Thanks Skip!
It's not a car that I'd build... but it is the car he wanted built. That only makes sense if you know the details and what he wanted out of the car. We spent about 2 years (beginning maybe 2004) talking about "the plan". Ricks plan was that he wanted to buy a car that he didn't have to paint. All he wanted was the body... but NO bodywork or paint. He figured and figured -- as a retired CFO would... and came up with his budget... 100 grand - including the cost of the donor. Sounds expensive until you actually start putting real numbers to paper.. AME chassis with the works - 18 grand - Motor/tranny new - 9000 ish -- etc - so we found this car in LA area for about 25g and did the road trip to fetch it.
He did not want a restoration -- he just wanted a "decent" body/paint - but on modern running gear -- with old skool interior etc...
I tried and tried and tried to talk them into stripping the car and doing a real inspection of bare metal - and then just doing a single stage urethane paint job... but no way jose.
SO in the end -- all the parts and pieces -- add up to a car that has a value of about 35 cents on the dollar.... because the body and trim that "looked okay" now don't look quite so good when you put it next to the new paint I put on the firewall and inner fender wells... etc --- and the more billet you put on it - the worse the trim looks etc. To me -- it's a lesson I've tried to save others from doing. Which is --- once you start -- you have to go all the way. Otherwise -- don't start. BUT -- always a big butt somewhere -- this is the car he designed and the car he wanted. Hydraulic clutch - 6 speed - AME chassis - great brakes - LS motor - all new wiring -- new rubber seals etc -- but it's on OLD paint - old trim - old window glass.... so to me it's half baked. A Ricks stainless steel tank underneath - right next to a bumper that needs to be re-chromed.
Since the body was on my rotisserie - stripped bare... there was nothing to slamming it in the trailer -- having it blasted - blocking it - and a quick spray... buff the trim and have the chrome done.... then it would be killer... but as it is -- he has $600 each chromed Budniks next to orange peel... LOL
Anyway -- I'm glad it's "done" and he's happy as a pig in pooh...
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