steelman
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Posts posted by steelman
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Thank you, that sounds great. Should I be skeptical about him claiming it to be the real deal?
Thanks
Lasse
I don't know these guys, but the seller is Oregon Performance Transmission. Very good internet ad found on Google, not going through ebay. Link attached. Ebay shows top rated seller, and you do have to earn that rating and work to keep it. Ebay also offers a buyers protection insurance. Might look into that if you are still skeptical. Link attached.
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This may sound a little crazy, but take both to your machine shop. Spin and check the old one for balance. They should be able to tell you how much it is out of balance and where. Based on what we have read here it should be. Then spin the new one and compare. Add or remove weight to it to match the old one. Crack in the old one might make a difference, but you should be close. I haven't talked to my machinist, so I may be way out in left field on this, but that is how I would approach this if it were mine.
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Thanks for the explanation guys. I'm planing on ordering my wheels this week so this has been very helpful. These wheels are uni-lug I found out yesterday but that should not make a difference right ? Ed, I still owe you a beer and some dinner!!
Unilug means just that. Covers more than one bolt pattern. Instead of round holes in the wheels for the lug studs, you have slots. Wheel manufacturers have been doing this for years. Just need to be sure when your lug bolts are installed, you use the loose thick chrome washers when you install these. Important to use these washers on a unilug wheel.
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They don't explain what the -12 offset is on their website, either. Should be OK. You will also need the 1/4" spacer on the rear, due to the large axle hub to get the wheel to seat. Get 4 of these when you get them.
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15x7 with a quarter inch spacer ~ OK.
3 1/2" Backspacing ~ OK.
5 on 5 Bolt Circle ~ OK.
What is the -12 offset? Don't understand that part.
Don't forget the lug nuts. Unless these have been changed out, your 63 will have left hand thread lug bolts on the driver's side. Here is a related thread;
http://forums.aaca.org/f177/left-hand-thread-lug-nuts-300610.html
Good luck. These look real good on a Riviera.
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The `66 Aluminum valve covers are both different than previous years. The driver`s side has a relief cast into the inside front corner to clear an A.I.R. pump. The pass side angles the PCV valve toward the carb as opposed to straight up as on the earlier covers.
Tom
Thanks, Tom. Based on this description the set I picked up are indeed the 66 only.
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...with the '66 only valve covers. -Dan Mpls. Mn.
OK, time for more education. I have a set I picked up at a swap meet. Thought they were all the same. How do you tell these are 66 only? These will eventually go on my 63, so correctness isn't the issue with me. Just like to know what I have and how I can tell. Thanks.
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Air Ride Technologies has a complete kit for the 63 Riviera. But it is expensive. I love mine. Plan to spend 2-4K on parts, depending several choices. Air compressors, tanks and even self levelers are all options. You can install yourself or find a shop experienced with air bag setups. Not too hard with general mechanical skills. Talk to a few people with air bags on their rides to see if this is what you want to do before forking over that much cash. Several posts on this forum discuss these. Do a quick search.
Several people that frequent this forum have used the Jamco lowered springs. If you just want the lowered look, that is a much cheaper alternative. Several posts on these here as well.
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At the Goodguys show in Scottsdale last weekend there was a 36 Ford painted all over with the chrome paint we have seen used on "Street Customs". Non-participant entrance was through one of the big tents with manufacturer's displays. This car was positioned so it was the first car you saw coming into the exhibitor area out of that tent. Very, very bright in the Arizona sun. Wouldn't want to drive this down the highway on a sunny day.
Tony, love the interior. Keep the pictures coming.
I found a picture of the 36 Ford described above. Bright is an understatement.
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OK, time to see if I qualify for what Ed calls a “Riviphile”. Have to keep in mind that I have a slight advantage being a 63 owner. (Even if it is 1200 miles away right now.) This is my list of changes to Silver Arrow I when compared to a stock '63 Riviera.
1. This one is a “gimme”. Says so right on the placard, top chopped 2” or more. But did you also notice…
2. The wind wings were eliminated at the same time?
3. Hood front is cut off and molded to the front fenders. ISCA would count this as 2, one for the hood itself and another for molding the removed piece to the fenders.
4. Grille louvers.
5. Grille emblem. Looks like a ’65 trunk emblem.
6. Lower bumper ends molded to the front fenders. Props if you caught this, as it is hard to see.
7. Front bumper guards removed.
8. Hood emblem changed.
9. Hood release moved to under the upper front bumper.
10. Hidden headlights. Look close and you can see that the upper 2/3 retracts like a 65 revealing the headlight.
11. Where did the front turn signals go? May be in place of the cornering lights below the headlights, but not where they were. Headlights are there now. Wish they were all that way.
12. Driver’s side mirror changed. Looks like a later GM sport mirror.
13. Side mirror added to the passenger side. Matches the driver’s side. As a stock ’63 didn’t have one here at all, I am counting it.
14. 65 rocker trim added.
15. The obvious rear brake vents.
16. Riviera script emblem removed from the front lower fenders.
17. Emblems added to each fender just below the belt line. I assume these say “Silver Arrow” like the trunk. Oops, haven’t got that far yet.
18. Molding removed from under the rear window and vents added here. (Count as one or two?)
19. There is also an emblem of some kind between these.
20. Lower half of the rear bumper is painted lower body color.
21. Which brings up the two tone paint.
22. Tail lights look like they have 65 lenses and grilles. I like them.
23. B-U-I-C-K lettering removed from the trunk. As these are all separate letters, can I count this as 5 changes?
24. “Silver Arrow” emblem custom made and added to the lower right trunk.
25. Hubcaps. I agree that wires, or even the stock ’63 turbine wheel caps would look better.
26. Moving to the interior, the first thing you see is that great steering wheel.
27. Clock added to the console.
28. Wood grain added to the console.
29. Tach added to the dash right of the column.
30. Fuel gauge where clock was between the speedo and tach.
31. Turn indicator stalk and end changed.
32. Column cover is now polished, rather than the factory ribbed unit.
33. Shift ball is now wood.
34. Shift pattern on console changed. This probably had to do with swapping to a Turbo trans.
35. Not sure if I see an upholstered floor mat or that is part of the carpet, but the driver’s floor is different.
36. The seats have several changes. Start with raised backs.
37. Front seat buns look like ’68 Corvette or maybe ’71 Camaro. But not stock ’63 Riviera.
38. Backs of rear seats also raised.
39. Rear power window switches moved to the rear center armrest.
40. Wait, ‘63’s didn’t have a rear center armrest?
41. Rubber wiring sleeves were removed from the door jambs and replaced by two contact buttons. Does that mean the windows won’t work with the doors open?
42. Not a lot to see in the engine compartment, but we have a few that are puzzling. Valve covers painted black. 65 GS covers would have looked better here.
43. Air cleaner changed. Why, oh why would you replace the HUGE and beautiful ’63 air cleaner with something so utilitarian?
44. Looks like a high output alternator where the stock power steering pump was. Have to assume the power steering pump was moved lower below it this like a later model GM.<O:p</O:p
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Had the same issue with my 63. Brake booster is bad. Spend the money and have Booster Dewey do it. Do a search for his contact info.
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OK, added eight more to my list. I will give you one of the less obvious ones. The electrical connections for the wires going to the doors is now the more modern buttons, rather than the contiouous wires in the rubber sleeves from the door jamb to the door. Thanks, Chuck.
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Okay all of you Riviphiles, start listing all of the changes that Bill Mitchell made to the stock Riviera to come up with the Silver Arrow I. Odin Loe and I spent about almost two hours pouring over SAI when it was displayed at the ROA meet in Eureka Springs, AR in 2005. We came up with quite a list. I'm wondering if any of you came up with something we didn't?
Ed
Harder to do from pictures than in person, and I don't want to go first. As an ISCA official, I am pretty good at this, so I don't want to spoil the fun. I will tell you my initial number is 28.
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Just came across some great pictures of Silver Arrow I. I have not seen these posted here, so I thought I would add them. Lots of discussion about this car, but not many pictures. From the Sloan Museum in Flint MI. Enjoy. I did.
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[quote name=
Steelman: I love the look. Have the cops given you any crud about them yet?
Passed several and night and had several pass me with no hassles at all. Not even the Texas cops have said anything when we took the car there.
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You may have seen this already, but here is how I did the headlights on my '63 with a billet grille.
http://forums.aaca.org/f177/phantom-headlights-63-a-272713.html
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If your wife sews, she probabely has a cloth measuring tape about 1/2" wide. Perfect for this job. Loop it around and read the number. Keep the grease off of it though, or there will be trouble...
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Are the door openings braced? Remember this is a hardtop, not a post. You either need the doors on or the door openings braced or you will bend the body and the doors will never fit. Maybe a Riviera is different, but still a hardtop. I have never pulled a Riviera off the frame, but I have several others. Always with doors on or braced so the body didn't flex.
Sorry, Rob, not really related to your question, but didn't want to see things go bad here for you.
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Don, I think these wheels were also mentioned in another thread because of their resemblence to Road Wheels. Snip of the web page is here. My wheels are special order also came from them, and I can say they were great to deal with.
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I haven't had a '71 Monte Carlo in about 15 years, but these do look the same to me. Call Year One. I agree that most if not all GM bucket backs are the same arross Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Chevrolet as long as you stay within the year. Email a picture to Year One. Bet they can help.
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I've never had need to try this but I read about it in another forum; the comment came from a noted nailhead guru. His advice to control annoying drips that came from the transmission was to add some brake fluid to the transmissionn fluid. Brake fluid is designed to keep rubber soft and pliable. The brake fluid in the transmission fluid will have a tendency to soften up your hardened seals and stop the leaks. I'm not advising you try this, just passing along something I read. Has anyone else ever heard of this?
Ed
I always thought this was a used car salesman's trick. Get the tranny to stop leaking long enough to sell the car, then it is someone else's problem. Quick fix, but as mentioned, not a long term one.
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Did you see this one? I am thinking about going to look at this one next week. In Scottsdale, AZ, so close to where I am for a while. Not in the market, but sure looks sweet. Like yours, too.
Buick : Riviera Buick : Riviera | eBay
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Tony, if this is what you needed for window fuzzies, found these on evil bay. Hope this helps.
eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices
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So, let's look at this objectively as the parts car we think it is...
1. Hood - No.
2. Deck Lid - No.
3. Front Fenders - No.
4. Doors - No.
5. Rear Quarters - No.
6. Seats and Console - No.
7. Engine and Trans - No.
8. Glass - No.
9. Tail Lights - No.
10. 65 Grille - Modified to fit the 64 opening?
11. Frame and Suspension - LOWRIDER, No.
12. Front Bumper - Maybe.
13. Rear Bumper - Maybe.
14. Front Signal Pods - Yes.
$3200 sounds like a lot for an engine stand that needs rebuilt and a well used plasma cutter that may or may not come with the deal.
Take this all in the good fun this post was started for.
License plates
in Buick Riviera
Posted
Love it, love it, love it. Is this a real tag you found or one you had made?