Description:
This car has the optional, in B. The motor runs good, burning no oil. No smoke is seen out the exhaust and the power surge is smooth and strong. The twin turbine automatic shifts without any shudder or hesitation. The original red leather seats are in extremely nice condition. The carpet is new, and 2 smaller holes in the front floors have been soundly repaired. The headliner is about to be replaced so all-in-all, the interior is really quite nice. The instruments work fine with barely a flaw in the lenses. The clock is sometimes slow, even stopping at times. Perhaps it is an easy repair..I do not know and frankly do not feel concerned. It looks great and I have a watch. The radio may or may not be working. It is the original AM/FM Wonderbar though in excellent visual shape. Once again I do not know how much work it needs. It may be merely a replacement of the speaker output wires whose 40 year old jacketing has crumbled off in spots. I removed the original glove box liner after I ordered a new one. Bad move!! A week later I get a call that they were temporarilly out of stock. Therefore, the car may or may not have a glove box liner while I source another one. The wood inserts in the doors are not perfect either. For serious, judged showing it would cost points to be sure. For Cruise Nights or riding with family or friends it is not going to diminish the enjoyment of owning the car. The body is solid, wonderfully void of rust and UNDER A BRAND NEW COAT OF PAINT. ACTUALLY A 6 COAT PROCESS. The glass is great. The bumpers straight and outstanding candidates for replating if serious showing is some subliminal urge of yours. Hey! If you just have to go home with a $14.00 hunk of plastic, as in 'trophy', keep in ming your competitors are spending/have spent upwards of $20,000-$60,000 on their cars. I am not suggesting this car, with a few relatively inexpensive improvements is a lock to put a small trophy on the seat next to you. No! I am only saying that you could park with dignity next to any of them and belong to that 'fraternity' of men and women who appreciate classic cars. A group of people who appreciate any classic from the 'really nice', like mine, all the way to the never-driven-always-trailerd rich man's toy. The exhaust needs to be replaced in the near future. I figure the next owner can decide what to do as necessary. The choices are standard, stainless, perhaps ceramic even. I won't bother. It is OK for now. That's enough. The tires are OK with maybe 40-50% tread. The brakes are new/newer with a NEW BRAKE BOOSTER. That was a $450 improvement and truely a vital issue so I will be a little redundant. The car has a fine braking system with a new, not exactly inexpensive nor easy to find, power brake booster. The electrical system, lights, power windows and such is good and everything works, except as noted, like the clock or radio. The upper dash pad, a chronic problem with early Rivs, has been thoroughly refurbished and looks awesome. The car rides smooth, yet secure as it was intended to by its creators. There is a minor play, probably caused by wear in the center link, or pitman arm. I notice it. Everyone else has said I am imagining it, and probably mentally comparing the Riv handling to the tighness of my Dodge Intrepid ES, or the Sunfire GT. In any case, the car does not veer off the highway at 70MPH. I'm just trying to answer as many questions here and now, as I can. The undercarriage is not what you would expect on a $20,000 car. But, unless the buyer gives me a big, big tip, the buyer will not be paying $20,000. What I am saying is that while the undercarriage may show the red and brown hues of 'oxidation'. the frame is not at all a 'rust out'. It is solid, as is the trunk and all fenders and quarters. Almost anywhere in the USA there are shops that can do a fine cleaning of the underside if this is all that important. Keep in mind the price of the car and the condition of everything else. You can take a magnet to any part of the body...this is not some bondo buggy. Check the doors, bottom to top, the hood, fenders and quarter panels, especially all the low spots, all around the drip rails, or anywhere else you can think of. This is a solid car. The 425 runs smooth, and has had a new/newer fuel pump, water pump, alternator, radiator and worth mentioning again, power brake booster. The next owner should replace all the lines. If I was going to be keeping the car I would have likely gone with as much stainless as I could find. OEM is fine too. I must admit there is a need for new PS lines, maybe even a few seals as the fluid level does drop over time. You can see the moistness of 40 year old lines. Even the tranny fluid will go down after a while. Internally the tranny is shifting like silk, but there is a need for new gaskets and modern lines. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT ANYONE BUYING A CLASSIC CAR EITHER HAS ALREADY PAID FOR ALL NEW LINES AND GASKETS, EVEN A PREEMPTIVE OVERHAUL, IN THE PURCHASE PRICE, OR SHOULD BE SENSIBLE ENOUGH TO PLAN ON IT. There is a slight tapping like noise which could be a lifter, or possibly just the fuel pump arm moving on the concentric. It is not severe but I hear it. Since I will be asked why I am selling the car anyway, I will explain that now. I bought the Riv thinking it would be a way to get the kids to spend some time with dad. About the only common ground you can have with teenagers is maybe in the garage. Well, I love the Riv, but kids want something that Dad did not pick out. So, I did get to 'bond' in the garage but through a 1970 442 rag top and a 1970 Firebird Formula 400. It turns out that the 1963 Riv was not about to draw anyone into the neutral territory of the garage. The Riv was looked upon as 'Dad's' Riv, 'the grown-ups' choice. This was not a stronger draw than hanging with the friends. The 442 or the Formula were where I could find them, and actually feel 'welcome'. No doubt, the fact that all the parts were arriving in my name, and at my expense helped, but at least I got to be there..in the garage. I knew enough to never go into the bedroom to play PS2 or watch TV with the kids, but could always walk into the garage. If I only had the Riv in the garage the kids would not have been there. This is why I am selling a wonderful car that I would rather keep but simply cannot find room for. I have another kid soon to be placing me in a similar position by next spring so I might as well sell the car now and be ready to buy what the kid wants. I already offered the Riv, but no kid wants to drive what the parent picked out. I am happy to answer any other questions and will be making a bunch of pictures available. IF A SENSIBLE BUYER COMES ALONG BEFORE I AM AGGRAVATED TOO MUCH BY ALL THE SCAMMERS WITH THE FAKE CASHIERS CHECKS, I MIGHT SHOW SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THE PRICE. IF THE CAR DOES NOT SELL BY WINTER'S ARRIVAL, I WILL PLACE THE CAR IN STORAGE , TACK $500 ONTO THE PRICE AND REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE SINCE IN APRIL IT WILL BE THAT MUCH OLDER, A LITTLE MORE RARE, AND BY THEN A NEW CAR SEASON WILL BE STARTING. JUST COMMON SENSE PEOPLE. THAT'S ALL. I CHECK THE SAME SITES YOU LOOK AT. I KNOW THAT MY PRICE, FOR WHAT I AM OFFERING, IS FAIR, QUITE REASONABLE, ACTUALLY A 'GOOD DEAL'. SO, don't respond if you don't have the money......ONE LAST THING........DO NOT EVEN THINK THAT I WILL ACCEPT A CASHIERS CHECK. NOT FROM ANYONE....... SCAMMERS GO WASTE YOUR TIME WITH SOMEONE ELSE. A LOT OF YOU WILL TRY ANYWAY, BUT I JUST HAD TO TRY TO WARN YOU TO NOT WASTE MY TIME.......I AM 35 MILES WEST OF CHICAGO NEAR ALL MAJOR ROUTES.
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