[mike16]

I love the wood work, mine are steel beds but I would love to find a nice wood bed, dont know how you finished it, but a quart of linseed oil painted on every six months will preserve that wood for years and even decades. some 300 year old british warships finished in linseed oil remaned preserved ontil discovered resently.... and splinters soaked in linseed oil will NOT become infested.....
The British navy discovered that as well back them. British rifles descovered of the coast of dunkique resntly ... thier wood is almost as good today as it was then.

If the previous owner had preserved the wood with linseed oil on a regular basis you would not have had the rust issues either.

it lookes really nice.

I think your choce to keep it a three speed is a wise one too. My 72 c10 is a three speed. I cant imagine changing it. there are so few left that are origonal. keep it well lubed and well adjusted and it will shift with fingertip pressure...literally with so little effort its amazing. I prefer using high quality fire arms lubricant to keep the column mechanism shifting smoothly.