Thanks for the info, Paul!
I'm a couple of months away from being able to get down that way again, maybe only 6 weeks, but until I can get the car examined I won't know if it is even worth fixing or not...the body shop guy I had look at it suggested it would be a great donor car if I wanted to start all over, but I'm not sure I want to do that if I can get the car going. Everyone who has ever worked on the car just marvels at the way the chassis is constructed (it is not a tube frame, actually looks more like a production vehicle) and they all believe the car was constructed to be a race car...little (?) things like heavy gauge aluminum fuel cell with foam blocks inside, pro-quality electric fuel pump and filter, 4-wheel Dynalite disc brakes, and a very compliant parallel 4-bar rear suspension with coilovers. It deserves to be resurected, if at all possible.
I will certainly start in the Houston area, since the car is only about 30 miles from the south end of Houston...and your recommendations are all close enough that once I get a differential in it that will allow me to bolt on wheels I should be able to get it on a dolly or car-hauler trailer and up to the Tomball area.
Again, Paul, thanks SO much for the referrals, and I will be sure to mention your name when I call them. Another TCC member has contacted me with recommendations near Austin, too...so I'm sure there will be a way to get it fixed...but first things first...I may be in touch with you regarding your spare parts. Since I just spent so much rebuilding the Traction-Loc 9" pumpkin I'd like to use it if at all possible. That Versailles rear-end is interesting, for sure!
I do have a pickup and so I can transport things, but thanks for the offer to deliver to the Houston area if I need it. I recall the Versaille also had 4-wheel discs, too...once I get the housing out of the "wreck" I will know more about brackets, etc...I figure if the pumpkin is OK I'll keep it in storage while I send my current differential housing to whichever business I choose to transfer all the brackets, etc., so that they can make their own measurements.
It all sounds so expensive...especially on a teacher's salary, but it is important enough that I am dedicated to getting it back on the road as soon as I can (which, given all the damage and perhaps other damages I don't know about yet, will be a LONG time, I think).
Cheers!
Dugly
