[OLDFLM]

Originally Posted by intocarss

Great to see you got your car back! Sorry, I don't know the story of where it's been all this time..........So??

And thank you for your service Ty

Originally Posted by Rick D

Ty glad to see you made home safe and sound Car looks awesome!
So what are the plans now that you have it back home? I know you said there where a few things you want change and a couple things that need to be finished? Great looking car, Chad did a great job getting to where it is today

The "short story" is that around my 40th birthday I decided I would rather update my old muscle car that I’d had since high school (my first car) than go out and buy a mid-life crisis! LOL So, I order a set of Rushforth SuperSpokes from Jason and a hybrid set of C5/C6 brakes from Tobin at KORE3. Those updates along with a $3K scuff-n-shoot paint job from a local painter that was supposed to take just 3 weeks was all I originally had planned for the car. But, the car left on Friday the 13th of June 2008 to that first shop, and 4 months later I ran out of patience. I called Frank at Prodigy to ask for advice and he told me about this shop in south Georgia, Fletcher’s Customs. The rest, as they say, is history and can be found here in the build thread:

https://lateral-g.net/forums/show...ht=FREEDOMBIRD

Chad agreed to take on the scuff-n-shoot project for the same $3K the other guy had quoted. Along the way he offered to smooth the firewall and detail the front and rear suspension (at no additional charge I might add) along with bedlining the bottom of the car. His way of “paying it forward” in his words for all the years I’d spent on active duty in the Air Force.

Chad asked if he could start a build thread and then the project snowballed and parts started rolling in from vendors/sponsors! Every part and good deal put more of a burden on the shop to provide the labor involved to make all the modifications necessary and install all of the parts… far beyond the scope of the original offer Chad had made to paint the car. Yet the team at Fletcher’s Customs did just that and still wouldn’t accept nor ask for more money to cover all the labor. The scope increased so much that my car was the only one being worked on most of the time and that was not making the shop money.

I’m thankful beyond words to Chad Fletcher and his family, Jerry and Josh at Fletcher’s Customs for the extra work they did because of all the parts that rolled in and I know Chad invested his own monies to ensure the project made it to SEMA 2009.

And I can’t thank all the vendors and sponsors involved enough as it is their parts that made the car into what it is today!!

SEMA 2009 was the experience of a lifetime!! Not only did I get to have my car at the biggest show on Earth, I got to share that experience with the guys from Fletcher’s Customs who’d literally put their blood, sweat and tears into finishing the car in time to get it there! Not only was the car well received and a huge success, we were also interviewed by Barry Meguiar for Car Crazy on SPEED channel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmWVvSXh3fA interview with Chad is at about the 12:40 mark.

After SEMA, BMR Suspension asked if they could take the car to PRI in Orlando, FL to show off their prototype 2nd Gen Torque arm suspension on the car (Dec 2009). Then we were invited to be on Powerblock TV on SPIKE http://blog.powerblocktv.com/?p=1297 which aired several times throughout the summer of 2010. BMR again graciously trailered the car up to Franklin, TN for us to attend the taping for the show and then they took the car to the Race and Performance Expo in Chicago, and the Hot Rod and Restoration Show in Indianapolis (Mar 2010). Thereafter, several articles appeared in Pontiac Enthusiast magazine, a Car Craft centerfold, and other appearances in PHR.

Sorry, I said “short story” didn’t I?… LOL In the end, Fletcher’s Customs had to move on to projects that would turn a profit and pay the bills. Thus this thread… (c:]

Now that I “Got the Bird!” I’m going to finish up a lot of the time consuming final assembly work that wasn't able to be completed during the “thrash for SEMA” deadline. Again, I can’t express just how much I appreciate all the work completed by Fletcher’s Customs and all the involvement and support from this great community!!! The friendships made along the way will last a lifetime!!

I’m excited to finish it up and will most likely start a new thread to detail the “Punch List” of things I’m going to do myself and will be asking your advice on what to prioritize and how to go about getting them done one at a time! I will endeavor to keep you informed and provide LOTS of pictures along the way!