68RIVGS

From your link, it looks like this coating will do the job. The fact that it is a water base material - should make clean up a very easy task ! For my '68 resto, I used the black rubberized rocker guard material with a 'shutz' gun, in a confined area and managed to get a lot of over spray on my brand new painted car. Fortunately, it was fairly easy to remove while it was fresh, but it was an extra procedure I had not anticipated, and my 'new paint' finish was not harmed. Fast forward 28 years, and it still looks as good as the day it was applied, and it has withstood the test of time quite well !!

To reinstall them, use a little wheel bearing grease under and over the rain gutter to help them slide on easier without chipping the paint !!

. . . you mean a royal P-I-T-A Bernie !!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Riviera from the great white north - enjoy that classic '63 Riviera !!

Don't really know about the '66 425 Don, but that's how it gets done on a '68 430 !!

Nice turn-key car Kaber !! Never really liked them when I first got into Riviera, but you slowly start to appreciate what they are from examples like this.

That is the correct setup for the negative cable - to get a good chassis ground ! Double check all the wiring connections for corrosion, or poor contact, particularly on a car that has sat for a long period of time.

Just a heads up for those that might be interested - The December Issue of Collectible Automobile has a nice 4 page, 'Photo Feature' spread with some details on Bill Mitchell's Silver Arrow I.

'68 and '69 Riviera shared the same individual hood letters - the '70 had 'Riviera' in script style in the lower left hand corner of the hood, as did the '67. Unfortunately I don't have any reference material for '66, or '67 Riviera, but my '68 Parts Book does list parts that are common to all the different model years. The '66 hood letters are definitely not the same part numbers as the '68, or '69, and the repro letters I was referring to, fit all models except Riviera ! http://www.ebay.ca/itm/66-68-69-70-BUICK-ALL-MODELS-HOOD-LETTERS-GS-NEW-1970-SKYLARK-GS-WILDCAT-ELECT-/381012388513?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item58b61baaa1&vxp=mtr

Chasing and solving electrical 'gremlins ' is fun ??? The courtesy lights are always wired 'hot' (+12VDC) - when you complete the circuit to ground, the lights function - check the switch, or the dash panel for a poor ground connection. Check for +12VDC to the heater control bulb sockets, and they also need a good chassis ground connection to function.

Quite a collection of vintage tin - thanks for sharing Kaber !! That '65 is a beauty, and those 15" pretend, factory mag wheel hubcaps are a rare sight.

Thanks Ed - you just never stop learning in the wonderful world of Riviera !!

Looks very neat and 'factory' original - nice update Jan !! Are the brake lights not operated from an adjustable electrical switch that is actuated by movement of the brake pedal arm, or, is that feature only used on newer model vehicles ??

With the door and quarter panels off, you have easy access to the window tracks, and linkage. Remove all the old lubricant from the tracks and apply a new coating of 'Lubriplate' white lithium grease to the tracks. Make sure all the pivot points for the window mechanisms are lightly oiled and move freely, as the steel parts are prone to rusting and seizing over the years of exposure to moisture and dust, or lack of use. Operate the windows several times to ensure new lubricant is 'worked in' and the operation of the window is smooth without hesitation. Make sure all the rubber channels are clean and use a little silicone base lube, or 'Armoral' to keep the rubber pliable and prevent the glass from binding or sticking.

Those vacuum systems can be a PITA also Buddy - just ask anyone who has had to trouble shoot '68 or '69 Riviera headlight problems !! They are all great as long as there are no problems, one split end on a hose, and the whole headlight system is rendered almost useless, not to mention how smooth a 430 engine runs with a leaking vacuum hose. aaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!

Not sure if he's still with us Dick - Ed Wong lived in, or around the greater Toronto area, and there were several other ROA members in that same area. Don't even know if they are still active members - but maybe someone will chime in with some specific info ? If you look really close in the posted pic, you can see a 'personalized' Ontario licence plate on the car 65*GS. Personalized plates were only made available to the public, in the Province of Ontario, on or about the early 80's. There was also an additional $100 fee, if you wanted to have a 'personalized' vanity plate. Now it's about $250 for a 'personalized' vanity plate, but you do get a choice of more characters !!

I do believe these might be available as repros Tim - maybe do a search on evilBay ? I remember seeing them when I was restoring a 'Star Wars' air cleaner, which has B-U-I-C-K across the front.

A happing ending, . . . sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do - look at it as an investment !!

Check on 'evilBay' for '68 part outs too - I think it's a '68 only plastic part common to LeSabre, Wildcat, And Electra, in addition to Riviera !! They also came in different colours to match the interior colour of the car.

'66 was the last year for the nailhead engine, and '67 was the first year for the 430 engine - the carbs may be similar, but the intake manifolds would be different ?

A year would help, but the sealed beam headlights are usually held into the pots, or buckets by a stainless trim ring that is secured with three self tapping srews in tabs that are spot welded to the trim ring. Those small screws may be difficult to remove as they usually rust to the pots and may need a little persuasion to loosen them, be careful not to break the tabs off the sst trim ring.

Having fun and enjoying the cars - that's what it's all about Tim , great pics !!

The right tool for the job can make a big difference !! That snug fitting rubber insert in the upper portion of the spark plug socket in addition to gripping the spark plug, also protects the porcelain portion of the spark plug to reduce or prevent damage from cracking or breaking the porcelain when your removing, or installing old, or new plugs.

Looks good, and it's about as close as you can get to the original finish. Semi Flat, Satin, and Semi Gloss are all about the same finish, depending on the manufacturer - the wheels are definitely not a Gloss Black, or Flat Matt Black finish. Now you'll hafta do the other 3, or 4 (...spare?) to match !!

Thanks for sharing Chuck - some neat history and photos !!