60FlatTop

The title says it all; stopped by a friend's. Bernie

That is the air cleaner I have run on my '64 Riviera for 34 years, 2 months, 3 weeks 3 days, 18 hours, and 50 minutes. Once I put a correct one on and it just broke my heart to cover that beautiful nailhead engine. 10 minutes might be a generous estimate. Bernie

The good advice was "Don't jump to any conclusions too quick." Here in Rochester, New York we used to have a company named Kodak and workers with little to do would sit in break rooms and imagine all kinds of B.S. for cars, homes, boats, and the like without ever even seeing them. If you sat down at the table with a couple of them you would probably walk away thinking you needed a Camaro subframe, a 455 with a 400 Turbo, open driveshaft, and a posi rear end. And none of them would have ever had the experience of driving one. The truth is, your car was built 15 years before we landed men on the moon. We were a fairly advanced nation, technically, at that time. And when a new owner drove out of the showroom they got a pretty smooth and quiet ride for their money. Watch a little Highway Patrol on YouTube and see how well your car would do on the canyon roads. When you get that car home clean it like you were going to show it at the Nationals. Get to know every nook and cranny; top, bottom, inside and out. Raise it safely and swing those front wheels through their steering arc. Turn the tires by hand, listen and feel. Those bouncy shocks could be low on fluid. There is a plug and hydraulic jack oil can be pumped in with a squirt oil gun. Just keep remembering, this car was good enough to draw the customer and their money away from a Chevy or Pontiac when it was new. It doesn't need to be modified to perform well. And remember it is not a new car with McPherson struts, rack & pinion steering, 2800 pounds, and disc brakes. My cars are all stock including NEW biased tires. When I first got into old cars people would cut in quick to read your radiator badge to see what it was. Today, if they don't see my emblem in their rear view mirror when I come up from behind they sure won't see it when I blow by them. These are good cars and perform well. I saw a new "something or other" a couple days ago and it had an emblem on the back that said "4.0 liters". What is that? 245 cubic inches? I have no idea why anyone would make an emblem like that. They couldn't be bragging and they weren't looking for a donation or handout...... Well, I'm going out to dinner in the '60 Electra ( made ten years before we put men on the moon Bernie

I just read this string of messages. I know how much goes into the offerings my company provides and how simple the end result looks. The thing I am very grateful for is being around in 1979 to be able to buy what I think was the last horn bar from GM stock. As I remember it cost $17.00. That was probably a better deal than my AM/FM radio. My radio was still mounted in the original showroom display and sitting on the back bench of the service shop. It was the mechanic's music. I asked the mechanics if they would trade for a new "store bought" radio. They said sure and I made the trade. Bernie

I am 63 and look back on life with only two regrets. I didn't keep more of my cars. I didn't buy more cars. It ain't over yet. 35 years until retirement. Bernie

When you remove the old hoses always slice the hose over the tubing connection and "unwrap" it from the tube. That will prevent damage from trying to twist the old hose off. Bernie

I always say you have to look at a hundred before you find a good one. It should be easy to figure out where you stand now. Bernie

I couldn't resist one of those northwest cars in 2008. Sometimes you just gotta do it. From Federal Way, Wa. to the wilds of western New York; 1600 bucks. I'd do it again. Getting too old to keep all my money. Bernie

$30,000, huh? Makes me remember when I bought my '64 Riviera in 1978. I can't remember if I paid $1900 or $2100. It was one of the two. I was 30 and it was a big reach at the time. My friends said I was nuts for paying more than $1,000 for a Riviera. I am totally opposed to buying a collector car based on common sense. If it makes your heart beat fast, is beyond your budget, and you worry about someone buying it before you get back..... It will surely be a more rewarding purchase than an objective calculated one. Bernie

I have seen one or two cars on Ebay that did not meet the reserve. This might be one. Bernie

When my son was about 1 week old on a hot August day we took a ride in my Riviera. I was younger, less anal, an less attentive then. I was driving without a battery hold down............ and the + post on the fender side. We stopped for a cross road where I put the ponies to work on the launch. The car just cut out and coasted to a stop. I got out and started for the front of the car. There was a BIG explosion and liquid running out ahead of the front tire. The battery had rocked back and grounded, well, welded, to the hood. Andy is 30 now and I have never had a problem with the Riviera battery location since. My wife remembers how hot it was to sit in that car with a newborn still. I just checked, she confirmed it.

I bought my 1986 Park Ave convertible with "a loud knock in the engine". Beyond the cost of the car I have spent $5500 + my time. I still have about $3,000 to go before I am satisfied. THat drop top saved its life! John is right. A lot of times an older "collectable" car just gets disassembled for restoration; end of story. The entry fee is usually a lot less than the marriage. It is a labor of love. Bernie

God! Put me on the member list immediately! When I read that byline I wonder if it is copy written. In my case curmudgeonism came from years of observation with comprehension; two very difficult talents to balance concurrently. The most fun I have is stereotyping a person from 40 feet away and then watching how hard they work to live up to it. Imagine the Curmudgeon section; graying and half bald, laughing with tear streaming down their cheeks all at the expense of typical .......... oops. Better not do that. Bernie

It might be later, like maybe a '39. Bernie

Floor pans are tricky to make. They need rolled in stiffening ribs or they will "oil can" and make popping noises. When I was more ambitious I looked at some coupes with no floor and thought about cutting floors from a late model pickup to fit. I'd think the same way doing a car like yours. Just poke around the junkyards for a latter similar rust free pan, cut it out, and weld it in. But for sure us existing pans for the ribs. Bernie

I'm just taking a guess that it is the fuel vapor vent. It happen to my truck. The original part cost $35 but it was superseded by kit to correct the problem for $130. I am still not comfortable with that line of logic. At least I didn't write my first cynical thought- "They have been building Buicks for over a hundred years and you picked a 2006 LaCrosse?" Happy Fourth. Back to sitting in the shade at my personal car show. Bernie

Brian, Every time a contribution came from you in the Bugle, this forum, or other interaction your energy and commitment have always been obvious. Good Luck. I hope to see you in South Bend........ Of course you know a tag like 38 Buick 80C puts you in the best graces, anyway. Bernie

That ground on the bulb socket is a real engineering stretch. I soldered a wire to the tab, tied the ground between the two lights and fastened an eyelet to a good ground, the nut and bolt kind. Bernie http://www.brockportinternational.com/xjs/Dir5/Riviera/Grounds/060001.jpg http://www.brockportinternational.com/xjs/Dir5/Riviera/Grounds/063.jpg

Send the pictures to me at bernie@godailyops.com. I will put them in a folder online and slap the up like a shot of whiskey. Bernie

Last summer, shortly after tuning my "60 Buick up, the wire fell out of the end of the condenser; just more cheap junk delivered by ship. Condenser problems can be heat related as well. Pick up an old stock one on Ebay or from an old distributor and change yours our if it is fairly new. Bernie

No documentation, though the ones on my '64 Riviera are 7.10X15 from Coker. They are about 1 1/4". They are biased tires with the correct aspect ratio and diameter so the car sits right and the tires do not rub on the inner fenders on turns. All my suspension is in top condition so I have to imitate all the things the experts say are wrong with biased tires. Bernie

This old car hobby is very adaptable. And the initial cost of a car has always been "the entry fee" in my mind. Everything you do after carries a relatively high price tag, just like the car you drive to work or more. Remember, a lot of people can't afford one car. Having two or more makes you rich in some circles. "I want a classy car that I can ride around in with my wifie and also tinker on it in the garage on weekends." It is not classy to walk home and tinker may not be the term for a $2,000 transmission or $600 radiator. If the "tinker" funding comes from a joint account with wifie.... it ain't gonna be fun. Over the years I have observed that a large number of happy old car owners bought their cars for about the equivalent of $3,000 when the car was somewhere between 15 and 30 years old. You might make out better if you search for a nice 1980's or early '90's full framed V8 car in nice condition with an attractive color combination. Shined and looking good you will achieve your goal without nightmare. Those cars are rapidly becoming the exception on road and a car with "eyes" is always a head turner. Bernie

Just take a picture of the engine. Ummmmm, it is worth about a thousand words. Bernie

I would believe the leak to be in the internal passages of the core rather than on the surface. And for thin rolled copper that is 60 years old there is a good bet it is due for a recore. My '60 was only 45 years old when I had to recore the radiator. Bernie

Learned it from my Dad. Jamokes/Gemokes, he brought it home from WWII and used it to describe the other kids who led me astray. Bernie