Jim Cannon

I went and looked at a glove box section that I have out of a parts car. (The right panel, including the right A/C vent ball.) It looks to me like, if you remove the glove box liner, you can remove 2 screws from inside the glove box opening and the lock should slide straight back (toward the front of the car) and out. The lock has already been removed from the panel I am looking at, so it is hard to know for sure. Hope that helps.

Bill- I have not yet had the pleasure of replacing the heater core on a first gen Riviera, but it is not my understanding that pulling the seats and carpeting is one of the steps to replace it. I think you end up disassembling more of the dash than anything else to get to the heater core, perhaps also some of the console. Or else you cut the firewall and take it out "the wrong side". The POR-15 is a good plan. Dynamat is good, too, but I don't think that is all you need. It is a sound deadener. Good as a base layer to reduce road noise up through the floor. Then you need to add a really good thermal insulation. I found one on-line at one time (Thermsulate - from ATD Corp in Norcross, Ga.) but they don't seem to be selling retail any more. They sent me a nice sample and some literature. If anyone knows of a supplier for Thermsulate now, let me know.

Replace insulation under carpet with some new, better stuff. The old jute will be matted down. Move seats back an inch or two? (Do you need the leg room?) Run wires for the two big speakers you are going to add to the rear package shelf and the kicker amp you plan to put in the trunk?

This is all good. Thanks. The side mirror was moved more forward on the door in late '63 and kept there in '64 and '65. Many people complained that the original location was too difficult to see into, especially if the seat was run forward. (I don't have that problem; I drive with the seat all the way back.) Because door skins are so easy to remove and swap around, early 63 Rivs are often found with the mirror up forward. Your engine paint is the original silver for the '63 Riv, showing its age. The exterior of your car looks great. I must compliment you on a beautiful car.

Great photo! OK, from this you can tell that the body was built in the first week of Dec. 1962 (12A - I knew that was a possibility), and the factory exterior color was Arctic White (that's the CC). Interior from factory was "optional" custom blue cloth and vinyl (so it looks like the interior in the photos is original). Glad to hear the tire is on the trunk floor; I would have had a hard time explaining that one! When you look at the side view mirror on the driver's door, from the driver's seat, would you say you look at it through the vent window or through the main side door window? In other words, is the mirror mounted pretty forward on the door (look through vent window glass) or more back on the door (look through regular window glass)? I think that's the last question for you.

Excellent!!! Thanks! The one thing I'd like to ask you to look at the data plate for: the month/week of build. From your FB number I would predict it to say "12B" in the upper left corner of the plate. (This body number is very close to the end of week #1, though so it might say 12A.) Please look for me again when you have a minute and tell me which it is. Have you ever looked at how the spare tire mounts up on the shelf? Does it seem to be factory, or someone thought it was a good idea to move it up there? (Perhaps because they saw it there in another model year.) Any sign of an anchor loop on the trunk floor, to the right? I agree with Ed, you have a beautiful car there!

He obviously has a house full of this stuff that he has money tied up in that he needs to unload. Pretty high prices listed there. But still buyers. P. T. Barnum...

The nails are SIDEWAYS between the coils of the extended spring, guys, then you close the spring down on the nails. It's not like the spring is going to shoot the nails across the room! Washers will certainly work, too.

They were intermixed with all other Buicks. Hard to say. If you go find the "FB" number off of the data plate (above the brake booster) you can see where your car was make in sequence from 1 to 40,000 in that model year. I've been told this does not work for other model years, but it does for the '63. The same data plate also has the build date (week) in the upper left corner. First 2 digits are month (late months are in 1962 calendar year for 1963 model year and lower numbers are for 1963). Third character is a letter, A to E, representing first through fifth week of the month. That's as close to the build date (of the body, not of the final car assembly) that you can get. I'd be curious what your '63 shows on the data plate, and also some build features on your car. (A clear, close up, photo would be great.) I'm keeping a small database to try to identify when various changes in production features occurred. If you would not mind, send me your data plate info and build features (such as smooth or ribbed dash, spare tire location, trumpet horn location, inside trim around windows painted or chrome, etc.)? Personal Message or e-mail would be great. Thanks!

Yes. My Dad is 6' 2" and moved the seat base back on our car 2" to have more leg room. He did it by cutting hefty strips of metal about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long (6 of them) and drilling holes 2 inches apart in them. He bolted each strip where the seat mounts in the floor and bolted the seats to the strips. He used flat head screws and countersunk the holes in the strips for a flush fit. I have hear others say that they flipped the front seat mounting brackets around and bolted them back down to give some movement back. I guess that also requires doing something in the back where the third mounting bolt is on each side. I don't know that detail.

Hey, Ray! How about a new "sticky topic" at the top here with info for everyone about the 2008 ROA Meet in Galena? Getting the details out early helps get more people planning to go. Will the host hotel accept reservations for the meet yet?

Lot of 3, $30+shipping OBO (actual cost - no "handling") NIB (New In Bag) AC Delco P115 - GM # 5572288 New oil filter cartridge - NOS - includes new gasket - bag still sealed Light surface rust spots on metal filter housing, will not affect filter performance. Fits: Buick 1948 All Cadillac 1951-1952-1953-1954-1955-1956-1957-1958-1959 Chevrolet - All 1946-1947-1948-1949-1950-1951-1952-1953-1954-1955 Chevrolet 6 cyl. (partial) 1956-1957-1958-1959-1960-1961-1962 Oldsmobile 8 cyl. 1948 Oldsmobile 6 cyl. 1948-1949-1950 Other AC S6 filter applications Reply with Personal Message to this board or e-mail to address in my profile.

Thanks. I don't think I need a picture. Jim

My Dad has a '29 Phaeton that he is just about finished restoring. He asked my to ask you all if that car is supposed to have inside door handles. It does not have them right now, but he is thinking about adding them if they are supposed to be there. Thanks for your help. Jim

I ordered new rear springs from Coil Spring Specialities. They are too tall. Several others have reported this problem. Some others have reported that the Eaton springs are a better fit. I have not yet used them.

Hi, gdiwicker! Jim Cannon here! I live up in Spring. Kind of hard to help you because I can't figure out what year car you have! Other than that, these diaphragms are not usually that hard to replace. The recirc door diaphragm on the first gen Riviera is the hard one. If you have brakes issues, don't drive it till you get them fixed. We don't want to lose one of our newest members! You <span style="text-decoration: underline">have</span> joined the ROA, right? PS - a real name would help, much more personal than referring to people by their screen login name.

Look on the ROA site. I think that info is in the Public section and not in the Members-only section. I don't recall. Been a member for so long. Join the ROA. A great organization. You need to learn to read the data plate on your car. It should have a 2-letter paint code. (On Riviera the letters are the same, but on other Buick models that had two-tone paint options, the letters could be different.) That paint letter is your original color.

I found it easier when going into the local Chevy dealer for some of these lenses if you know the part number that you want. If they have to look it up in their computer, well... let's just say it takes longer. Ask for PN 4765600. They won't stock it, they will need to order it for you - about 5.00 ea, as I recall. You will want to replace all 4 because they yellow with age, so you want them all to be nice and new and white. This is one of the few parts you can still get from GM new for the first generation Riv. It might be fun to compile a list of all the others. I suspect it will be a short list!

See the "Dynaflow Flood! - 63 Riviera" thread below for someone down near Dallas. Not that close but that's what you need (a mechanic that worked on Dynaflow back when it was popular). Lots of gray hair, etc. Avoid franchise chain stores. Get an old shop with a guy that's been working on them since the 60s.

Yes, if you are going to do the brakes and count on them stopping this 2-ton car, you want to replace all brake hoses and the hardware. Inspect the steel lines for external damage or corrosion. The front one passes across the front frame crossmember and is exposed to damage from things hitting it while driving. The rear one, across the rear axle, gets a lot of road debris, dust, sand, blown over it while you drive (kind of sandblasting it). Very well formed, pre-bent replacements are available in original steel or stainless. Also, something often overlooked (but mentioned in the shop manual to be done) is to grease the parking brake cables inside the housing (the part that goes into the rear backing plates) when you have the rear brakes apart. That, along with the new brake springs, will help get the parking brake applied securely when you step on the pedal, and help the shoes to fully retract when release it.

I agree with everything Ed said. Have the whole front suspension checked. The first place I would look is the <span style="font-weight: bold">rear track bar bushings</span>. When worn, they let the back of the car really wander side-to-side on top of those rear coil springs. Makes the car wander all over the road. The bushings are so easy to replace (2 bolts), and cost so little, that it is a quick fix that everyone should do. Get under the car while another person pushed sideways on one of the rear fenders, by the trunk. I predict that you will see that the bushings are quite work and letting the car swing quite easily. Replace with polygraphite from PST.

I'm using R-12. In Houston here, when it is 90+ degrees outside, my vents blow 35 degree air with the A/C temp knob on max and the fan on high. As Justin said, this A/C system is barely adequate when it's all working as designed. The little vents on the sides and the one in the middle are too small. I suspect the compressor and evaporator could actually handle much more air than we push through the system. It kept us very comfortable on the road to Flagstaff last summer, though. I can't really complain.

Read Darwin Falk's article in the July/August 2007 Riview for a discussion of option codes. He is starting out with '63 but alludes to some things you need to know about '64 and later. He says he will continue the series with '64 and '65, so stay tuned...

I had my '63 Riv into a muffler shop with a 2-post lift and we could not figure out any way to lift the care safely and properly. They kept acting like they were going to lift from the body, under the doors. I stopped them in their tracks and told them they needed to get under the frame. But as you noted, the X-frame is in so far from the sides that it is hard to reach in and get under anything solid. I ended up going to another muffler shop with ramps that you drive up on and then the ramps lift up in the air.

Thanks for the pictures, Jayson. Almost like being there. (NOT!) I sure wish we could have gone this year. My dad and I missed seeing everyone. I knew last year that it was not going to be possible, and told several of you at that time. Other family activities and work commitments made it impossible. I have already started mapping a route up to Illinois for 2008. 18 hours of driving if we take all Interstate highways (according to Google maps) and 24 hours if we take all US highways and avoid the Interstates (which is what we did going to/from Flagstaff last year). That's my preferred option.