Well, I guess my 70 Baracuda resto has had its fair share of ups and downs but it looks like things are starting to get organised and maybe, just maybe I'll have it ready for the new year
Car is now in panel shop number 3 with the first place taking ages to start and then tripling the original quote so the car went into storage for a couple of months before I found shop number 2. All was looking good and the guy was an enthusiast (well old chevys anyway) and he gave me a fixed price to finish and promised to have the bodywork and paint finished in about three months. Well, the day I delivered the car was the day his panel beater quit so the car was in that shop for 4 months with a subcontracted panel guy failing to start due to his other commitments so nothing was done. To guy number 2's credit, he admitted that he couldn't find a panel beater he was happy with to do the car and understood when I moved the car to shop number 3. Now shop number 3 actually offered to do the job (else I probably would have waited longer with shop number 2) and being a Chrysler resto place, seemed happy to have a US Chrysler as something different to work on. These guys have promised me 3 months to have panel and paint finished and while this won't get me to this years All Chrysler Day, it does get things back on track.
Have managed to accrue most of the difficult (read expensive) 70 only parts (cuda hood, dual snorkel air cleaner, both 70 race mirrors, R11 AM radio, NOS exhaust tips - still need to do somthing about my cracked console and chipped front indicator lens though) and the grill has been restored. Seats are in getting new Legendary covers and new door trims are in storage. Original Magnum wheels are ready to go and tyres are on their way from the States. Hopefully driveline work will start shortly and Xmas holidays will see it all start to come together. Don't know if I would tackle another restoration again but starting to get more excited and patient at the same time. Thought it would be finished this time last year but just hoping for a nice end result now. Cheers, Mark
p.s. for those that don't remember, it will be Lime light, white interior, 383/727/8.75
