I'm considering doing a 5 speed swap in my 78 C10 1/2 ton. It's a column shift automatic. I've got my donor brake/pedal setup, but haven't started anything yet other than research. One thing that I haven't really seen addressed is the steering column. Is it best to swap out the steering column from a truck that came w/floor shift, or is there some neat trick you can do w/your current column? Of course, you don't want the old shifter sticking out there, but is there something I can do keep the current steering column that's not too much of a hassle?
I was kinda thinking about just chopping all but the smallest part off of the old shifter. That way I could unlock/lock the wheel and not have to swap out the whole column. Might look a little funny, but would still be useable, yes?