steelman

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.

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.

Tony, love the interior. Keep the pictures coming. I found a picture of the 36 Ford described above. Bright is an understatement.

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

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.

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.

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.

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. Buick Automotive Gallery

[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.

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

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...

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.

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. Newstalgia Wheel, American Racing Wheels, Boyd Coddington Wheels, Billet Vintiques, Billet Specialties, Motorcycle wheels, Colorado Custom Wheels, Cragar Wheels, Bonspeed Wheels, Foose Wheels, Radir Wheels, TQ Chrome

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Split the hood and deck lid, cut the top off and suicide the doors. Those I have seen before. But what's with the flying Lambo quarters?:confused: Agree with PRL, welder needed.

Reds and blues have always been hard for printers reproduce in magazines and broshures correctly. Modern computer technology has made this better, but still not always true to the actual color we see with our eyes.

Had the same issue with my brake lights when I first bought my car. Work fine for a while, the quit. Came back for a while, then quit on the other side. What cured mine once and for all was not the sockets. There is a plug under the carpet on the driver's side. Seems to connect the front and rear halves of the wiring. Found this when I had the seats and console out working on the heater core. May be able to see it by just removing the door sill plate and peeling back the carpet. If not, may have to remove the driver's seat to find it. Clean and secure this connection and your brake/taillight issues go away. At least mine did. Maybe it will work for you, too.

That is also sound advise. Tires that have sat in one position over a length of time will develop flat spots. You can hear and feel these going down the road, even if the tires look good and have the right air pressure. My 63 was parked for 17 years, and had new tires (bias ply white wall) installed just before it was parked. Tires looked good, but I could hear and feel the thump, thump as I drove it after getting it running again. New tires cured this issue right up.

WheelVintiques is making a Buick Rallye wheels in 15, 16, 17 and 18 inch diameters. Just started producing these, and can't tell a lot from the online catalog. These are not road wheels, but if the demand was there, this might happen. The demand may be there for stock type road wheels, then expand from there. At least they speak Buick. Riviera is just a different dialect. Page 29 of the online catalog. Products | Wheel Vintiques

OK, I am too opinionated to not weigh in on this, too. I would have to go with a hybrid. 63/64 with a 65 front clip. I like the 63/64 tail lights and I like the horseshoe mouldings on the rear quarters. I always thought the headlights in the 63/64 looked like just what they were, an afterthought. Stuck too far out of the grille and interupted the overall flow of the entire car. Don't like the Ferrari grill in a Ferrari, much less in a Riviera. Again, it just didn't match the flow of the design. I have to agree with Jason on the 401K analagy, but my Riviera preference goes in year order. 63, 64, 65, 66, and then 67. I have to agree with Ed about the 68s and 69s, but I would add a nice 71 to the collection.

Unless you plan to redip the body for corrosion protection like the factory did, the plug isn't an issue. Mostly these plugs served as drains when the bodies were dipped before paint. If you are looking to do an nth degree restoration, may have to cut the drain/plug structure out and weld into the new floor pan.