Picked up what was supposed to be a Riviera parts car stupid cheap this week. No motor ot trans. Trim all pulled off and maybe halfway into repaint prep, then left to sit. But it's not in that bad of shape, and these have always been kind of a bucket list car for me. Other than the front floorpans, the rust seems minor, and other than the engine, trans and master cylinder it seems to all be here. So that has me thinking crazy thoughts about turning it into a driver on a shoestring budget. Which means put a motor in it. But I really don't know a lot about these cars, other than basics. I know the purist route is put a nailhead back in it, but those don't grow on trees and if I do find one it's liable to need a complete rebuild for big money. And it's just going to be a fun car, it's never going to be shown with the hood up - nor does it need to do a 10-second quarter, either, as long as it will cruise at 70 down the interstate. So the question is what else would go in without making life too hard, or spending a fortune? Looks like there's tons of room in there, I'm thinking more about what will mount up easily. I have a couple later Pontiac motors around and several Chevy 350s. There was at least one Cad 472 in a local you-pick yard, too, or I can see what else turns up there. Can I run a one-piece driveshaft through the X-frame? These came with the ST400, how far off is the mounting from later TH400 or other GM transmissions? I presume a short tail trans would be called for. Looked up the brake parts and looks like $100 or so will do it all, if the drums are okay, except for a master. I'd convert it to dual chamber, though, so no big deal there. Or maybe I'm nuts, but if it wasn't for me this car would already have gone to a scrapper, so....
Later Pontiac as in 400+or 389 late Pontiac motors? One of those would go well. I put a 500" cad motor in a Monte Carlo once so I would guess tat the 472/500" cad wouldn't be to big a problem either. But if I had a good Poncho I wouldn't go looking for a cad motor.
I have a '77 400 out loose, although I never saw it run. Not a great motor, but it does have a 4bbl on it. Also a 455 in a Grandville 4-door, but it would need some freshening, the rear main leaked pretty bad when I drove the car.
If I werent so far from you,I have a 66 Rivi complete car,455 eng,,was running fine when I parked it,,but age has overtaken me,and now too damn old to complete my plans for it... any one interested at $1500.00 email me @ [email protected] Bob
Check the sump location on your donor motors. I tried a 455 Olds into a '64 Rivie, and it was N0-Go due to serious pan/crossmember interference.
1967 -69 Buick 400 and 430's are great engines and sell pretty cheap. Everyone's looking for nail heads or 455's. I've got a complete 430 out of a 67 convt, engine trans, all accessories, ran strong, the car was about rusted in half, parted out, doubled my money on the cont specific parts. After trying to sell the engine trans I got such low offers ($2-300), I decided to keep it for a project later on, oiled the cylinders and sealed it up. Lots of choices, buick, pontiac, cadillac, whatever you find that runs well. I'm a SBC fan, but not in that car. Do a mild custom and you don't need much trim to put back on it, not hamb friendly, but modern level mounted glass looks great on those cars. Talk to a glass guy on how to do it, generally weld in filler angle bent sheetmetal to close in the gaps around the glass to allow for modern rubber trim edge. Post up some pics, good low buck build on a Rivi will be fun to follow.
I was already thinking it wouldn't be hard to change the taillights to something else. But that's putting the cart ahead of the horse a bit. I suppose worst case I could just fab a couple of ears that will take Ford style universal mounts, heck there's a Pontiac motor mount (59-60 cars) that bolts in the same way. And a trans mount can just be a section of box tube with the right tabs welded up.
Trying to recall from my old 64 Riviera, I believe the ST400 has the same mount location as the regular short tail 400 does. People have tried the 1-piece driveshaft conversion, you have to cut out a lot of the tunnel, and then rebuild it for the removed material to get back the strength. The best would be just keep the 2-piece setup with a good carrier bearing. Search threads for how to strengthen it, but most problems are extreme lowered cars that flex the bearing rubber too much. I think you can make almost any engine swap work, only thing is what position the oil pan sump is located. I can't remember what location the stock nailhead is, but someone here can tell you.
No driveshaft in the car now at all. If a longer tail would fit into the front of the X maybe it would let a shorter shaft work. Guess I'll have to get under it and look it over. I do also have a very rotted '60 Pontiac with an X-frame, though, I suppose I could borrow from that if it's any good. That car was driven not that long ago, it just sat in a bad place since then.
Don't F up a Rivi...change tailights...come on...those things were great from the factory...some minor shaving, stance adjustment, and your done
Nah....not worrying....just not a car that needs a ton of changes for change sake..and I'm a custom guy. Hey if ya save it and get it back on the road it's all good..they just make really....really....nice mild customs
On the Cad engines a 77/79 425 will fit in other rigs a lot better than the 472/500 If you go with one of the Pontiacs change the timing chain and gear or at least check to make sure it has been changed to a metal cam gear. I've wanted one of those Rivs ever since the first one showed up at the local Buick dealership when I was in highschool and I still can't afford one.
You'd ctrap if you knew what I paid for this one. Was a fluke deal at an auction, I didn't even go for the car although I was curious what it would bring. In the end I could have taken it right to the scrapper and made money. But for whatever reason lots of things went cheap at this one, it just goes to show you never know what's going to happen at one. Part of it was the auction folks advertised it as a parts car with no title, but in NY it's a registration only car for one and for two if you know the tricks it's easy to get a new one on it. But I also looked on eBay and a guy who's going to build one of these can buy a dang nice one for like $3000-$5000, from a southern state where it's not liable to have any rust at all. One in about the same shape as this in PA, that sat so long the wheels were locked up, only went for like $700. And the paint on it was a lot prettier. I haven't inventoried the trim, but the only obvious things I see missing are: Motor/trans Radiator Driveshaft Master/booster Shifter Gas tank (at least I see no filler neck, but it explains why rear bumper was off the car) Rally wheels swapped for plain steel (but still has the chrome nuts) Even then the PS pump and the huge AC compressor are in the trunk. As was one set of brake shoes, so who knows what I will find in there. The bumpers, grille, corner lamps, etc, are all on it. And I do have a spare grille I nabbed years ago off another one that turned up in a you-pick yard. The non-tilt column for it is here, too. The only major thing I see wrong is the right door skin is loose for no obvious reason. No rot, lip is folded like it should be, I haven't investigated it super close to see what's up. Not hard to reinstall, just a pain in the rear end. I have a couple of older GM shifters that might work (one '64 Pontiac, one '68-'74 Corvette with cable); I have that rotty '60 Pontiac I can pick the carrier type shaft out of; and some research tells me a fairly cheap 68-74 Skylark tank fits under these, you need to alter the fuel neck a bit to make it go. Which if I want to be lazy I can just cut it and use the hose segment from a G-van for the curved part (every 80s-90s G-van has a piece of hose in the filler, from the factory). The floorpans are flat and patch panels should be no big deal to make up. The fender hole is small enough to clean up and throw some more bondo over if I don't feel like welding it. The bolt pattern for the master and booster is the same on a ton of cars, maybe go back to 68-74 Skylark for that and I already have a factory GM junction block for an all-drum '72 Cutlass here someplace so a dual-chamber master is just plumbing lines. A car I bought years ago came with a newer set of the Buick ralley wheels with the right bolt pattern. Heck I even have an older EZ-wire kit for a car with power windows, new in the box bought for my Fleetline and never got that far before I sold it, if I need it. So really it all boils down to a motor and trans. Radiator, just measure and go hit the junkyard and see if something will fit. Get it up and going, paint, and then see what I can do about the interior.
[QUOTE The only major thing I see wrong is the right door skin is loose for no obvious reason. No rot, lip is folded like it should be, I haven't investigated it super close to see what's up. Not hard to reinstall, just a pain in the rear end. QUOTE] The door skins unbolt for access to the window and door mechanisms. Way easier than reaching thru some hole in the inside of the door.
To add to rfraze's comment on the door skins, the *outer* door skin unbolts form the door. The door hinges, latches, and all the window mechanisms and channels are part of the door inner stamping. Still need someone to give you the info on what location sump is on the orig nailhead, so you can then get some idea on the sump location for an engine swap candidate. I miss my old Riviera, even if mine was kind of a beater. Just a 401 2-bbl nailhead, cut springs, and mexican blankets on the seats. It was still a whole lot of fun and a great cruiser. Served DD duties for couple years before I traded it off.
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