The custom shop called me about two months ago with some bad news-most of the entire back third of the car is basically rust/cancer (I guess they finally started on it).
I was unclear what the holdup is with the frame, as what they told me didn't add up properly, so I headed up early to take a look (~4 hours away). Luckily the wife knocked off work early so I could leave, and that these guys work very late into the night.
My initial theory is that them being Californians, they view rust the same way they do cold. They don't actually know anything about it but think they do.
They suggested stripping into the running gear and putting it into another body.
The thought of that is distressing to me. I am not restoring A car to just have a car. I'm restoring THE car. If I were to pick a classic car to tool around in, it likely wouldn't be a '61 Chrysler-the history of this car makes it more important to me than just buying another.
But....there are times when one has to look at the costs, and that one could buy a complete one for less and just be on the road. These are things a reasonable man might do.
The truth is, I've never been a reasonable man.
They pointed out a number of issues that they were clear the best way to fix them would be to find the whole rear third of a non-rusty car and take what they needed.
This seemed unlikely to me so I told them that was no problem.
Two days later I found this:
