Riviera Resto

[jk16vturbo]

Eastwood makes a tool the Contour SCT which would have probably made cleaning the underside of your car a bit easier than using an angle grinder.  Great job though, makes me want to get to work on mine before the garage is up and running. 

[Pdxguy]

15 hours ago, Get2theBimmah said:

 

 

The biggest difference is no waxing (but that's what ceramic coating is for). 

Did you apply a ceramic coat as well? Before or after the PPF?

[John_in_VA]

4 hours ago, Pdxguy said:

Did you apply a ceramic coat as well? Before or after the PPF?

 

Ceramic coating goes on the PPF once installed, not on the car (except the areas not covered by PPF).

[Get2theBimmah]

20 hours ago, ray_ said:

I see that the gas cap now appears to be clocked correctly

 

Do you have any paint left over? I need a sample. My ugly car is supposed to be Riviera.

 

Looks great!

 

Cheers,

 

heh yep!  Gotta be horizontal.  That's a good question.  Been over a year since it was with the body guy.  We got our sample to match from under the B pillar strip, not tainted by age or the PO's DIY paint job. 

 

Thanks!  

 

20 hours ago, wkohler said:

Wow.  Just read the whole thread.  Beautiful.

 

Thank you!

 

10 hours ago, PapaG said:

I have not seen this thread before. I am at the front end of what I hope to be a resto similar to yours on a '76, my car is completely stripped to the tub and is about to go off for metal and paint work. Spectacular work on this, just spectacular. Thank you for sharing this, I will come back to this thread for a dose of perseverance when I get frustrated and crimp my brake lines!!!! Great great job.

 

Right on! Oh yes, lots of frustration and all the similar emotions along the way followed by small victories haha.  Thanks, and good luck with yours...send some pics over as you go along. 

 

7 hours ago, jk16vturbo said:

Eastwood makes a tool the Contour SCT which would have probably made cleaning the underside of your car a bit easier than using an angle grinder.  Great job though, makes me want to get to work on mine before the garage is up and running. 

 

That certainly would've helped the process haha.  Yes!! Go get it! 

 

5 hours ago, Pdxguy said:

Did you apply a ceramic coat as well? Before or after the PPF?

 

58 minutes ago, John_in_VA said:

 

Ceramic coating goes on the PPF once installed, not on the car (except the areas not covered by PPF).

 

Exactly.  The ceramic coating is a liquid top coat that cures/hardens on top of the clear coat or film.  If you've got the film, then it goes on top.  If there's no film, it goes right onto the paint.  There's also special ceramic coating for wheels and brakes for the higher temp areas as well as one for fabrics for the interior. 

[ray_]

49 minutes ago, Get2theBimmah said:

 

heh yep!  Gotta be horizontal.  That's a good question.  Been over a year since it was with the body guy.  We got our sample to match from under the B pillar strip, not tainted by age or the PO's DIY paint job. 

 

Thanks!  

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

Yeah, that's what I should do. I can't see the forest for the trees sometimes!

[Get2theBimmah]

Was meaning to continue the updates, but got sidetracked...

 

Backtracking to the last update, aside from the little neighborhood spin around the shop, I had not yet taken it out on a proper drive.  The trim work and car wash were completed the Saturday night before Father's Day.  It was just enough to make it presentable for the cruise and shakedown.  The plan was for Emily and I to take it from the shop over to my parent's house to show them.  My father had gotten sick shortly after I took the car off the road, so other than sending pics over his way, he or my mom had not seen the car since I was knocking rust off of it and chipping off layers of bondo in their driveway years before.  I couldn't wait to get him in the passenger seat and go out for a drive!!

 

First time I got to see the car out in the sunlight this far along as the other day was overcast. 

 

My dad had such a blast cruising around with me, Em and the dog!  He loved the way it drove, but he enjoyed all of the thumbs up and waves we got a little more I think.  A shady spot allowed for a cool down for everyone while a quick sandwich run and more driving was in order. 

 

Later on, the next stop was over by her family to see her dad.  We stopped for some sweets to bring by and I checked over the engine compartment to see how everything was holding up on the 90*+ day.  While I was under the hood, a guy came up to me asking if it was an 02 and that these used to surprise them and their V8's back when they were new.  I was quickly reminded of how much I enjoyed the reminiscing and stories that strangers would come up to share with me. 

 

 

Outside, soaking up the sun in all of it's glory.  Still gotta add the front bumper and rocker trim, but I am diggin the no bumper look a bit.  Such a surreal feeling to see the car tangibly how I wanted it, after picturing it in my head all those years.

 

 

When the day came to an end, we swung back to the shop to drop the car off.  While it still isn't finished yet, we realized what a special day it was getting the car formally on the road for the first time in over 4 years, but even more so, to have taken both of our fathers out for drives in it on its maiden day on Father's Day.  As we plan on keeping this car in the family for a very, very long time, we will look back at this point in time and cherish how awesome it was to be able to do that. (not to mention there were no hiccups or issues either!) Victory and smiles all around!

[ray_]

AWESOME!

[zinz]

Wow! It looks amazing!

 

Congratulations!

 

Ed Z

[Lorin]

That is a Beautiful 2002.

[Get2theBimmah]

On 6/27/2021 at 6:53 PM, ray_ said:

AWESOME!

 

11 hours ago, zinz said:

Wow! It looks amazing!

 

Congratulations!

 

Ed Z

 

11 hours ago, Lorin said:

That is a Beautiful 2002.

 

Thanks guys! 

[Get2theBimmah]

Met up with my friend, Ryan, and his Bavaria for a little cruise. 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at a local park to snap some shots. 

 

 

Some real ones from his camera. 

 

 

[Get2theBimmah]

 

More side by sides with the Bav.  We took them up 2 hours north to Lime Rock Park for the Historic Festival over Labor Day Weekend.  They did great going up there and it was incredibly enjoyable blasting through those mountain roads near the track.  Not as many 02's in the corral parking as usual, but more 02's on track in their class than I can remember in recent years..

 

\

 

Some of the said 02's 

 

 

 

 

 

A few others I'm going through and editing..

 

 

This Cortina and the silver/blue #60 2002 were having a hell of a battle all race. The 02 won despite his throttle sticking on one of the last laps :yikes: 

 

[Get2theBimmah]

Wow, can't believe how long it has been since I've checked in.  

 

Got about 3,500 miles on it since the first official drive, taking it out just about every weekend that I can even if it is for a short loop to get my fix. 

 

As it goes with getting more miles on it, I thought it would be a good idea to tweak the tuna can adjustments, which I had no prior experience messing with.  Digging through the old threads and with the help called on from some of you guys here on the side,  she's driving nicer than she ever did.  I did install an AFR gauge which is the necessary game changer that was drilled home in all of those threads.  I keep tucked in the glove box to stay out of sight unless I need it with a quick pop down to keep an eye on.  That also made it convenient to extend out onto the dashboard and face through the windshield while I was under the hood. 

 

 

 

 

Finally added the lower rocker trim which really makes a big aesthetic difference.  Like everyone else, I was having an issue with the snap clips.  I ended up using kayak rubber nutserts to secure the clips into the body without damaging the paint.

 

I called in a favor to BBS and was able to score some NOS 15" BBS E30 magnesium wheels.  I was sitting on them for a couple of years towards the end of the project that I kept quiet until I got the car on the road and finished assembling them.   You may have noticed them teasing in the breakfast run photo ^ 

 

 

 

 

 

With the hiatus from this thread, in 2022 we bought our first house!  We had been looking for about 3 years and C19 really jammed everything up.  We got super lucky to score this house AND it has a detached 2 car tandem garage!  I was finally able to get the 02 out of the shop and reunited with the M3....and of course, the old pup.

 

In September of 2023 Emily and I got married!  We used the 02 to drive off from the church to the reception.  Needless to say, she will NEVER let me sell the car now. 

 

 

 

 

and a few more random 02 photos 

2w

 

 

[jgerock]

Nicely done on all accounts! Glad there’s another Riviera/brown combo on the East Coast.

[Get2theBimmah]

On 1/27/2024 at 7:28 PM, jgerock said:

Nicely done on all accounts! Glad there’s another Riviera/brown combo on the East Coast.

Thanks, Jim!  That's the combo! Yours looks so good.