Ron Luchene

I was in Lancaster PA for a meeting and decided to take the 40 minute drive to Hersey to see the AACA Museum before I left town. Wow...was I glad I made the trip. It is an impressive collection and my expectations were definitely exceeded! If you are ever in the area do not miss this attraction. It's the best $10 I have spent in awhile. Ron

I went ahead and installed the original 1893 bulbs in the bottom two holes so I could see a side by side comparison. I added the ground and the 1893's definitely got brighter and while the wording is legible it just isn't as clear and bright as the 1816's. Having said that, I'm not sure how bright your Autometer is but even the 1816's are not overly bright. You may want to get some LED's as suggested by Dave. Personnally I like the vintage look of the yellowish incadescents so I will live with the 1816's. Good luck!

Dave, Thanks for the response. I checked out a couple of Auto Parts stores today and found LED bulbs for the dash illumination but nothing else. I went ahead and purchased the 1816's and it really made a difference. Knowing that lack of a good ground is always an issue, I grounded the case with a jumper and the bulbs got even brighter. I will add a permenant ground this weekend and I think I will have satisfactory results. Again...thanks for the reponse. Ron

The lighting on my Heater/AC Controls seems dim to me. The bulbs are to spec and all are good. I'm thinking of switching to the 1816 bulbs since they are 50% brighter but am wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue. All other lighting is bright at night. Any suggestions? Thanks - Ron

I have a standard and deluxe interior in my garage. I recently needed to replace my deluxe interior driver side seat back and can confirm that the seat back frames on the standard and deluxe interior appear to be identical. I'm pretty sure that the seat bottom frame is identical as well with a wider seat bunn installed for the deluxe interior. I think the seats just look bigger based on the way they build up the foam in the deluxe seat covers. I'm no expert but my deluxe seat cover fit fine on the standard seat back frame.

Does anyone know if the front seat frames are the same for both the Standard and Deluxe interior? I know the seat buns are larger for the Deluxe but are there any differences in the seat frame itself? Ron

I bought a replacement from Clark's about three months ago. Part number is R288 and the price is $22.15.

I am working on the installation of the rear package tray and surrounding trim and am having a hard time getting the trim to fit properly. Before I begin forcing anything into place I thought it would be helpful to see some close up pics of the trim where it meets the sail panels and then the piece between the seat and rear door panel. I know the back seat will cover the view of most of the side piece but I would like to insure these are spaced correctly before screwing anything in place. Can anyone provide a few close up pictures of this area especially between the seat and side panel. It will likely be easier to see the detail on a light colored interior. Any help is appreciated! Thanks - Ron

Agreed! The majority of what I have added or will add were factory options i.e. power windows, trunk release vinyl top etc. It is not a numbers matching car so I don't mind taking liberties with it. I try to be tasteful when adding items like the tach. Folks not familiar with first Gen Riv's think the tach is original. I get some satisfaction from that and it encourages me to take my time and do things right.

I hope they rescued the vinyl top trim!

I bought mine on ebay and spent way to much for it. To add insult to injury I then sent it off to have it modified for electronic ignition. Had about $500 in it at that point. The only good news is that the tach came with a cup with nearly perfect chrome. Sold it on ebay for $100. While it doesn't sit in my field of view it is more for show than go and I was willing to pay for the look. Not everyone would agree but I am building the car for me. Not sure which Buick's had these tachs in the 60's but mine came out of a Wildcat. I have seen a couple different versions but this one is correct for 65'.

I installed an early 60's Buick tach in the ashtray door. I got the idea from Dick Sweeney. Since I don't have a need for an ashtray it seemed like good use of the space.

Ned, Thanks for the positive comment! As Ed pointed out, the piece around the shifter is the only difficult one to cut. I made templates using poster board and then cut the veneer with an exacto knife. The veneer I purchased with the 3M sticky back is pretty thick. Not sure what to expect for long term wear but I don't think the veneers that Clarks and others are selling today have any kind of foil backing. I'm a wood working guy so I like the real stuff over Formica! Here's a pic of the console. Ron

I bought a 2'x8' sheet of quarter sawn walnut veneer with the 3M sticky back from Ovis for $50. I found them on Amazon. Two coats of oil, two coats of polyurethane. I masked with tape and spray painted the black pinstripe. One more coat of polyurethane and I am very please with the results. Before and after photo's below.

Jason - Thanks for the reply and link. Go figure...the price of the postage will exceed the price of the part! Thanks, Ron

I am loosing trans fluid where the speedometer cable attaches to the transmission. The o-ring at the case is fine but fluid is dripping from the cable itself. Is there another o-ring inside the case or do I need to replace my speedometer gear? Never had one of these apart and the manual isn't real clear. Any help/advice is appreciated! Thanks - Ron

John, I just got replacement white inserts for my 65' from Restoration Specialties. Their number is 814-467-9842. The part number is 67-3103-CLP. They fit the door perfectly and the nails grip tight. They also have replacement nails (individual) if you are just missing a couple. You can order the entire nail strip from Clark's as well but it would be a lot more work to install it on your existing door panel. Good luck! Ron

I worked with a guy named Don with the POR15 Outlet. He was extremely helpful and provided his cell number to call if I had any issues at all when applying the product. He advertises on ebay as well. The website link is The POR-15 Outlet. You may be able to find a supplier around you but I couldn't find anyone in NC. Don shipped the same day so I had the product within two days of the order. I believe they make a gas tank restore kit as well. 1 quart did all of the floors in my interior.

I used POR15 on my floors and am very satisfied with the results. It flows well and dries hard as a rock within hours. Here is a sample before and after shot.

Just a quick note about the quality of Clark's products and excellent customer service. Earlier this summer I asked the folks at Clark's to send me a few carpet, vinyl and upholstery samples. They promptly sent them out and I soon made my choices. I immediately placed an order for wind lace so that I could mix some paint to match. About a month later I ordered door panels, rear armrest covers and the rear package tray and to my surprise the vinyl didn't match the wind lace I had received at all. While I suspected there may be some variation this was considerably different. I called Clark's and they immediately took ownership of the problem and stated that they had not replaced the vinyl samples when the new roll of vinyl had arrived. The only issue now was that they didn't have enough vinyl to do everything I needed including custom seats. They asked me to hang on to what I had and they would send me new samples when the next roll of vinyl came in. About 5 weeks went by and I received a call from Linda indicating they were sending out a sample for me to compare. Unfortunately the new sample didn't match either. They asked me to return everything I had received to date and in turn sent me all new product. They even paid all the freight! For the last couple of nights I have been working with the pieces I received and am totally impressed with the quality and fit of Clark's products. While there may be other vendor choices I do not know to many who will stand behind their product like Clark's! If you have a need for carpet, vinyl or upholstery they are definitely the ones to call. You won't be disappointed.

Trim 601 is a Standard Interior in light blue. 611 is Deluxe vinyl/cloth in the same light blue color. Currently there is a 65' on ebay located in Littleton CO with a 611 interior (link below). There are others far more knowledgeable than I but I don't see a dark blue deluxe vinyl interior as being available in 65'. Deluxe vinyl interiors came in white, black and saddle. Buick : Riviera:eBay Motors (item 230385651257 end time Oct-14-09 09:17:07 PDT)

I have this diagram as well but was surprised the hole was not there and plugged or at least have a divot in the firewall indicating where to drill. I found divots for the rear regulators when I installed power windows. I am guessing this was done since so many options were installed by dealers. I ended up routing mine with the vacuum lines for the AC/Heater.

The bottom one is from a Ford ThunderBird, 58, 59 or 60.

No worries on the relay! The Chassis and Body Service Manuals are a great resource when you actually get them out and study them. Turns out it was a bad switch. I had a spare and I am in business. I hope the rest of the weekend goes as well! Ron

Can anyone provide me a source for a Power Seat Relay for a 65' Riviera. I posted on the ROA site yesterday but no responses yet. I am wondering if the relay for the power seat was the same in other 60's model GM cars. I have to believe there are other models with this relay. Any help is appreciated.