When I drove my 52 in the winter I'd get it started in the morning by using the choke as normal and as soon as possible push the choke all the way back in, set the throttle to run at a fast idle, then turn on the fan/heat. Go inside for breakfast and come back out to a nice and warm and defrosted truck.
I tried the throttle knob as a cruise control on long trips, it's not worth the trouble, and probably not all that safe or recommended either. Even in the mid west in the long flat and straight roads you still need to constantly adjust the throttle ever so slightly, so no point in using the one in the dash.
Grigg
