Decode 4 1965 Riviera Cowl Tags and Engine Codes

[Thornhill_Rivieras]

Here are the 4 cars. Thanks for any help identifying them. The first car especially since it will either be a high end restore, or a low end parts car..

Car 1
11D
65-49447 FB 42458
609 VV
W-2R-4F-5KW

Motor: JT313 7J1015969

Recently purchased, previous owner bought several years ago to hot rod. Got about as far as removing the interior before it was parked in the garage and left alone. It has no power ANYTHING...no AC....pretty much an engine, transmission, body and seats. I was told this car was originally a very low optioned, "light weight" 425 car but the motor in the car is not original. The owner before me had the car for over 10 years and I believe the owner before him had the original motor replaced due to some catastrophic engine failure. The motor he put back in the car was a recently rebuilt 401 or 425 but I'm not sure which. I don't have the protect o plate...is there any way of looking up through Buick to see what the car originally was equipped with using a VIN cross reference or anything? Normally I wouldn't take the trouble on a non-GS car, but the owner was pretty certain, and if this car did come with an original 425 I think it's rare.

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Car2

01A
65-49447 FB 76034
629 YY* (can anyone Tell me what this Star means on a cowl tag?)

EXNTS - 2KR - 3BT - 4F - 5KW

This is a Gran Sport we are going to restore if I can verify it is real. The motor is an LX block and the numbers match the VIN on the door frame, but are there other locations I can check the VIN to make sure it's not just GS parts slapped on another car? The car has some gadget mounted on the dash that looks like a laser gun. I was told this might be an automatic headlight dimmer.

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Car3

12B
65-49447 FB 57376
618 NN* (Again, can anyone tell me what this STAR means)

EXTS - 2K - 4F - 5KW

Plain Riviera we've had for awhile. It's maroon and has a non-numbers matching 1966 401

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Car4

08C
65-49447 FB 1777
608 RR* (........What is that darn star)

EXTS - 2KR - 4F - 5K

Beautiful Red car (well, beautiful primer car waiting for me to buy her a new red coat). originally came with the std interior, but we upgraded it to the deluxe. This is a numbers matching 401 and this car was the 118th 1965 Riviera made and my first one to own.

[Bob]

Check out the "Reference" Section under "Years"

[bob k. mando]

Motor: JT313 7J1015969

should be a 1963 401ci that did NOT come out of a Riviera. if it had, it would have had a "9000001" and up number that comes after the 7J. "1015969" is part of the standard production sequence and could be from any non-Riv full size car down to a Le Sabre.

http://www.teambuick.com/reference/y...ne_number.html




is there any way of looking up through Buick to see what the car originally was equipped with using a VIN cross reference or anything?

any such data would come from the Sloan Museum. however, GM managed to lose most of the Buick records for stuff earlier than the 70s.

http://www.sloanmuseum.com/research_form.html
"For specific vehicle information, we maintain records for only the Buick model years 1970 and 1972 through 1976."




(can anyone Tell me what this Star means on a cowl tag?)

bucket seats?
http://www.teambuick.com/reference/y...im_number.html