Buddy's Beauty - 65GS Hardtop

[Rollaround]

A note on powered coatings.  As stated, if the finish is correct it looks great and is far more durable and longer lasting than paint.  However, avoid using it on engine pulleys; its durable smooth finish can cause belts to slip. 

[WkillGS]

What are you guys doing for the thin trim around windows and drip rails and whatnot?
.....

Windshield and rear window trim is stainless. Scratches can be sanded out, then polished. Even dents can be pressed/hammered out, filed into shape, sanded and polished.
Aluminum trim can have the anodizing stripped and then polished. You don't necessarily have to re-anodize it, tho the appearance will differ a bit.
I don't see the 'belt reveal' molding on your car, it was optional. It goes at the bottom of the side windows/top of the door. You likely have window fuzzies with a small chrome bead?

[Clatter]

The spare tire pictured is not correct for a GS. The correct one is a six-inch width and has a hole, about 1/8" in one of the raised bumps. There is also a stamped marking near the valve stem hole. If I recall, correctly, that marking is a "C" with a circle around it.
  Loren

Went out there yesterday to air up tires and looked very closely.
One of them was different than the other four.
It had crimping around the center hole.


Also didn't have two little bumps by the valve stem like the other four did.


Third pic is of the odd wheel.
Some markings by the stem..




Any chance the Fremont cars could have been using different wheels during production?

Five original hubcaps were in the trunk,
Plus, with the rest of the car so original,
Seems odd that they swapped wheels, but anything is possible...

[Clatter]

What are you guys doing for the thin trim around windows and drip rails and whatnot?
.....

Windshield and rear window trim is stainless. Scratches can be sanded out, then polished. Even dents can be pressed/hammered out, filed into shape, sanded and polished.
Aluminum trim can have the anodizing stripped and then polished. You don't necessarily have to re-anodize it, tho the appearance will differ a bit.
I don't see the 'belt reveal' molding on your car, it was optional. It goes at the bottom of the side windows/top of the door. You likely have window fuzzies with a small chrome bead?

Thanks again for all of your help sir.

These would show that our car came without the belt reveal?

Car also didn't have any wheel opening trim.

I kind of like the clean trimless look.
More 'businesslike'... 

[Clatter]

We picked up these 14 inch rally wheels as part of the deal.

While they will do for now,
How to tell a set that is correct for a 65 GS?

[Clatter]

Found some numbers stamped into panels.
"Date codes"?

Side of the hood,
As well as the rear panel.

Fully plan on saving as much of these as possible.
Don't know where to look, and don't want to miss any.

Even if a panel gets replaced,
can cut and section to the new part.
If panels have already been replaced,
maybe there's a way to stamp correct numbers?

Is there info here somewhere to locations and/or how to decipher?

Yep,
We're going that far.... 

[elagache]

Dear Clatter and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

Thanks for your postings and your clear attention to detail! 

Unfortunately, I do not know the answers to your questions, but stay tuned, and I'm sure someone will chime in soon enough!

Edouard

[Clatter]

Thanks Edouard,

I do have a LOT of questions!
Hopefully not so nitpicky i scared everyone off! 

Attached are some pics of more questions! 
Radiator was obviously freshly recored.
Can anyone tell if it's a correct '65 GS radiator?
IIRC, the cores were thinner originally, right?

Also,
As the PS pump gets drained by the woodpile,
Anyone know if it's the OG style pump for this car?
Only evidence i can find is in the OGPI catalog,
Where they mention the cap as a 'Big block' cap.
Can't find any markings on the thing.

As always, i appreciate any input.

Let's save one more 65GS gentlemen.
 

[Loren At 65GS]

The radiator looks correct for an automatic non-AC GS. The power steering pump also looks correct. There were two different ones used. One had the tall fill neck like the pictured one and the other had a short fill neck. I've seen both styles used and don't know if there was a specific reason for one or the other. Assembly plant? Particular supplier?   
 Pump cap OPGI price? Wowsers. CARS Inc, has new seals for that available.

  Loren
   

[WkillGS]

1966 used the short fill neck ps pump, 65's were tall. I don't know if it was a model year change (September) or a running change at some other time.
There were some '65 and earlier models that used the short neck as well, maybe the Riviera for hood clearance?

The radiators are unique for 65-6 Skylark GS due to the position of the inlet/outlet. Mid sized Fords had that arrangement as well, but were overall a bit taller. In a pinch, I once used a Ford rad after trimming it's top/bottom reinforcements.

The radiator originally had a tag soldered to one of the tanks with an ID code on it. Codes are listed in the Assembly manual.
I believe they were 2 rows thick std and 3 rows for HD and AC. I once had a 4 row core installed way back when they were easily available.

[Clatter]

Much thanks for the info, gentlemen.
Will be looking for that radiator tag.
Exactly the kind of thing i need to be learning.
An ignorant PO can be the bane of a good original car!

Jim messaged me about the wheels.
Thought I'd put this info up for archival purposes.
Here's the skinny --> https://65gs.com/board/index.php/topic,5334.0.html

65 rally wheels are unique in that they weren't welded all the way around,
Only in four spots.
This being where the rim is welded to the center.
Ours are later ones, (aftermarket?), welded all the way around (attached).
Not that we care right now,
But, one day, if we see any, we'll get them.
Until then, i know not to spend a bunch of effort re-chroming/restoring these ones.


Also, some more pics of our pump.
The list of vendors has Lares as the go-to.
Will reach out to them.

Turns out our alternator was recently replaced with a shiny new one from Autozone or O'Reilly's or something.
Bummer.
Can anyone tell me about the original alternator?
Probably hard to find, as these were commonly replaced.
Maybe someone even has one to sell? 

Much thanks as always gentlemen.
Very much appreciate your taking the time to answer my newb questions.

[Clatter]

Trying to do my homework...
Bugging you guys (again). 

Did my non-AC automatic GS have a fan clutch?

Manual shows one, but now looking at pics, maybe not?

[kcombs]

The radiator I gave you was original and had metal tags on it. I don’t think you can save them and recore the radiator. But I think those tags are what you want.
My 65GS, four speed, did not have a fan clutch. And the radiator had plug to seal off the transmission line hole and it came that way from the factory. The plugs had slots in them if I remember correctly.

[schlepcar]

I agree that radiators were same stick or auto?
Only difference was a/c or no a/c. Non air cars had four blade direct fans. Wheels are 1965 only and 66 and newer look nearly identical?center caps 1965 only?14x6 Buick road wheels were used into the eighties and not worth replating. 1965 wheels are very rare and a full set is like finding a set of 1970 trans am wheels. Use the wheels you have with the correct center caps?just paint them correctly with cast iron gray instead of black. I had several of them and did not put them on a balancer before painting?.make sure they are straight. I wasted a bit of time on that one?the caps from CARS are a nice repop.

[gssizzler]

66 into early 67 still had polished wheel centers the later had a pebble look to them as they were shot peened for strength! Only around 5500 out of the 200,000 65 a body cars had road wheels ! So after 60 years they are even harder to find! A non AC alternator would be # 1100708 in a 42 amp date coded, these were used only on the 65 gs! The AC alternator # 1100709 is a 55 amp date coded and were also used on some  66 Riviera GS models and 65 gs! Neither one of them is easy to find!!!!