I am curious as to the general opinion of members of this board on keeping a car stock or making custom modifications. I can go either way depending on the car. For the most part I like 60s and 70s full size cars with a slight lowering of the stance on all 4 corners and a set of modern aluminum rims about 17 or 18 inches (or a set of classics like torque thrust II) Maybe a little trim removal on some models. I am building a 72 Riviera mild custom. I have lowered the front and will be lowering the rear soon. Beyond that All I plan on doing is removing the side trim and painting the rear bumper body color. I will also split the front bumper and install a custom chrome tube grill. I plan On painting the lower section of the front bumper body color also. The attachments are in my opinion a perfect mild custom (except the 20" wheels might be just a little big for my taste) As you can see what I just described is basically a copy of this car This thread is not for trashing what other here might like. For instance I don't really care for the "old school" Kustoms (i.e. lake pipes, bellflower pipes, skinny whitewalls, Radical body mods, chopped tops, scallops, etc.) But that in no way means that I think the people who do like these types of mods. have poor taste. Thats just it, is a matter of taste and one is not wrong and the other right. I am just interested in the different opinions. Marty
I think that looks good, even with the 20s. It goes with the car. I'm not too fond of the body colored bumpers; big chrome is cool. I do agree with taking off some trim though. Got any pics of your car?
Customization is a peronal thing and runs in a very wide spectrum. For me I can tell you what I LOATHE. On a Riviera: Cut Front bumpers (Sorry Erik!). On the whole I hate things that get over done on a lot of customs. I don't like painted bumpers, really wild interiors, or big stupid sound systems. I like my interiors original and my wheels less than 18 inches. I think a Riviera with a ram air like the GS would be wild. I'm toying with putting portholes on my Riviera when it comes out of paint and body, if I could find a picture of one to see what it looks like. I like shaved door handles, I don't mind taking off some trim.
Overall, that Riv looks fantastic!! :bglasses: I would say this though.....when looking at the rear view, noticing the nice offsetting chrome window & wheelwell trim against that black paint - I can't help but think it would have been nice to have a little more chrome on the backside. At least around the taillights.......don't really have a problem with the black rear bumper. Love to see how it would have looked chrome though. Any Photoshop experts up for a switch?
A classic car will almost always look good in its stock appearance. With some minor modifications, I don't see why you couldn't personalize it a bit, and make it suit your own taste. As mentioned earlier in the thread, it's a matter of taste and what will work for you. I like that Wildcat in the other thread that is in satin black primer; I almost prefer that color to a glossy finish. It is also easier and cheaper to do, which suits me well. If I go ahead and get the Riv done during this body work class, I'll take the side moldings off and cut the pins holding them. It seems to be tricky to locate a replacement set and I want to see some progress and not be too picky about putting it back together to it's original shape, cause the car is pretty rough as it is. I'm not sure about the wheel house moldings, maybe they go too; and then I'll go with a black primer finish. I would like to lower it, but we'll see about that, and I'll stick to the stock rallye rims. The chrome and weatherstripping would have to be replaced as time goes. I don't want to drop a bunch of cash into this car. Here's another Riv that they keep trying to sell on recycler.com http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...972-1971-1970_|X-antique|Z-90046&aff=recycler
I remember that car... It was for sale at Park Place in Bellevue, Washington for a few years. They wanted $39,999 for it. I saw it in the showroom probably 4 years ago. I remember it was gone for a while and then it came back and had the tinted windows. It came from Arizona from some custom shop there, the paint is sikkens and it had like 8 coats or something like that. It also had an airbrushed blue/purple streak all the way up the center of the car. It just looked amazing in the sun. It had an airbag suspension with a custom toggle switch box. Those are budnik fontana wheels. The grille was custom, was handbuilt, and it took over 80 hours to make if I remember correctly. The engine was totally rebuilt, but the car still had over 90,000 miles on it, I think. It never sold at Park Place, and last I saw of it, I'm pretty sure it sold at a Barrett Jackson auction for over 50,000 dollars, near 70,000 I think. It also had tan/white leather interior which looked really nice and a Budnik steering wheel. I think that car is on the budnik website in their gallery, it might have been a budnik funded creation or something like that, or maybe since its one the the cooler custom cars and had budnik wheels, and most people don't remember cars like that, back when having a buick in the driveway was like having a cadillac or a lincoln. That was the first Buick Riviera I saw, and that car is what turned me onto Buicks. I remember I was at park place with my uncle, and we were looking at it, and I remember asking "do original rivieras actually look like that" he was like, "yeah they were pretty wild even back then." I came home and saved lots and lots of 1971 riviera pictures after that.
I would have to agree, don't cut the front bumper. (Also sorry Erik) :beer That car pictured is very nice. Tastefully done. I don't care for the painted bumpers though. It's so pro street 80's! :sleep: I lowered the ride height of my '70 Riv by an inch, and it made a world of difference! Actually, the front end came down 1 5/8", because at one time someone put 5/8" spacers on the top of them. A GM dealer I think, they were made by Kent Moore. Maybe the 1st owner had a steep driveway.
Praise the lowr'd For the front, I used a die grinder with a cut off wheel and cut about 1/2 a coil off the top of each spring. And for the back I used those spring clamps you can buy at any auto store and compressed them down a bit. Cheesy, but suitable for use. :laugh:
I say its yours do it the way you like, thats the reason i sold my 69 gs400 40k mile mostly original car last fall didnt want to cut it up to nice and wayyyy too mmuch documentation to ruin the car, so i sold it bought a 72 lark and am building on badass gsX clone. if the DAMN :blast: painter ever finishes it
Here is my unabashed comentary: Again, don't like the split bumper, something about the lower grill looks incomplete with it split like that. Love the colour, black is very hard to keep looking pretty though Needs Chrome around the taillights but otherwise I like the blacked out rear bumper Smaller wheels with more tire, something like a 18x7 with a 45 series tire not those rubberbands on HotWheels wheels Airbag it, slammed is cool for looks horrible for actually driving so use the bags to go snake low at the show then pump her up to a usable drive height with 5" of clearance min. That thing better have a clean motor under the hood, a black (yeah I know its supposed to be red) 455 with argent grey TA valve covers with black lettering, argent grey SP1 with a black chrome air cleaner cover with silver BUICK on it would be hot Jethot the headers sterling and use Earls Prolite 350 hose for the pumbing would be very sweet. I do like the car, but it needs some small stuff to make it look like "my" custom. Unless you do something hugely wrong, like those bellflower tips on the flat black 'Cat, customization is about how you want the car to look. I appreciate it but would change the details to suit my tastes.
That is the engine of the car. I like the cut bumpers, but I agree with everyone on the painted rear. I think it should have a chrome rear bumper just for symmetry.
I love the split bumper, love the paint. I'm not sure about the paintet rear bumper. I'd love to see a 73 rear bumper on a 71/72. I like smaller wheels with more rubber. The big wheels remind me also to toy cars. Still the wheel design could be worse. After all a tasteful ride. no bullshit graphics or sth. like that. Hats off!!! As for customized cars. A big yes! For stockers. A big yes, too! It depends on the car and the style! Most 50's cars I think are pretty boring when bone stock. 60's Muscle Cars and sporty Coupes like the Wildcat or Bonneville can look stock already great. Yeah Buicks especially. With them Rally's on they almost look like they are customized. Same goes for Magnum 500 Wheels or wild Muscle Versions as the GSX, Mopars Super Bees or whatever. They are stock already way cool. Still the factory sleepers are great when they are stock. Looking harmless and then they are beasts. Once u know what's goin' on u look at the car in a different way. Whatever I could go on and on. I like so much different stuff... ...but I'm a Rock'n'Roller. I like old fashioned music, and no Techno or Hip Hop. Same is with styles or wheels. I love old mags (Torq Trusts, Ansens, cragars, steels without hubcaps...) but I don't like the Hi Tech stuff really... @GTX-SLPR: Can u post a picture of u'r black Rivi. I'd love to see it. looks very nice on u'r Avatar. I had two 65's before I bought my Cat. :beer
I wish that car was mine.... its a shot I photoshopped up a bit of a car off of Chris' Riv Chronology with some biggerized stockers, a bit of a rake, and lowered a touch. What is mine is this car:
O.K. nice. While talkin' about wheels, u "need" Rally's.... ;-))) Do u have the black one in bigger? I have never seen a black Rivi before, and it just looks great. Wish I still had one of mine..... Had to sell 'em.... ou:
As for needing Ralley's... while they would look good, I've got an interest in a set of bigger and lighter aluminum rims like these: American Racing Hopster in 17x8
I love the white version with the "hopster wheels" That is a perfect example of what I was saying about most 60s cars just need a good stance and a nice set of wheels. Unless I am mistaken the car is stock on the exterior. Is this an example of your photoshop skills? I would love to be able to play around with photoshop on my 72 Riv. I have a pretty good ability to visualize what a finished product would look like, but some things I would like to see before plunging ahead. For instance the painted black bumper on the attachments on my first post that most people on this thread seemed to agree would look better chrome. I would like to photoshop that picture and chrome it and see if I like it better. I am in the minority on liking the black bumper. I know it is a throwback to the 90s and generally dont like painted bumpers. It just seems to look good on this car. I feel like it gives it a more modern and contemporary look. Would you be able to take that picture and "chrome" the rear bumper for me and post the result here? I have never photoshopped before. Thanks: Marty
