steelman

Mike, keep in mind you will need the six button switch plate from the custom interior armrest also. I have a better picture somewhere, but this filthy thing was my 63 when I first brought it home.

Yes, but not with Buick parts. OPGI made their name in Chevrolet parts, then moved into Pontiac parts. Chevelle, Impala and Camaro parts have been ordered from them on my past projects and quality parts were delivered. I have not ordered any Riviera parts parts from them and am sorry to hear that others are having problems. I know they are new to the Riviera marketplace. Maybe they can turn this around and be the quality supplier they are to the :confused:other brands.

Do you wash it? Car wash or garden hose or rain, water is still water. If you have a windshield leak, it will get just as wet inside from washing it with a hose as it will being in the rain.

Not mine. I know nothing about it, but the price isn't bad. DFW area. 1965 Buick Riviera

Congrats on finding NOS Starwires. I know these are what you wanted all along. Use the 7s and keep your eyes open for a nice pair of 8s. Or even a nice single. Might pick up a single cheap if they only have one. I know paint is a chunk of cash to have together at once. Been there, done that, got the Tshirt.

Good point on the 27F. I actually put a 27F in my car, but didn't want to admit it here. The 27F made the most sense for just the reasons mentioned.

Mine did the same thing. Turned out to be the battery itself. Had enough power to crank when it was cold, but it was like you unhooked the cable when the car was warm. How old and what size is your battery? The battery box and the car itself are designed to carry a 27 series battery, not the smaller and more popular 24 series. 27 series batteries are used in Cadillacs and big cars with a lot of electrical draw, like our Rivieras. I put a new 27 series in mine and it cured the problem.

Still in need of paint, but still progressing.

Best looking Rivullac I have ever seen. I like it. Nice improvement over stock.:cool:

The 63 steering wheel also says Riviera, as do the door panel emblems on the custom interior versions. Nice custom cloth interior 63 versions are still out there. After a long hot day at the car show, I really like crawling into my custom cloth interior as opposed to hot leather until I can get the AC cranked up.

My understanding is the differences in the Buick ST400 and the regular GM Turbo 400 is all internal. The pan gasket and filter are the samefor all 400s, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, or Pontiac. So the standard Turbo 400 filter kit from the parts store for any 400 should work.

I usually agree with bb1970, but whitewalls do look good on some cars. You have a 63, so most likely not road wheels. Here are a few examples. See which one you like best for your car. Hope this helps.

Do a Google search. Several videos on YouTube, but nothing specific to our cars, but the same principle applies.

Rex, short answer is yes. I have seen it done and considered doing this myself. When I was working in Vegas I looked at a 63 with a 65 clip and the lines matched up fine. It was this way when he bought the car, so I couldn't get specifics on what it took to do the swap, but if you didn't know better, it looked like it was supposed to be that way. The issue for me was finding a complete 65 clip to use.

Bob, you are correct, the factory turn indicators are outboard in the "fender pods" behind the slotted grilles on a 63-64. So, if you put the headlights there, as I did, you also have to find a new place for indicators. I think a 65 grille is wider than the 63-64 opening, so a 65 grille will have to be trimmed on each end to fit, but I have seen it done. The 65 Right hand drive Riviera was for sale back in Dec '09, by a guy in Michigan, I believe. Here is a link from this board where it was discussed, but the ebay posting has expired, so you can't see anything about it. http://forums.aaca.org/f177/rare-buick-1965-riviera-right-hand-273307.html

RivNut posted an article a while back that said a 65 2x4 cam was the same as the stock 63 401 cam. Do a search, or I have it bookmarked in my other computer if you can't find it. I also have seen stock replacement cams, but I can't find them again on this computer. In the mean time, here are the cams offered by TA Performance. Might look at those, too. Hydraulic Nailhead | TAPerformance.com

Chuck, that is why I like this forum and frequent it. You can discuss an nth degree restoration or modifications that you are interested in doing to your Riviera. Or anything in between. All equally and open. I do think that "molest" is too strong a word, but again, like you said, your opinion. I have a great respect for a 100% original car, but that just isn't cup of tea. I prefer to think that I have enhanced the beauty of my Riviera, not molested it. But that is just my opinion.

Brian, here are a couple of pics of 63-64 Rivs with the side scoop chrome trim removed. I have thought about leaving the trim and enhancing the scoops themselves. Make them deeper and maybe adding horizontal bars to match the grille at the mouths of the scoops. See if these help with your visual.

Thanks, King. Makes a lot of people scratch their heads at shows. I have had nothing but positive feedback everywhere I take it.

Top right on the front page of this forum is a drop down box titled "Search this Forum". Enter 63 disc brakes in there and read the posts that come up. This has been discussed several times, so you should find the info you are looking for. Here is one example. Good luck. Congrats on the new member of the family. http://forums.aaca.org/f177/64-riv-disc-brake-conversion-285037.html

Best I have been able to determine, all 100,000+ first generation Rivieras came with power steering and automatic transmission. Which means we can drive these things one handed. Use the other one to hold your coffee (or whatever). Problem solved.

A little more work, but while you have the tank out, it would be a good idea to clean it good and maybe run some sealer through it. Better now with it out than a week after you get it all back together again.

If the studs have never been changed, the left side studs will be right hand thread. You can find shank style lugs for these, but you really have to look hard. Chrysler products had this same lug bolt, so that helps with the search. A 1/4" spacer should still give you enough thread that you shouldn't have an issue. You are correct about the center bullet cap not fitting tight if you cut the center of the wheels. Composite wheels are fine and will last a long time if you keep them polished and out of the weather as much as possible. As the base metals are different, continued exposure to weather will have an adverse affect on the chrome outers in a short time.

"Looking around I noticed this tie rod with a bend in it, is this suppose to be this way. Looked around online at replacement tie rod pictures, but I think all the sites just show a generic picture of a straight rod." I wondered the same thing when I bought mine. My alignment guy wasn't sure, but everything was solid and he saw no point in trying to change or correct them, so mine are still that way. Maybe a real expert will weigh in on this one.

I bought a clean 69 in 85 that had a nice running 230 in it. Sold it two weeks later to a guy who was going to pro street it. I bought it as a parts car, but it was too nice to part out.