chuckfmtexas Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 So I am now the proud owner of a 1969 Riviera I just bought out of Georgia. Car has been restored/rebuilt front to rear bumper, mechanical, body work and paint, complete new interior. Chrome rally wheels to be added, complete console with shifter to be installed, console tilt column also to be installed to make it factory special with options. Color is Twilight Blue Poly which is a medium blue metallic which sparkles and the interior is the lighter blue. Looking forward to adding a few options and enjoying the Riv. Coil springs were replaced but look too high to me so I may replace them again with correct ones. In reviewing the restoration receipts the springs may have been 'extra heavy duty' Working with Spring Specialists to sort it out. Now have 4 of the right #853 wheels so I am considering having them re-chromed. Full factory console and correct console tilt steering column are on their way to me. Fun and games this summer. Chuck 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Sharp looking Riviera! I like that color -- it looks the same as the '70 Catalina my family had. Pontiac called it "Atoll Blue". Judging from the stance, I'd say they installed new springs at all four corners. Hopefully she'll settle down a touch as you accumulate some miles. I'm with ya regarding the Road wheels; they're classic and beautiful design. But, given that you currently have full wheel covers I'd suggest you look into a set of turbine wheel covers. In my opinion they would look awesome on this car, particularly given the dark metallic color! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 It is beautiful !! , and in great condition ! . I've never seen one in real life yet.The interior is also magnificent .Congratulations on this superb purchase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Nice Buick! Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 Beautiful Buick! Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elpad Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Beautiful, on any Riv men wish list, enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckfmtexas Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 On 6/7/2020 at 8:12 AM, EmTee said: Sharp looking Riviera! I like that color -- it looks the same as the '70 Catalina my family had. Pontiac called it "Atoll Blue". Judging from the stance, I'd say they installed new springs at all four corners. Hopefully she'll settle down a touch as you accumulate some miles. I'm with ya regarding the Road wheels; they're classic and beautiful design. But, given that you currently have full wheel covers I'd suggest you look into a set of turbine wheel covers. In my opinion they would look awesome on this car, particularly given the dark metallic color! Yes, the turbine,s would like nice but I have bought the rally wheels for it and are about to get them re-chromed. Also bought a new set of front and rear springs and they are about to get installed to hopefully lower the car to correct height. Will post photos when complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 18 hours ago, chuckfmtexas said: es, the turbine,s would like nice but I have bought the rally wheels for it and are about to get them re-chromed. Please keep us posted and let us know how the wheels come out. There has been discussion lately regarding good places to have them re-chromed. Also, make sure that they run true and are not bent before you send them to the chrome shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckfmtexas Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 Will keep you posted. Should receive my fifth wheel next week then off to the chrome shop. Yes, earlier this week took four #853 wheels to the tire shop and put them on the balance machine and ran them up to speed and all four were fine. stay tuned, 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talarico8447 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Nice car. congratulations . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 You should also post this in the Riviera Owners Forum. Just scroll down to the bottom of the Buick section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckfmtexas Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 (edited) 12 hours ago, RivNut said: You should also post this in the Riviera Owners Forum. Just scroll down to the bottom of the Buick section. I thought I had posted it but apparently not. We are installing new springs this week to get the car lowered. it is 2.5 inches high in the back and 2 inches high in the front. I have the actual dimensions it should be from the 1969 Buick Chassis Service Manual. We found at the rear springs, a 2.5 inch spacer on top of the axle both sides that say '2.5" Made in China. I think a previous owner before the owner I bought it from added these to perhaps boost the car height that may have been sagging. We will remove them and use the original spring perch welded to the axle. Front springs in the car are compressed to the point I cannot insert a finger between the coils as they are compressed so much. I think they are the wrong coils and were installed when the car was being restored 8 years ago. The printed computer generated receipt for the springs from Eaton during restoration has the correct spring standard model for a 1969 Riviera with air and not a GS. On that receipt a hand written four digit number is there and when you look that up on the Eaton web page it is an 'extra heavy duty' front spring and I am wondering if that is what is on the car. The restorer said he talked to Eaton and they said 'the car will settle' but in 8 years it has not. Also Eaton's web site gives one a choice to choose springs that raise or lower the car by 1/2 an inch increments up to 2" higher or lower. I think we have the wrong springs in the front but we will soon see as I ordered a new set from Specialized Springs in Kansas. I will have collected 5 rally wheels by the end of this week and will have them chromed, the black powder coated, four NOS center caps all installed. I am expecting the car to really pop with the rally wheels and want it to be right height, then I will post photos here and in the Riv Owners section. Thanks, Stay Tuned..................................................... Chuck😀 Edited June 16, 2020 by chuckfmtexas (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckfmtexas Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 On 6/13/2020 at 6:12 AM, EmTee said: Please keep us posted and let us know how the wheels come out. There has been discussion lately regarding good places to have them re-chromed. Also, make sure that they run true and are not bent before you send them to the chrome shop. Today I took my five #853 wheels to Pulido Plating in Mesquite, TX, a suburb of Dallas on the Southeast side. According to a post on this forum they began plating these rally wheels at $140 each then someone posted they had gone up to $200 per wheel. When I got there this morning and unloaded the wheels the fellow said did I have an estimate from them and I said no. He said it would be $220 a wheel and I said wait a minute, a friend got them done for $140 and another at $200 per wheel. He said the cost of nickle continues to rise and just went up 20% again and pointed to an 18 wheeler that had just unloaded nickle for them. He then said yes, they started at $140, then $160, then $180, and $200. He then said he would do them for $200 a wheel and that is triple coating including copper. So we shall see how nice they turn out but I will have a hell of investment in my wheels as I was fortunate to find an NOS set of wheel caps. The tires on the Riv I just bought are 10 years old according to the DOT numbers but the car came to me with the white walls still having the blue protective wash on them and the car had not been driven after its restoration. The spare tire still has the blue on its whitewall. Now I have to decide if I am going to buy four new tires or ride on the 10 year old ones. The car has been inside and not really driven since the restoration completion 8 years ago so the sun or weather has not impacted the tires. It would be another $800 - $1000 to buy a good set of tires with the correct whitewall size. "its only money"😄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, chuckfmtexas said: Now I have to decide if I am going to buy four new tires or ride on the 10 year old ones. That's a tough one... I assume they're radials. If they still look pristine I'd probably drive them locally for a few hundred miles and monitor pressure and inspect regularly for any signs of checking or belt shift (tread squirm). If they were stored indoors they may be OK. I'd make sure the spare holds air for sure! I guess it comes down to how many miles the car will see annually and whether you plan any trips on the Interstates at 65 ~ 70 mph... Edited June 20, 2020 by EmTee (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckfmtexas Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 I am thinking I would drive the Riv to the next BCA National meet in 2021 assuming we have the pandemic under control and perhaps there is a vaccine out there. I would drive it around Texas for regional Buick shows which could be 500 miles round trip as we are a big state! I am leaning to buying a high quality radial so I will have no concerns about going anywhere at any speed. May have to dig into the IRA but have several cars for sale right now and if one sells then I have a pot to draw from. Chuck🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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