You mentioned the show a few weeks ago and I set my Tivo to record it. Watched it last night. Pretty cool story about that guy's Chevelle.
Questions;
1) I noticed that you were there for some of the rebuild. They appeared to install the motor and trans as one unit in that car. Did it work out or did the trans have to go in afterwards? I would like to try and install mine all bolted together. Beats bench pressing that monster in by myself like I did last time.
(My motor is currently back out) I didn't think it would fit like that. Anything special they had to do or remove? Besides the distributor. I can't believe they tried to drop that thing in there with the HEI installed.
2) When the guy made up the sheetmetal for the tunnel, it was one piece with a hole just big enough for the shifter turret to fit through. How the heck can they ever pull the trans out now?? If the guy needs to change the clutch, he will need to unbolt the trans and slide it back. How can that be done now? Do they expect to drop the rear of the engine/trans that far so it comes out of the floor hole and then slide back?
3) Nice "Classic Chevy 5 Speed" shirt you were wearing. Do all of your customers get one also as a gift when buying a trans? ;)
4) Who was the hot chick they kept showing in that old Polaroid where he was standing in front of his old car?:D
5) Did that build really only take 5 days start to finish including teardown of that rust bucket to final paint??

Cool story. I liked the show and saved it on the Tivo to watch it again.

Jeff - I watched the show too - When I saw you come into the frame I yelled to my wife - "Check this out - I've spoken to this guy several times on the phone - I bought a clutch from him"..........She wasn't very impressed. In fact she looked at me like I was from another planet....

I too wondered about the very tight tolerance on that tunnel patch.

epistuff-
1) They installed the trans and motor as a unit. I did the same on my car. If your engine is already out you may as well do it that way - I think it is easier. Tips: remove distributor or be very careful- when I was watching these guys try to install it with distributor I new it was going top break but you can't always tell a mechanic what to do in his own shop. Get car really high on jack stand. Reomve shifter from TKO and re-install it after motor and trans are in place.
2) The way to get the trans out after it is installed is to remove xmember, lower tailshaft, remove shifterr bolts from underneath, remove shifter, now it will come out. The other option would be to make an "access" panel about the size of the shifter mechanism that bolts on to the top of the main tunnel patch. You could then remove this access panel if you needed to remove the shifter - I like this idea best.

mjribeiro-
I wouldn't expect your wife to be to impressed - mine wasn't either! LOL