[Ron in SoCal]

Originally Posted by 214Chevelle

Wow Ron!! Sorry I don't have any advice to give you as many times as you've answered the phone or returned my calls and gave me great advice. I can offer mental support and say, I hope it gets better. This is just a small hurdle that you will conquer with no problem. Don't worry...fret not, the car will make you proud..

You're too kind Bro

Originally Posted by intocarss

You know the old saying...

If It Has Wheels Or A Skirt Ur Gonna Have Problems!! You'll get it sorted out

Or like Sieg said, or a prop

Originally Posted by GregWeld

I got a good laugh out of Lance's post about you doing the work.... Obviously he isn't tracking for the last decade. LOL


I was on the chassis dyno and the fitting blew out of the rack... took the threads with it. That's the problem with running a REBUILT rack... and aluminum with steel fittings... and who the hell knows the fit on the threads. Might have been galled when the old fitting was removed and took half the threads with it. I bought a BRAND NEW rack to "fix" the problem.

Funny thing about building these cars.... I've buttoned up motors that I've built personally which includes cutting ring gaps etc - and fired 'em up - set the timing and adjust the carb and drove to Reno and back.... and I've had pro built motors that didn't last the week... and pro built motors that never leaked or did anything but work as they should.... I've had two hot rods pro built now - one was a complete hassle and the other was a complete joy. Go figure.

Not all body shops are good mechanics and not many mechanics are good body people... very few have the staffing to have great mechanics and great metal workers and paint people all under one roof... and these cars get taken apart and put back together during the build so many times it's a wonder any of them ever run at all.

Add to this - now we also expect the builders to be a suspension specialists for our PT builds... Oh yeah - and we got the front end from someone and the rear end from somebody else - and then we changed our plan 6 times.

In other words -- welcome to hot rodding.

Originally Posted by SSLance

I typed that part out 3 or 4 different times trying to not offend anyone...and finally just took the high road.

In the end, the car owner IS the only one that has to make sure all the parts and pieces work to his\her liking. It's not a whole lot different than building a house...someone has to make sure all of the sub contractors are getting things done correctly and they'll all tell you, it's not THEIR fault...when things go wrong... Even the general contractor on a job has to be held in check to make sure things get done right.

My brother just had a blow up with a paint shop over the painting of the front fender of his Harley. A simple $275 job turned into a month of mistakes, lies, threats, excuses, more lies, and eventually a customer taking his job out the door, unfinished and unhappy about it. At least an experienced hot rod builder realizes that these things happen and just rolls with the punches.

Lance, you and GW are both right. As much time, money and wrenching as I've spent / done on this car after paint I tried to get it through shops to get it done as quickly as possible. Between work and family that's the best I could do and not have the project take longer. Besides, even that took long enough

And really - as I was telling a good friend the other day - no one cleans your house the way you'd like them to, and no one will be as anal about your car/project/baby as you would like them to. It's just the reality. So us addicts spend more personal time than anyone with a real life should.

Oh and don't worry about offending me. If I was that thin-skinned GW/Dave/Rob/Todd woulda ran me off long ago