1961 Series 62 Convertible Restoration

[dbzsjones]

I owe the community this restoration story, because I've been asking questions and getting great help for a year now with no context.  I greatly appreciate all the information and advice I've received and enjoy being part of it.  Without further delay, welcome to the saga of my restoration. 
  Back in the late 80s as a college student I became the proud owner of my grandmother's 1961 Series 62 Bristol Blue Convertible.  I drove it for a few years before the transmission front seal fluid leak became to significant to ignore.  That was followed by the start of my active duty Air Force career. I moved it from CA to CO to OK to NE to AL, doing minor work on it along the way, waiting to have the time and money to address the transmission. Finally in AL I became friends with the manager of a restoration shop what was going out on his own.  I know that sounds dodgy, but I knew his history and capability and I wasn't worried.  He agreed to keep my car and work on it as I had "spare" money to send him.  We put together a contract because he said the best way to ruin a friendship is to involve money without clear expectations, and I agreed.  We made it all legal and we were off.
  I pulled the engine and rebuilt it, sent the trans to a shop and had it rebuilt, and left the engine, trans, and car in the care of my friend.
  Over the next 2 decades he kept me posted on progress.  Mailed pictures and updates.  Disassembled the car, striped and primed the body, got a donor car with A/C and moved all the dash and firewall components over and repainted the dash.  Finally after a long pause caused by retiring from active duty and moving, I called and we were making plans to finish the restoration, but then I quit hearing from him.  He was always busy and I was a side job so I didn't worry, it happened before. My wife and kids tried to contact him to surprise me by finishing the car.  After they couldn't get him they asked me about his contact info.  I called, left a message, no response.  Couple days later texted, no response.  Finally I searched the internet for his obituary and found one and he'd been gone for months. 
  Now panic sets in, how did I not know, and where's the car?  A card to his wife, went unanswered, as did a letter a few months later.  He was working out of a big warehouse in Montgomery AL, restoring train cars for a guy that made his money in railroad industry.  I was finally able to remember his name, Royce Kershaw.  A few more months of work I was able to make contact and he had the car!  About 2 weeks before I was supposed to pick up the car, he quit answering my calls about logistics.  You guessed it, he passed away.  I finally got in touch with his heirs and made arrangements to collect the car.  Not knowing what I was getting into or how many pieces it may or may not be in, I reserved a rental truck and trailer and suckered a friend into a road trip.  Sitting for a few years in a warehouse where other people had access was probably not the best situation.  Also found out over the years the roof had fallen into disrepair and leaked.  The car was not as far along as I had pictured, based on my last call, but I found it and loaded it up.  Then went on a scavenger hunt for all the parts. Spent all day loading up everything we could find and, and hit the road the next morning.