Coffee spelled backwards is EEFFOC

 Just arrived from overseas. Coffee spelled backwards is EEFFOC. It looks hilarious. It's still in the original packet unopened as my wife won't let me wear it. Damn! So funny, too, so here it is. What a pity she doesn't have a sense of humour! And when I tell her that she just tells me to act my age. So what if I am nearing 60! Maybe I will sneak it out when she is not around and go for a walk around the mall with all the toffs! Ha Ha! 

Removing side glass with care

I got stuck into the vent windows from the truck. Armed with my wife's favourite Wiltshire staysharp kitchen knife (what else could I use?) and some good fortune in avoiding stabbing myself to death while I tried to split the seal around the glass, I successfully managed to extract the glass from the frame. 

While the glass is totally shot, the frame itself looks quite good. Some fairly deep pitting in the metal and I am wondering whether just to have it painted the same colour as the truck or get it chrome plated. I think the latter. These side vent windows are just old steel items and I was kinda hoping they'd be stainless steel, but don't appear to be so. In any case, they are quite old and I am not sure they could be polished out any better.

Gonna have to hide this pic if the wife ever discovers where her favourite kitchen knife disappeared to. On the upside, it proved exceptionally good at getting into the rubber seal.

Once I went around the glass, I used this scraper and a hammer and tapped the sides free. 

Success! If needed, I can now take this sample to the glass shop for a couple of new pieces. 

Not sure which way to go with the frame. I worked at rubbing it back pretty well, but the truth is, it's an old piece of metal and showing its age. Wonder what it would be worth to chrome it? 

Have since learnt from the guys at ford-trucks.com/  that Ford for whatever reason didn't chrome their side windows for the 56 version. You could find chrome window frames in the 53 to 54 with their custom and deluxe cabs, but all 56 frames were painted black. 

Piecing together my Hurst Shifter

 Well, it came in about ten pieces in different boxes and slowly I have been able to gather what I think are the pieces for the shifter.

I have since learned that it is probably a V-matic 2 Hurst shifter. I was able to source an instruction manual for it and download it and from there was able to piece together the missing parts. This is what I have come up with so far. I have found the plastic base and was lucky enough to find the little clear plastic gear indicating tab that people on eBay are asking almost fifty dollars each for!! You cannot be serious! But no, I am. 

Seems like most things are there. I didn't find a neutral safety switch, but did find the cable. Looks like I am missing the little swivel fitting that runs off the transmission linkages, but have found one on eBay. So far pretty excited. If I can get this unit together that will save me a wad of money.  

Fun times opening a box of goodies!

 When I purchased the old girl from Garry, he told me he had a shitload of stuff that came with the deal, but until this weekend I haven't had a chance to even find out what I had purchased. Well, I'll let this video speak more than words. This is just one box of many still to be sorted. Can you believe how excited I was when I opened it? This video shows you for the first time exactly what I saw for the first time. 

Here's an example! A complete set of stainless engine bolts to suit the 351 Cleveland!