I knew the lower rear shackle bushes were worn, but I wasn't prepared for how worn:
Clearly they have been like that for a considerable amount of time based on the state of the spring:
New bushes will do wonders for the ride quality!
I got it disassembled (everything cam off, even bolts that looked rusted to hell) and gave it a quick wire brushing but ran out of time. The front of the diff was covered in the same thick buildup of oil and dust/dirt that the engine and gearbox are and it resembles soft cake. It was a good inch thick in places, this is after I scraped the worst off:
You'll also observe the still almost intact axle identification tab in the upper right corner! Sadly the outer edge has corroded a bit and the ratio numbers are no longer readable but I am going to try and keep this in original condition and laquer it to preserve it. I spoke to the owners club historian and he said it is EXTREMELY rare to see those still on a car, as they usually just rust away.
