never owned a bronco but almost bought one bout 18yrs ago for a $1,000. it was in good shape too. kickin' myself now. never got one but have always liked the early broncos.
question:
how difficult would it be to convert a manual trani w/ shifter on the column to shifter on the floor? seen quite a few on the column but i prefer a floor shifter. thanks.
John

 

Very simple. Hurst makes a shifter, but Duff's sells one with the shifter offset one inch towards tunnel to give you more leg room.

 

Howdy n Welcome John!
U talkin bout I6 or V8? I believe they're made for the V8, I adapted the Hurst easily to the six, as many do. (I'd advise a whole 4 speed transmission transplant if possible).

 

with either an i6 or v8. is there a 5spd that can be swapt in fairly cheap? cheap being under $200 NOT including the trani but any adapters that would be needed? i do alot of highway driving so a 5spd is almost a necessity for better mpg. that being said, probably i6. Thanks again.
John

 

I'll go out on a limb here and say no. You can check with Advance Adapters, Wild Horses, Toms Bronco Parts and form your own opinion. The cheapest adapter I know of cost's minimum $200 and thats for a NP435, no help for what you want.

 

... and the NP435 does not have overdrive... its basically a three speed with a low for 1st that weights about three times what the 303 manual weighs..... To install a floor shifter in a Bronco with a 303 you need a kit, which you get from a bronco place, and then you need to break out the angle grinder and cut a hole in the tunnel. Pretty much you need to remove the metal from the driver's side of the tunnel from behind where the front body mount support cross member crosses through the tunnel to the back of the tunnel where the drivers side seat kick on the floor.... then you get a fiberglass cover thing you screw onto the floor..... never had carpet in my bronco so I cant tell you about that.... just make sure you sand through the gelcoat before you paint the glass....

its pretty easy to install with minimal tools and skills.....

As for an overdrive.... there are conversions.... the nv3500 is the best option and most supported... however the stuff you need to complete the swap w/o the trans is 500 bucks.... and unless you want to fab a new tunnel.... you need a body lift too.... least one inch... two works better..... the 3500 is not going to take a 347 hammering on it very long, or a 351W for that matter, or a 408stroker..... if you are going that way get the 4500.... but that is a truck trans....

I know some guys are installing M5R2s in these early things out of F150 4x4s from the eighties.... but I dont know much about that swap other than you would have to make your own adapter to run the Dana 20 transfer case or use the weaker chain drive case that came on the 4x4s from that era.....

if you want a rock cheap overdrive..... see if you cant hunt down a used overdrive that bolts to the Dana20.... they are called Saturn Overdrives.... you can get them new from Advanced Adapters... but there are a lot of used cores out there that can be had for 200 bucks or less at a swap meet or ebay... and I think the can be rebuilt

 

My suggestion is set yer application 1st (sounds like a DD w/some hwys n 'traffic' in there). Then yer motor. No idea there re: what U seek...
I6 has bolt up 5 speed as well as does the FSBs. Fer ur transfer case (if kept) there's some tricks to avoid expensive adapters.
Again it's all bout application, application, application...
Keep talkin -