I'm doing and A/C conversion on my '63 Riviera and want to know if the dash panels in my car can be easily modified to mount the vent balls? Do they have all the mounting points already molded in them for the vents? Would all I have to do is just cut out the hole for the vent ball and drill the mounts out? I'm hoping Buick didn't use two seperate molds for the panels and that the pieces were cut out when A/C was installed on the car. I do have the panels from an A/C car but they aren't in the best of shape and I'd prefer to use the ones from my car instead if it can be easily accomplished. My car is still intact so I'd like to know this before I start taking anything apart. Thanks.
I'm in the process of converting my non-A/C '65 cat to an A/C (vintage air). I got dash panels from an A/C car. However, my originals do have the "cut-out" pattern on the back. I would think the Rivi would be the same. It shouldn't be that difficult to cut them out. If it were me, I'd try to find a dash from an A/C car. As you know things that look/sound easy generally aren't. You may wind up with a hacked up dash and then have to find an A/C dash anyway. Rick
Cutting them out sounds like famous last words like "Watch this!". Swap the dash panels and keep the original look.
I have a radio plate with a/c louver,nice chrome and the control panel for a a/c car. above radio with levers. I need the heater contol levers, but not the plate. Came out of 63-64 Electra/Cat. They are both in good condition. The upper panel has the climate,control vacuum dial on it. I dont need it. If it will fit a Riv. We can work out a deal. if anyone knows if it will fit let me know. They look the same. But??:beers2: PM if so Gary
Riviera's use a different radio bezel than the other Buicks although they look similar. The only thing I'm missing to complete the conversion is the fan, fan clutch, fan shroud, water valve with attaching bracket and the dash panels.
So are you saying you have accumulated all the parts.....or you only need to install these last few components to be complete? I'm guessing you've cut the hole in the firewall already? How much fun was it figuring out all those vaccuum lines for the climate control panel? The firewall and climate control is what ran me off from a factory conversion. Rick
I'm still getting all the parts together. The car is still in one piece and will probably remain so for a while longer. For now, I'm going to drive it as it is and then I'm going to sit down and figure how to piece it all together. The 63's don't have as many vacuum lines as the 64's. They have more mechanically operated devices such as the water valve which in '64 and after became vacuum operated. In fact, I only see two lines that come out from the switch panel and those go to control the air flow doors. As far as the firewall is concerned, I only see two ovalesque holes that will need to be cut-out. One for the air flow to the evap case and the other for all the plumbing. The evap case will be covered by the blower case on the outside and I have the factory rubber grommet for the lines. Finding where to cut out the holes is going to be the hardest part but I have a machinist buddy and I'm going to convince him to help me. He likes the car and as long as is doesn't have to stay at his house for any long period of time, he should be able to do it. And most importantly, he has all the right tools to do it with. Once that's done, it should be a piece of cake.
The '64's also have cable water valves, just the control heads are in the console not in the under dash panel. I'm trying to get my hands on a '65 unit which has the vacuum water valve so I can run the valve on the engine swap I'm doing which is vacuum operated. If I can find one in time I'll sell you my '64 control unit though you'd have to get your own '64 or '65 underdash and console pieces to install it.
