Hi Everyone,

I recently started a Gen 3 build and registered for the forum. There is tons of great information on here and I am very grateful for everyone who has shared on here and helped others. This really seems to be a great community and I have already spent a good amount of time on this forum learning.

The start of my build has gone pretty well and I already have the front suspension and brakes on. A few small bumps along the way but nothing I could not get sorted. This build is a learning experience for me, and I am needing to figure some things out for the first time, but that is kind of the point. I am sure a lot of you all could have done it much faster them I have but I have been enjoying myself and figuring it out. Once I am able to post pictures, I think I may have you guys take a look and make sure I got everything together right. I did get the part on the control arms flipped the right way I think, however, only because of others posts on here. Thanks.

I am stalled on the rear end until I can find someone stronger to help put the rear differential in, so I thought I may as well start drilling. Taking the body off was a bit intimidating but my wife helped me, and we did not break anything, and I don't think I even swore. Yeah, I know. Truly amazing. Please hold your applause until the end.

In the manual, after the instructions to take the body off, it has two diagrams with 50 panels identified. I thought there was more in the manual about this but I also read the 33 hot rod manual, so I figured I was thinking of that and I thought I could just figure out where each piece in the extra box of aluminum panels they send with the kit fit with the two diagrams. Wow. I felt like a little child trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. "Does it fit here, no. How about over here, nope. Oh, maybe if I turn, no." I figured out some of the easy pieces, however, the only conclusion I could possible draw from this is that my parents must have bribed someone to get me into grade school. There is simply no way I passed out of kindergarten based on my skill level.

After putting that box back on the shelf and trying to pretend I did not fall flat on my face on the first attempt at that challenge, I made it up in my mind that I would at least find the home for two panels that came in a box with backordered parts. The two panels were not marked with part numbers, but the packing slip said they were front wheel slash shields or something like that. I spent longer then I would care to admit trying to find where the two panels went. Tried them every which way on every open part of the frame repeatedly without finding there home. I figured I would come on here to post a picture and ask but I was able to find the answer in edwardB’s terrific build log while I waited for my account to be authorized. The two panels I had been focusing on are replacements for panels that came shipped on the car. Duh. Wow I wasted some time trying to shove that round peg in the square hole. I guess I’m still the slow kid but now have bigger and much more expensive toys. I'm going to keep playing though.