After the Dodge's emergency brake slipped and it rolled and hit a car, it was time to take the Dodge apart and really do the engine bay the way Kelly wanted. So starting in early January, the Dodge from the firewall forward was methodically disassembled. The frame, suspension, inner fenderwells, and radiator core support were all stripped to bare metal, and resprayed through his detail gun. Kelly sanded, primed, and resprayed the firewall TX9 black. He also paid close attention to reproduce EVERY inspection mark he came across. When that big 440 was ready, it had a pretty home.

Most of the suspension was painted with Rustoleum appliance epoxy, which looked very correct (yes, even the originally natural parts were even sprayed). Kelly even took the time to replicate the paint drips on the torsion bars, which were painted horizontally at the Van Nuys plant in 1957.

Starting with a bare frame, he used (Rustoleum brand) Satin Black, like the factory did, cut with lacuqer. The factory did that to aid in drying time. The inner fenderwells were resprayed engine bay side with Semi-Gloss, and the wheel side was sprayed with High Temperature Barbecue Black.

By July, Kelly got accepted to Arizona State University, which meant the almost-done Dodge had to get back together. It was bolted back together shortly before it was sold.

Kelly all in all is greatful of the things the Dodge taught him. When he arrived in Los Angeles in 2001, he had an Associate's in GM A-bodies. By the time he left for Arizona in 2005, he had a bachelor's in Forward-Look Mopars!