PERLITA TOO, The First Riva Tritone. The story of the Ups and Downs of A Hollywood Star.

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FIRST OWNER ROLAND REED, AND DIAN FAUNTELLE ‘PERLITA’, LAUNCHING DAY 1953
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FILM & TV PRODUCER ROLAND REED LOOKS ON AS PERLITA TOO ARRIVES DOCKSIDE IN LA,1953.
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE!
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DIAN FAUNTELLE (PERLITA) DOES THE HONORS WITH THE BUBBLY!
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FAST FORWARD 20 YEARS; TYPICAL FATE OF ‘JUST ANOTHER OLD WOOD BOAT’.....
FORTUNATELY 3RD OWNER BOB BURNAND WAS YOUNG & AMBITIOUS....(FIDO IS ALREADY EXHAUSTED...)
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COUPLE OF YEARS LATER SHE’S BACK, AND KEEPING GOOD COMPANY WITH A PALMER-JOHNSON & A STEPHENS
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A GORGEOUS 20 YR OLD, PLAYING IN THE SURF OFF NEWPORT BEACH
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BARNFIND RIVA! HOLLYWOOD DAYS BEHIND HER, PERLITA IS DISCOVERD IN A BARN
IN THE SACRAMENTO DELTA, CA. 1990
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THANK YOU ALAN FURTH! PERLITA TOO SURVIVED THE NEXT 10 YEARS IN A BARN ON THE RANCH,
WAITING TO BE (RE)DISCOVERED.
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ALMOST 20 MORE YEARS OF TRAVELS, WAREHOUSES, (AND ANOTHER BARN!)......
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NOVEMBER 2007 INTO CHRIS CASPARIS’ SHOP, SEA SONIC BOATS LTD IN KELOWNA BC,
TO BEGIN HER MULTI-YEAR MAKEOVER
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THERE’S GOOD NEWS AND THERE’S BAD NEWS...FIRST, THE BAD......
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THE GOOD NEWS...THERE WAS ALWAYS A BOAT !
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WOOD IS GOOD! 40 FT. X 3” THICK MAHOGANY PLANKS FROM SWITZERLAND, LOTS OF THEM.
AND CLAMPS; LOTS OF THEM, TOO!
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ONCE AGAIN, BEAUTY WILL BE MORE THAN SKIN DEEP....
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IN THE BEST HOLLYWOOD TRADITION, THE SEA SONIC SKIN REJUVENATION PROGRAM....
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EVERY SQUARE INCH FITTED BY HAND......DOING THINGS THE OLD WAY.
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OVER 2 YEARS INTO THE PROJECT, AND STILL GOING, AND GOING, AND GOING.....
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PERLITA REUNITED WITH HER MASSIVE SCRIPPS V12, THE HEART OF THE MATTER....
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HOW MANY GALLONS.... ??
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THE WAY IT WAS, 1989, AND 1972 WITH 2 McCULLOCH SUPERCHARGERS!
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BUNDLES OF MONEY TURNS BOXES OF RUSTY PARTS INTO A FRESH VINTAGE MOTOR
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WHEN YOU WANT YOUR MOTOR DONE RIGHT.....JIM McNEILLY IS THE GUY.
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DOUBLEHEADER: TESTING THE SCRIPPS AND THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE DOCK. WE’RE HAPPY!
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THE ONLY 2 IN THE WORLD, RESTORED TO BETTER THAN NEW BY HARTMUT BEHRENS
AT NORTH HOLLYWOOD SPEEDOMETER
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ALL THAT GLITTERS IS INDEED GOLD, OR AT LEAST PRICED LIKE IT!
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OVER 40 HOURS OF GRINDING, SANDING, COPPERING, POLISHING, FINALLY PLATING
(AND THEN DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN ‘CAUSE OF AN OVERSIGHT....)
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ALL FINISHED, RIGHT?....MMMH, NOT QUITE YET....
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IT ALL STARTED WITH OUR “RESTORED” STEERING WHEEL....
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RARE ORIGINAL DOCKING LIGHTS WARPED & BROKEN BEYOND REPAIR? “NO PROBLEM”
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BUTCH DENNISON & CREW; MASTERS OF PERIOD ITALIAN DETAILS
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ALL OF THE HUNDREDS OF DETAILS COMING TOGETHER....ALMOST READY FOR A WATER TEST
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http://casudi.posterous.com/?tag=barn ndriva
“KNOW BEFORE YOU GO”.....ONE MORE TEST BEFORE THE TEST
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FEET WET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30+ YEARS
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THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.....”START DAMMIT”
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BRIDGE CONFERS WITH THE ENGINE ROOM: “HERE’S HOW WE’RE GONNA DO IT”
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WOO HOO! WHAT SPEED LIMIT? McNEILLY SAYS “GO fOR IT”
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THAT WAS FUN! WE NEED ANOTHER 35 GALLONS OF HI-TEST
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THE PERLITA TOO RESTORATION HALL OF FAME
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JEWELRY FOR PERLITA TOO
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CARLO RIVA - THE LEGEND BEHIND THE RIVA
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PERLITA AT THE GASWORKS
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THE DREAM
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PERLITA TOO SPECIFICATION SHEET
PERLITA TOO, hull no. 3, has a number of firsts to her credit; she was the first series-production Tritone, built
in 1953, the first Riva sold to the USA, indeed the first Riva sold outside of Italy, in over 100 years! PERLITA is
the oldest Tritone remaining; #2 and #’s 4-10 no longer exist. (#9 has been extensively modified and no longer
is a Tritone, and #11 has been modified in restoration).
SPECIFICATIONS
Hull no. 3 (first series-production Tritone) (total production: 258 hulls)
Length: 7,92 m
Beam: 2,76 m
Draft: 0,55 m
Weight: 2,700 kg
Construction: plank on frame/multi layer plywood bottom
Material: African Mahogany; frames: sipo, topsides: sapele, bottom:
Fastening: silicon bronze screws, copper rivets, adhesives, epoxy plywood bottom
Engines: 1x Scripps Model 302 V12, displ. (894) 14,650 cmc.
Power: 350 HP @ 2600 RPM
Speed: 75,126 Km/h (UIM World Record Speed, 1954)
Export price 1953: $11,360 usd
Options: lifting cables, copper exhaust mufflers, bilge hand pump, windshield-mounted spotlight, docking
lights, Sparton horn, full custom triple-axle show trailer.
RESTORATION The restoration has required over 4 years and thousands of hours, in addition to 20 years
of research. The hull has been substantially rebuilt due to age and deterioration. Chris Casparis of Sea Sonic
Boats Ltd. Kelowna, BC, Canada, did all the woodworking. The rare Scripps V12 motor was totally rebuilt
by Jim McNeilly of Seattle, WA. The myriad of mechanical and final assembly details have been overseen by
Dennison Motorsports. At all times the project has been managed ‘hands-on’ by Lake Tahoe Classic Boats.
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