facts about my riviera 1964

[rob]

Hey buicksnet fans!
I have a buick riviera 1964. recently imported from the states ie. california.
I found the small plate with colorcodes etc but I dont know what they mean.
It says:
03D flint michigan.
style 64-4747 FB22520 body
trim 624 AA*Paint
ACC. EXT-2K-4F-5Z
This car finished with
Magic Mirror Acryliclaquer
etc.
I found out that the engine is a 1963, 401 not original and that the car is made in michigan. All this with the help of your site and the VIN nr + engine codes.
I think that the trim means white vinyl and A means black but I´m confused since
nothing of seams to be like that today.....

Thank you for your help!

 

[TODD]

03D= date built 03-March, D-4th week of the month

64= model year
4747= Riviera 2 door hardtop Sport Coupe
FB= body plant-Flint, Mich.
22520= body serial number

624= White vinyl trim, custom interior
AA= body color lower/upper - Regal black
ACC.... accesories installed on the car - sorry I can't decode these

Magic Mirror Acrylic Laquer - This was standard body paint for all GM cars at the time.

There were 15 exterior colors available on the 64 Riviera along with 12 different interior combinations in 8 different colors. It was quite easy to create a distincitve interior/exterior color combination.

The factory would print a matrix chart in the paint chip folder each year to show what combinations were 'recommended', 'acceptable', or 'not available'.

I don't have the 64 chart, but the 65 chart shows the white vinyl interior was recommended with any exterior color. The black exterior color was recommended with any interior color except dark green or blue (these 2 combos were rated acceptable). Your combination would not have been considered that unusual in 1964.

Following the lead of the Japanese mfrs, US carmakers today have decided to cut costs by severely limiting interior color choices. The choices on many cars now are about like they were in the 1940s - mouse-fur gray fabric or mouse-fur brown fabric.

 

[rob]

thank you very much.
If I choose to restore the car with white vinyl. Could it be OK to keep the black interior i.e. internal roof covering, floor carpets, between backseat vinyl, door sides in the backseat etc., according to your 1960´s catalogue.
The front door panels actually aare black and blue whitch you said was not recomended at the time.
thanks for your help...

 

[TODD]

Rob, my parts book shows all the interior trim part numbers according to trim set color code number (624 etc.), but it unfortunately does not show the color of each individual part. There are a lot of shared part numbers between the #624 white trim code and the 2 black trim codes. I did not see any color-coded parts shared with the blue codes. Strangely there were some parts with the same number for the white and the red codes! The only theory I can propose for the blue pieces is that someone had to use replacement parts or material, and blue was all that was available.

The 64 Rivera interior pictures in the sales brochure only show the black interior. The white interior may be pictured in the dealer's showroom trim and fabric book. I did find views of white interiors for the 65 Wildcat and Skylark in the paint chip folder. The carpeting on the floor and the lower door panels is a dark color, probably black to hide dirt. The steering wheel and column along with the upper dash areas is a darker color too to cut down on glare for the driver. It sounds like the black parts in your interior are correct and original.

 

[rob]

Thank you, very much...
This means that I can relax about the colors a little bit.
I think I will try to make the interior completely black with only some parts white if necessary.
Maybe the seats in white color will match the black interior good. It could actually be cool...the golden days eh.
best regards