Ken,
It was nice to see youse guys on TV having fun with the GS gang. I'm sure that we know, thru other member's experiences with "reality TV" that not all is real.....and mostly all is for drama and "getting eyeballs" on ads!!!
That said, you had quite a project! The fact that the electrical wiring was such a non-present item really cramped progress. I fully questioned the likelihood of their expert being able to wire an entire car with the "out of the box" hot rod wiring setup...... Most notably being able to wire up the front headlamps to be operational, with NO guidance of any prior parts being in place!!! No knowledge of the questionable but functional engineering involved.......and now how to put it back to right!
Next would have been the ability to get all of the gauges and AC stuff working, again, because nothing was there! (Looked like there was a new Classic Auto AIr(?) unit hanging in the dash already, waiting to be installed?) Followed by power windows.......but they did a good job of making it run for the cameras and your first drives!!!
Having messed around with Clevelands for years, I had to comment that your engine looked perhaps to be a replacement block, as it was a 2bolt main casting. Joe does very well with them, but he stayed away from any part numbers or date codes for any "originality verification" which sometimes comes up in his conversations.
I couldn't see if the heads were closed chambers or open, It seemed like the pistons may have been flat tops, but there was so much goo and liquid in the shots we were able to see, that it was difficult to see.
Great to have a machine shop close by that could handle the sleeving operations so quickly!!!!
It was interesting to see that another of this season's episodes involved a 72 Torino with a blowed up 351C in it! Also a 4V with flat tops (seen easily this time) but unknown head style.....this episodes block was supposedly cracked, so a complete shortblock/block had to be source! Another machine shop rescue....!
How mild was the cam that Joe installed? Any spec's that you know of? The engine sounded very healthy once finally started!
Sounds like you guys all had fun! Even mom! Enjoy your beautiful car!!!!! At least these guys didn't cut the car in half and TOTALLY ruin an otherwise problem free car....like another car show recently did, to create a wild custom on a Roadster Shop chassis!!!! They could have built 'glass molds and made carbon fiber body parts to put on the new chassis in about the same time that they took to cut the car apart and then hack it back together! Just sayin!
Cheers!
Steve