Actually, we're not "drama queens." And have turned down four production companies wanting to do a TV show here. Not to mention, the past three years we've had cars at SEMA they were all done months in advance.
As for the parts I was looking for help finding, EVERYONE here and at Redi Strip thought they were sheet metal. Turns out they are pot metal, and no one caught it. So they disappeared in the tank at Redi Strip. No one on the project noticed they were missing until Wednesday when we were installing the headliner and putting in the garnish moldings. Who's fault is that? Mine. Solely. I should have done the magnet check, or asked someone. My fault. When I decided to look for another set in a short time frame, my first thought was For A Bodies Only. Community of A Body fans, MoPar fellows, and I know there are some Early A Body guys around Chicago. Perhaps I was wrong?
I've always been fascinated with how, if you're building a Camaro or a Mustang, anyone who owns one is a fan (within reason) of your build. But with certain brands, you're either doing it right or completely wrong. I've been a MoPar fan in my private life since I was 6 and steering my brothers 'Cuda in a parking lot while sitting on his lap. Plymouth by definition, with a love of Dodge Power Wagons also. At the shop, I have to be a fan of whatever walks though the door to be built. And, truth be told, I am. I'm a car guy. But Plymouth is my first love. So when we decided to build a car to hit the USCA and Autocross scene, we could have built anything. And a 100x easier to find parts. But we like to be different. I owned the '64 Valiant, and could see it as a really cool Trans Am style car, given the right stance and minor body mods. I've don't about 90% of the work on the car myself. And with the press Bangshift.com has given the build, we've drawn attention to the "unloved A's" of '66 and earlier. Projects like this can sometimes steer manufacturers to start making parts that aren't available. They can make people want to save a car that might have been overlooked in the past. Or just make current owners look at their car differently and in a new light.
That's the car guy in me talking. And so is this, I've done everything I can to make this project go smoothly and get done. This isn't a TV show on Velocity. It's my livelihood. As far as committing to something we shouldn't have, maybe you should try owning your own business. And if you already do, I applaud you. If you don't, consider all the people and other businesses you have to rely on. If one of them falls down on a promise or shipment in a schedule, it can throw off the schedule on 10 other things. I ordered top rail seals for example. The Post Office swears up and down they delivered them. They aren't here, or at the neighbors businesses. I ordered another set a week ago, and requested they be sent requiring a signature this time. They still aren't here. I ordered the originals before the car was even at paint. My fault though, right? IMHO there would be more MoPar's on the road if we were more of a community supporting each other like the Camaro and Mustang guys, rather than picking apart a fellow MoPar enthusiast project for having the wrong X part or style.
Maybe next time we should build a Mustang or Camaro, instead of trying to represent the MoPar camp and be different for a change, in a sea of GM and Ford products?
Check out Project Violent Valiant on Bangshift.com if you'd like to see how it's going.
