Thanks Mitch - supposedly the trick is to install the billet version that holds up better, which suppsedly Dad did back in 2010 based on receipts and forum postings I can see. There can't be that many miles on it since then guessing 5k? Some say the billet one isn't worth the 4x price as it fails just as easy. Will see once I get it apart.

I thought the billet support required a slip yoke on the rear half shaft ? Is there one with the rubber around the bearing for shaft movement ?

Yup, always has been. Those were a routine maintenance item back in the day.

The car looks great! With so much history (and family history, to boot!) behind it, putting it back to the correct non-SS configuration was absolutely the right thing to do :biggthumpup:

Picking up a center carrier bearing (not the billet one) from NAPA tomorrow morning, hoping I can get to replacing it this weekend.

Make sure you final tighten those two carrier bearing bolts with the rear axle loaded. Also, shine a light thru that driveshaft tunnel to inspect & clean the mating surface where the bearing resides.

I was able to easily remove the driveshaft this morning and sure enough the center support was smoked. The bearing was fine but all of the silicone bushing was gone. I don't have the tools to separate the driveshafts and remove the bearing so I will get it off to a driveshaft specialist on Monday. The new bearing I picked up seems to have a smaller ID than the one on the car now so I will have to deal with that too.

Good thing is it did not take long to remove so it should go back easily enough too.

Good advice and taken...........there was a broom pan full of the remnants of the old silicone bushing material that self destructed.

Happy to report that I got things put back together this morning and all is well. No more mystery noises from the chassis and it runs down the road very nicely.

I had a story board made up for the car that we can use at MCACN. We utilized some back in the day pics and tried to get the Cliff Notes version of the story on the board so people can get the gist of its history without reading a novel.....

Turned out great!!

Very well done,that's a story board I would stop & read.