Big E Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 My first shout out as a new 64' Riviera owner! The car is in original condition all around and a nice clean driver. I have admiration for the stock look and don't want to make a change that could not be reversed. But..... I am personally interested in a slightly lowered stance, maybe 3" front and 2" rear for my car, maybe less. In addition I would like to consider some 18"x8" front and 18"X10" rear rims and tires?? I do prefer the resto-mod look. However, I need to consider clearance and ride quality issues. Any lowering springs-shocks that you are aware of that for the most part maintain ride quality? Photos are always helpful. Thank you. E 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 No pointers, but that car looks awesome just the way it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontboy Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 General observations from watching my kid go through countless wheel, spring and tire combinations on a variety of cars ranging from a '73 Fleetwood to an MR2. First - any lowering spring/shock will reduce ride quality because it shortens the travel distance and must be stiffer to avoid constant bottoming out and subsequent chassis (and perhaps body) damage. Second - Wide tires HYDROPLANE with a capital "H" Third - if you are going to play with those kind of tire sizes take it to a professional shop that can measure clearances through all load and rebound as well as turning positions and understands fully offsets and the consequences of increased bearing loads, etc. Do not try it on your own - it gets VERY expensive to trade in a wrong choice... You are dealing with a heavy car - there are a lot of things you can do for the resto-mod look (normal sized big and littles for example - picked up used so if you don't like it you don't lose 4 figures).... And remember to take it easy after any change that affects steering geometry - the factory designed it for safe handling - when you change things that first set of railroad tracks or breakaway on a wet ramp will not handle the same as it did... Just my two cents - and yes, awesome looking car. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodayguy Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Coil Spring Specialties makes custom springs for Rivis. I have a one-inch drop setup from them. I wanted a stealthy change, not enough to cause crazy driveway issues (but I do have to be careful!) http://coilsprings.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Great information thank you! I have a good tire/wheel resource, just inquiring to see if anyone had previous/current experience with a swap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Thanks bodayguy. Does the car sit level or slightly higher in the front? Can't tell in your profile pic. That's a pretty car from what I can see! E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jframe Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Car is perfect just the way it is. The previous comments about ruining ride quality, not to mention ground clearance, are true. Maybe I'm just old; it's your car, make it YOURS and that's really what's important. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapom Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 (edited) I also used coil spring Specialties. I went 2” over stock Very happy with my setup. They made the rear springs a bit stiffer so it don’t sag with a fuel tank of gas and extra passengers in back. When I bought mine it had 3” lowering springs on it. Not my kind of look. But I did drive it a bit and it was horrible. Lots of chassis rubbing on bumps and driveways and a stiff ride. I have 295-55-15’s in the rear and 245-60-15’s in the front with no rubbing. Fronts will rub the inside frame if I crank the wheel all the way. Edited July 19, 2018 by rapom (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 rapom, That filled up the rear wheel-well pretty nicely. Carries the "coke bottle" body lines and provides a "fatter" stance in the rear. 15's are less expensive as well! . Thanks for the info., very helpful. I will connect with coil spring specialties and get a quote etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Rapum, Did you do 15x10 rear and 15X8 front? Thanks, E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodayguy Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 This is mine on a 1-inch drop from Coil Springs. Ride quality is excellent. My exhaust hangs down so going any lower would have been a big problem (lowered 1", I can't get the jack under the car without driving on some plywood, and I do have to be very careful on driveways, etc). If I went lower, just speaking for myself, I would do bags so I could lift it when needed. We appear to have twins. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Lay the money you plan to spend on wheels and tires out, in cash, on the hood. Then walk around the car a few times looking in all the corners, nooks, and crannies. Ask your self "Is that really the best place to spend the money?" There are a whole lot of 50 year old rubber and worn parts that you may not notice at first. They are things you will notice after you drive it and people will start telling you ALL kinds of upgrades and modifications you absolutely NEED to do to make it safe. Listen to them and you will never get to know what a great car you just bought. It looks just fine the way they made it, at least for the first few years you own it. And you probably will own it a long time. BTW, how old are the radiator and heater hoses? Bernie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DualQuadDave Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 E, PM me, will help guide you through the lowering. I have slammed about 5-6 Riv's with different heights/springs/wheel-tire combo's and can give you a lot of insight. FYI, dont bother w/ 18in wheels. Go 15's or 20's. Anything else really does not look right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Your car is gorgeous like it is, except that the tires that are on the car now have two wide a whitewall and they are not the correct diameter tire. If you put the right size tire on it (P225-75-15) that will lower the car quite a bit. There is nothing more beautiful than the wire wheel covers on an otherwise stock appearing Riviera. I agree your car is sitting up too high right now but it is because the tires are too big. with the correct size tires these cars sit very very low in stock form. Any lower than stock with the correct size tires and you will have problems in steep driveways and with speed bumps etc. You can see how much lower my stock 65 is with the correct tires (the Seafoam Green car in the picture).......... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivdrivn Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 6 hours ago, Big E said: My first shout out as a new 64' Riviera owner! The car is in original condition all around and a nice clean driver. I have admiration for the stock look and don't want to make a change that could not be reversed. But..... I am personally interested in a slightly lowered stance, maybe 3" front and 2" rear for my car, maybe less. In addition I would like to consider some 18"x8" front and 18"X10" rear rims and tires?? I do prefer the resto-mod look. However, I need to consider clearance and ride quality issues. Any lowering springs-shocks that you are aware of that for the most part maintain ride quality? Photos are always helpful. Thank you. E Stock can be cool, too 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jframe Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 15 hours ago, bodayguy said: This is mine on a 1-inch drop from Coil Springs. Ride quality is excellent. My exhaust hangs down so going any lower would have been a big problem (lowered 1", I can't get the jack under the car without driving on some plywood, and I do have to be very careful on driveways, etc). If I went lower, just speaking for myself, I would do bags so I could lift it when needed. We appear to have twins. Mine actually sits about like yours; don't know if a previous owner dropped it, or it just sits this way. Before I added the gas shocks, the muffler would drag slightly on speed bumps. Now, with new Gabriel gas shocks, it's not an issue at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Cool! Me next question was about shocks. Personally, I think our White walls look better than the "correct" skinny white wall. Thanks again Later. E 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 In 63, the white walls were around 1.25 to 1.5 inches in width. Anything narrower than that is newer. I've been looking for some quality wider white sidewalls for some time now. Suretrac makes a 225/75R15 with a 1.3" Whitehall, but I've not heard of anyone who's had any experience with Suretrac. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapom Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 (edited) Both front and rear wheels are 15x8's. Added bonus is that the stock hubcaps fit on these rims as well. Plus they have clearance for the rivets on the front drums. Rim's are U.S. Wheel 304's which are currently $61.99 each. On my 64 I had to clearance the front spindle hole a bit to get it on. Edited July 20, 2018 by rapom Add pics (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Everyone has been very helpful. Thanks all, for my good experience as a new Riviera owner with my first inquiree. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelman Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Before you get too carried away and buy 10" wheels, look at the exhaust. If you have factory exhaust, or something similar that exits the rear, you will see that the exhaust pipe runs in the rear wheelwell outside the frame rail and will take up space you think is there for a wheel. My 63 has 17x8.5 wheels in the back and just clear the exhaust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 Thanks! I do have that setup won't do 10" for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jframe Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 3 hours ago, RivNut said: In 63, the white walls were around 1.25 to 1.5 inches in width. Anything narrower than that is newer. I've been looking for some quality wider white sidewalls for some time now. Suretrac makes a 225/75R15 with a 1.3" Whitehall, but I've not heard of anyone who's had any experience with Suretrac. My spare is an American Classic radial in 215/75-15. Has a 1.3" whitewall. When I get new casings for the car, I plan on the American Classic in 225/75-15 that has a 1.5" whitewall. Just the perfect size to sort of duplicate the tri band whitewall that was original, and not have to pay out big $$$$$$ to have them custom made, since I believe the widths are similar. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 The American Classics are great looking tires. I've only heard one thing of which to be cautious. They're built by Coker and there is some concern that these tires may be aging while sitting on the shelf waiting to be sold. No one can tell how old they are when they get them. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapom Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 Yes, I had my 2 1/4" exhaust made up to be as close to the inner wheel well, frame as possible and everything clears. Not sure if a factory system would clear though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 32 minutes ago, RivNut said: The American Classics are great looking tires. I've only heard one thing of which to be cautious. They're built by Coker and there is some concern that these tires may be aging while sitting on the shelf waiting to be sold. No one can tell how old they are when they get them. ? Ed, it is federal law for all tires to have a DOT number with a 4 digit date code at the end of it. I've never seen a tire that didn't have a date code on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Seafoam65 said: Ed, it is federal law for all tires to have a DOT number with a 4 digit date code at the end of it. I've never seen a tire that didn't have a date code on it. I'm just stating what I've heard from guys who've bought American Classics from Coker. No personal knowledge. When I first heard that, I was wondering how (if it's true) they can get away with it. Perhaps an owner of American Classics can chime in. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 I did some internet research and you are right Ed.....the government gave Coker an exemption from the law......I wonder how much he had to pay politicians under the table to get that exemption! Of course this means he can get away with selling you tires that are 15 years old when you buy them. I'd be scared to death to buy a tire from Coker after finding this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Seafoam65 said: I did some internet research and you are right Ed.....the government gave Coker an exemption from the law......I wonder how much he had to pay politicians under the table to get that exemption! Of course this means he can get away with selling you tires that are 15 years old when you buy them. I'd be scared to death to buy a tire from Coker after finding this out. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jframe Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 On 7/20/2018 at 2:48 PM, RivNut said: The American Classics are great looking tires. I've only heard one thing of which to be cautious. They're built by Coker and there is some concern that these tires may be aging while sitting on the shelf waiting to be sold. No one can tell how old they are when they get them. ? I didnt check but thats a good point. They should have a molded date code. At any rate, the old one was dated 1986, so I figure it's an improvement. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 The NTSB says that any tire over seven years old should be considered to be deteriorating from the inside. Kinda of scary but tires that age or older are dangerous. Google it. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted November 16, 2020 Author Share Posted November 16, 2020 On 7/20/2018 at 12:44 PM, Big E said: Thanks! I do have that setup won't do 10" for sure. So, I did do 20x10's in the rear and 20x8.5's in the front and I do not regret it. No modifications and can put the stock stuff back on in 30 minutes. Lot's of measuring and scratching but am really happy with the stance. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
64Rivvy Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Big E what brand tires and wheels did you go with? I'm just about at the point to pull the trigger on some and i llove the look. I will keep a set of stock wheels and tires for longer drives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted December 11, 2020 Author Share Posted December 11, 2020 Hey sorry it took so long. In healthcare.....running harder. I did the Ridler 695's with BFG comp T/A's. About $2500 bucks total. I do have 2" front lowering springs. I have the stock wire 15" inch rims and white walls for that look and can quick change as well. The only challenge I ran in to was having to mill the rear hub bore about 4 mm. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kegart Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 I like the whitewalls with the black car. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seafoam65 Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 Wow, in the pic it looks like the front tires would rub when making sharp turns....do they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted December 11, 2020 Author Share Posted December 11, 2020 Yes, the front tires do rub a bit at full turn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big E Posted December 11, 2020 Author Share Posted December 11, 2020 Would have been a really, really bad decision not to have kept the 15" original rims/wire covers and whitewall tires. 😉 We all should/would expect additional road harshness with the 20's and that is the case on bad roads with bricks or potholes. It's still a very smooth ride and in stock configuration other than the front Coil Spring Specialties 2" lowering springs. I kept the original springs as well. I love to cruise this car and am simply thoughtful/prudent about driving it with the 20's knowing full well what to expect. Very notable is the fact that it sure did change the attention the car gets. Never had more thumbs ups from all age ranges of folks. My buddy shot the car at the local lake this Fall and took some really cool sepia interior shots. Here is one of them. Thanks for viewing. E 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
64Rivvy Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 BigE, Thanks for the info. Looks good. Interior shot looks sweet there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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