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Very nice! As long as the core plug stays tight it should work well. You did yours essentially the same as the factory except the factory switch appears to be on a plate held by one of the case bolts. Here is an example of the factory switch on what is probably a senior transmission so to duplicate it on your trans would need a differently shaped plate.

I figure if for some reason it doesn't hold, I bet two small tack welds between the "bung" and case would hold it firmly and could be easily ground off to remove it if desired.

Taking Howards suggestion, here is version 2:







I cut the spot welds on the core plug to remove the nut, and ground it back down smooth and reinstalled it.

The new design, borrowed from the later senior one, its a bent 16ga steel with a hole for one of the case bolts. Another hole was drilled for the tip of the switch to pass through and then a new nut was welded to bracket. I bent the extra metal up and over the housing to give a bit more support. It nearly snaps on now.

It could be made of some thicker steel to made it even more stout. Then thr top piece could be eliminated.

Only modification needed on the trans would be a hole in the middle of the core plug.

Again, very nice and expect it will work quite well with no worry of it being pushed out or vibrating loose.

I like design two much better as it's more professional and better-engineered although the first seemed able to do the job.

Today was stripping the seat back shells. These are later seats out of 40 business coupe according to notes in Mark's journal. So the seat back cushions sit into a metal shell that makes up the support for the seat back and pivot assembly.

I've noticed the seat base looks like it's been cut and welded back together. Which makes sense because a 37 is narrower than a 40 body. So he had to section the base to make it fit width wise. But then what did not make sense was the cushions and seat backs, how do they still fit?

Well once I removed the cushion, and stripped off the remains of the old upholstery on the seat shell it became clear. All the upholstery that was on the seats was pretty ratty (literally), and seamed to have odd repairs and never really fit well. Well that was because both the seat bench bottom and the split seat backs have been sectioned.

You can see the newer, ungrounded welds where it was put back together. The inside edge of the shells has a thick curved arm that connects to the central pivot in seat frame. This was cut off, several inches lopped off from that inner structure along that middle edge of the shell. Then the arm welded back on. The sheet metal on the back then was hammered down around that reforming the edge that was cut away. There is a big difference in the factory edge and finish, and the reformed edge.

I am sure if I fully stripped all the cushion down, I would find the same sectioning on them as well.




They were pretty nasty from rodents when the car was stored in the barn. As the farbic was soiled as was were all the wood and fiber tack strips. I spent a lot of time trying to clean them up, but between the rust in hard to reach places and upholstery glue remains, I think this is a job for my local sandblaster. Then I can prime them in epoxy once I get the back