Exercises in Frustration

I've spent some time working on the Riv since Wednesday night's post, but I can't say I've gotten very far.

RR7Q Update: I dropped off the quarter-panel fillers at the paint shop on Thursday. They should be ready in the next couple of days. I also should be getting the hood struts in the mail early this week.

Wiper Arm Update: the guy in Indiana wrote back with news that he did NOT have an extra, and suggested that I try calling the folks listing Riv parts at hemmings.com. So I sent an email on Saturday morning to the guy in NJ who runs obsoletebuickparts.com. 36 hours later, the message is still waiting to leave my earthlink server (so says the error message).

Mirror Update: Cruising the web on Saturday morning, I found an interior rear view mirror from a shop in Florida, and at only $8.64 + $11.70 in S&H, so I pulled the trigger....BUT several hours later, as I was vacuuming out the Riv's interior, I found the original mirror under the passenger seat.

Dag Blast It!

I cleaned it up and have set it to the side, waiting for the part I ordered to come in, and then I'll decide which one to attach.

During the kidlet's nap Sunday afternoon, I rubbed some cleaner-wax onto the left-side hubcaps (the right-sides had been tagged last week), and cleared off some of the oxidation. It was a beautiful day, so I seized the chance to take the Riv out for a ride. Straight to PepBoys I went and picked up:

1. a speed-nut clip and #10 screw to fasten the upper left corner of the fan shroud (which has been hanging on by the screw in the upper right corner);
2. the largest star-hub/Torx socket they had, and an adaptor for my 1/4" socket to fit it (to detach the shoulder seat belt);
3. a jug of windshield washer fluid;
4. a can of engine degreaser; and
5. a fresh bottle of carnuaba wax (Meguiar's step 3).

So I got home all ready to get to work, and then discovered:

1. the speed-nut clip I bought wasn't long enough to reach the screw-hole in the radiator-frame to which the shroud attaches, so that didn't work;
2. the Torx socket I bought was too darn big, so it didn't fit the seat belt mounting bracket;
3. the windshield washer fluid reservoir has a big old crack about 2 in. above the bottom, and leaked out most everything I poured into it; and
4. she's pretty low on automatic transmission fluid (and no, I didn't have that on the list).

After that, I didn't even bother playing with the engine degreaser or wax. But I did hunt down some adhesive gel and sealed the crack in the reservior. After it gets a couple of days to cure, then I'll try filling it again and test the windshield washer fluid pump.