Found at the local u pick

[DAVES89]

Went junkin today and found another '86 Riv. I got the Instrument Cluster as well as the Headlight/Wiper pods. [ The glove box shock was no good, I checked]. It had leather 16 way seats on both sides. I knew that was available, but what suprised me was that the center of the seat [what you sit on] was suede and held in by velcro. The passenger side [seat] center was missing and the seats overall were in pretty bad shape, but I guess I was just surprised by the suede centers.

The other observation I have been wondering about was the illuminescent strip in the pod switches. Sometimes they are good and sometimes they are bad, but do they go bad because of use? [ Running the headlights/wipers a lot] Or do they last longer if the voltage converter is bad and therefore doesn't illuminate the switches?

What I have noticed is that typically the wiper pod illuminates better then the headlight pod [if they backlight at all], but in this case both light very well.

Overall a very good day at the yard and both the Instrument Panel and Pod switches are now in the Black and working well. Which also was surprising to me because the Riv's drivers side window was down and the car had been exposed to the elements.

[Ronnie]

Good finds Dave. Hang on to some of that stuff. I might need some of it later on.

[NCReatta]

Pull the 16-ways. Even if they're in crappy condition. If nothing else, just get the switch plate covers. I will buy the switch plate covers from you.

[Barney Eaton]

Over the years, several cars have had reverslble seat cushions. I guess that is what you were seeing on the Riviera, I really did not know they had them.

I have often wondered why Buick chose to make the 1988-1989 floor mats reverslble.

[NCReatta]

I have often wondered why Buick chose to make the 1988-1989 floor mats reverslble.

I picked over a '89 Riv a few weeks ago.. The texture of the carpet was like the opposite side of the mats from the Reatta carpet texture.. All very interesting...

[Rawja]

Those should be genuine 16-ways, no? Power headrests and bolsters?

[DAVES89]

Good finds Dave. Hang on to some of that stuff. I might need some of it later on.

As careful as you are with your stuff? Not in my lifetime!

Regarding the 16 way seats, they have 3 buttons on the seats like we do on our Reattas. Relly not interested in the seats as both my cars have 16 ways and are in good to very good condition. I would have to buy both seats and recover them. Too much money and too little interest.

This yard is 20 miles away [not my regular u pick] but I saw they had this '89 so I went and pulled these parts [the IPC was listed on car-part]. The guy never saw me before, but allowed me to take the parts out to my car and plug them in to see if they worked. I tested the pods by using two car blankets and my jacket to make the car dark enough to see if the back lighting worked. They did work and the guy only charged me $7.50 each for working obsolete switch pods. I guess I looked honest to him, in my 50's w/gray hair.

Because the yard is farther away and in a road construction zone. I probably won't go back for anything unless there is a real demand.

I really thought there would be more interest in the backlighting of the pods as well as everything working with the window out... Silly me.

Edited October 22, 2011 by DAVES89 (see edit history)

[Ronnie]

Dave, you're going to find it is getting harder and harder to generate any interest around here. Talk about everyday stuff like seats and switches isn't going to cut it anymore. You're going to have to start discussing things like "What is the correct color for valve stem caps"" OR "Should the fender brace on the drivers side have a plastic cover on it like the one over the battery?" OR "What is the correct type of tape that goes under the convertible top?" OR "How much is a convertible with with only 500 miles showing on the odometer worth?". You know, the important stuff. Nobody wants to hear about junk yard parts and how to fix you own car. Don't you know you are supposed to take your Reatta to a certified mechanic and use only NOS parts on it!!! You are going to have to get with the program Dave if you want to stir up some interest. :rolleyes: haha lol

Edited October 22, 2011 by Ronnie (see edit history)

[padgett]

and why can I just lean in the driver's window and pop the hood on the 88 coupe while I need to stretch on the 90 'verts. Was the hood latch relocated ?

[NCReatta]

and why can I just lean in the driver's window and pop the hood on the 88 coupe while I need to stretch on the 90 'verts. Was the hood latch relocated ?

Nope, the dash is shallower on the 88

[Rawja]

Electroluminescent film which provides the backlighting for the pods dims over time from use. It does not appear that it is necessarily directly a time-issue as I have come across NOS switches that are very bright, so it does not appear that there is appreciable degradation while the item is sitting in a box.

Degraded output from electroluminescent film can be counteracted by increasing the voltage applied, though I'm not suggesting that going to a higher voltage inverter is advisable, just that that is a theoretical solution.

Given how seemingly simple reproducing the overlays for the window and mirror switches appears to be and the total lack of interest in getting them reproduced, I'll just continue to snatch up every good switch I can get my hands on.

As far as headlight vs. wiper switch differences in degradation, just a WAG but the headlight switch is likely exposed to much more direct sunlight, so maybe it's a cumulative heat/UV exposure thing?

[Guest jwin]

Should the fender brace on the drivers side have a plastic cover on it like the one over the battery?"

Sorry for my ignorance, but the driver's side brace should NOT have the plastic cover, right?

[wws944]

Sorry for my ignorance, but the driver's side brace should NOT have the plastic cover, right?

No plastic cover. However up until sometime in the '89 model year, the drivers side brace does have foam around it. After that, the the brace was 'flattened' and there is no covering.

http://forums.aaca.org/f116/quick-q-tubing-front-braces-278534.html

Edited October 25, 2011 by wws944 (see edit history)

[DAVES89]

Update on the Instrument cluster and the headlight/wiper pods. Everything was working fine until yesterday. The headlight switch would not turn on the headlights. I would hit the headlight retract button located on the console and the headlight would come up and go down so I knew my issue was in the newly acquired switch. Tried using WD40 and contact cleaner thru the buttons but still no luck with the switch working.

So I took the switch out, tried my old switch [the one that had been in there] and everything worked fine. Looked at the recently acquired switch pins on the back and saw that one pin was slightly out of line. Bent it straight, sprayed both the pins and pigtail with contact cleaner, reinstalled and everything works as it should.

Confirms what I have always said 'Unless you do something to the wires, your first place to start is either the end component or the pigtail has corrosion, and needs to be cleaned."

Now if I would just remember that rule when something goes wrong!