Ok I got the Riviera running, which totally floored me since the tags and window sticker show 1982 as the last time the car was legal. Fuel line to a gas can, set the points, filled the carb bowls and it started right up, smoke about 2 minutes and then ran awesome. Is there anything other than a fresh oil change and filter that I should do to this ole engine? I haven't had a car with this old of an engine and it appears to not have been gone into. odometer shows 14k with means 114k as the car has been in the same owners hands since 74 and he stated that it wasn't drove all over the country. But beings how I have never messed with these old NailHeads I don't know what they do and don't like. Any advice gladly accepted. I see no reason to do anything to it except new plugs, wires, ect. But is there any addatives, certain oil, ect., I should prep the engine with before she gets back to full time duty.
I like some SeaFoam in the oil and to soak in the cylinders at least overnight. Crank out the cylinders with the ignition disabled and the plugs out of course. Softens the carbon and frees the piston rings. Check the timing chain for slop. If less than 12 degrees I'd just spend the money on a brake overhaul. New cylinders and hoses for sure!
If it's got a drain drain the gas tank and put in some fresh fuel. Or go old fashioned and siphon it out. Marvel Mystery oil is sworn by for some people but sworn at by others I go with the "Can't hurt " crowd and would use some. Other than the advice you have been given about the timing chain your plan sounds pretty good.
Keep a close eye on the cooling system. Sometimes the head gasket will rust out and leak. Watch out for cooling hoses. I would put a cheap in line fuel fiter on it too just in case. No reason to run that junk through the carb.
I pulled the gas tank and it had about 10 gallons of rusty gas, glad that I started the car using a gas can and fuel line ran to fuel pump. I have to get the tank vatted and reconditioned.
Got the floors done, were in awesome shape. Not going to use the Wire hubcaps, found a complete set of Buick rally wheels under a tree out where the old cars and school bus is, and the center car says Buick Motor Division. I had to put alot of elbow grease into cleaning up the rim but the rust on the rim lost and I won. Made sure it was going to fit before I spent another 6 hours cleaning the other 3 up. I have no idea year these rims are but they will look sharp on the Riviera with some white letter tires, like some BFG's. I have spent I KNOW a complete day on chrome with steel wool to bring it back to life and haven't even reach the halfway point on the chrome, but it is very cool that the car has so much chrome on the outside AND the inside. I did get all of the trim that goes around the headliner out, wire wheeled all the old crusty rusty paint off of it, primed it, and re-painted. Starting to shape up VERY nice. Floors before after p/s before after Trunk before and after wire hubcaps that I am not going to use and the rally wheels I found under a pine tree that I am going to use. I still have to re-paint the black section of the rims. Had to make sure they were going to fit.
What size are the rims 15x7, 15x6, 14x6? There is a ID code on the rim. Post it here, and I can identify it for you.
Texas cars. Gotta love em. I know an old guy that has 5 or 6 Rivieras about 10 miles from here. Their all for sale and some are probably as solid as this one.
Those look like the correct '65 wheels. White letter tires? NOOOOOOOOOO! It's not a '78 Camaro! Skinny white walls! P.S. Nice Rivi; I love mine.
nice looking project!!!! I wish mine was that nice.... just run good gas in it.....they came from the factory with pretty high compression(10:1+) you can look at the front of the block on the pass side & see if it's a 401 or 425..... lotsa good stuff on buicks.net etc etc. have fun & keep posting progress!!!! on my brother's '64 the seals on the tranny were hard & leaking....not too hard to change, we did drop the tranny tho(I couldn't talk him into getting it gone thru since it shifts fine)....
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