'63 Riviera radical custom

[dino246gt]

I've always wanted to customize a '63 Riviera but they're so beautiful as is that I've been hesitant.

I got a bad body with broken A pillars and started cutting!

I moved the windshield back to eliminate the rear seats.

I shortened the rear also but kept the wheelbase factory.

I cut out the rear bumpers and molded in the lower part.

I made the license plate holder much less prominent.

I removed the side fake scoops because my new door cut lines will be there!

I haven't thought about what to do ahead of the cowl, but it'll come to me eventually!

Cheers!

[Dirty Gringo]

HOly BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH that is a lot of mods looks really good sort of surprised if being honest.  I will be looking forward to more progress. 

[SpikeSchumacher]

You are a brave man Dennis!

[Ace-Garageguy]

It is hard to improve on a car that's so right the way it came (as most people who've customized first-gen T-birds have amply demonstrated), but your proportions look good so far.

This will definitely be one worth watching.  

Edited January 18, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[Koellefornia Kid]

Interesting! I will keep an eye on that!

[espo]

Nice looking body work. Are you going to change the door opening lines? The vent window post removal would change the shape of the side window. Are you going to lengthen the hood to offset the windshield set back?

[dino246gt]

I've removed the firewall and filled the space up to the cowl.

Original door lines are filled with .010 styrene rod, so NEW door lines will be added and vent windows will probably go.

I'll have to lengthen the hood and there will be some front end re-designs as well.

[Chuckyg1]

Cool, following.

[Mittagskind]

Nice project. I'm watching.

[dino246gt]

When shortening a large panel, such as a roof or deck lid, you have to take into account that the front piece is relatively flat compared to the rear piece that is already sloping down.

The piece that was removed was the transition from flat to sloping, so I've had to start the slope sooner on the front or flatter piece.

This is done by thinning the front part at the seam, creating the transition that was removed.

It's important on this one especially because the smallest styling mistake will ruin the whole design mods.

As we all agree, MODIFYING WHAT IS A GORGEOUS DESIGN TO BEGIN WITH IS RISKY!

[espo]

Starting to look like a Buick version of the Corvette, but with a small back seat. Not a bad idea. 

[Can-Con]

I like where you're going with this Dennis but one stupid question,

You said you wanted to do a '63 but waited for a distresses rebuilder.

Why didn't you start with a common as dirt '65 since your filling the side scoops anyway?

Not that I think you've "ruined a rare kit" or anything like that it's just you could have done the same thing a lot sooner with a '65.

[stitchdup]

This has a really cool look to it. I hope you put a v12 in it as the front end stretch would suit it. You've already got me looking through my stash to see what else this might work on, so far a 62 bel air seems to be winning but who knows

[dino246gt]

1 hour ago, Can-Con said:

I like where you're going with this Dennis but one stupid question,

You said you wanted to do a '63 but waited for a distresses rebuilder.

Why didn't you start with a common as dirt '65 since your filling the side scoops anyway?

Not that I think you've "ruined a rare kit" or anything like that it's just you could have done the same thing a lot sooner with a '65.

I was going to do this as a practice to see how it looks, then do it to the '65, but so far this one might be a keeper! Broken A pillars and vent posts were the biggest problems, that and the fact that all I had was a body, no hood or glass or anything else.

I do have the '65 kit though.

I still haven't decided if it'll be a modern or period style build, just having fun!

 

[dino246gt]

Before I filled the original door cut lines, I made  green tape templates.

I used those templates to position the stock size door where I wanted the new door cut lines.

For the original cuts lines, I made them slightly wider and deeper, then pressed .010 styrene rod into them so I wouldn't be just filling them with putty.

Still a ton of work to do but I can start to see what it could look like!

Edited January 19, 2024 by dino246gt

[Sledsel]

This is looking pretty cool.

[Kah puts]

What a transformation ?

[Alteredworks]

Awesome ? 

[BDSchindler]

Excellent! You're giving me ideas on what to do with a different kit.

Edited January 20, 2024 by BDSchindler

[NOBLNG]

Beautiful work so far Dennis!? The proportions are looking “proper”.?

[Chuckyg1]

Coming along nicely so far. Starting to look evil, like a predator.

[TheBEAUMONTGURU]

Those of us who have cut up and spliced together body panels know how much work it is to get everything fit and smoothed out with putty and bits of plastic.  Dennis, you are a master of this!!!

[blunc]

On 1/18/2024 at 1:32 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

It is hard to improve on a car that's so right the way it came (as most people who've customized first-gen T-birds have amply demonstrated), but your proportions look good so far.

This will definitely be one worth watching.  

I agree with Bill on this, it could be spun as a mid-sixties Buick concept car for the pony car market.

I posted a similar concept by "photo-chopping" a '67 Galaxie. It's on one of my back burners, unfortunately, my back burners would fill a football field.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, blunc said:

I agree with Bill on this, it could be spun as a mid-sixties Buick concept car for the pony car market.

I posted a similar concept by "photo-chopping" a '67 Galaxie. It's on one of my back burners, unfortunately, my back burners would fill a football field.

Which was one of the best looking pieces of work like that I've ever seen...and I liked it SO much, I finally snagged a relatively inexpensive promo to build it in 1/25. Ummmm...someday.  

[Dan Hay]

I love this because it's subtle. Unless you know Rivis one might not know what has been done. Really looks cool!