Quote: I think Dave is trying to accomplish more with this one other than a perfect car. Correct me if I'm wrong Dave.
Hi Mr. C, You have correctly assessed some of the rationale of doing this car. The A Body guys have been asking me (a long time) for the same attention that the B & E Body guys have received. It amazes me that people who have never seen the car, or even know what it is, have such definite OPINIONS about it. Even more comical is how one guy emailed me telling me what MY true intentions are concerning this project and not to argue with him otherwise! Maybe he can fill me in on what I think about other factors in my life. First of all the car will have to be worked on with the same mindset of the previous projects we did. The only difference will be that hundreds of hours on eBay and tens of thousands of dollars will not have to be allocated in finding parts. Some here say that is like shooting fish in a barrel?!? Since when did spending time looking for parts on eBay, Hemmings, etc…. constitute “factory documentation and research.” The CAR is the research!! I feel fortunate in not having to go through those arduous, (usually) necessary evils. As a matter of fact Chris, look at all the grief I took from these same individuals who did nothing but argue and nit pick about all the different parts that I DID have to locate after the fact. My Challenger was a complete car but the parts were in a condition that did not allow me to reuse the majority of them during the restoration. I was criticized for THAT particular scenario and now that I have found a way to keep ALL the original parts with the car, I am STILL getting chastised for! (I know the underlying basis of their criticism though.) This car will still require a tremendous amount of time and artistic effort to end up with the desired results. ALL the bare metal will have to be reconditioned to look like new. The engine will have to be pulled and repainted to look like new again. The transmission will have to be detailed to look like new. The engine bay, K Frame, Rear End Housing, Power Steering Unit, Trunk, etc…. will have to be repainted to look like new again. The reoccurring theme here is “like new again.” I personally do not like the looks of a 40 year old survivor vehicle. While they are very nice, they do not look NEW. I enjoy making them look like factory fresh without the final result looking deliberate or “home made.” For those who can’t understand how this helps the reproduction market, it is quite simple. As I go about disassembling AND DOCUMENTING EVERY SINGLE SCREW AND THE DIRECTION THEY WERE FACING WHEN REMOVED, I will have perfect examples of parts to format the new reproductions from. That is the beauty of this ordeal. Having pristine samples to make new products from. Isn’t that always a big complaint in the reproduction market? The parts just don’t look or fit just right! Nowhere did I ever say that these reproduction products will end up on this car. The original parts are nice enough for me to rework and restore them to look like new. I personally think it is beneficial NOT to have to spend endless hours replacing and having to find NOS parts. (Not to mention the economics of the project.) I think I have already put enough time and effort in that particular area with the last two cars. The first car was an incorrectly restored vehicle that we re-did and the critics said, “big deal…you took the characteristics from other original cars and put them back on yours”. The next car was a completely original car that needed many parts to be replaced with NOS parts. The critics came back with, “yeah but you didn’t put the correct NOS parts on the car that you should have”. Now I have a survivor and they have done a 180 from the FIRST scenario and are griping about this! Do you get the feeling it is not about what is being done with the cars but something that goes a little deeper with these people? For those that don’t appreciate or approve of the direction of this project….tough! Take care of yourselves and enjoy your life (and cars) the way you see fit.
First of all the car will have to be worked on with the same mindset of the previous projects we did. The only difference will be that hundreds of hours on eBay and tens of thousands of dollars will not have to be allocated in finding parts. Some here say that is like shooting fish in a barrel?!? Since when did spending time looking for parts on eBay, Hemmings, etc…. constitute “factory documentation and research.” The CAR is the research!! I feel fortunate in not having to go through those arduous, (usually) necessary evils. As a matter of fact Chris, look at all the grief I took from these same individuals who did nothing but argue and nit pick about all the different parts that I DID have to locate after the fact. My Challenger was a complete car but the parts were in a condition that did not allow me to reuse the majority of them during the restoration. I was criticized for THAT particular scenario and now that I have found a way to keep ALL the original parts with the car, I am STILL getting chastised for! (I know the underlying basis of their criticism though.) 
