60FlatTop Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 A little over a year ago I decided to stay away from project cars and get my so called "good" cars into top shape. Funny how those projects affect the deferred maintenance on the ones that were supposed to be done.The winter before last we did up the '60 Electra and over last summer the little Park Ave convert got its new lease on life.Last winter I planned to bring the '64 Riviera up to snuff. In February my own circulatory system blew away the car work. The Riviera has made its way to the top again.I bought it in the spring of 1978. The previous owner had replaced the seats with '64 Impala buckets. One of our Buick Club members sold me a nice set of seats from a '65 Riviera Custom. They were dark green and we dyed them black. They still look good except for the stitching on the top of the driver's seat. I want the correct interior. It turns out that the '65 Custom seats have a different frame that the '64 Standard. So I had to buy a set of '64 seats to use with a Clark's interior. Here's the donor: Once I got the seats home I started removing hog rings, hundreds! It is a lot of work doing it this way. I didn't want to loose any reference for the upholsterer. The rear seat it next. If anyone needs reference pics I will post them in a folder.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldstyle Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Bernie,How did the black dye hold up? My interior is dark green and I'm hoping to dye it black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 The dye job on the seats still looks very good. There is some green showing on the beading where you slide in and no signs of the typical peeling.We thoroughly soaked the vinyl with lacquer thinner in bright sunshine the prepare them. They were very hot and on the verge of melting. Then we set then inside and immediately sprayed them. You would never know they had been dyed oven 30 years ago.I plan to repair the driver's seat and sell the set once the new ones are ready.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Hi Bernie, Did you compare the `65 custom seat frame to the `64? Checked my `65 parts book and they do show a different part number for the custom and standard "seat frame with springs" but the difference in price is only 1 dollar. I`m wondering if the difference is not in the frame itself but the number of springs within the frame. If so, this would be easy to address for someone interested in the swap by installing the extra springs. Make any comparisons? Tom Mooney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 I was going by posts on the forum and Clark's description. We will know for sure on the driver's seat back. I have been taking a lot of pictures. When the new one is done I am going to buy a replacement '65 Custom seat back to install, making a nice complete interior to sell. When the '65 seat frame is bare I will be able to compare.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 The custom and standard seat buns or pads are definitely different, the `65 parts book also supports this. I assume Clark`s reference is to the buns and not the actual frame? Any first hand observations from you would be great. Good luck with the project, Tom Mooney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Luchene Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I had both '64 standard and '65 custom seat frames down to the bare metal and could find no differences between the two. When I installed my Clark's custom seat covers in my '65 I actually used the '64 standard frame because it was in better condition. The seat buns are definitely different sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 Sometimes things move slow around here. I just got my seat frames back from glass beading and painting with ValSpar satin black polyurethane. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 It is a quiet and gloomy, typical western New York day. The big excitement for the night is "After Hours at the Library", one of THE premier social events of the year. So I am just finishing some "work" work and got to wondering if anyone who has redone their interior had used or adapted Clark's bucket seat foam to the rear seats. I never did find out and I hope to scrawl off a bonus check for myself around tax time. Anyone reupholstered the rear seat?Thanks, Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kingoftheroad Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I redid all my seats but I had a shop put the padding & seat covers on..I believe the shop used their own foam to pad my seats.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 63 rivenge Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 Question here.......I have a 63 but with what I can tell 65 seats up front (pattern) if I order the 63 covers from Clarks, will they fit Thanks and confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 A picture would be nice, but here's what you're dealing with. In '65 there were two separate seats and patterns. The standard '65 interior was the same as the '64 (standard and custom,) but the '65 custom interior had different foam and different stitching. If you do have the seats from a '65 custom interior car, then NO, the covers for a '63 will not fit. If you look at Clark's catalog, Calvin is very specific in stating that the seat buns he sells will not work on a '65 with custom interior. However, the frames for all three years are the same. Therefore, if you buy new seat buns to go with the seat covers, all will be well. No new seat buns for the back seats, you'll have to find some used ones and go from there. Have you figured out the difference between a '63 and '64 pattern?Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 Rivenge here is the beginning of this string:"I bought it in the spring of 1978. The previous owner had replaced the seats with '64 Impala buckets. One of our Buick Club members sold me a nice set of seats from a '65 Riviera Custom. They were dark green and we dyed them black. They still look good except for the stitching on the top of the driver's seat. I want the correct interior. It turns out that the '65 Custom seats have a different frame that the '64 Standard. So I had to buy a set of '64 seats to use with a Clark's interior."My car has had the '65 interior and a vinyl top ever since 1978. Believe me, every Riviera aficionado has brought the differences to my attention at every opportunity since I have owned it. It has been such a focal point to many that they overlooked many of the superior points of my car. Of course you can't see the new lower inner control arm bushings and I leave the special tool I machined to install them with in a drawer in the garage when I go places. Stuff like that just gets missed. I remember being at the Sandusky Nationals in 1981 parked next to a long faced owner who was very distraught about my non-authentic vinyl top and he seemed oblivious to the fact his car looked like Ray Charles had painted it.That stuff aside, I just thought there might be a president set by a previous re-upholstery job since the 2+2 styling of the seats makes them quite similar. I think I will get two sets of foam and adjust the rears as necessary. I have already decided to do the job myself.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 Just an update, I am still at the September 30th point with the freshly painted seat frames waiting patiently. Work and Thanksgiving got in the way. Thanksgiving is over, now a bigger problem. I like the work I do, mostly office stuff, and the garage is kinda cold.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kingoftheroad Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Just an update, I am still at the September 30th point with the freshly painted seat frames waiting patiently. Work and Thanksgiving got in the way. Thanksgiving is over, now a bigger problem. I like the work I do, mostly office stuff, and the garage is kinda cold.BernieThats cool...It wouldn't be much of a hobby if you finished a one day ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmar183 Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 if the original foam looks decent would you guys recommed reusing them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Are you installing the new covers yourself or having a shop do it? If you're taking it to a shop, they should have a 'live steam' machine that will put new life into old compressed foam. After you've steamed them, see what they feel like.Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmar183 Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 ok thanks i will ask the shop if they have a "live steam" machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Buick Riviera Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 So, the reason why Clark's catalog says "1965 Custom will not fit 1965 Standard seat and the Standard will not fit Custom" is the seats foam shape only ? Or something else ? I would like to convert my 65 Standard interior to Custom, I have all the trim, panels, etc, from the donor car, but not the seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 4 hours ago, George, buick-riviera.pl said: So, the reason why Clark's catalog says "1965 Custom will not fit 1965 Standard seat and the Standard will not fit Custom" is the seats foam shape only ? Or something else ? I would like to convert my 65 Standard interior to Custom, I have all the trim, panels, etc, from the donor car, but not the seats. You need the seat foams. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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