From time to time I receive e-mails wondering what is going on in the restoration of Sherman the Wildcat. When I first started the website, I had just pulled the car out of the junkyard and had a long way to go towards getting it running and on the road. In the six years I have been writing about the car, I have been able to do everything mechanical I have thought necessary, and at this point I am concentrating on getting the body prepped and painted. 

Life has also changed since I started on the car. We have kids and a house to maintain, and I don't have that much time to do odd jobs to earn some exclusive-to-the-Buick money. So for the mean time, I try to drive the car once a month and am saving up for the aforementioned body work. I've gotten the wrecked rear fender replaced, and my next goal is to get at least around half of the car bead blasted and in primer. I'd like to do at least the hood and front fenders, and maybe the four doors if the budget permits. For those of you that have done restoration work, you know if it hard to predict your budget. I've found a body shop I like, and they charge around $42/hr for work, and I have a good lead on a person who does on-location bead blasting and he charges around $140 hour. Since each of them bill in full hour increments, I have to make sure I have enough work lined up to maximize my investment but still not break the bank account.

As far as color goes, I am leaning toward Granada Red on the bottom and Arctic White on the top. The car is originally Tawny Mist (light brown) with an Arctic White top. I am torn between originality and a color I think would look awesome. I'm building this car for me, not for resale, so having a non-original color doesn't bother me.

Here is the original color:

Here is the color scheme I am thinking of going with:

In the color and wheels brochure, a fawn interior with Granada Red exterior is neither Recommended or Accepted. But as you can see of this interior shot, it seems to go well together and the former owner of this car stated his dad special ordered it just like this, so I know they rolled off the assembly line like this.