Restoration Pics

Jack the R wrote:

I really struggle with the wheel/tire issue, and customization in general.  16's and big wheel wells are very out of fashion, but the Riv rides so well on the stock suspension and tire package.  I don't do a lot of corner carving.  Handling is more cool than ride quality but I get more use out of ride quality.  

Now that there are so few Rivs out there, I lean more towards keeping it stock and having another car for performance.  

Totally sympathize, I play on both sides of this issue with many projects, aside from resurrecting the thing from under trees using parts of 12 cars, the Riv is one of those where I have mostly left it stock, the interior/body 100% stock, engine, a few bolt on items, suspension (so far) stock. Rims that came on it ,not my taste nor am I into aftermarket.  Impala wheels went on, same size, ran that for a decade, time for a change, I do carve corners as well as use this thing for cushy highway trips...the parts car has another set of the same unloved gray original wheels, ugh, not only that,  Im low on delicate hubcaps.

I would consider a set of original chrome/alloy wheels if they were in good shape but that does not help with my surplus, freeish, race rubber.

Saying all that, where do I find a list of CD player error codes? I have 2 units with different errors and a stack of 96-2002 chevy truck radios I might be able to scab for internal parts.
What is the go to for antenna replacement? Is the plastic internal pusher still available somewhere?

Fuel pump installed, not impressed with the aftermarket making me cut the harness but its too late for that. The last unit was AC Delco, and did not give the life hoped for, it is what it is, I have a warranty, the used unit, and AAA if this one quits.


Best trunk lock out of 3 choices, I still wonder where the original gold one went off to, pretty sure that and the gold grille were beyond use but memory fails.

I stopped taking this off the parts car to admire 15 years of never being cleaned


Fortunately there was no real lasting damage




Could use some new clips but these should hold for a while




The outgoing interior will store better if cleaned, everything is dusty and smudged from touching, off to the car wash again for a 3 woman crew to get it right.

Well that came fast

Yep. Looks like a good match, what do you think?

Ohhh yeah..... It is a good match

It will do nicely

Anyone here have a non sunroof car? I have a dome light question.

You asked about a replacement antenna.??
I may have a good used OEM antenna assembly if that's what your looking for.
I will have to check in my 2 storage units and have some parts boxed up in the cellar as well.
If your interested and not in a huge rush I can look for it for you. As I said, I may have one. My memory says I do. But my memory has failed me before. So I will need to look.
Let me know. Best to email me at IRRICKW at COMCAST dot NET
Rick

Rickw wrote:

You asked about a replacement antenna.??
I may have a good used OEM antenna assembly if that's what your looking for.
I will have to check in my 2 storage units and have some parts boxed up in the cellar as well.
If your interested and not in a huge rush I can look for it for you. As I said, I may have one. My memory says I do. But my memory has failed me before. So I will need to look.
Let me know. Best to email me at IRRICKW at COMCAST dot NET
Rick

Not in a terrible rush, this issue has come and been fixed several times over the years, haven't had one working in quite some time, I think the parts car just needs the mast nylon rope but with the high failure rate, for the right price, I would likely be interested in a working unit and sit on the other one.

Honestly, the last week looking at it with a perfectly painted piece of tape under the hole, has me feeling like we missed a opportunity to weld up the antenna and go with a hidden or shark fin type.

Next round of pics, a major suspension issue: Aluminum control arm casting flaw.

Without going through the entire long story, in a unfamiliar, poorly lit area, at midnight, 150 miles from home, on a Sunday, after a long weekend, trough fault of my own,  I completely hopped a lightly curbed median @ <15mph ,first the left front, then right front, left rear, finishing off with the right rear... The RR suspension broke. I have no towing coverage at the time. No alcohol was involved.

This was the last straw and almost the lowest point that pushed this car towards restoration

I was hoping my buddy could find some pics of a year ago when this first happened, it clearly shows a casting flaw connected to a clean snap and explains why it broke even though the energy was mostly dissipated by the time this wheel hit. I see the buddy again this weekend on the Rivs first road trip since rescue, will remind him to look.

Ironically and luckily this buddy is a mechanical engineer, who at the time, was employed to stress test aircraft wings to the point of failure, fortunately he had a small workshop and materials on hand, we patched it and I was on the road in 90 minutes.
EDIT:* Added 1st picture after posting*





Both cars inside on lifts to drop the rear subframe and swap lower control arms,





Exhaust is in the way, kinda fortunate as I was planning to swap systems to get rid of my rattling cat and fix the LR muffler that has been slightly bent and bothering me ever since a bulldozer scooted the thing around 2 days before ownership started 14 years ago



Damage while trying to drive the car a back to my buddy's place with the doughnut spare (regular tire was undamaged but leaning with that much camber while broken)



Parts car has been sitting too long




Score



Factory rotor clips still on both cars



Oh Joy, something new and for later, subframe bushings are bad

98inWPB wrote:

Not in a terrible rush, this issue has come and been fixed several times over the years, haven't had one working in quite some time, I think the parts car just needs the mast nylon rope but with the high failure rate, for the right price, I would likely be interested in a working unit and sit on the other one.

Honestly, the last week looking at it with a perfectly painted piece of tape under the hole, has me feeling like we missed a opportunity to weld up the antenna and go with a hidden or shark fin type.

PM sent.

Ed see if you can go for the hidden type antenna. I think the factory mast antenna outdates the car IMO. The shark fin is way too ugly and not period correct. Get a hidden one and just stick it inside somewhere they are magnetic type. I'm thinking of doing this myself. Never liked the look of the car with the mast antenna.

stan wrote:

Ed see if you can go for the hidden type antenna. I think the factory mast antenna outdates the car IMO. The shark fin is way too ungy and not period correct. Get a hidden one and just stick it inside somewhere they are magnetic type. I'm thinking of doing this myself. Never liked the look of the car with the mast antenna.

Paint is done, in hindsight I missed opportunity to get rid of its hole, already PMing to get a working OEM unit.

Aside from the rims and leaving off all exterior badges, the exterior will remain stock as buick intended, antenna and all.

No,Ed I meant to say. Just disconnect the antenna and plug it in in the hidden one (magnetic one) . That`s all. This is how you keep the original factory look of the car, and get better radio reception. All of this you can do in 5 seconds.

The thought crossed my mind, I will look.

Just leave the factory antenna in unplugged , and plug the new one in. Stick it inside the trunk somewhere under the covers, it's magnetic. That's all. It'll take 5 seconds of your time hahaha. See if you like the idea

stan wrote:

Just leave the factory antenna in unplugged , and plug the new one in. Stick it inside the trunk somewhere under the covers, it's magnetic. That's all. It'll take 5 seconds of your time hahaha. See if you like the idea

Have a model #? I will do it when the next unit goes.

Was successful in getting pics of the broken arm, I took the pic with and without flash to try and capture as much detail as possible with a cell phone mid repair @ 1am. The flaw was top where a mold (pour/injection?)point was, looks like the alloy was bubbly/spongy loosing some I beam strenth. Kind of looks like a wet spot but there was no moisture, just a color and texture change.

stan wrote:

Ed see if you can go for the hidden type antenna. I think the factory mast antenna outdates the car IMO.  

Yeah, but every other part does too.  The 8th gen has reached the point where it's most valuable as a time machine.  If you put new stuff on it, it won't be able to take you back anymore.

Today was interior work, Passenger seat out, headliner out, RR panel off, package tray and speaker tray out.



Interior sound deadening tar needs a bit of touch up.....Florida




Package tray carpet red where the sun didn't shine



Hidden dent from tree repair #1



Rear Interior out offers opportunity, off to the car wash to find persistent leak, found bad glue spot on back window...

Headliner done




Parts car consulted for rear tray/speakers/carpet, what is TOR. short for?



In hindsight a little premature as it is going back through the car wash tomorrow to verify leaks are plugged

"Tor." Stands for Toreador Red. An allusion to bullfighting. It is a blood red unlike the earlier wine red.

albertj wrote:

"Tor." Stands for Toreador Red.  An allusion to bullfighting.  It is a blood red unlike the earlier wine red.

Thank you!

Back to the car wash, rear package tray pulled again I find another forgotten tell of history, apparently bit of extra window sealer fixed it.




There the leak is, looks like the 1/4 window needs pulled, yes this should have been addressed before paint but it did not, I was convinced the water on the floor had been coming from a different spot and the decision to get this restoration going was a bit abrupt. #majorscrewup



Just so happens I have a windshield guy over today for a unrelated job




Regardless of precautions, the window removal did not go well, paint chipped, with my painter friend long gone I am back to being a 1 man band with way too many instruments to play. Undecided how this will get touched up, regrettably need shove this to a later date.



Window back in but interior still partially stripped, no time to fuss around any longer, first road trip in a year scheduled tomorrow noon, onto the next nag, cruise control inop. Being the cruise module is easier to swap then diagnose the entire system, and literally its the last minutes of the workday, I get lucky and the swap fixes it.


Worried about the used radiator scabbed from parts car, with this trip in mind the whole time, I had been driving quite a bit to be sure, fingers crossed, no leaks found, fluids topped off, I will be back next week to continue.

Only rad failure I had was at about 165K miles, the drivers side tank developed a hairline crack that only leaked at pressure -- and when it leaked it pissed straight onto the ground. I posted something about that years ago.

I was told by a GM tech that the OE radiators were intended to be rebuildable, but parts prices for whole replacement units decreased so much they quit doing it (years ago).

As long as that rad was not full of crap (the odd walnut shell dust does not count) I would spend 0 time thinking about it.

albertj wrote:

Only rad failure I had was at about 165K miles, the drivers side tank developed a hairline crack that only leaked at pressure -- and when it leaked it pissed straight onto the ground.  I posted something about that years ago.  

I was told by a GM tech that the OE radiators were intended to be rebuildable, but parts prices for whole replacement units decreased so much they quit doing it (years ago).  

As long as that rad was not full of crap (the odd walnut shell dust does not count) I would spend 0 time thinking about it.

First rad in this car started intermittently dripping on the drivers side around 1500 miles ago (91,000 miles), cracked up high, prob the same place they all do, it would behave for weeks, drip randomly then again stop, I could go on a road trip and have it drip gassing up to come home after a weekend of dryness only to leak like all hell after letting it sit parked 3 weeks.

98inWPB wrote:

albertj wrote:

Only rad failure I had was at about 165K miles, the drivers side tank developed a hairline crack that only leaked at pressure -- and when it leaked it pissed straight onto the ground.  I posted something about that years ago.  

I was told by a GM tech that the OE radiators were intended to be rebuildable, but parts prices for whole replacement units decreased so much they quit doing it (years ago).  

As long as that rad was not full of crap (the odd walnut shell dust does not count) I would spend 0 time thinking about it.

First rad in this car started intermittently dripping on the drivers side around 1500 miles ago (91,000 miles), cracked up high, prob the same place they all do, it would behave for weeks, drip randomly then again stop, I could go on a road trip and have it drip gassing up to come home after a weekend of dryness only to leak like all hell after letting it sit parked 3 weeks.

I am not sure which radiator I'd choose to replace the one in the Riv now.