Added more pics of another possible style of shifter.

 

Will also consider the discontinued Hurst after market shifter designed for this trans.

 

Jalopy,
Are you replacing 3 on the tree?
I'm considering it, and welcome any guidance.
Thx.
Radiodog

 

No, my78 originally came with the 3 speed overdrive like pictured. Previous owner swapped a bulldog T18 in. Other than that it is a 45k mile time warp that’s been garage kept. If you’re just moving the shifter from the column to the floor and keeping your 3 speed it’s pretty straightforward. You just need the shifter kit and hole in the floor. There’s several different shifter kits including Hurst Indy, Mastershift, and others. A popular one was/is Hurst Mastershift part number 3666809. The Hurst installation kit is 3670027. There’s a link detailing the process if I can find I’ll post it or PM you.

 

Thx for your reply.
My '76 has a replacement posi rear end with really low gears that limit the top-end speed and make the speedo inaccurate.
I'm apparently faced with 2 options:
1. replace the rear end
2. upgrade to a 4 or 5 speed tranny.
Any thoughts?

 

Definately first need to figure out EXACTLY what gear ratio you have in there. Marking the driveshaft/flange along with a reference mark on the housing and marking a wheel with a reference point on the ground or Truck body and rotating a complete revolution will give you a pretty good idea. If the driveshaft rotates 3 1/2 times to 1 complete wheel rotation you have a 3.50 gear. If it rotates 3 3/4 times you have a 3.70 gear, etc., etc. Just be very precise in the way you make your marks. Once the current ratio is known you can use a online calculator to see what new gear/tire combo will give you what you want.
Several things to consider including cost, sourcing parts, job difficulty, etc. Cheapest and easiest will be swapping the rear end or just gear set for street friendly gears such as 3.25 etc. depending on tire size. Your 3 speed will still have a low enough 1st to allow decent take off.
If you just want rid of the 3 speed then a overdrive trans swap MIGHT be worth the effort but usually comes with a lot more cost and headache with the additional parts required for 5 speed hydro clutch, etc. But these more modern 5 speeds do usually perform very well once installed.
The 78 3 speed overdrive trans I have that I need the shifter for would require obviously the shifter kit (which I can tell you is next to impossible to find) and for you a shorter driveshaft due to the longer trans length. I will probably just make a shifter with a Hurst body and bent rods. These transmissions get a lot of crap for having odd gear ratios and some people call them light duty but I like them in trucks and the ones I have are heavy cast iron versions that look just like toploaders. This would be the next easiest option IF you could source the trans and shifter. If you have a small block Your Bellhousing should work fine with 3+od trans and same style clutch setup.
To each his own but personally unless it is a daily driver I wouldn’t swap transmissions unless I already had most of the stuff readily available.

 

Thx Jalopy.
Would appreciate any enthusiasts to share experience on swapping out 3-on-the-tree for a 5-speed.
Cheers,
Radiodog

 

Still needed

 

Thanks for looking

 

Wanting to buy

 

PLEASE PRIVATE MESSAGE ME!

 

AGAIN...PLEASE PRIVATE MESSAGE ONLY!

 

Still needing

 

La de da de da....