65 riv ralley wheel restoration

[AMB]

Looking to restore 65 riv ralley wheels. Would like to know any recommendations on a service. Thank you Tony

[moran75]

Hi Tony

 

I found this link very handy with mine - though i still have a ciuple of patches of rust - where water gathered over the eyars after a rain shower/wash - which wont budge!

 

http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/rfinish.htm

 

Good luck

 

Kev

[Turbinator]

On 8/28/2019 at 10:48 AM, Tony Bal said:

Looking to restore 65 riv ralley wheels. Would like to know any recommendations on a service. Thank you Tony

Tony, this the Turbinator here. I’m getting some rally wheel s next to refinish. I think you will like the results. Well, I haven’t seen the wheels I’m getting so I better hold up on what you like or don’t like. Simply put: I intend to remove the entire finish and coat the wheels the same color and lustre. I’m having some good luck with the same approach on some resurrected cast aluminum wheel covers. When I complete the clean up of the two I have done I’ll send a pic.

 

Turbinator

[RIVNIK]

Greetings Tony. On eBay you will find a set of stencils for painting the center sections( Goog 15" Buick Rally Wheel Stencils) however if you're good with masking tape & a razor blade you can do it yourself. It's painstaking work but do-able. The center sections came from the factory Argent Silver(someone correct me if that's not the correct name). This is the same color used between the ribs on the clamshells & rocker trim, & on the inner sections of the grille. As my Rivs body is also Silver, I prefer Krylon Black satin finish. This give more contrast & eliminates the washed out look I got from the Silver. I topped it off w a coat of satin clear for added protection. Google Buick Rally Wheel Images for pics of silver vs black & of the stencils.  While you have the wheels off the car give some attention to the brake drums. They are often rusty which shows through the slots. I have painted my drums silver for contrast but if you choose silver for the wheels then black might look better. Also these wheels tend to hold moisture in a depression around the outer rim which causes surface rust to form, so make sure you dry them off after use. I wax mine occasionally which seems to slow the rust a bit. Usually a bit of steel wool will eliminate any that does form.       Hope this is useful info, & good luck!

[telriv]

Before you do ANYTHING make sure the wheels are true/straight before wasting your time. MANY are bent that can't be balanced out.

What I di when I paint the centers. When I'm through spraying BEFORE the paint dries & is still wet I run my finger over the spokes. A light amount of paint may/will still be visible , BUT comes right off with a rag lightly soaked with Lacquer thinner or Brakleen which will remove it.

 

Bob, what will you do about the chrome plating????  AGAIN, BEFORE you start make sure the wheels are true 1st.

 

 

[60FlatTop]

Before getting into the cosmetics be sure to check that the wheels are true, really true. Even in the mid 1990's, when those wheels were 25 years younger than today, it was hard to put together a set of four straight ones.

 

I switched this Electra to them and I think it took six wheels to get a set. And even then I could feel it wasn't as good as the standard steel wheels I took off.

[RivNut]

If you're wanting to maintain the original look on your 65, then painting the webs Argent Silver is correct.  But depending in the color of your car, a different color web might be more esthetically pleasing.  My silver 65 has the argent webs and as noted, they look washed out.  A friend has a black 65 and his webs are painted black (gloss) - very nice looking. Painting aluminum drums may look nice but the paint seals the porosity of the aluminum and reduces the cooling effect of the aluminum.  Media blasting will clean them but not reduce the cooling properties of the aluminum.

 

There is a recommendation for plating wheels in the latest edition of the Riview. 

Edited September 7, 2019 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Riviera63]

2 hours ago, telriv said:

Before you do ANYTHING make sure the wheels are true/straight before wasting your time. MANY are bent that can't be balanced out.

What I di when I paint the centers. When I'm through spraying BEFORE the paint dries & is still wet I run my finger over the spokes. A light amount of paint may/will still be visible , BUT comes right off with a rag lightly soaked with Lacquer thinner or Brakleen which will remove it.

 

Bob, what will you do about the chrome plating????  AGAIN, BEFORE you start make sure the wheels are true 1st.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Before getting into the cosmetics be sure to check that the wheels are true, really true. Even in the mid 1990's, when those wheels were 25 years younger than today, it was hard to put together a set of four straight ones.

 

I switched this Electra to them and I think it took six wheels to get a set. And even then I could feel it wasn't as good as the standard steel wheels I took off.

 

 

This is very good advice. I went through 12 of the steel wheels in order to get a set of 5 for my car. I know you already have the wheels but, for other people out there, before buying wheels have the vendor check for them being good. If he won't do that don't buy them. I bought 2 from a certain vendor and when I indicated that the wheels were no good he sent me 2 more bad wheels, when I indicated these were also bad and I wanted a refund he refused to refund my money instead sent me 2 more rusty, bad wheels. He had also sent me a couple that were not even the width I wanted. Claimed he did not know there were 2 different widths. A bad and expensive experience. 

 

Bill

[J3Studio]

2 hours ago, telriv said:

Before you do ANYTHING make sure the wheels are true/straight before wasting your time. MANY are bent that can't be balanced out.

 

is there something about these wheels that makes them more likely to get bent?

 

Or is it just that that it isn't worth the money to send them to Wheel Collision Center or a like vendor to get them fixed?

[telriv]

A bent wheel is more often due to improper handling on a tire machine when new/old tires are removed & replaced. Hitting curbs is readily visible.

[Turbinator]

Gents, I submit two part spray painting will provide a better product. Rattle can paints are great for the short term. Rattle can is readily available and inexpensive. How you remove the rust and fix the pits is tough. Depending on how much and the severity of the rust determines if it is doable without proper equipment. Anything is possible but how much time you want to invest is a consideration.

Turbinator

[Seafoam65]

Argent silver is the silver used on the grill of a 65 Riviera. This is not the color the 65 wheels are painted. The wheel centers on a 65 are

a charcoal gray not silver. This same charcoal color is used on the ribs of the rocker panel moldings and the clamshells. The 64 Road Wheels, which only came from the factory on the 64 Wildcat, had argent silver centers.

[RivNut]

1964 Buick Wildcat - Argent silver

 

 

1965 Buick Riviera - Charcoal grey

 

 

1966 Buick Riviera - same color as the 65

 

1967 Riviera - black

 

Edited September 9, 2019 by RivNut (see edit history)

[psychostang]

What is the model number of the correct 65 rivieral chrome wheel?  Also, where is it located on the wheel?  Thanks.

[telriv]

MANY people also paint them black.  Black seems to not clash & brings out the cars paint better on some cars/colors. EVERYONE to there own. It's YOUR car so do what pleases you & your personal tastes.

[1965rivgs]

3 hours ago, RivNut said:

1964 Buick Wildcat - Argent silver

 

 

1965 Buick Riviera - Charcoal grey

 

 

1966 Buick Riviera - Black

 

 

  Correct color for the `66 wheel is the same dark charcoal as the `65 models. The switch to black occurred during the `67 model year.

  Tom Mooney

[60FlatTop]

🙂

 

[RivNut]

2 hours ago, 1965rivgs said:

  Correct color for the `66 wheel is the same dark charcoal as the `65 models. The switch to black occurred during the `67 model year.

  Tom Mooney

When I enlarge the picture of the '66, I can see that the webs are the charcoal color.  I  went back and edited my original post.  Thanks, Ed

[Turbinator]

Gents, could the “ dark charcoal “ be also known as “ Shadow Gray”?

Im refinishing a set of Riviera rocker panel moldings in “ Shadow Gray”. I’ve been expertly advised “ Shadow Gray is the correct color for rocker panel molding. What is in a name? I’ve color matched with an original. If a customer wants it Shadow Gray, Shadow Gray it is.

[awk409ak]

Rivnut,

The wheels on that Wildcat is exactly what I have, except my caps are faded.  Good pic of a Wildcat.

 

Art 

[EmTee]

On 9/9/2019 at 4:41 PM, 1965rivgs said:

The switch to black occurred during the `67 model year.

  Tom Mooney

 

My original '67 wheels (drum brakes) have the charcoal colored center.

[RivNut]

The best Charcoal wheel paint I've heard about is Eastwood's Charcoal rally wheel paint.

 

[Turbinator]

14 hours ago, RivNut said:

The best Charcoal wheel paint I've heard about is Eastwood's Charcoal rally wheel paint.

 

Ed, Eastwood has good products. I’ve used their rattle can paints with success. My luck with a spray gun is improving.

Turbinator

[arnulfo de l.a.]

Other than obvious bends/ dents on the outer rim of the wheel what else should one look for when trying to determine whether wheel is  good or not? Are these wheels repairable if damaged ? Thanks

[Turbinator]

On 9/9/2019 at 5:50 PM, 60FlatTop said:

🙂

 

Bernie, I think they good. Adds a sport flair to the sedan. Turbinator

[Seafoam65]

23 hours ago, arnulfo de l.a. said:

Other than obvious bends/ dents on the outer rim of the wheel what else should one look for when trying to determine whether wheel is  good or not? Are these wheels repairable if damaged ? Thanks

You need to mount the wheel on a hub of your car and spin it and check for runout, or you can take it down to a tire store and they can chuck it up on their wheel balancer and check for runout.

[telriv]

The ONLY right way is to do what Winston says.

[60FlatTop]

On 10/21/2019 at 6:15 AM, Turbinator said:

Bernie, I think they good. Adds a sport flair to the sedan. Turbinator

 

The '94 Roadmaster has wheelcovers, pretty easy to get. Experience had already taught me not to spend the time looking for a set of straight ones.

 

That Pontiac wheel being painted reminded me of one of my old rides, about 1984 or '85 I think. Not a Riviera, but a great little car. 305 four barrel, four speed. 14" Pontiac ralleys front, 15's rear. I was adamant about chrome trim rims rather than stainless.

 

I think the contours of those Pontiac wheel centers made them less prone to bending.

[Turbinator]

The “Sleeper”. Some fellows in my area in central Maryland would take a homely family sedan and put engine, transmission , rear end that would burn rubber on both wheels for a long way. You sometimes tell the front end sat lower and the rumble from the under the hood gave away the “ Sleeper”. Mercury had a sleeper known as The Maruder.