David,
That's great advise, and given my circumstances, it's probably the best idea. I guess I can think of it as an 'audio restoration', just as it is now going thru a body/mechanical restoration-by professionals. This is the car I don't want to mess up on, so thank for this piece of advise. It more than likely is the route I'll go. Does anybody know of a shop here in the southeast Michigan area that specializes in classics and has a good reputation? Debbie