[FC] Questions -- shifty & dippy & rusty

[Chris & Bill Strickland]

dunno why, but I'd never considered drilling my own hole for the oil 
fill tube -- thanks for the idea!

If one absolutely *must* have a Formula Car feeling fc shifter, you need 
to start with a 64-65, and you will then convert to a cable style 
linkage (and side cover shifter on the trans) when it isn't good enough 
-- a big waste of the lmfc tank.  OR, you can repair the rear clevis/pin 
and then learn to deal with a sloppier style shifter -- it actually will 
change gears, even in a four speed, but leaves something to be desired 
in "feel", but on the other hand, it "feels" like an fc shifter, which 
in the interest of originality, is the "correct" "mystery shifter" feel 
-- just part of the fc mystique.

The lower fender sheet metal just behind the ramp is generally rusted 
out from inside, courtesy of GM's dirt catcher design -- one would not 
want to be too critical of this (by itself), as it is common to nearly 
all rampies where it has not already been repaired. It would be nice if 
the inside of the bed was not too beat up, especially the back of the cab.

*Some* ramp & tailgate handle/latch parts can be found (for a price) in 
the Chevrolet Cameo pickup parts bin, which means there may be an even 
earlier common source -- it wouldn't have been the General's style to 
make them *just* for the low production Cameo with enough left over  for 
the then not yet considered rampies.

Godspeed!

Bill Strickland