cherrybomb Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Hello! I recently bought a 1968 Buick Riviera as my project car. I want to restore it to its original form as much as possible! It runs and is in pretty decent condition and I am ready to try and fix whatever I can on it so it looks like a real beaut. Currently the biggest issue I am having is that none of the dash lights work, any suggestions on where the fuses are on it? The dash is in such good condition I am worried I would crack it, so far it doesn't have a crack I dont want to be the first to add the crack. As for the engine and mechanical functions I have family that is very good with classic cars and is willing to help me. The issues is finding out where I can get parts, does anyone have any good sites they use or places they recommend?? Let me know, I am eager to learn as much as I can! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Nice car! Welcome. Try scrolling down to the Buick section of the forum for a lot more response. Those guys know their stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVNIK Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Great find! I would recommend joining the Riviera Owners Assn. & take advantage of the 1st rate club magazine,"The Riview". In the mag & on the club website you will find much of the info you need on restoration, new & used parts availability, etc. You also need to acquire a factory shop manual & body manual. They can be found in the mag ad section & on eBay( another source for used parts.) Also search this forum for discussions pertaining to your year model. As you'll notice the bulk of info deals with !st generation Rivs ('63-'65), but that's probably because there are a lot more of them. Anyhoo, congrats on your excellent find & welcome to the club. Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVNIK Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Just took a quick look at eBay, where there is a surprising number of '66 parts, including shop & body manuals in paper & on CD. It's buyer beware so do some research or inquire here about your find before spending too much. As always, I try to get my parts from a club vendor first, & I for that I highly recommend A,B,&G. I can always count on Gene to have what I'm looking for, though I'm not sure what his '66 inventory looks like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ol' yeller Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 22 minutes ago, RIVNIK said: Just took a quick look at eBay, where there is a surprising number of '66 parts, including shop & body manuals in paper & on CD. It's buyer beware so do some research or inquire here about your find before spending too much. As always, I try to get my parts from a club vendor first, & I for that I highly recommend A,B,&G. I can always count on Gene to have what I'm looking for, though I'm not sure what his '66 inventory looks like. His is a ‘68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZRIV Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Hi and welcome to the forum. Congrats on getting your 68. It is imperative that you get a 68 chassis service manual. Originals are available reasonably priced or reprints. It will have a wiring diagram to assist in troubleshooting your dash lights problem. It is the single best publication to help keep your car on the road. Join ROA. These cars aren't like Mustangs, Camaros and Mopars where there is massive amounts of information available online or in restoration manuals. Nor is there a huge supply of reproduction parts like there is for mainstream classics. There is also a lot of misinformation about Rivs online so you have to be careful of your sources. ROA offers a wealth of information with reliable parts sources new and used as well as access to technical advisors who volunteer to help members. ROA has a searchable database online to look up tech articles or members showcases by year from every issue of the magazine for the past 36 years. Digital copies of all issues are online as well and available to all members There is no one stop shop for parts. Where you buy all depends on what the part is and how particular you are on keeping the car original or authentic appearing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedeDownUnderR63 Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 ROA as mentioned above is really your best friend. Here are a few sites for consumables and manuals: http://www.oldbuickparts.com https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/buick,1968,riviera,7.0l+430cid+v8,1021420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivdrivn Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Welcome! As mentioned, oldbuickparts.com and rockauto.com are helpful, also eBay. Study the rivowners.org pages and join ROA for more info and resources. We also have an official ROA Facebook group that is very active, plus a 1968-1969 Buick Riviera Facebook group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimera Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Join the RoA...Get The Riview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobileparts Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 And, if you would prefer N.O.S. and U.S.A. made parts as opposed to the Chineseum world -- many many people on this site know to call me.... I have solely and exclusively NEW mechanical parts --- NO USED body and cosmetic parts.... Always best to simply call me --- Craig --- 516 - 485 - 1935..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVNIK Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Yes! Thanks Ol'Yeller, a'68. me old. BTW: if you need an electrical schematic, the one in the shop manual you acquire may not be very legible (it probably looks like a photocopy of a Xerox of a polaroid) You should check out the beautiful color coded schematics available on eBay from Classiccarwiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivgs Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Cherrybomb, The dash lights are controlled by the headlight switch, you rotate the knob to adjust the brightness and the may be just turned off. If not, the fuse box is located about where your left toes would point when you are sitting behind the wheel. Look for a fuse marked " Inst pnl ". It is also possible the rheostat on the headlight switch may be bad, so you may need a new switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68RIVGS Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 (edited) Welcome to the world of Riviera ! '68's are my preferred year, but they are all pretty unique in their own ways ! As mentioned, a '68 Buick Shop Manual will allow you to get familiar with the the car and it's features. You will find answers to questions you haven't even thought of yet ! Enjoy that '68 Riviera, and check out the ROA website at www.rivowners.org. Edited April 9, 2021 by 68RIVGS (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimera Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 You may also want to check out the topic post on finding a inspection sheet behind the drivers side kick panel... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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