In keeping with my effort to build the '72 F-100 for as little as possible and not exceed the capabilities of an annual salary that's less than a 17-year-old kid earns flipping burgers at McDonald's, the Ford RUG-TOD top-loader was bought off of eBay for $100 and rebuilt for an additional $300.
For more information about making this particular 8-Speed conversion or to discover an endless assortment of amazing combinations possible with a Gear Vendors gear-splitting Under/Overdrive, please feel free to contact Gear Vendors.
Here's the Gear Vendors Under/Overdrive...
Here's the Gear Vendors Under/Overdrive ready for action.
The next step after installing...
The next step after installing the Gear Vendors unit was to bolt on a Hurst Competition-Plus shifter. We started by bolting on the shift arms included with the Hurst shifter.
Remember this photo; there's...
Remember this photo; there's an interesting story here that we will cover in the Bulletside wrap-up that will run after Grant and I have had our showdown.
At this point we are pre-fitting...
At this point we are pre-fitting the shift rod linkage. After figuring out what went where, we inserted the white nylon bushings that need to be in place.
The Hurst Competition-Plus...
The Hurst Competition-Plus shifter mounting plate bolted directly to the mounting holes provided by Gear Vendors.
With the addition of two more...
With the addition of two more bolts, the Hurst shifter was ready to go. In an upcoming issue we will cover the installation of Gear Vendors' 8-speed into the truck.