I always wanted one and actually just found one. 64 with 36000 miles on it. Had to sell a car to swing it but was worth every penny
Ouch! Was a good read up till the the totaled part, painful. Rivs are cool, one of the best GM's cars ever. Still kind of fresh looking somehow too, even now. Reminds me of some of my own car adventures from days ago with my then girlfriend, now wife as well.
Lordy, lordy, Ryan. I'm looking at your car pics, there in front of the house. You moved into the neighborhood and all around you, the old residents musta had some restless nights, wondering "What has happened to this place???!!!" Hoodlums! Hot rodders! Lordy, lordy.
Love the story and the car. Gonna build one for my youngest daughter someday, hopefully a '63 or '64.
Well I never owned a Rivirea but did have several Galaxies through the good years. Now as to needing a little heat why not buy one of the small electric ceramic heaters? I have one in my 51 truck and in the summer just remove it and let the AC have at it. Enjoyed the story and I do believe we all have let a few good one go that we would like to have again.
Man that was a great car. Bubba loved that car as much as Ryan. Im sure Bubba could fill in the rest of the story but it would probably be to painful!
Man I'm tellin you those Rivs will spoil you. I had been driving a couple different 29 Pickups I had and then got my Riv. Boy you talk about a ride. Almost make you want to throw rocks at the trucks. But they still have the look.
Last year I heard of a guy had two Rivs in his back yard rotting away. Found him and he was willing to talk about letting them go. Went out back to take a look, and they were buried with so much crap (old lawn furniture, boxes, leaves, tree branches) you couldn't see them! Spent an hour clearing crap away, they were two 70 boattail Rivs, the wheels had rotten off, they were sitting down in the dirt, when I tried to open a door it fell off it's hinges, both sides! both cars! Tried the hood, it was so rotted the hood came off the hinges! I couldn't believe this guy would let these cars rot away to badly! He was about 70 and drunk, the word in the neighborhood is that he had been pretty much permanently drunk the last 20 years !!!! I gave him $50 per car and pulled the motors and trannies, the motors turn over when I hit them with power, and the oil is up and clean looking amazing! So at least I got two Buick 455's and two TH400's that look pretty good for $50 each.... But damn, I wish I could have scored those Rivs when they were still in good shape! This guy lived near the beach, and the salt air just got too them and rotted them out! Oh well, will keep lookin'....
Cool story! I love those Riviera's. Your's looks pretty gangster like it could have been driven by Robert Dinero in the movie Casino.
You know that story is not about a car at all..... It is about the things in life that make you proud to be who you are where you are. It is as inspiring as it is emotional and I respect that. Hold on to the dreams and memories that make your life complete. and along the way you find yourself picking up a token or two to bring those memories back to reality. Enough sappy shit. go build something!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like an App for Droid!!!!!!!
Always thought the only thing cooler than a 1st-gen Riviera would be it´s concept car -predecessor, Bill Mitchell´s "Silver Arrow"! That car should be in the dictionary under "swoopy". Sorry I don´t know how to post a pic of it, last I thought of the same thing was just two days ago when the "swoopy car" -picture thread came up.
Great story..you learn something new everyday..your old Riviera inspires me, my 64 was originally silver until I painted it black. It sits in grey primer and I can hear it calling me now. Rivieras don't have a top end they just keep goin till you don't have the balls to go any faster..
Nice story.... For whatever reason we all like a "the one that gotta way", storys. Probably because we all can relate.
Hey Ryan, The hub cap fell off the left rear on your '39. I had a '64 Riv while in the service, Added 5 spoke Americans back in the late 60s. DW
Great car, I remember us garage goons coming down to your house for the swap meet and you wanted to take the 38 but it was having trans problems. So you looked at me and said hop in and we took the Rivi. What a great car, makes me still want one today. Then I was in DFW the day after Bubba got hit. I got pics of it but its hard to look at.
The Jalopy Journal
