JanZverina

I'll have to remember that! (I prefer Slinky's on my Strats and Elixirs on my acoustics.)

Success, thanks to Jim and Ed! I wired in another ground at the left turn signal socket in the printed cluster and now everything is working correctly, even the fuel gauge. Much appreciated!

Tim (Kaber), you were right. Those two screws took forever to get out since trying to work thru that ash tray opening is tough, even with the right ratchets and wrenches But I managed, and tightening them back up was much quicker. Thanks for the tip! It was still easier than removing the entire console. Oh, and I changed the blub too because I don't want to do this job again anytime soon!

Anyone with a bone original '63 or a great memory to confirm that the hardboard was covered in vinyl? Mine is covered in black vinyl as well, and it appears to be separating from the backing board so I'll let you know what things look like once I tackle this. I've heard both positive and negative on the fiberglass shelf, one minus being it's tough to get it to fit right.

Can anyone tell me what was the original factory configuration for the rear package shelf on a '63? Were they just the "Madrid grain" cardboard or were they covered in textured vinyl? Thanks!

Can anyone tell me if these two Philips screws and washers are supposed to be there at top leading edge of the quarter panel in the door jamb? I've seen '63s with and without them, I think. The body manual does not show them, but are they for manual windows only? I assume they hold the window track?

Yes, I looked it up on the '63 Ditzler or PPG color chart and the sample looked much darker. Black interior? Speaking of Irish, my wife and I did a week-long walking tour near the Ring of Kerry last summer in SW Ireland. Some fine local brews and country inns! Oh, and the walk was good too!

Oh, now I see them. Cool!

Do you have any brake assist at very low speeds? I have a new booster (put in by the previous owner) on my recently purchased '63, but I still lose assist at higher speeds. I replaced all the engine vacuum hoses, which needed to be done anyway, but have yet to properly diagnose the reason for lost assist. From reading some related threads on the forum, it may be hardened brake linings and not a booster problem at all. Please keep us posted and I'll do the same.

That's an awesome color, DrP! Which one is it? It looks very similar to my Jag E-type coupe, which is finished in what they called 'Dark Opalescent Green'.

Wow - that dual snorkel is cool! All you need are a couple of those small wildcat decals on the intakes horns!

Thanks for the detailed list, Ed! I cut and pasted it to post in my garage tonight. I just tackled the first stage of a full engine compartment cleaning last weekend, using a combo of Gunk (foul stuff and rinse well!) as well as Simple Green. I used an assortment of stiffer and softer toothbrushes. Just getting around and under the intake manifold, or scraping the crud off the timing chain/water pump, can take a full session. My only suggestion would be to divide the engine compartment into zones - maybe left inner fender, rad support, right inner fender, firewall, and then r/s and l/s engine, and finally hood underside (with a big tarp covering the work you already did below!) Another thing I did was to make sure I started the car after each section was done, just to make sure I didn't upset any wiring connections, etc. Easier to backtrack if you do. My next step will be to decide what really needs refinishing and what doesn't. But after a thorough cleaning I discovered that my '63, which has a silver engine, is sporting a passenger-side cylinder head with definite traces of Buick Green! I was kind of glad to make that discovery because to me, it's evidence that at least some engine work was done sometime during its +170K mile life!

Thanks, Ed. I appreciate everything you've done o help me out. I think I finally found a high-enough-resolution image of the printed circuit that shows the detail I need, thanks to Google images. The ones in the eBay archive are very low-res. So that should help me determine the ground for sure before I tackle this. Right now the weather has turned (I know, everyone says it's always nice in San Diego but that's not really true!) so I've been busy re-stitching the edge trim on the sun visors. I guess GM-approved thread doesn't last 50+ years!

Thanks, Jim. I'll do some investigation and see if I can trace the ground line. (I wonder why they didn't just make the ground a different color or write GRND along the way?) Re the bulbs, I've changed all the 161s to 194s and will do the same on the 57s and 1816s but I will recheck the socket contacts. The headlight switch looks new and the contact is in great shape.

Thanks, Ed, yes, this is helpful. If you can identify the ground pin that would be good. Your board looks a bit different from the laminated wiring chart, but maybe that's '63 versus '64? The chart shows the F position, which would be 5 on a clock face.

This is from a '64 cluster and I know it's a small image from eBay, but I think the directional/hi beam area should be similar or the same to a '63. Just to be clear, is the ground line the green stripe to the bulb openings or should I be looking something else? Thanks!

Looking for a printed circuit board for a '63 Riviera, no A/C if that makes a difference. Would prefer one in known-to-be good shape. Thanks!

Thanks Jim. I'll be on the lookout for another board, but in the meantime are you saying that I could run the same kind of ground wire from one or both of the directional light sockets just to see if that makes a difference? I have a 50-50 chance of achieving a successful ground on the first shot with each one, right? (I also have plenty of 3A fuses on hand!)

Hi Darren, I was going to respond about how I did it on my '63 and then I remembered that they relocated the switch for '64. Still, the trick is finding that little detent button on the switch assembly behind the dash that will let you pull the light switch rod (on the outside of the dash) all the way out so that you can then remove the switch escutcheon (or bezel) and remove the switch assembly for inspection. Removing the multi-pin plug can be a little challenging - pry it off slowly and evenly. I disconnect the battery before I remove a light switch for inspection just to be on the safe side. I've done this on my other Buicks, and have gently sand-papered the rheostat area to get the dimming function working again instead of buying a new assembly.

Thanks, Ed. I do have that laminated chart and yes, the ground wire on my car was wired to space F in the cluster. See my reply to Jim - I'm on the right track solving this, just not there all the way yet. Thanks!

Well Jim, you were right. I flipped the socket 180 degrees, re-attached the wire to the dash brace, and now I have instrument lights and a fuel gauge reading. The only issue is that the gauge reads about 1/4 tank lower with the IP lights on then when they're off, and both directional indicators and the high beam switch still glowing dimly and both directional indicators blink, not one, when I try the left or right turn signal. So I wonder if I should run a ground wire from one of those bulb sockets. Thoughts? But hey, I'm getting closer to solving this!

Thanks, Jim. Tamiya TS17 aluminum is another super-close match. Changing the subject, are you the one who keeps a VIN registry for the first-gen cars?

I'm full of questions this week. As I was nosing around the dash to exorcise some electrical gremlins, I removed the ashtray insert to access the headlight switch. Before I put it back in, I thought it could use a thorough cleaning to get some oxidation and smoky smell out. My question for all your detail-minded owners is: were the tiny dual grilles at the top of the ash tray insert, where one might have stubbed out their Pall Malls or Camels way back in the '60s, painted black? Mine appears to have been painted just in that section. It's definitely not ciggy soot.

Maybe that explains a lot to you and makes sense, but being a bit of a novice with these printed circuit clusters, I'm still mystified as to what's + and what's a ground on it. So if I should add a ground wire, where would be the best place to do it on the back of the cluster? Does anyone have an image or schematic that might be helpful? Thanks!

Yes, as texasjohn said, it was grounded, but it looks as if they grounded it out, meaning the ground went to a positive circuit on the cluster, right? The ground was attached to a small outside tab of a gray twist-in receptacle for a 161/194 cluster light. Today I did a little more diagnosis, and noticed that when my lights (running lights/dash lights) are off, the gas gauge works. (So all I have to do now is when I'm driving at night and I think I may be low on gas, grab a flashlight, turn off my headlights for a second, and read the gauge quickly.) Sounds safe, right? So is there a specific area of the back of the cluster, such as one of those small hex nuts, that I should use as a ground point?