Two steps back...

After several months of inattention, I decided to resume work on the car at some point late last year.  In March 2009, my bride lost her job of 23 years, which had a significant impact on family finances, and my ability to divert funds to the oft-neglected Tempest project.  I had a small windfall that came my way a few weeks before she lost her job, and was having a grand time planning how I would spend it on the car.  Once the unemployment bombshell hit, my dreams of finally making some progress on the car vanished, as my newly-acquired dollars were transferred to the emergency fund.  I know that I’ll get the money back some day, but the net effect was a screeching halt to my grand plans.

Around September of last year, I started looking for low/no cost things I could do to the car.  The majority of the suspension and brake work had been completed, and installation of the steering column and related items was on hold until I was ready to install the master cylinder and booster.  Gutting the interior seemed to be the next logical step.  I enlisted the help of Pierce, who approached the project with great delight until he was assigned floorboard scraping detail.  His enthusiasm level really dropped after the first minute or two of that task.  His loud sighs and exhales were getting on my nerves, so I sent him back in the house to resume playing video games.  For some reason, his attitude changed after that.  With him away, having his brains sucked out by the one-eyed monster in the den, I was able to finish the floorboards.

Overall, the floorpans were in decent shape.  The passenger side front pan will need to be patched, and there are a few holes in both rear pan areas that will need that treatment, as well.  There's no way around cutting out the driver side pan - it's too far gone.  The floor under the rear seat was in good shape.  I figured that would be the worst part of the floorboard and was pleasantly surprised when I saw how good it looked.

The next step - saving for the replacement pans.  I have a few pals with welding equipment, so I'm hoping to call on them in a few months for assistance.  Until then, I'll keep looking for free stuff to do.

To close on a positive note - my friend Bobby gave me some 14" wheels already mounted with tires.  I can't begin to tell you how great it was to see that car back on the ground after having been on jackstands for almost three years.  I was so happy, I washed the car!