TKRIV Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 (edited) After looking in detail & driving countless 1965 Riv's I have just noticed that the instrument pods are not horizontal. The RHS pod is very slightly higher than the left. I would have bet my left @#*^#% that the pods where horizontal and all the adjacent components positioned accordingly. Now that I know this I can't un-see it. I need some psychiatric help & guidance not to notice every time I drive my Riv. When ever I see a dash of any classic car I place myself in the mindset of the designer so many years ago. Cheers TomK Edited May 4 by TKRIV Spelling corrected. (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I am sitting next to my car in the garage right now. I got in the car and checked. It can't even be corrected. Something to think about while I am clocking my Phillips head screws. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodneybeauchamp Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 15 hours ago, TKRIV said: After looking in detail & driving countless 1965 Riv's I have just noticed that the instrument pods are not horizontal. The RHS pod is very slightly higher than the left. Tom, Buick designed it that way so it would be level taking in to consideration the camber in the road in 1963. And because you are now driving on the Right, the camber is exaggerating the offset. Think you find if you start driving it on the Left, it will appear level. Just my two bobs worth! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKRIV Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 Rodney, Not sure that your explanation is plausible. Would really like a comment from a first Gen. expert like Ed Rayner or Tom Mooney if they agree the pods are indeed not level with each other or its all just a optical illusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Right now my pods are on a shelf while my car is undergoing restoration and I don’t think one can tell by looking at pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Mac Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 This is very difficult to work out. I managed to get a flat thin board over both gauges. Then I was able to put a spirit level on the board. I could clearly see from the spirit level that Tom could be correct. But then I saw I had a flat front tyre! But I was parked on a slope that counteracted the front tyre being flat.But I also have a spring at the rear left thats lower than the right spring. But then I measured from the floor pan to the bottom of the gauges and realised that with carpet and underlay and sound deadening i could get an incorrect reading. But then I did a visual and I think Tom may be right ( by about 1-2 mm) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKRIV Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 When I bought my first Riv over 30 years ago I would get lots of compliments on its brilliant design. But can't remember any comments on the interior. That has now changed. When I go to car shows it is not unusual to get positive comments about the interior, dash and console. There are cars where you consider the body design a work of moving art. There are cars where you love the interior but not the body. I enjoy the visual brilliance of both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 Now that you're keying on the alignment issue, how soon before you remove the instrument cluster to investigate IF what you've seeing can be tweaked better? On the '67-'69 Camaro SS models, the ractory rear gas cap, when fully seated, the letters are not parallel to the rear bumper surface, oriented with the letters bottom being higher on the rh than on the lh. NO way to make slight adjustments to correct it, as if the factory designed it that way (or it just worked out that way in production and NOBODY could do anything about it). Enjoy! NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 (edited) On the 2nd generation Rivieras, the body plant was in Euclid, OH. At the body plant all the exterior trim was installed. Then the bodies were transported to Flint, MI for final assembly. Final assembly installed the fenders, etc. Those fenders had the moldings installed before being married to the body. The trim on the fenders did not line up exactly with the trim on the door Edited May 6 by RivNut Added picture (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 On 5/4/2024 at 2:02 AM, TKRIV said: After looking in detail & driving countless 1965 Riv's I have just noticed that the instrument pods are not horizontal. The RHS pod is very slightly higher than the left. I would have bet my left @#*^#% that the pods where horizontal and all the adjacent components positioned accordingly. Now that I know this I can't un-see it. I need some psychiatric help & guidance not to notice every time I drive my Riv. When ever I see a dash of any classic car I place myself in the mindset of the designer so many years ago. Cheers TomK I just looked at @Dundee ‘s latest post where he shows progress on his 63. In one of the pictures he shows his instrument panel. The whole panel is lying on its top. In that picture there appears to be less room between the top of the speedometer bezel and the other bezel. But the centers and the bottoms are parallel to the bottom of the housing. Perhaps that closer distance is causing your eyes to think the one is higher than the other. ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 1 hour ago, RivNut said: I just looked at @Dundee ‘s latest post where he shows progress on his 63. In one of the pictures he shows his instrument panel. The whole panel is lying on its top. In that picture there appears to be less room between the top of the speedometer bezel and the other bezel. But the centers and the bottoms are parallel to the bottom of the housing. Perhaps that closer distance is causing your eyes to think the one is higher than the other. ???? Maybe the OP's eyeballs look like your avatar? TM 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 OK here is a pic of my dash. You will see in the pic that the right bezel appears a little higher. This is because the chrome horizontal trim just below the dash pad and the edge of the dash pad slopes downward as it approaches the door, giving the right pod more space between that pod and the horizontal metal trim. They raised the right pod a little to compensate for this. It would look even more noticeable if they had lowered it to match the left pod. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jframe Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Ok, thanks guys. You have fully activated my OCD every time I get behind the wheel, lol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 50 minutes ago, jframe said: Ok, thanks guys. You have fully activated my OCD every time I get behind the wheel, lol. Glad we could help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrownedRiv Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 The edge of the dash overhangs more (it tapers in towards the door) over the right side if the cluster giving the illusion that its higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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