[cmperry4]

Snowtractor - that's exactly what it is, a flat handle, sprung so it clicks into the detents - but apart from an old piece of wire twisted on to the handle, it doesn't seem to have been linked to anything, like a "stop" sign, which you implied.

It's too light to be a an assist handle for the driver.

The yellow paint job I presumed was for an airfield vehicle (the yellow is over blue), not a school bus. There is also GVW6500 stencilled on the fuel tank kick panels, but not other markings or signs of them, except for a small patch on the LH door where the paint is removed.

Maybe that thingy on the doghouse was for a light mount - flashing cherry or something. Radio?

Ankle strap - hhmmmm - that might explain why the sliding roof hatch was repositioned forward - I recall something about blondes liking cars with sunroofs because there's more legroom. At this point I suppose I should put in a link to a Paris Hilton website, for futher information.

Seriously, it would interesting to find out what some of these mystery items are. There's also a clevis bracket on the rooof up behind the mate's seat, but it looks like a much more recent addition. Then we have to figure out what the two holes in the roof behind the hip ring do, my theory being they are for drawstrings to snug down the canvas cover. They are even grommeted through the paperboard.