November 13, 1999

I figured since it a pretty good day out today, I would do a few more things to ready the car for the body shop. I removed the gas tank, dual exhaust, and the rear cowls and trim. Now the car is definately ready to be taken. Just waiting for the call to have it flatbedded!!!!!!!!

December 4, 1999

I received a call this past week. My SEATS are DONE!!!!!! Picked them up today. They look like they just came off the Pontiac assembly line. If anybody has a Black cloth interior, I recommend that you get your seats done soon. The shop was ONLY able to find ONE source for the original material. He showed me HIS price for the material at $95 a sq. yd. while supplies last. The material has like a darker black teardrop pattern within the black fabric.

December 28, 1999

Well, it looks like the third body shop has more insurance work lining up ahead of me. So I decided to find another possible shop to do the work, and fortunately I did... They are bringing the roll-back to my house to pick up the car this afternoon... Finally back on a roll!!!! They plan on starting the work on Monday 1-3-2000.

January 8, 2000

Stopped by the shop to drop off the full set of new body mounts. I saw they now have the trunk completely burned out and ready to install the new trunk panels I purchased from AMES, and refabricate the lower quarter panels and wheelwells. At this point, it is now much easier to remove the rear axle for overhaul. It is a 10 bolt limited slip 3.23:1 rear. I am very PLEASED at the work so far!!! It's hard to find a GOOD fabricator (bodyman)...

January 15, 2000

Sad to say, I found out today that my rear axle is a 3.23:1 OPEN rear. The fact sheet says it is a limited slip. Looks like 1 of the 4 previous onwers changed out the rear, prior to my purchase of the car back in 1980 with about 95,000 miles on it. The bodywork ,however, is looking GREAT!! The passenger side lower rear quarters and trunk are just about finished with the rough metal work. The front and rear windows have been removed as well..

January 16, 2000

Decided to try and locate a 3.23:1 Limited slip rear axle with the code of 5F. Have had some GREATLY appreciated help from the guys on the 69-77 Grand Prix E-mail list, but still looking for that rear. This is just another little hurdle to overcome with the restoration process.

January 17, 2000

My son Chris, was up most of Sunday night with the "bug" and then my wife decided to wake up to a Migrain, so I stayed home to be "Mr. Mom". Well, this gave me a chance to locate a rear axle. I must have called a dozen yards with no result except for a Chevy 12 bolt 3.42 posi that needs to be overhauled. I started going through the Hemmings Book and found a guy relatively close to me, with a 3.55 posi that came out of a 69 SJ 4 speed. I had to buy it!!!! This was SOME coincidence...

January 22, 2000

Checked out the progress at the shop, and to my surprise, the whole trunk including the box sides down to the bottom of the rear quarter panel, is all welded in. This is only 3 weeks, and the back half of the car is nearly done.

Page 14