Hello! And... a request for advice from a new member

Hello all! Nice to meet you all and find others are lovers of the last years of the Riv.

I'm the fool who bought the 96 Riv with 7800 original off eBay recently. It will stay with me a while.

My first (and probably only) add on is a Sherwood Dash kit I received today. The car is Black Cherry with a red leather interior and I'm adding the Cherry Burl dash kit (I have veneered furniture so love burled wood).

Question is, how do I properly remove the Riviera nameplate from the dash and re-apply to the new surface? Haven't looked yet but thought I'd ask those who may have tried if already. The pics I've seen of other cars looked like the area was already cut out for the script but that's not the case.

Also, since I just bought what is as close to a "new" Riviera as could happen, any advice as to what to do early in its life to keep it pristine would be appreciated.

hey welcome to this great site and im sure someone can help you out.

how many miles do you have?

you should post some pic;s in the showroom.

Welcome to the site! I didn't have to remove the riviera badge to put my kit on. It was precut to fit around it..

You say its going to be your only mod but it just keeps eating at you

Especially with you reading stuff on this board!

Hey Rich, welcome to the site. Dash kits aren't my bag, but I did want to say welcome to da board!

Welcome to the Forum

The Sherwood Kit is the one I used, see it here:
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/interior-f20/95-dash-kit-t83.htm

What I did was remove the dash panel and removed the clips that hold the nameplate on from the back side. Then after I installed the dash kit I back drilled the holes through the wood and reinstalled it with two sided tape. With the wood on the dash panel the pins that the clips go on aren't long enough, I used 3M tape and it has been on for over eight years without a problem.

hey there man welcome to the site, always good to have new members

welcome to the family! like Patrick said, the mod bug just keeps at you
there is a write up on here to remove the dash, and maybe a separate on for installing a kit.
as far as maintenance goes, depends on how many miles you have on it.
here is a quick list to get you started:\
air filter (K&N and gutted box preferred)
fuel filter
autolite 605 copper plugs
OEM wires
sea foam the top end through the vac line
sea foam in the gas (do the sea foam before the plug change)
coolant flush
throttle body removal and cleaning if you see carbon behind the TB plate

I would do a tranny fluid/filter change too. If you don't know how long its been since that was done.

Welcome !

Welcome! How's the weather in Spain?!!

Welcome!

Hello All!

Thanks for the advice. I'd like a few more comments from anyone who's had one since "Near new" and has had problems. I'd like to head those off before they happen.

Regarding the wood grain kit...

The dash name plate over the glove box popped out "too" easy using an X-Acto knife. That piece of plastic is as cheap as a stir stick in a drink in Vegas! Came out clean and easy! I'll be getting some double sided tape tomorrow and finish the project.

I put on the burl cherry dash tonight and I'm very pleased with the results. I know it's not for eveyone but what a nice "touch of class" to a classy car. My camera batteries went dead or you'd be seeing the pics tonight. I'll post them ASAP.

Oh... BTW... Sherwood dash kit. I like that they duplicate the nomenclature (words) for the switches unlike BD.

I bought mine with 24.5k miles. Here are a few tips:

Check the supercharger oil. It should come up to the lower-most threads. Top off if necessary.

Have the coolant flushed and changed.

Change the oil and filter, even if they told you they did it.

Change the fuel filter. I know the car hasn't got many miles, but I'd do it.

Make sure the doors are properly aligned and the windows seal when closed. If not, you can loosen the door catches to fix.

Check the nose of the car for paint chips around the chrome grill. If needed, remove grill and apply some touch-up paint. Check edges of hood as well.

Give the wheels a good cleaning, with a metal polish (if chrome). For your next brake pads, use ceramics.

Check your rear brake rotors do not have patches of rust on them. If you feel a rumble when braking, but your steering wheel doesn't move, have the rear rotors replaced.

Inspect your tires for cracks and dry rot.

Always remove your center caps before having the suspension or tires serviced. Use a flat head screwdriver wrapped in soft cloth. Be careful!

Clean and treat the leather seats with a good leather cleaner/conditioner.

That's all I can think of right now. Enjoy your new car!

Welcome to the site, Rich !