riv2x4 Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I've acquired a couple of sets, both 63 and 64, and am wondering how hard it might be to get a set the way I want them. Ideally, completely polished, inside vanes too, to a bright almost chromed finish. I remembers seeing a picture of something similar a few years ago. So from those that have worked on restoring these, what say you about my idea? I was surprised to learn that the wire covers were the highest priced option and no the turbines. Personally I like the first gen with more brightwork. LS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Curran Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 The aluminum can be buffed/polished to a brighter finish than what was stock. Do a search for Red Riviera Bob on this forum. He has been restoring these and has posted some pictures. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexRiv_63 Posted November 11, 2018 Share Posted November 11, 2018 I had this set of restored 64 caps on my car years ago, they were polished more than a NOS set would be. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 19 hours ago, riv2x4 said: I've acquired a couple of sets, both 63 and 64, and am wondering how hard it might be to get a set the way I want them. Ideally, completely polished, inside vanes too, to a bright almost chromed finish. I remembers seeing a picture of something similar a few years ago. So from those that have worked on restoring these, what say you about my idea? I was surprised to learn that the wire covers were the highest priced option and no the turbines. Personally I like the first gen with more brightwork. LS 19 hours ago, riv2x4 said: I've acquired a couple of sets, both 63 and 64, and am wondering how hard it might be to get a set the way I want them. Ideally, completely polished, inside vanes too, to a bright almost chromed finish. I remembers seeing a picture of something similar a few years ago. So from those that have worked on restoring these, what say you about my idea? I was surprised to learn that the wire covers were the highest priced option and no the turbines. Personally I like the first gen with more brightwork. LS LS, the cleaning, wet/sand, polishing and buffing takes some time to get the hang of the work. It is not hard once you break the code of the "how to". Finishing the wheel cover with appropriate studs and flange nuts along with powder coating really sets the cover off. Steel wool cleaning and polishing requires a Herculean effort if you have 30 hrs to spend on each cover. Red Riviera Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riv2x4 Posted November 12, 2018 Author Share Posted November 12, 2018 Not sure I want to commit to spending 100 hours on these. I might play with one and see how it goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 Red Riviera Bob did a nice set for me and they looked great but they take work to keep them looking good if you drive your car like I do. I found a couple of them in a junk yard of Riviera's last month and brought them home to play with . Both of them had quite a bit of road rash on the rims which required filing ,sanding, filing ,sanding, polishing , sanding ,etc.........hours ! Still work to do to get them to RRB level . Patience is the only virtue you must have . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr914 Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 I had mine metal finished (64) the painted background redone, and they have remained excellent for the last ten years. The guys who did them had the equipment to prep and polish the metal. They really look great, and I second the previous comment that they were not polished to the high degree we do it now. Yes the turbine wheel covers were not the most expensive wheel cover option, the wires were. However, as the tire monkeys broke more and more of these covers trying to pry off bolted covers, they became rare and scarce, thus making them much more expensive than the original wires. I think that they look better than the wires. (of course I am not prejudice towards the turbine covers!!LOL) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riv2x4 Posted November 12, 2018 Author Share Posted November 12, 2018 I'm thinking of the all polished, no paint at all very bright look. Wish I saved the picture of the ones I saw. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 12, 2018 Share Posted November 12, 2018 1 hour ago, dr914 said: I had mine metal finished (64) the painted background redone, and they have remained excellent for the last ten years. The guys who did them had the equipment to prep and polish the metal. They really look great, and I second the previous comment that they were not polished to the high degree we do it now. Yes the turbine wheel covers were not the most expensive wheel cover option, the wires were. However, as the tire monkeys broke more and more of these covers trying to pry off bolted covers, they became rare and scarce, thus making them much more expensive than the original wires. I think that they look better than the wires. (of course I am not prejudice towards the turbine covers!!LOL) Here's the M7 and M9 info from the ROA's website. It shows that the cast cover is more expensive than the wire covers. M-7 Wire Wheel Covers 23.65 M-9 Cast Aluminum Wheel Covers 66.55 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 In the case the webs are already in good shape cleaning and polishing the webs will not be so difficult. However, with appropriate power tools and sanding blocks getting the webs buffed out is still going to be time consuming. Of course, my opinion based work experience. You may have an approach I don’t know. Hopefully, you’ll achieve your goal. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 All, When polishing the covers one has to be vigilant about it. I have seen the top edges of the ribs get distorted when someone uses a polishing wheel on the outer rim. If the polishing wheel is too wide the polishing will groove the top edge of the ribs adjacent to the rim. Tom Mooney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 15, 2018 Share Posted November 15, 2018 On 11/13/2018 at 9:36 AM, 1965rivgs said: All, When polishing the covers one has to be vigilant about it. I have seen the top edges of the ribs get distorted when someone uses a polishing wheel on the outer rim. If the polishing wheel is too wide the polishing will groove the top edge of the ribs adjacent to the rim. Tom Mooney Tom, you are 100% correct. The type of power equipment and type of abrasive grit has a bearing on your final result. I first started with a sears pancake compressor. Now I have a 60 gallon 5 hp Quincy that is quite adequate. I continue to experiment with new approaches to improve the finish on the two bar spinners. I got a quote from two different chrome shops to chrome plate a two bar spinner. One shop quoted $167.00 and the other shop quoted $200 to chrome plate a two bar spinner. Outrageous. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 I just tape off the big areas and spray the pockets the wipe off the polished areas/raised edges with lacquer thinner. The hard part is getting good covers in the first place 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riv2x4 Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 Since I'm looking at the webs being bright also, I wonder if there's a powder coating that would give me the uniform bright look I want without the polishing risks to the covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 Hydro-chrome could be an alternative to what you're looking for, if it's a chrome like finish you're wanting. There are all sorts of products from which to choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riv2x4 Posted November 16, 2018 Author Share Posted November 16, 2018 Thanks Ed that looks interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 16, 2018 Share Posted November 16, 2018 (edited) Personally, I think that the space between the vanes should be a natural finish. JMHO. ? Otherwise it's going to look like another chrome plated wheel cover. Edited November 16, 2018 by RivNut (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 On 11/15/2018 at 8:16 PM, gungeey said: I just tape off the big areas and spray the pockets the wipe off the polished areas/raised edges with lacquer thinner. The hard part is getting good covers in the first place Gungee, , mighty fine appearance and quality you have there. Getting good covers is the real challenge. However, having capacity to TIG weld the cracks and put the pieces back together is a plus. Finishing the welded pieces takes time, but I enjoy seeing the repaired goods come back to life. Thank you for the mighty fine picture of your wheelcovers. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gungeey Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 RBR It sounds so petty, but one of the true joys in this life is these cars! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 On 11/16/2018 at 7:40 AM, riv2x4 said: Since I'm looking at the webs being bright also, I wonder if there's a powder coating that would give me the uniform bright look I want without the polishing risks to the covers. I powder coat the webs alumina color and it is tedious. The tops of the vanes, outter ring, crown the center caps rests need to be protected from any powder that might splash over. For me, it’s like picking fly speck out of ground pepper while wearing boxing gloves. Quite tedious, but you’ll have a much better result with powder coating than single stage spray paint. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riv2x4 Posted November 19, 2018 Author Share Posted November 19, 2018 This isn't looking any more reasonably doable than I had hoped. Might have to go with original look with brighter non webbed areas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 27, 2018 Share Posted November 27, 2018 On 11/19/2018 at 8:09 AM, riv2x4 said: This isn't looking any more reasonably doable than I had hoped. Might have to go with original look with brighter non webbed areas. In the event you are willing to pay to have them finished, I’ll finish them any way you like. PM me if the idea reasonates with you. Red Riviera Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 27, 2018 Share Posted November 27, 2018 On 11/16/2018 at 4:10 PM, RivNut said: Personally, I think that the space between the vanes should be a natural finish. JMHO. ? Otherwise it's going to look like another chrome plated wheel cover. There is quite a bit of difference between chrome plating and buffing out cast aluminum. The webs can be treated to have a natural clean cast aluminum finish assuming you have a piece that is not horribly pitted. In cases of heavy wear with pits,gouges, and scars the finisher has his hands full trying to get the webs to come out. The heavily dinged webs are then cleaned and powder coated or painted to look like cast aluminum. The pictures you see of some cast aluminum turbines are taken in the best light and just cleaned for the “ shoot”. Sure you can keep the covers looking that good you’ll just be busy. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted November 27, 2018 Share Posted November 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Red Riviera Bob said: There is quite a bit of difference between chrome plating and buffing out cast aluminum. The webs can be treated to have a natural clean cast aluminum finish assuming you have a piece that is not horribly pitted. In cases of heavy wear with pits,gouges, and scars the finisher has his hands full trying to get the webs to come out. The heavily dinged webs are then cleaned and powder coated or painted to look like cast aluminum. The pictures you see of some cast aluminum turbines are taken in the best light and just cleaned for the “ shoot”. Sure you can keep the covers looking that good you’ll just be busy. RRB I don't know Bob; with my little buffing wheel and the correct rouges, I can make aluminum shine like a diamond in a goat's a$$. 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 1 hour ago, RivNut said: I don't know Bob; with my little buffing wheel and the correct rouges, I can make aluminum shine like a diamond in a goat's a$$. 😎 Sure. Easy enough to do. I have no idea what I’ve been saying! Ha! true, I’m not a mechanic or even mechanical, but when it comes to metal finishing cast aluminum I’m beginning to catch on. Maybe a little.🤓 RRB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riv2x4 Posted November 28, 2018 Author Share Posted November 28, 2018 RRB, I have a buffing wheel too and 9 covers to play with. The interiors of the webs are the most challenging areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted December 3, 2018 Share Posted December 3, 2018 On 11/28/2018 at 9:03 AM, riv2x4 said: RRB, I have a buffing wheel too and 9 covers to play with. The interiors of the webs are the most challenging areas. Riv2x4, you are 100% correct. The interiors of the webs are the most challenging. I’ve cleaned up a number of these covers and I have not found a way to “ just clean the webs” so they are fit for installation on a proper Buick Riviera. Buffing wheels are a great tool and they help bring the buff home for sure. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 On 11/18/2018 at 3:15 PM, gungeey said: RBR It sounds so petty, but one of the true joys in this life is these cars! Sir, not petty in the least for me. I was a kid in Los Angeles when the 63-65 were coming out. The Riv was the car to have, still is. RRB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 On 11/12/2018 at 12:07 PM, riv2x4 said: I'm thinking of the all polished, no paint at all very bright look. Wish I saved the picture of the ones I saw. Sir, here is a close up of a couple webs on a 63 turbine I cleaned up. No paint, no powder, just soap, water, some plain vanilla abrasives and a Sears grinder with a buffing wheel. I like the original alumina look as opposed to my efforts to recreate the original. I had no luck. i suppose you could polish and buff the webs out to a real good shine. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 On 11/28/2018 at 9:03 AM, riv2x4 said: RRB, I have a buffing wheel too and 9 covers to play with. The interiors of the webs are the most challenging areas. Sir, here is a pic of a 63 Cast aluminum turbine with the webs about as clean as they are going to get. In order to get the webs to have a mirror shine will take some time at the buffing wheel. The shine is in the webs. Coaxing the shine from the webs you want can take some time. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riv2x4 Posted December 16, 2018 Author Share Posted December 16, 2018 BRB, I think you've highlighted the challenges of the interior of the webs. I really need to find the picture of the covers that were fully polished, I just can''t remember of the top of my head where I saw it, may have been in Riview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 17 hours ago, riv2x4 said: BRB, I think you've highlighted the challenges of the interior of the webs. I really need to find the picture of the covers that were fully polished, I just can''t remember of the top of my head where I saw it, may have been in Riview. Riv2X4, one of the Dad's in my neighborhood would say anything can be fixed. A fix he did. You can get that outstanding shine you are after one way or the other. As a boy living the Los Angeles area I would get parts for my motorcycle chrome plated. I remember the shop saying they couldn't chrome plate aluminum, but the shop did something to the aluminum to make it shine. RRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hermanangus Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 Here's are pics of the ones on my car that was done over the summer and as part of my 64 restoration on my brothers reality TV show Rust Valley Restorers on History Channel Canada. First we had them bead blasted, then had the cracks welded, followed by polishing, taping , primer and paint. I think they are the coolest of the original wheel options. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbinator Posted December 17, 2018 Share Posted December 17, 2018 nicely finished along with a great looking automobile. Looks good, real good. Red Riviera Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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