Dick Saller

Dick & Ron's Custom of Huntington Park, California propably installed more lifts then anyone else in the 1960s. Photo courtesy of Mike Davis.

Howard Gribble's 1966 Buick Riviera of Torrance, California. Built as a purpose-built show car, Howard's Riviera, dubbed The Uneasy Rider, featured shaved handles, hydraulics by Dick Saller, and a custom Fuschia and Silver Metalflake and veil paint job by Bill Carter and Walt Prey. The Riviera was stock when Howard bought it. He recalled buying it on a Friday. He didn’t waste any time, and the following Monday or Tuesday, he was on his way to Dick Saller to have hydraulic lifts installed. At the time, Dick was running a shop somewhere around South Gate. Prior to that, he had operated Dick & Ron's Custom together with his buddy Ron Jones. Dick and Ron had a good reputation, and Howard believed they did more lifts than anyone in the area back in those days. “Dick lifted my Riviera late in 1968.” By then, he was working on his own, and having the lifts installed took about a month. There was one pump, and it was run by one battery, so the car came up slower than the Impala, which ran two batteries and 24 volts. “It had one switch, so when you raised it, the back end would come up first, and then the front end because of the weight. Then when you put it down, the front end would fall first, and then the back end.” The car made a splash on the indoor show scene when it was completed early in 1969. Though plagued by mechanical issues, the Riviera left a lasting impression before Howard sold it around 1971. He last saw the car at a show shortly after it was traded for Allen Duke's Bloody Mary.

Dick Saller operated Dick & Ron's Custom together with Ron at Huntington Park, California. Ron and Dick's shop was located at 6034 Rugby in Huntington Park down toward Bellflower. They quit installing lifts and closed their shop in the late 1960s. Late in 1968 Dick lifted Howard Gribble's 1966 Buick Riviera. by then he was working on his own. Dick was very talented all around and worked for Barris Kustoms for a while as well. Dick moved to San Fernando Valley in the 1970s, and he ran a couple of body and custom shops in the Valley. One of the shops was located in North Hollywood, and for a while Larry Watson painted out of this shop.

Cars Featuring Hydraulic Lifts by Dick Saller

Howard Gribble's 1966 Buick Riviera - Uneasy Rider