Page 14 - ROA Online Riview Library

BY DAVID ELDRIDGE
It’s a Small World

In the Spring of 1999, a good friend in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who is was interested. Time passed and I eventually
also a Riviera “nut,” told me about a ’64 he saw in a parking lot near his contacted my friend, who told me he had done
home. He said, “You have to see it to believe it.” I made the trip to Halifax a “three for one” trade and now owned the ’64.
to look at the car. Upon seeing it, I decided that I must own it. I was, as I was somewhat surprised but said nothing.
usual, without any cash and decided that I would offer the owner “two for In August of 2001, my friend called. He and
one:” my 1985 T-Type and my black-on-black ’63 — both Rivieras, even his wife were splitting. He said the ’64 had to
trade for the ’64. I asked my friend to contact the owner to see if he be sold and asked if I was interested. I said yes
’64 and we agreed on a $5,000 deposit, an IOU
for two years, and the title. In the mean-
time, I sold my ’85 T-Type and the black ’63
for $6,000 more than I had originally agreed
to pay for the ’64. As a result, the ’64 was mine
and my friend saved me $6,000.
When my friend acquired the car, it had 9,730
miles on the odometer. Two years later when
I got the car, it showed 9,870 miles. As I drove
it home to Barrington, a distance of 150 miles,
on original bias ply tires which I still have on
their original rims, I watched the odometer
turn 10,000 miles.
I also had a fondness for the Buick Reatta and
in August 2005 came across a 1990 coupe for
sale in Goderich, Ontario. The dealer, Ken
McGee, asked about other cars in my collec-
14 July/August 2019 The Riview