Some 334 days have now elapsed since I committed to document my journey as I attempted to resurrect my 02 from 35 years of neglect. I must admit, I have been less than diligent in documenting my progress over the past 7 months. Truth be told, tearing apart cars got pretty tired very quickly. The upside of the exercise is the knowledge I managed to gain in the process which I should add, has translated into a new found confidence when it comes to mechanical end of things. In addition and now this stage of the build is over, the next one will be hopefully more enjoyable and easier to share.

Looking back, I entered into this forum knowing very little about what was in store for me. I knew it would take a considerable amount of time AND resources to complete the project given the lack of experience I had under my belt. Soon after I started to deconstruct my car I quickly realized this was going to take even more time before I could start putting the car back together. The many questions that I had from the outset quickly multiplied as I started to plan the build, but as luck would have it, a sense of clarity began to show its face as I started to use the many resources found here. Simply put the forum has provided me more than I could ever expect, it has been a god send. After coaching baseball for more than 25 years I thought I would never again experience that sense of community that I got from the game and the many coaches who were always quick to share their thoughts and ideas. This forum I can honestly say, has exceeded that and I would like to take the time to thank the many who have provided that help so freely. I honestly would not be at the stage I am without it. So my many thanks go out to all.

As mentioned earlier its has been some Eleven months since the first entry to my blog. Today, I am happy to report I am ready to start in on that long road of re-construction. After spending much of the last 9 months parting a few cars in an attempt to gather parts, I have now arrived at a point where I can really start to see some progress, oh ya and start spending some serious bucks too.

some befores....

So after the final removal of the glass and headliner the car will be ready for some media blasting in the next few days. Next it will be off to a lil ol’ restoration that I managed to find not more than 10 minutes from my door. It is a small 2 man shop chuck full of European classics run by a couple of panel bashers from London who had been trained by Mercedes Benz. feel pretty confident they will live up to their billing.

Finally, and by no means least on the schedule will be a short trip down the I5 to Seattle and Midnight Autosport for a performance makeover with Patrick O’Neil. Another highly recommended find. So after a long eventful and at times, frustrating year, this is a nice change to see some light at the end of what seemed like a never ending tunnel. Can not wait to post some "afters"