1st Time Owner Needs Help

[ArtDan]

I just acquired my 1st Riviera, a 1965.

It was sold to me as a non GS, but has the 425 Wild Cat Engine - 2 Four Barrel Carb set up

I was told the #'s weren't matching, as the engine had been replaced.

The previous owner thought the original engine had also been a 425.

Vin# 494475H910396

Engine serial # 7J1097087, production code # JT667

There is no identification or "LX" # where previous posts have described.

I've been able to decode the data plate and everything matches the options on the car with the exception the car was originally Silver (ZZ)

Also there is a 5-point star stamped into the plate, just after the color designation. (see photos)

Any other help/insights would be greatly appreciated.

You guys have a terrific forum here, I'm sure I will have many more questions in the near future.

Edited January 26, 2012 by ArtDan
correction (see edit history)

[1965rivgs]

Hi Dan,

Congrats on your first Riv. So, did you have a question?

Tom Mooney

[ArtDan]

Yes, do the engine serial # , and production code reveal anything?

What does the 5 pointed star on the data plate signify?

There are no records of build slips, factory invoices and the like to verify what the original engine would have been?

[RivNut]

Quote: "Engine serial # 7J1097087, production code # JT667"

7 is for a Riviera, J is for 1963 in the VIN. As for the engine code JT, once again J stands for 1963 and T stands for a 401. The location of the JT on the block is where you were hoping to find an LX.

What makes this interesting/peculiar is that the '63 came with a dynaflow transmission and the '65 came with an ST400 transmission. Each transmission required a different crank hub and flexplate. Someone had to do something in order to mate the '63 engine to the '65 transmission. The OE '65 crank could have been installed in the '63 block, or an adapter hub could have replaced the original crank hub. Who knows. That's what makes this an intetesting hobby. Good luck with it and enjoy it.

Ed

[ArtDan]

Thanks for shedding a little more light on this.

Once I can get this car up on a lift I will explore what I can of the trans and differential.

A little detective work is what its all about for me.

[Guest Kingoftheroad]

Congrats on your Riviera purchase !! 65, good choice !

Nice looking car !

[Guest RollingArt64]

Very nice Riv! I love that color.

[ArtDan]

Thanks

Its in decent shape, no rust.

A lot has been done to the car.

I was looking for a solid driver, not an investment/show car and this one met my requirements at the right price.

Its an older paint job, but in good enough shape to drive and not pristine enough to worry about.

[1965rivgs]

Hi Dan,

If you have a dark green "Owner Protection Plan" booklet in your glovebox, and if the metal plates called Protecto-Plates are affixed to the last page, I can tell you which engine your Riv was originally equipped with.

There is no consensus or documentation regarding the "star" on the Fisher Body plate but I am working on it and think I have it; but need to do more research. If there is anyone with a first gen Riv WITHOUT the star on the Fisher Body plate please contact me.

Tom Mooney

[ArtDan]

Tom,

I'm sorry to report none of the original booklets, owners manual or protecto-plate

survived the transfer to me.

I was fortunate, with my other cars, to be able get materials from outside sources pertaining to records kept at Ford.

My guess is that these avenues don't exist for Buicks from 1965.

Thanks for your help, my guess is that certain facts about my car's history may never come to light.

[Guest carlbraun]

Hi Dan,

If you have a dark green "Owner Protection Plan" booklet in your glovebox, and if the metal plates called Protecto-Plates are affixed to the last page, I can tell you which engine your Riv was originally equipped with.

There is no consensus or documentation regarding the "star" on the Fisher Body plate but I am working on it and think I have it; but need to do more research. If there is anyone with a first gen Riv WITHOUT the star on the Fisher Body plate please contact me.

Tom Mooney

Tom

I have a 65 Riv GS with a trim tag that has the "star" next to the JJ paint code. I also have a trim tag from another 65 Riv GS and it, too, has a star next to it's AA paint code.

In the past, I've heard that some GM cars would have a double star ** with NO paint code to signify the use of a non-production color. For example, I've seen Pontiac and Buick cars with a double ** . The pontiac was a 65 or 66 Gran Prix with a Cadillac paint color. Nothing was shown on the pontiac trim tag referencing what Cadillac color it was only that it wasnt a production pontiac color for that car. The owner of the Gran Prix ordered the cadillac from a dealer in Chicago and wanted the Cadillac color after seeing it on another car...so the story goes.

Another possibility could be the indicator of the paint type (acrylic lacquer) or the paint manufacturer. The star could indicate the standard paint type/mfr and if there is no star there a different paint was used. Remember these cars went to a lot of different applications and no star * could have meant that the customer specified a specific type of paint or color i.e. taxicab, police duty, primer only.

What are your hunches on the star?

[RivNut]

Tom,

My old computer found some life and I accessed the pictures of the data plates w/o *'s on them.

Here's what I have. Oddly enough, two of the cars are mine; the other one (upper left) is from Hershey. I think I took this picture when I was trying to see if I could make any sense of outside mirror placement and date codes. I should have asked Jim.

Ed

[Guest carlbraun]

note the last plate above shows a special note stating that "MagicMirror Acrylic Lacquer" was used. was this a special paint for 63? why didnt they put the same script on the 64 or 65s stating the same?

i'm back to my original assumption that the star has something to do with the use of STANDARD paint or colors while the no star means something different was done for the paint.

Eager to hear more suggestions for the "no-star" mystery.

[Guest 1963 Riviera]

HI,

MY 63 PLATE HAS NO STAR

IT ALSO HAS "MAGIC MIRROR ACRYLIC LAQUER''

PAINT READS PP

[RivNut]

Both of the '63 plates in my previous post have the "mirror magic" on them, only the '64 plate does not.

There were no "special" paints for Rivieras in that era that I'm aware of or at least nothing that anyone has record of. All of the plates shown idicate a standard Riviera color. My '63 is AA - Regal Black, and the '64 is WW - Diplomat Blue. The other '63 is also AA. PP is teal mist poly, another standard color. ZZ in Dan's original post is Silver Poly, one of the most popular colors, but it does have the * on the plate. The * mystery goes deeper than something on the surface. It's going to take a lot of research and some luck on someone's part.

The picture of the data plate that was posted in the orginal post doesn't make reference to "Magic Mirro" or even lacquer paint. From what I see, it looks like GM just dropped something starting in '64. ??????

Ed