Ok, just wanted to share it, in case those might have seemed more viable. Either way i can't wait to see what happens.
btw, the MA5 has a kinda funky shifter input?(lack of of a better word) where the shifter sits down on a peg with a single set screw holding the shift handle in place. There is a short shifter on ebay that allows you to use the more common two bolt shift handles. It's on my list for my DD truck, but so are half a dozen other things.