DIY Network

Ultimate Lincoln Ranch: Rich Liana From "Special Presentation" episode DMUW-S

Rich Lliana indulges his passion for Lincoln automobiles, and built a spacious garage and workshop to house and restore them.

Loads of Lincolns

Rich Liana
Troutsville, Virginia

Out the back window of Rich Liana's three-car garage workshop is a perfectly-framed view of the Blue Ridge Mountains just north of Roanoke, Viriginia. The wonderful view was a treat Rich enjoyed while building his ultimate workshop. The garage, which is almost as big as a house, sports quite a few luxuries beyond the handsome view: there's a state-of-the-art radiant heating system, a comfortable office, and a lift that can easily handle a 6,000 pound Lincoln Continental. His passion for those giant highway cruisers from '50s and '60s are the reason Rich built the garage in the first place.

advertisement

	The stable that houses Rich Liana's Lincoln's

Rich started out restoring Continentals in high school, sharing garage space with his father who is also a fan of the big cars. Soon, a hobby became a passion. The car of his dreams -- a 1941 Continental. Rich was able to acquire one of those rare Lincolns and restore it to factory-new condition. It was the sale of that beauty that helped fund Rich's move to Virginia and the construction of his new garage.

The hip-roofed garage is styled to complement Rich's brick home, set at the end of a long gravel driveway. When you enter the three-bay garage, you are immediately taken with the cleanlyness of this workshop. The floor sparkles as if this garage could serve as a hospital, which in a way it does, thanks to a coating of epoxy. (Photo 6) All of his tools are stored in a modern storage unit and his automobile parts are safely tucked away in old safe deposit boxes that weigh more than three thousand pounds.

The centerpiece of Rich's garage workshop is the power lift -- technically, a twin-post asymetrical lift -- that allow's Rich to work on his cars while standing. Once considered a luxury this model costs around $3,000, but requires a 12 foot ceiling. "After years of laying on my back taking fuel tanks out or exhaust sytems in, it's very nice to work at eye level," explains Rich.

The day we visited Rich, he was working on putting the final touches on a stretch limo version of a 1966 Lincoln. While the auto is 40 years old, every single item in the car had been either refurbished or replaced. All that needed attention was the passenger compartment, where the seats and some hardware were awaiting installation.

Rich says that the favorite part of restoring these old Lincolns is "when all the dirty work is done, and your putting the finishing touches like the chrome. It's then that you can see where at least six months of hard work has paid off."