Do you mean the link in your "mile-long signature" ? <iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pv3ZF2NDvsA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Let me post your other video as well :TU: <iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2Unj9mlEz_Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Thanks John, the Riv is in Rockford and I also have a place in Chicago overlooking Belmont Harbor. But this time of year I generally live down South and work at being a beach bum. Is it happy hour yet?:bglasses:
Thanks, Bob. Kenne Bell stuff is getting hard to find. I have a lot of nice TA items too. Planning a 700R4 swap this Winter. BTY, Nice Roadmaster.
Steve, Your 69 Riv is great. You have the rather uncommon Buick 15 inch chrome wheels with the stylized Riviera "R" center caps. I also take it that you have the OEM Buick disk brakes as I noted by your brake pedal. Hang on to the chrome wheels option that back in the day was coded with "V2". I know I love my OEM chrome Buick wheels with the Riviera "R" caps. I take it that the Kenne Bell engine upgrades were added at a later date, sometime during the 1970's perhaps. I always wondered how many BBB's were upgraded with stage 1 back in 1968 and 1969. We all know that the many Riv's and Gran Sports as well as a few Electras received the stage one upgrades through about 1974. Also I always wondered if any Centurions, LeSabres, and Wildcats also received stage 1 upgrades.
Hi Craig, the road wheels and center caps do look nice and are original to the car, as is the entire body. It's heavily optioned. I bought it from the original owner (a neighbor in Florida) in the '70s and have only modified the drivetrain, most recently with a best-of-the-era Kenne Bell/TA rebuild. 700R4 is next on the list. It is the only original dealer-added Stage 1 big car from the "60s that I've ever seen. Unfortunately, there seem to be no records regarding how many were similarly upgraded.
Very nice, Steve. She's so heavy... good one! Odd... why on earth would anyone option out a car so much and not spring for the upgraded interior? 8 track, disc brakes, AM/FM. I can't tell if it has cornering lights or not. I guess back then, with options being a la carte instead of part of a package all sorts off oddball combos were made. Mine was made with no vinyl roof, no disc brakes, no cornering lights, AM radio, power seat, remote trunk release, power antenna, AC, deluxe interior, 3.07 posi and power windows. No power locks or any stereo stuff. The only option Ken Lisk's '71 GSX has is power locks! Very nicely done. Watch out for driveshaft damage if you hop it up any more. Extra power and a hard hitting trans play havoc on the rear half of the shaft. Why not bring it to the BPG next year?
Steve, Yardley, You both probably have seen this before, but if not, here is a link from buicks.net that lists the options and prices for our 1969 Rivs. http://www.teambuick.com/reference/years/69/images/69_options_riviera.jpg As for potential drivetrain issues, be careful and be sure to keep it well lubricated at all three zerks. My driveshaft produces a funky rumbling sound at or above 20 miles per hour and even does it when coasting in neutral. I suppose that one day I will likely need to deal with this. :blast:
Oh, it had the deluxe interior too. It's very green and lives in my basement now. I like the sporty black interior better so I swapped it out last year. I just might. Where's it at? Thanks, Chris
Your interior looks great! I like the console as well. I take it that Buick had two different consoles for 1969, one like yours and one like Yardley's with the unique shifter that is also longer and extends to under the dash. I always wondered concerning the deluxe interiors for our Rivs if any other American car ever used two sizes of the rather unique square buttons. For that matter, has any American car interior ever used square buttons?
Nope, they are the same long console. I just added gauges to mine like Buick should have done in the first place. Those damn square buttons. What a pain! Nobody else uses square buttons that big so you have to salvage your old ones during any repair. Yet another reason for my switch to the standard interior.
Cool video's! In the ROA meet one, that second 73 that pulled in sounds MEEAAN!! I love loud rivs!! They are all beauty's tho...Kenne Bell GS...Outstanding!
Thanks. Yes, that mean sounding '73 is a favorite of mine as well. It's another original Stage 1 Riv that's been amped up quite a bit. There are more photos of the Galena ROA meet available online. Just follow the link from ROA to their AACA forum.
Hello Steve, The square buttons are indeed a pain especially on the bottom seats as they eventually fall off from years of use. They are fastened by two diagonal and flexible strips of metal. I could really use two of them for my drivers seat as I have looked under the carpets and seats in my Riv for them, but they are nowhere to be found. I even removed the back seats looking for them, but alas, all I found was dust. As I said before, I am in the market looking for two OEM square buttons. Hint, hint. :dollar: Also since you have completely been through your interior, did you ever find the build sheet? I have completely searched and cleaned my interior, but did not find it. The next thing I am going to do is to drop the gas tank since the sending unit for my fuel gage is not very accurate anymore: i.e. 1/8 of a tank of gas indicated on gage really means empty. The gas tank also likely needs to be cleaned out after 43 years. Hopefully the build sheet will be on top of the tank.
