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JanZverina

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Everything posted by JanZverina

  1. Yes, many of these GM alum are long retired but many still keep a hand in. You've probably seen this already but I came across it because IIRC, Bill was also involved with the Olds Aurora design, for which I attended the pre-launch press preview in Lansing. This article focuses mainly on the 1995 Riv: https://driventowrite.com/2017/02/06/theme-brochures-1995-buick-riviera/ I also interviewed GM Designer Chief Chuck Jordan several times. One time he gave me a sneak peek at the '91 Caprice, still in the design studio. I couldn't help but laugh, which almost stopped the interview right there. Years later, after he retired from GM, I saw him at a Chrysler event and he admitted that it really wasn't their best work. Being ex-GM, he called the new Sebring convertible for 1996 "one of most felicitous designs" he'd ever seen.
  2. For Bill Porter, please see https://www.williamlporter.com/index.html. And Dennis Manner may be a good contact as well - I'm pretty sure he's a BCA member and he's been mentioned several times in the Buick Bugle magazine. I had the pleasure of interviewing lots of GM designers, general managers, and top brass while I was an automotive industry reporter in Detroit, first for UPI and then with Bloomberg Business News, from 1985 to 1995, before joining Chrysler's Product Public Relations staff. Google 'Jan Zverina UPI Archives' and you can still find lots of my car reviews, including one about working for one day as an assembler for the Reatta at the Lansing Craft Center in Michigan.
  3. Hi Electra 63, I had my '60 Electra from 2008 to 2013 and while the A/C was complete, it was not functioning and I never delved into it as far as the reason, such as a leak or recharge. The compressor wasn't frozen as far as movement. Here are some additional pix.
  4. Very nice, Adam. Makes me miss my 4719 Electra, except for the garage/shop space it took up and it wasn't even a 225! Mine was Cordovan metallic with a white roof but I don't think the white lower body was correct for '60. Some pix below: Note my plate, and I was told by BCA members that hood springs should be green as shown here.
  5. Thanks again, everyone, for your responses and expertise. It makes sense for me to go with a 20W-50 at this point so I'll try the Lucas Classic. I've been using 20W-50 in my E-type forever, but Castrol. Mentioning 'Lucas' seems to make some older Jag owners still shudder but life goes on.
  6. A big thank you to all ROA members who assisted with my question re oil/air filters. A couple of Wix oil filters appeared on my doorstep this week and a Wix air filter is incoming. My next question is more out of curiosity as to what '63/'64 owners with 401s prefer when it comes to oil type and viscosity. As technology advances (for the most part), who uses what and why these days as far as oil and possibly any additives? My Riv, which is about to be a brand new car again - only because its odometer is about to roll over from 99,998 - has under my nine-year ownership always used a good brand of conventional 10W-30 oil as recommended by a local well-regarded independent shop which only services older vehicles. I should also add that like many enthusiasts of older vehicles, I perform routine maintenance by the calendar vs. miles. Maybe I'm poking at a hornet's nest here, but it's always good to share such info if done in a civil manner. Thanks in advance!
  7. Thanks for the info, everyone. Via AMZ, they're telling me 2-3 weeks. Re onlinefiltersupply, shipping is more than the cost of the filter but either way the Wix 42-92 looks to be available but we'll see, as Ed says. Thanks again for the responses. -JZ
  8. Thanks, Ed. Am I right in thinking that the one for the 401 is a "flatter" shape? I prefer Wix filters but understand that various components will go out of production after many years or be picked up by specialists.
  9. Happy New Year! I'm looking for an air filter element for my '63 Riv with a 401. Wix lists the p/n as 42092 (different from the one for the 425, which is 42082). CARS Inc. lists them as AF636 for the 401 and AF646 for the 425. I want to make sure I get the right one, which has a lipped edge on the one side and which I think is flatter. Any leads/guidance appreciated!
  10. Funny! But true. My wife has a Bluetooth speaker (more like a silver Tower of Babble) that randomly says in a firm female voice something similar to "You are now connected (or disconnected) to UYM36748PQ776920467324."
  11. Thanks for all the wonderful pix, EmTee! As a former downstate New York resident (lived there for the first 34 years of my life) and now with a daughter living in central NJ where we get to visit, it's truly heart-warming to see such a nice collection of older Buicks and other models, as well as the level of enthusiasm to keep on driving them! Well done!
  12. Thanks, Rodney. Very helpful input, as usual. I've widened my want ad to include '64s large and small in the Post War section. Kind regards.
  13. I'm looking for an outside driver's side remote mirror (Option code S7) with a housing and mirror that's in good or better condition. Complete assembly is fine too. This is for a '63 Riviera but I understand that '63 and '64 full-sized and compact Buicks had the same remote mirror assembly with the exception of either a square or oval interior plate surrounding the swivel control knob. (Mine has the oval plate). Thanks in advance for any responses or leads!
  14. I'm looking for an outside driver's side remote mirror (Option code S7) with a housing and mirror that's in good or better condition. Complete assembly is fine too. Not sure what the part # is or if it's the same part/assembly for full-sized Buicks or similar model years, which in that case I'll also post elsewhere on BCA forum. Thanks for your responses!
  15. Always well done and informative videos, Adam. You're a regular stop on my BCA viewing just to see what you're up to.
  16. Thanks, Brian. It's quite a difference and I should have done it sooner! Hey EmTee, I can't remember when it last rained here in San Diego but I do keep Rain-X in my supplies cabinet!
  17. I thought I'd share the results of a long overdue and pretty successful project I recently completed, and that was to finally do something about 59 years of accumulated wiper haze on the original windshield of my '63 Riv. After some research I tried a cerium oxide polish as a test to see if it really made any difference. The product I purchased (on Amazon) has some how-to videos, and I used my trusty orbital polisher with a high-quality synthetic wool buffing bonnet. I made several passes after marking the wiper travel area on the inside of the windshield with a grease crayon. Apologies for not having the foresight to take a "before" pix but the haze was pretty bad and always bothered me enough to look into a replacement glass, even though I like to keep things original if I can. I used large drop cloths to mask off the surrounding areas, and removed any polish residue with Windex followed by another orbital application of AutoGlym Glass Polish. Of course after almost six decades my windshield has a few minor chips, but applying some mineral spirits with a soft toothbrush removed any polish residue. Pix attached. I ordered two 3.5 oz. containers but probably used about 5 oz. for the job. Hope this is of help to anyone wanting to save the original glass in their Riv or other classic Buicks, etc.
  18. (From Jim Cannon higher up in this thread) The lock mechanism needs a drop or two of oil now and then to operate smoothly. Thanks for bringing this tip to the forefront, Jim. I was doing some upkeep on my '63 Riv - actually pretty successfully buffing out some long bothersome wiper haze on the original windshield with a cerium oxide glass polish - when I 3-in-1 oiled the outside of the glove box lock cylinder via a needle-tip dispenser during a break in the action. After letting it sit for 20 minutes or so, a few pushes of the lock face had the lid popping up better than ever before, at least in my eight years of stewardship. Sometimes it's these little tips that also pop up from time to time - one of the many things that makes this forum invaluable to all who read it. Kind regards,
  19. Is it suitable for X-frames such as in early Rivieras?
  20. One four panel, 13x9 inch 1960 Buick Estate Wagon brochure with full specifications. Original (no reprints!), excellent condition. $10 + shipping.
  21. For sale is a Centennial Edition of 'The Buick: A Complete History' - a 599-page hardcover book considered to be "the bible on Buick." This book is in excellent, unused condition and signed by co-author Lawrence Gustin. It was given to me by Mr. Gustin, whom I knew when I was an automotive industry reporter based in Detroit for United Press International and then later with Bloomberg Business News. (Google 'UPI Roadtalk Jan Zverina' to verify.) Not to be confused with other editions, the book is valued at more than $300 new and $150 in used condition. I am offering it to BCA members for $50 plus shipping to find it a good home. Please PM me if interested.
  22. No vanity plate on the Jag. I chose '6TPRIUS' because not many folks outside BCA may know that the 1960 Buicks were marketed for their economy (!), with various fuel economy runs advertised. Hard to imagine, but remember that Buick's compact cars such as the Special were yet to be introduced, for the 1961 model year.
  23. What inspired me to buy a Riviera? Timeless design. Art in motion. While my first Buick was a '64 Skylark Coupe while attending university in the 70s, my first 'vintage' Buick was a 1960 Electra, again because of it's design. Not a line out of place. Sold it on the AACA Buick forum in 2015 to a collector in Finland - within four hours of posting the ad - to purchase a '63 Riv from an estate sale in Washington state. A polar opposite to my XKE, which I've owned for almost 30 years. Again, timeless design. Art in motion.
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