Belle Riv Devo

Awesome Car and awesome Garage. Looks like room to double stack. 🙂

Hey Bulldog His phone doesn't work according to others who have tried to reach him. I did some research and I think I found an obituary for the same name in Dennis Ma, where I believe he lived. Sad to loose him, if that is the case. Brad

Thanks Turb... I loved the 3ird gen Thunderbirds (AKA flair birds). I was always really attracted to smooth sort of Deco lines of the car. With time I came to really like the first gen Rivieras and became attracted to the mid century styling. Later I came to realize that the Tbird and the Riv were direct competitors. It could be said the Thunderbird really launched the Riviera. I think it can also be said the the Riviera put the nail in the coffin for the Thunderbird - (yes they made it for a while longer but it was never the same after 1966) as the Riv pushed the envelope on quality and power. My Thunderbird and Riv sit in the same garage and I imagine, when I turn the lights out at night, that they fight like cats and dogs til I come back. 🙂

Turbinator ... I applaud your doing stuff yourself regardless of the amount of time it takes. I cant make toast without burning it. The light in my kitchen burned out and I was ready to put the house on the market. :-). My only skill is that I seem to be able to find smart capable people who pity me -but are willing to share their knowledge and abilities. I suppose that is why I am here. 🙂 I chose the bias look radials because I too like the original look but I think it gives me about an extra half inches of height and show some leg on the wheels - which I like.

They are the original Kelsey Hayes 48 spoke wire wheels and tubes. TruSpoke makes reproductions to look like them. I think they do a good job. I never had the (dis)pleasure of real bias ply - but I do like the look. I just feel like going around big corners - I might benefit from more surface area. Not sure how much of that is real and how much imagined. 🙂

Hi Turbinator I am running the same bias look radials on my Thunderbird. I have had them for about a year now. They are a bit narrow but the tbird has 14 inch wheels as stock. I similarly went with it for the look, which I love ...but, were I to do it again might go differently.

Thanks Ed. Joined a couple years ago. I am Brad. ROA -15726

Kreed, I have a 64 Thunderbird that I had ceramic coated immediately (about a week) after my paint job was complete. I really like it. I think it gives an extra layer of protection. I have not washed or waxed for 2 years. I use a dust brush only. I can still pour water on it and it rolls off.

Hi All. After almost 3 years of lurking - I could wait no more. Against good advice, I pulled the trigger and purchased my first Riviera. She is a seafoam 65 401 from West Texas. I bought her because in New England we just cant find clean rust free bodies. She needs engine work and some paint and bright work but I am very happy with her. The former owner was an extremely fastidious doctor who kept a notebook with every service and the details of repair. I know I have a big project in front of me but am exited to get started. Thanks to all of you whose posts have led me to this decision .... and in advance to those of you will answer my hundreds of foolish questions. 🙂

Hey Chimera Sounds like a lot of work.... you probably don't want to go thru all that .... maybe just give her to me and I will promise to treat her right. 😉 Brad

Just acquired a 65 but do have my eyes open for a black 71. If you ever run out of garage space ... keep me in mind. 🙂 Brad

Found it. Thank you Kevin. I want yours. 😃

Found the '72.....can't find the '71...can you link it or describe where?

Hey Doug: As a former assessor of real and personal property - you are fighting an uphill battle. The juice is not worth the squeeze, as we say. Your assessor/ tax collector only knows how to follow convention, and since your car is probably one of several thousand in the community they hate to set a deviating precedent for you. That said, you are right- and this is purely an argument about value. The standard they use to approximate ad valorem assessment (which is the statutory requirement) is NADA but that doesn't mean that it is accurate. Outside of taking it to your appeals court which will cost you way more than you will save, you could get a licensed appraiser to issue an opinion of value or swamp them with data on parts cars that are for sale currently. There are a few parts cars out there which are for sale for $1,500 -$2,500 and if you had some pictures of your car at the time of purchase you could draw the analogy. Lastly, yesterday I agreed to buy a 65 not running or rolling but in very good condition for $5K. You could use that to argue prices are higher than 10 years ago when you bought your car so the $3,500 is more accurate than $10K. If I can help you give me a shout. Brad