Hi Kids: I've got a 1968 Riviera that's just about to be roadworthy. It's a pretty solid car, 80,000 original miles, mostly original paint, and when I get it back next week, it'll have a freshly rebuild 430 and trans. My biggest problem when I bought it was that the old guy who owned it smashed the nose up at some point. It's got a new hood, new grille and bumper, so I'm squared away as far as that goes. My problem is that the headlight actuators got all beat up and I don't know where to source new ones. I've heard that GM Obsolete has them, but at $600 a pair, I'll just wire the headlight doors open and keep looking. I've also heard of people using Camaro actuators (at $79 each, which is a lot more in line with reality.) Has anyone here ever done that?
There have been several posts here about '68/'69 actuators, and one of those posts shows the mods necessary to make the camero units work on a Riviera. Do a search, or maybe someone has a link to the previous post. :TU:
Outstanding! Thanks for the link. I did a search on actuators, but I only got one thread to come up. Wow, great resource. Thanks again!
also, and you might already know this, but right now there's some oem cans on ebay HERE for cheap. good luck!:beer
i'd say the chances are 'pretty good', since they still have the boots and covers on them. the seller seems reputable. maybe ask them to test the cans, or at least see if they move at all, so you know they arent siezed. i bought a pair off ebay and they worked okay (i paid alot, tho). does gm obsolete really want $600 per pair? :eek2: they DO, i just checked thier site. WOW! that's... alot of gas money!
I'm not sure how GMO can justify that price, but hey - I got lucky and paid $400 for a pair of NOS on evilBay, and they were advertised as Cadillac parts - apparently Eldo's had vacuum lamps too, not sure which year, but the part numbers were the same as '68 Riviera. :shock: A seller in Florida had 6 of em ! :eek2: . . . probably close to the last NOS acctuators in captivity ? o No: :beer :TU:
Model year 1967 and 1968 Eldorados had vacuum headlight doors. Last weekend I had an interesting talk about this with a Swedish Eldorado owner. I looked at his actuators and asked him if they were from a Riviera. He told me that they are the same on the Riviera because one of his fellow Cadillac club members used Riviera actuators for his model year 1968 Eldorado. We started talking about if the Olds Toronado also used the same actuators and we didn't know for sure if the first models had electric or vacuum headlight doors. And I even owned a model year 1966 Toronado (#16).....ou: From what I remember they were vacuum operated, but since the 1966/67 Rivieras were electric I started to wonder.
Hi, Mine:laugh: Tested and they do hold vacuum:TU: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=250269045745 Thanks Bruce