Mixing 65 with 63 Riviera

[Guest Traveling Man]

Hello All,

New to the Forum here today but have been reading some of the post. Also just join ROA. I have a 65 Riviera I am currently in restoration that my son and I are doing. Great Father Son time project. This is actually going to be my Daily Driver as i love the looks of this car. Currently doing the body work now but like getting ahead of the game and start finding my new interior parts and accessories. This paticular car is a plain 65 with no AC, no Power seats, no adjustable mirror , no power antenna, pretty much a base model i think when sold in 65. Since i am making this into a driver i am planning to do some mild custom to it. nothing drastic as i love the style and ride of this car.

Getting to the meat and potatoes of the question. I think the looks of the 63 Rivi's Heat/AC contol panel under the dash with the push button sliders is really cool and gives it an aircraft cockpit look. So I want to add AC to my 65 but I would like to find a 63 donor car to get all the controls out and put in the 65. How hard would this be to do? I am sure it is going to be hard enough just adding AC to the car but since i want this as a daily driver i want to add the comfort creatures. Would also like to find power seats and power windows and the Mirror adjustment for the doors. I am really looking to add as many if not all the features of creature comforts to this car that i can.

Also the 65 is currently artic white. while i like the color i think the new colors today of the Pearl on the Buicks would be an awesome look. How will this affect the Riviera if later down the road i decide to sale it?

[RivNut]

I'll chime in with some thoughts.

The a/c controls you see under the dash of the '63 are only levers which control switches via a system of cables to the passenger side inner fender well of the car. I'm not saying it can't be done, but Buick did away with it for a reason and went to the switches in the console in '64. Another example - the heater control valve on the '63 is on the firewall and is connected to the dash via one of the cables I described. Then there's a wire that attaches to the same connection point that operates a blend door. On the '65, the heater control valve is vacuum operated and sits at the front of the engine. (On the '64 it's still manual as is the '63, but the valve is mounted on the inner fender.) Three years, three different operating systems.

Most of us who own '63's are converting to a vacuum control as described by Jim Cannon in a tech article on the website.

As far as your other questions. The power seat bases are the same for 63 - 65, the mirrors on the '63 are different but not the way they mount or are controlled, just the head. The '63 has an escutcheon over the oval base of the joy stick where as 0n the joy stick on the '64 / '65 the screws that hold the diamond shaped base in place are in plain sight. Although they look similar, there are lots of differences between each year model. The best thing would be to contact us again if you find something and see if it's compatible.

My first real words of advice are to not trust the sellers on eBay who say the item they have fits all three years. Ask first before winding up with something you can't use.

Ed

[Guest Traveling Man]

Thanks Ed,

I wonder if the control cables could just be hooked up to the levers on a 63 panel mounted under the dash? Still have the advantages of the vacum system but get the looks only of the 63. Best of both worlds. I will have to explore this option. at most it may just cost me a 63 Bezel. I will report back on my findings.

[RivNut]

Install an aftermarket system, put the aftermarket controls in the space for the ash tray behind the lid, and use the '63 control levers as a guise.

[Guest Traveling Man]

That would work as well? For getting AC where would be the best way to get the entire system?

[RivNut]

There are three that I know of that have been used on 1st generation Rivieras. Vintage Air, Old Air Products, and Classic Auto Air. I'm not recommending one over another. Call a sales rep at each and see what they have to offer. Be advised, no one makes a "bolt in" kit for the Riviera like they do for Chevelles and Mustangs. You'll need to use a universal kit.

If you do a search of the archives, you can see the step by step installation of a Vintage Air system on a first generation Riviera. I think the one used in this installation was a Gen Air IV unit.

It ain't easy, it ain't quick, and it ain't for the average DIYer. Parts and labor will be expensive.

Edited December 10, 2013 by RivNut (see edit history)

[RivNut]

PS - forgot to ad this. If you go with the '63 heater and a/c control levers, you'll have to give up the dash speaker. In '63, the Riviera came only with a rear seat speaker.

Plus, only the two levers on the right are for the a/c. the four on the left are for the heater fan/air temp/defroster/rear heat. You'd also need the '63 dash pad. It's different than the '64 / '65 dash; no speaker in the '63 dash.

[lrlforfun]

OK Traveler: My take is so different. I would look for a 65 Riv with factory a/c. If you like the look of all the switches under the dash you can almost duplicate the 63 all that by adding an accecory switch for the rear defroster, a power antenna switch and I believe most have a courtesy lite switch. Cruise control which is to the left of the under-speaker switches can also add another gismo to complete the look you want. Putting a/c in these is heck-of-expensive and finding a shop (if you can't diy) might be a problem too.

By the time you are done you will have spent too much dough and energy trying to accomplish what you want and there are really no guarantees that things might turn out that great either. I would find another car because I think it could short circuit a lotta grief . Mitch

[Mr Riviera]

OK Traveler: My take is so different. I would look for a 65 Riv with factory a/c. If you like the look of all the switches under the dash you can almost duplicate the 63 all that by adding an accecory switch for the rear defroster, a power antenna switch and I believe most have a courtesy lite switch. Cruise control which is to the left of the under-speaker switches can also add another gismo to complete the look you want. Putting a/c in these is heck-of-expensive and finding a shop (if you can't diy) might be a problem too.

By the time you are done you will have spent too much dough and energy trying to accomplish what you want and there are really no guarantees that things might turn out that great either. I would find another car because I think it could short circuit a lotta grief . Mitch

Words of Wisdon from Mitch - Find a donor car and stay with original - the other choice would be an aftermarket system ( a lot less work , have it installed , and cheaper in the long run counting your time and aggravation and more efficiant ).

[Guest Traveling Man]

Thanks all for the replies. I am requesting info from all 3 on an aftermarket system.

The Best News is i found a complete easy to install system for our 1967 Chevrolet Pickup that has been in the family since it was bought. I just wish my Father in law could have lived to see me get this. I had told him i would add the air to it but he Passed on before seeing this. This was his Fathers truck bought new in 67 that we fully restored. Now I can go ahead and add teh Air that he always wanted. PERFECT FIT" IN-DASH HEAT/ COOL/ DEFROST 1967-72 CHEVROLET PICKUP