow perception for a couple of days. In 1966 & '67 when I had my car there were at least two 1/4 miles painted off with start and finish lines, maybe three. My '60 Invicta would show about 80 MPH at the end; pretty good for what is was. I used to peg the speedometer frequently. Then found out with the snow tires it would only reach the 115 mark. I turned 18 in September '66, then off to the Navy in the spring. I grew up and got a little less crazy for about 3 weeks in 2008, but I'm over that now. Bernie

In 1966 I had a black '60 Invicta 4 door HTP. I bought it right before the end of High School. I was 17. My Dad had already told me I was NOT getting one of those 409's or 327's. He took me over to Holley (you know that place) to show me the ideal sensible car. It was a 1961 Ford wagon with a stick 6.... and brown! I got him to go back to the Buick dealer in Brockport and look at the Austin 3000 they had in the front row. He had a weak spot for the A-100. The black Invicta had just come in on trade and was irresistible to both of us. At $600 it was within range. The AH was over a thousand, maybe $1500. I bought the Buick, my first financed car; $50 a month for a year. My friend's mother had a '64 Ford Galaxie convert 390. Her sons claimed it was the fastest car in town. When I passed them on Rt 19 with booth our speedometers pegged they still claimed it was the fastest but admitted mine was a little faster. When that Invicta raised under power braking a bad motor mount would make the engine lay over and pull the gas pedal to the floor. It wouldn't release until the torque backed off, maybe a hundred feet. Ummmm, my Dad knew 401 from 409 was only 8. He taught me that sometimes you just overlook the small stuff. Bernie

Hmmmmmmm, I had a set on a '62 Electra I had once. Of course it gets confusing on the public square; front, left side, right side? What's a fella to do?

Look at them bid on that car! These celebrity owned cars just go crazy on Ebay. Bernie

Its a Buick. You get in, turn the key on, step on the gas and away I go sitting in my smaller living room. None of that jiggly, push up and down, engine revving stuff for me. I just wouldn't be a Buick. Well, there have been a couple of playful moments power braking. If you haven't set next to a Mustang or Camaro at a light in a '60 Dynaflow Buick as you gently fed fuel and held the brake firmly you haven't lived. They just don't know what to do when your car raises vertically 6 inches and you look down on their lesser car. Bernie

I changed all five on the '64 right before we left for the 1981 Nationals in Sandusky, Ohio. The CV joints make it hard to get the cross of the U-joint out. We used a cutting torch to cut the center cross "ears" and left the CV joint undisturbed. Most GM manuals say the driveshaft and CV joint are not serviceable and should be replaced as a unit. I tend to agree. I had a '67 Cadillac with a bad CV. I took it to a driveshaft specialist shop about 20 miles away for repair. I am pretty sure I made 6 trips back and forth and R&R'ed the shaft as many times. They never got it right. Finally I went to Paul Lauracella's Parts of the Past in Lyndonville, NY and picked out a good used one; smooth as silk. The "new" rebuilt one leaned in a corner of my garage for about 15 years as a reminder that-------sometimes-------- I am not smarter than the book. Eventually it went into the junk. On the Riviera, if I had a bad CV cup or ball I would find a decent used one and replace. If the CV is OK put new U-Joints in. Bernie

Another weekend and lunch on the Holley Public Square. This time we didn't see a Buick. We did find this 16 year old Chevy. Funny, it is just about the age my Riviera was when I bought it: Just for going off topic with a Chevy here's a Buick on the Square: Bernie

Yep, Harmony Mills at Cohoes Falls, one of my favorite places. I could walk around there for hours. I was hoping to get up there with my PA convert for the Eastern Regional. Back in shape now and back to normal. Bernie

It's not always as it looks, is it. Bernie

It is tough to go through life without a dream to reach for. A run down 40 or 50 + year old car is cheap and the dream can be attainable. Sometimes that old car helps a lot with how you handle important things. All the cars I bought through sound financial decisions are gone. The impulse buys are still here. Bernie

John, You could get a couple cars and go to this neat place: Here's a hint, swing into Bella Napoli's and grab some almond cookies for my wife when you get done. Bernie

Those Rivieras had GM E-bodies GM E platform - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . The list of shared models is pretty good. In this forum your best bet would be posting in the Reatta section. Bernie

That's Jethro! Bernie