This 3-speed trans is gonna have to go...

Wow.

Not really sure what you wanted TylerW, sympathy? But seriously, no one is "berating" or "bashing" you. Yes, some folks have definitely poked a little fun. Myself included. But no where on this thread is any "berating" or "bashing". There are definitely threads on Fabo where that has happened, and this isn't one of them. Trust me.

The simple truth here is that your car is NOT hard to drive. Not compared to a lot of cars here. Certainly not on a level that competes with what a lot of folks here have driven. And probably drove every day for a long time, even if that isn't necessarily recent. But if your car only has 49k miles, recent doesn't really make a difference right? If everything works mechanically, driving your car everyday now or back in 1973, wouldn't be any different.

As far as your offer, if you don't fancy the car I'll happily fly out to Alabama and drive it back to beautiful Northern California, by way of the scenic southwest deserts if you like. Wouldn't be any hotter than going though New Mexico, Arizona, southern Nevada and Death Valley in the back of a fire crew buggy in July. It was 118* degrees in Furnace Creek when we passed through. Heck, it'd be like when I drove my old '56 Ford truck with a 3 on the tree 10 hrs from NorCal to San Diego in June, just for about 4 days or so. But the extra 3 days would be a good trade for not having to drive through Los Angeles traffic working that old truck clutch. And the southwest deserts don't have anything on Bakersfield heat, yee-uck. Or maybe it would remind me of driving my '56 Austin Healey from NorCal to Silver Star, British Columbia in August that one time? That was a little over 2k miles round trip, in a non-synchro 1st gear, true roadster. No windows and NO shade. If I remember right it was about 112* in Redding when we passed through the northern valley.

But if I drive it 2,333 miles back to NorCal I'm keeping it, unless you fly out and drive it back yourself. I may have a lot of projects already, but I'm only 36 so I've got time. I'd put a 4 speed and a turbo on that slant and really surprise some folks.