Modern style wheels on a 64 Rivi

[71GS]

2 hours ago, EmTee said:

Personally, I like the look of turbines on the 1st-gen Riviera... 

I do too. I love my Skylark’s,but I’d like a set of turbines too ✨😎✨

[Turbinator]

3 hours ago, EmTee said:

Personally, I like the look of turbines on the 1st-gen Riviera... 

 

EmTee, I’ll second that.

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Turbinator (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

38 minutes ago, 71GS said:

I do too. I love my Skylark’s,but I’d like a set of turbines too ✨😎✨

 

[XframeFX]

2 hours ago, 71GS said:

I do too. I love my Skylark’s

Brian, you're driving me nuts with your Skylarks!😞

Turbinator's  are awesome too. They go well on 1st gen Rivs/

[Turbinator]

3 hours ago, XframeFX said:

Brian, you're driving me nuts with your Skylarks!😞

Turbinator's  are awesome too. They go well on 1st gen Rivs/

I thought about the wire wheel covers with the spinners with year appropriate emblems on 63/64 Riviera. Buick was imitating the spoke wheels on European cars and earlier Buicks. I thought why don’t I try to replicate what Buick was imitating with their wire wheel

covers? I did with the Buick TruSpoke stainless spoke wheels made in Fullerton CA. I topped off the spoked wheel with my own center cap assembly I built with machined parts, parts off the shelf, and OEM spinner and emblem. I’m pleased as punch the way it turned out. Honestly, I’m not sure Buick could have done better on the chrome, stainless spoke, center cap wheel I cooked up. EXCEPTION- the Turbine still is King of Buick Wheel Covers.

Turbinator

[first64riv]

I think wire wheels look great on the first gens.  I wouldn't go any more than 50 spokes.  Skylark wires are pretty much perfection.

[BrianM]

I have seen several sets of these Jeep take off wheels for sale under $300 and have thought about picking up a set and seeing how they look. Maybe repaint to look closer to my stock wheels and add tri shield or Riviera center to replace/cover jeep. Anyway they are 5x5 and 17x7.5 unsure of backspace/offset or center bore. I would like to do drag and drive events or even some road course events with the car for fun and a wider set of wheels with fat sticky tires would be nice and roll the white walls and stock wheels for cruising and shows. I had been looking for some old turbines or cragars but no luck finding any so far.

Edited April 5, 2022 by BrianM (see edit history)

[BrianM]

I know this was mostly about 1 gen but wanted to jump in on the new wheels on old buicks

[RivNut]

1 hour ago, BrianM said:

I have seen several sets of these Jeep take off wheels for sale under $300 and have thought about picking up a set and seeing how they look. Maybe repaint to look closer to my stock wheels and add tri shield or Riviera center to replace/cover jeep. Anyway they are 5x5 and 17x7.5 unsure of backspace/offset or center bore. I would like to do drag and drive events or even some road course events with the car for fun and a wider set of wheels with fat sticky tires would be nice and roll the white walls and stock wheels for cruising and shows. I had been looking for some old turbines or cragars but no luck finding any so far.

I like the looks of those but I’m wary of the offset. These are for an all wheel / four wheel drive and normally those vehicles have positive offset to the wheels. This means that the bolt surface is toward the outside of the wheel.  Mounting these on a rear wheel drive car means a lot of the rim is very close to the chassis and this may cause problems with your steering.   I’d be anxious to hear from someone who has actually but a wheel like this on their car.

[CTX-SLPR]

The Jeep wheels have 48-54mm offsets, stock 1st gen wheels have about 0mm offset or slightly negative.  You'd need a hefty space to make them work without hitting everything and I doubt they'd clear the centerbore on even the smaller '65's natively.  The 63-78 Rivera (don't know about the 79-85's) has the outer wheel bearing out in the snout of the hub while the Jeeps have them mounted behind the mounting flange in a unitized bearing package so the centerbores are only 70.1mm vs. even the 71-76's 78.2mm [3.08in] in the common later 71+ 5x5in center bore that carried through till the end of the 5 lug 1/2-ton trucks, 63-64 are bigger and I think even the '65 isn't quite down to the later standard (can't remember).

Edited April 6, 2022 by CTX-SLPR
typo (see edit history)

[71GS]

20 hours ago, XframeFX said:

Brian, you're driving me nuts with your Skylarks!😞

Turbinator's  are awesome too. They go well on 1st gen Rivs/

Thanks John, I think they’re perfect for the car. I still can’t believe I scored them really. 

Bob’s look great too. Love that spinner. Well done😎😎😎

[telriv]

.You know guys that you could cut down the center hub on a brake lathe almost down to the diameter of the outer wheel bearing diameter.

 

Tom T.

[Turbinator]

On 4/5/2022 at 4:16 PM, BrianM said:

I have seen several sets of these Jeep take off wheels for sale under $300 and have thought about picking up a set and seeing how they look. Maybe repaint to look closer to my stock wheels and add tri shield or Riviera center to replace/cover jeep. Anyway they are 5x5 and 17x7.5 unsure of backspace/offset or center bore. I would like to do drag and drive events or even some road course events with the car for fun and a wider set of wheels with fat sticky tires would be nice and roll the white walls and stock wheels for cruising and shows. I had been looking for some old turbines or cragars but no luck finding any so far.

Ihad been looking for some old turbines or cragars but no luck finding any so far.
Brian, if you want Turbines that have no cracks or gouges that have been TIG repaired I have some. All the stud mounts are solid and properly threaded. They are in condition that allows you to restore them. Mine are not bargain basement items. They are however been repaired, so your skill shaping the weld metal to match the contours can be tedious. Or buy them with flaws and you get your local shop to make repairs. The center caps are in great shape. All my emblems are NORS and the spinners go from newly chromed to spinners with some pits. Buy one part, two parts of an assembly whatever you want for turbines. PM me if any of my offers resonates with you.

Turbinator

[Turbinator]

On 4/5/2022 at 4:24 PM, BrianM said:

I know this was mostly about 1 gen but wanted to jump in on the new wheels on old buicks

Looks real good. It takes time and effort to get the look you want when new wheels and tires are considered.

[OldGerman]

The subject of the topic say‘s „modern style“ but I‘m looking for classic style 15“ wheels to replace my Supreem Chrome Wheels. I like the Style but I hate the universal bolt pattern which makes them hard to install and I don‘t trust the load capacity.

I found this vision 55 Rallye wheels on internet and think it Mighty be an Option to Go with 15x7“.

Anybody has them on his Riviera, with or without cap and trim Ring ?

what about quality of this manufacturer ?

 

thank you,

Frank

[dr914]

wires or turbines for me, however I would like to see the "look" of a 16 inch wire or turbine on the car

[RivNut]

Those look like the 15" Chevy truck rally wheels. The Chevy rally wheels come in a variety of widths.  You can usually find them on your local Social Media for sale sites.  Easy enough to check them out before making a big $$ commitment. I saw a 64 at the 2014 ROA meet with a set.  

[OldGerman]

43 minutes ago, RivNut said:

Those look like the 15" Chevy truck rally wheels. The Chevy rally wheels come in a variety of widths.  You can usually find them on your local Social Media for sale sites.  Easy enough to check them out before making a big $$ commitment. I saw a 64 at the 2014 ROA meet with a set.  

Hi Ed,

local parts plattforms in Germany will mainly Show BMW, Mercedes and VW wheels. There are Media plattforms for US parts, but this are still rare items. I would like to have 64 Wildcat Rally Wheels, but the chance to find a decent set in Europe is like winning the lottery.  

Best Regrds,

Frank

[RivNut]

If you could find a set of Wildcat wheels (basically the same as the 65 - 70 versions of the different Buick “rally” wheels) you’ll most likely find rust pits in the chrome around the bead. But the same Oldsmobile trim rings will cover the rust and give you a good looking wheel.  There are pictures of this application here in this forum.

[RivNut]

Here’s a picture of an unrestored rally wheel with a chrome trim ring mounted. Under the trim ring are multiple rust pits.  If you run the fluted 66 center cap. It’s a really sharp looking setup.

[RivNut]

Here’s a picture of a 65 with rally wheels, trim rings, and 66 fluted center caps.

 

[EmTee]

Hard to go wrong with a set of Torq-Thrusts...

 

or Radirs...

 

Edited July 24, 2022 by EmTee (see edit history)

[RivNut]

3 hours ago, EmTee said:

Hard to go wrong with a set of Torq-Thrusts...

 

or Radirs...

 

Love the Radir wheels!  Made famous by the orignal Batman TV Series.  www.radirwheels.com. I had a set on a 55 Chevy I once had. Originals were an aluminum center riveted to a chrome rim

 

I recently saw a set on a 63 that was sitting in a salvage yard. Someone posted a picture on FB.  Might have ben able to clean them up but the rims were coated with rust.

Edited July 24, 2022 by RivNut (see edit history)

[steelman]

23 hours ago, OldGerman said:

The subject of the topic say‘s „modern style“ but I‘m looking for classic style 15“ wheels to replace my Supreem Chrome Wheels. I like the Style but I hate the universal bolt pattern which makes them hard to install and I don‘t trust the load capacity.

I found this vision 55 Rallye wheels on internet and think it Mighty be an Option to Go with 15x7“.

Anybody has them on his Riviera, with or without cap and trim Ring ?

what about quality of this manufacturer ?

 

thank you,

Frank

These are Chevy car rally wheels, not truck. Think Corvette, Camaro, Chevelle, from 67 into the late 70’s. These are custom made, but be sure you get the 5x5 bolt pattern, as these were never made in that pattern from GM. Might work in Europe where these are not that common, but over here everybody would ask, why did you put Chevy wheels on your Buick? I agree with EmTee, the Torque Thrusts are hard to beat. Polished, black centers, or gray centers all work well on our cars. But, your car…

[XframeFX]

On 7/23/2022 at 11:25 AM, RivNut said:

Here’s a picture of a 65 with rally wheels, trim rings, and 66 fluted center caps.

I have those center caps on my wheels. Would like to add those trim rings if I can find them. Would scratch the chrome? Use trim rings on rough wheels?

I like the '65 more because of the Gran Sport emblems!

[RivNut]

6 hours ago, XframeFX said:

I have those center caps on my wheels. Would like to add those trim rings if I can find them. Would scratch the chrome? Use trim rings on rough wheels?

I like the '65 more because of the Gran Sport emblems!

A lot of the Buick rally wheels have a lot of rust. I would never add the beauty rings to a good set of rally wheels.  Trim rings, like the ones I pictured up close, can be purchased through aftermarket suppliers. Add them to the rusty wheels after repainting the webs.  

[Turbinator]

Classic?  the 63 and 64 Riv’s came out with two bar wire wheel covers to emulate European sports car look. I thought why not have real deal wire spoke wheels. I thought it was a good idea to have wire wheels mounted on American Classic Radial Bias look tires with 1” white walls. Additionally I managed to put together a center cap assembly that looks like it belongs on the Riviera. Knowingly boasting I think I upstaged one of Buick’s wheel cove/ wheel option. Once in a blue moon a blind squirrel finds an acorn.

 

[Silverarrow]

IMHO, the 63-64 Riviera's don't wear customization well.

The OEM design is pretty good as is....its proportions have aged well.

 

Kind of like adding a couple tablespoons of sugar to a can of Coke.

 

[avgwarhawk]

54 minutes ago, Silverarrow said:

IMHO, the 63-64 Riviera's don't wear customization well.

The OEM design is pretty good as is....its proportions have aged well.

 

Kind of like adding a couple tablespoons of sugar to a can of Coke.

 

Amen! 

 

[DrownedRiv]

Does anyone know what depth trim ring will fit best on the 60s Buick rally wheels?

[Ralph Walke]

 

Hey Turbinator,  Did you sell the 011 road wheel? If not, please contact me. Don't know why, but can't send PM yet. 478 272 8289.

On 7/27/2022 at 6:25 AM, Turbinator said:

Classic?  the 63 and 64 Riv’s came out with two bar wire wheel covers to emulate European sports car look. I thought why not have real deal wire spoke wheels. I thought it was a good idea to have wire wheels mounted on American Classic Radial Bias look tires with 1” white walls. Additionally I managed to put together a center cap assembly that looks like it belongs on the Riviera. Knowingly boasting I think I upstaged one of Buick’s wheel cove/ wheel option. Once in a blue moon a blind squirrel finds an acorn.

 

 

[jframe]

On 7/27/2022 at 12:41 PM, DrownedRiv said:

Does anyone know what depth trim ring will fit best on the 60s Buick rally wheels?

I'd be interested to know a part number or something to look for myself. I've seen trim rings at swap meets for sale new, but have no idea exactly what to buy to put on my 15x6 Rallys.

[RivNut]

On 7/23/2022 at 12:18 PM, RivNut said:

Here’s a picture of an unrestored rally wheel with a chrome trim ring mounted. Under the trim ring are multiple rust pits.  If you run the fluted 66 center cap. It’s a really sharp looking setup.

The ones on my wheels are aftermarket.  2-1/2” deep 

[RIVNIK]

just to throw my 2 cents in, several years ago the trim ring subject came up & I ordered the recommended set for my '65 rally wheels. for whatever reason they would almost but not quite fit. had to pay return shipping. instead I bought a very nice set of wheels from Gene G. who's about the nicest guy to deal with that you can imagine. IMO nothing looks better on the Riv. Its almost like they were meant to be there.

[CaliRivin]

On 7/27/2022 at 3:25 AM, Turbinator said:

Classic?  the 63 and 64 Riv’s came out with two bar wire wheel covers to emulate European sports car look. I thought why not have real deal wire spoke wheels. I thought it was a good idea to have wire wheels mounted on American Classic Radial Bias look tires with 1” white walls. Additionally I managed to put together a center cap assembly that looks like it belongs on the Riviera. Knowingly boasting I think I upstaged one of Buick’s wheel cove/ wheel option. Once in a blue moon a blind squirrel finds an acorn.

 

Yo, Turb'....those are wires you designed and sell? Those are dope man if so! I knew ya repaired them and whatnot, but didnt know of these if in deed they are a sale item.

And I ask cuz ill be getting wires when I swoop up new rims and flip these old American racing rims that came with her.

I'm an old school low and slow wire rim kinda guy

Let me know man. Message me if ya wanna even too to move off feed.

 

Peace yall have a great weekend,

Jeremy

p.s

rims for sale one day

[60FlatTop]

When you shop for trim rings I like the aftermarket chrome plated ones rather than factory stainless ones. Stainless doesn't have the high shine of chrome. Usually you can source the chrome products through detailing suppliers for the used car market.

 

Many year ago I put together a set of wheels for a mildly modified '78 NOVA I had.

 

Pontiac used silver rally style wheels in the 1970's. I picked up a pair of 14's for the front and 15's for the rear. I painted them black and used chrome plated trim rings. I got self adhesive Chevy emblems for the Pontiac centers. The stance was perfect and there were subtle cosmetic changes on the car.

 

This was a factory 305, 4 barrel, 4 speed car. Not a Riviera but an example of outside the box.

 

 

[Turbinator]

On 7/30/2022 at 12:44 PM, CaliRivin said:

Yo, Turb'....those are wires you designed and sell? Those are dope man if so! I knew ya repaired them and whatnot, but didnt know of these if in deed they are a sale item.

And I ask cuz ill be getting wires when I swoop up new rims and flip these old American racing rims that came with her.

I'm an old school low and slow wire rim kinda guy

Let me know man. Message me if ya wanna even too to move off feed.

 

Peace yall have a great weekend,

Jeremy

p.s

rims for sale one day

CaliRivin- Catch Turbinator regarding wire wheel assembly at bobburnopp @icloud.com

[Buffalowed Bill]

I honestly don't know why anyone here would want the opinion of an old man like me but since you asked. I've been in this old car hobby for 60+ years. I'm a collector of cars that I'm attracted to. In my collection I have both a 1963 and a 1965 Riviera. I was attracted by the car's looks and drivability. I've watched and yes, participated in the changes made to cars because an owner thought that it looks better then original. In my opinion it seldom does.

 

 Now the owner has a whole new set of worries. He is faced with having to retool the suspension to make it handle correctly and safely. I seldom see the large wheel, narrow tire look without a body drop. The fad of dropping the suspension seems endemic today. It's nothing new, as each succeeding generation of rodder tries to achieve a new look. It's only an old recycled attempt at looking new and destined to become obsolete, as the next generation rebels against what their father's liked. I'm not talking about channeling either, which just make the handling worse.

 

I like to drive my cars and I absolutely hate a suspension that has no spring travel! I drive several 90's vintage cars as daily drivers, which I rotate into service. Two of my 90's cars are Lincoln Mark Vlll's. I have owned one of my Marks for about 17 years and it's all original. The second was a beautiful low mileage example that I couldn't pass up. But I had to bite down hard on this one because a young man, who had been a short term owner, following the original owners death, and had replaced the air suspension and dropped the body 2." He also screwed up the sound system. I need to end this so I won't bore you with why and how dislike the changes that have been made, but suffice to say that I cuss what that guy did every time I drive the car. Your car your choice. Just remember that any changes you make from original will detract from the things that made it a classic in the first place. What you have achieved is limiting the car's universal appeal. 

Edited August 3, 2022 by Buffalowed Bill (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

26 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

I honestly don't know why anyone here would want the opinion of an old man like me but since you asked. I've been in this old car hobby for 60+ years. I'm a collector of cars that I'm attracted to. In my collection I have both a 1963 and a 1965 Riviera. I was attracted by the car's looks and drivability. I've watched and yes, participated in the changes made to cars because an owner thinks that it looks better then original. In my opinion it seldom looks better.

 

 Now the owner has a whole new set of worries. He is faced with having to retool the suspension to make it handle correctly and safely. I seldom see the large wheel, narrow tire look without a body drop. The fad of dropping the suspension seems endemic today. It's nothing new, as each succeeding generation of rodder tries to achieve a new look. It's only an old recycled attempt at looking new and destined to become obsolete, as the next generation rebels against what their father's liked. I'm not talking about channeling either, which just make the handling worse.

 

I like to drive my cars and I absolutely hate a suspension that has no spring travel! I drive several 90's vintage cars as daily drivers, which I rotate into service. Two of my 90's cars are Lincoln Mark Vlll's. I have owned one of my Marks for about 17 years and it's all original. The second was a beautiful low mileage example that I couldn't pass up. But I had to bite down hard on this one because a young man, who had been a short term owner, following the original owners death, and had replaced the air suspension and dropped the body 2." He also screwed up the sound system. I need to end this so I won't bore you with why and how dislike the changes that have been made, but suffice to say that I cuss what that guy did every time I drive the car. Your car your choice. Just remember that any changes you make from original will detract from the things that made it a classic in the first place. What you have achieved is limiting the car's universal appeal. 

Sir, All you said is true with a few exceptions. A person can personalize a car with tires and wheels and change back to radial bias look tire with Buick wheels and wheel covers on the 63,65,65 in no time. I changed my suspension for safety. The car’s stance is the same. The temp and oil pressure gauge are installed in the ash tray behind a closed door. The 2 litre coolant overflow tank is hidden very well. I have a battery cut chicken head switch under the hood. Everything else is stock appearance.

In the early to mid 1960’s my older friends lowered their cars and ruined the suspension. Today the low rider still seek50 Chevy DeLuxe, 53 BelAir, 64 Chevy Impala SS, and the late 40’s Fleetline. 57-60 years have passed and the gents still lower their car and still want to dress up the same model cars as their Dad and GrandDad did. The reason the low riders still want cars that were popular 57-60 years is because they like the cars.

In the case of 63-65 zRiviera the cars were customized when the cars rolled off the line. We still change the  63-65 Rivs a little to suit our taste.

Turbinator

[avgwarhawk]

35 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

I honestly don't know why anyone here would want the opinion of an old man like me but since you asked. I've been in this old car hobby for 60+ years. I'm a collector of cars that I'm attracted to. In my collection I have both a 1963 and a 1965 Riviera. I was attracted by the car's looks and drivability. I've watched and yes, participated in the changes made to cars because an owner thinks that it looks better then original. In my opinion it seldom looks better.

 

 Now the owner has a whole new set of worries. He is faced with having to retool the suspension to make it handle correctly and safely. I seldom see the large wheel, narrow tire look without a body drop. The fad of dropping the suspension seems endemic today. It's nothing new, as each succeeding generation of rodder tries to achieve a new look. It's only an old recycled attempt at looking new and destined to become obsolete, as the next generation rebels against what their father's liked. I'm not talking about channeling either, which just make the handling worse.

 

I like to drive my cars and I absolutely hate a suspension that has no spring travel! I drive several 90's vintage cars as daily drivers, which I rotate into service. Two of my 90's cars are Lincoln Mark Vlll's. I have owned one of my Marks for about 17 years and it's all original. The second was a beautiful low mileage example that I couldn't pass up. But I had to bite down hard on this one because a young man, who had been a short term owner, following the original owners death, and had replaced the air suspension and dropped the body 2." He also screwed up the sound system. I need to end this so I won't bore you with why and how dislike the changes that have been made, but suffice to say that I cuss what that guy did every time I drive the car. Your car your choice. Just remember that any changes you make from original will detract from the things that made it a classic in the first place. What you have achieved is limiting the car's universal appeal. 

As a relatively young guy...I agree 100%.