I too hate it. Glad to see a squire bar still exists. I had some great nights at the one in Darling Harbor, was most pissed of to find it closed last time I went down.
You do not have a lot of track experience so I am going to cut you some slack here. ..but a manual box plays a critical role in how you set up a car for a corner that an auto can not replicate. And I have driven a gear box just like yours before and have experienced how it works.
Its probably gone extinct since the bible was written.
My grandad redid an old Jag, had wood every where, he had to remake it all by hand as it was fokked.
A venerable troll from the olden days who was here upsetting everybody while he awaited the birth of his mini troll.
needs to be genuine gopher wood though, otherwise god will be mad.
you can get reasonably good copies of these Steve
http://shop.cartel-aus.com/Wolf-S1P-Wheels-wolfs1p.htm
http://shop.cartel-aus.com/Touchdown-TD136-Wheels-TD136.htm