The update on the car

Okay, okay. It's been a while. But, alas, I've been spending more time on the car than online. Seriously. I think I might be able to finish this project in spite of struggles, mine or otherwise.

The fuel tank is installed and the lines are connected. I have the rubber lip for the tank to be installed. I've had someone ship a new drivers' side door latch to replace the one the body shop (NuDeez Customs) forgot to put back in the car and subsequently lost. At $90 for a used part, it hurts, but alas, I gotta get this thing done.

I have the drivers' side exhaust panel installed.

I have the brake booster installed and I cleaned up the master cylinder. (Believe me, chrome rusts, and it is tough to clean up, but it does clean up. Not all master cylinders are the same, either, mine apparently has a smaller cylinder than what was in there originally. Or the parts stores rebuild kits are too large.)

I have the T-Top's trim cleaned up, polished, and installed.

I found that I am missing one of the brake lines that goes from the distribution block to the master cylinder, or I'd have those hooked up, too.

So, here is the list of things to finish :

• Headlights
• Fuel Tank protector (sits around the gas cap)
• Transmission radiator installation
• Hood
• The last brake line, then bleed the brakes
• Intake manifold
• carburetor
• distributor
• Dynamat
• Glass hardware cleanup
• Door glass
• Door panels
• Fabricate 1/16" plate to house the shifter
• carpeting
• windshield
• install the center console
• install the ignition switch and alarm switch in the fender
• install the dashboard
• connect the emergency brake and speedometer cables
• install the door glass
• Install the battery and starter

Sounds like a big list, but it's really small stuff. Yahoo!

Body Damage before I start going

Okay. I know, Nudeez Customs didn't do as good a paint job for 16,727.21 as I would have liked, and there are a few issues. However, I just added even MORE trouble to the infamous corvette.

I'm trying to install the passengers side mirror, and the bolts just DON'T want to attach. I lost three bolts, and the fourth one caught. The mirror slid and scratched the paint. No biggie, I can wet sand/cut it and fix that. I try installing the OTHER bolt to ensure the mirror is on there, and realize that the bolt holding the mirror is cross threaded. I try to pot the mirror forward, and it ends up flying about two feet forward, gouging the paint and fiberglass, and falling to the concrete and chipping the paint on the mirror in a number of places.

This is bad, because I don't have the paint formula, and I'm unwilling to take it back to the painter who did the paint job. He broke his contract in providing pictures of the body work, and also in providing the paint formula. So, he's no longer an option.

Instead, I need a local shop who can :

• re-formulate the paint
• fix the mirror
• provide me with a little extra paint to get back and repair the body gouge

And I can't wait to see the bill.