Not long after my car got to the shop, his one employee left to take on another career. He was trying to make it as a one man show, but it became apparent after awhile he wasn't making much progress.
I wasn't all that upset, I had just lost a ton in my investments during the "tech wreck" and was sort of glad not to be getting bills from the shop. He got sick and couldn't work for a while, my employer started going downhill and I found myself worrying about getting laid off. Months turned to years, and by early 2005 I got laid off, but lucked out and found a better job in a month. I was really feeling pretty good for the first time in years, and really wanted my project to get back going now that I felt more secure in my career.
I traveled out to MI that summer to see my car and see if he might get going on it again, or if I needed to try to find somewhere else to take it.
Here it is after over 5 years at the shop.