So I had taken some small parts to my choice of Body Men, Kustom Auto Body. they had straightened out the dings in my hood, taken about 5 lbs of bondo out of the driver's door, and fixed up my nearly mint replacement front fenders. But then, they told me it might be a year before they could do anything else. So I went looking for another guy.
The first 2 guys that I had quote me were busy, and I thought too expensive anyway (little did I know). I found another guy who sounded real good, had a place and luckily wasn't busy. I took the cab out to him , along with the new floor pans I'd got from Carolina Classics. He even had me go thru paint chips and pick out colors, but was always vague about paint cost. Things started off well, he cut out the old floors, welded in the new ones, and fixed the garage door sized hole in the dash where the PO must have had a radio the size of a microwave.. Things were looking good. He asked me to bring out the box. So we loaded it up and took it out. and then I waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. and waited. Finally ,after what seemed like about 16 million phone calls, he said "come out and have a look".
So I got there and the first thing I see is that he filled in all the holes in the side of the box where the fasteners for the chrome go. He said you told me to fill in all the holes. I had meant holes like the dash radio, the antenna one that looked like it had been cut with a chisel, and the hole in the top of the roof that must have been a CB antenna in another life. I also wanted the gas cap hole filled in. I was glad he didn't have the hood, it was at the other body shop, or the doors, also at the other place, or I would have no holes for chrome or badges at all. maybe not even door handles. I paid him my third installment of $2500. The truck was still a box and a cab in primer. I told him he was getting no more money until I saw something in paint. Finally he came up with prices for paint. I near flipped out, and went to cheaper colors right away, Chrysler colors of Neon blue metallic and Crossfire silver. and then I waited. and waited. and waited.
One day put of the blue, after he had had my cab for nearly 2 years, he calls me. says "Your cab is painted!!" I said I'll come get it tonight!!
he says no I'll bring it in (he lived on an acreage about 10 miles NE of town). I said sure.
I lined up 4 burly guys to help me unload the cab. We waited. and waited. and waited. Finally he showed up. With this.
Oops, he says I dropped it off the trailer, coming up the hill. (it had one strap holding it on the trailer, that broke)
Oh, he says, and by the way I need $2000 to continue.
I was just flabbergasted. I could barely speak. My wife tied in to him like a hungry tiger. He left, with his tail between his legs and my wrecked cab on his truck. I began the long process of getting my truck out of his shop without giving him any more money. Long, long story short, the RCMP officer who lived down the street came out with me (the second time) and we loaded the stuff on the trailer
without getting shot. I never have spoken to the body guy ever again.
Now what was I going to do with my cab? it had new floors in it, it was so rust free that the cab corners didn't even need to be done. or the cab mounts, or the steps. I was in chat on slick 60's one night, and Mike Kimbrell says he has a BBW uni for parts, any one need anything?
I jokingly said yeah, a roof!! Mike cut it off and shipped it up to me in a crate he built special for it. All the way from Alabama!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate Mike Kimbrell's contribution, there just aren't enough kind words..
Meanwhile back at the body shop. Three years later now, I am back at the original body place, Kustom auto body. They still have my hood and doors. I ask if they are busy. He says yeah, but after hearing my story, he takes pity on me. He says bring in your cab. And the roof. Lets see if we can fix it.
this was the result:
Turned out pretty good. only problem I found out later, is the windshield hole is sized for the uni without chrome trim around the glass. the windshield doesn't fit, I need to grind it off just like Ford did at the factory, made the hole 1/16" bigger on top and bottom for the stainless trim.
$8000 later, this was the result of the body shop's work
.
is how far will one drive to get a Mercury 
either,, JC Great Story ++ I always like your color combo on yours
Kathy 
just did not realize where all the time has gone since then , Tom
ME LIKEY !