So Blanche has been on ramps for a few weeks awaiting time and a shift bar knuckle from Germany. Old bushings had simply disintegrated and I was no long able to pick a gear and the cone set screw was long ago stripped by PO. I had enough time to assemble new knuckle with bushings (using warm oven trick to allow metal to expand a little so I had a chance of getting bushings seated; even chilled bushings for shrinkage), change ball cup (that was easier than I was lead to believe in PP article), and rear rod bushing, but didn't get to firewall bushing and getting front and rear shift bars back together. Was really tired of her just sitting there, so I set her in first gear, started her up and drove off ramps. Then drove over to local, friendly gas station in first gear and had a sticker put on.
Now the humorous manual shift: To get back out of the inspection bay, I had to reach up under and switch to reverse. Start up, back out, shutdown. Reach up under again (nice warm muffler, mind you) and put back in first. Then drove home.
Stupid, but functional. Can't wait to drive her for real before the snow flies.