What is this lever next to the shifter? I’ve seen it in some other cars and have no idea what it does.

opens up the heater valve attached to the heater boxes (exhaust)
Two cables going through rear firewall to boxes on both sides.

It also grounds the heater blower motor and turns on the fan.
There is a single ground wire on the rear of the lever which you can see once you remove it...
Blower motor sits in the engine bay, mounted to the top of the motor.
Two flexible hoses go one to each side and blow down into that heater flapper boxes (above)

when you pull the lever partway..you can just open the heater boxes and air will come through.
when you pull it up further, the booster fan pushes air harder/faster/more volume.

Then the air goes up front under the cowl to a splitter/fan/defroster nightmare box.

rich

"Nightmare box"

Deploys the machine gun to take care of self appointed speed commissioners in the left lane

Hyper speed

According to my brother, that is the "roast" lever. When we are out for a ride and I pull that lever it is like being in a convection bake oven at 375 degrees.

Boy, I don't know what kind of heat exchangers you have !!

Wow, you have the optional passenger ejection seat!

Oh I really need this option….

Take one out, then put it back in properly….

one with 2 more tubes of burning fire?
must make a difference.

My GF feels the same way.

And when the longs heat up, it keeps radiating into the cabin, even after you shut it off.

Yeah, in my opinion 6 heat exchangers have always been good. I have Ben's SS heat exchangers and they really work well. I also have seat heaters that make a huge difference too. The two keep the cabin very comfortable.

AKA Bond, James Bond