I did this swap in a 1952 hardtop. I took everything including the complete rear-end from the donor car except the steering column and shift linkage. My cousin and I (mostly my cousin) cobbled up a floor shift from a cutdown 40 hearse column shift. It was an O/D tranny and worked well. I had to go back and pull the pilot bearing. I remember that it was the first ball-bearing pilot I had seen. All the others I had noticed were bushings. It was a
LOT of labor. Without the proper rear-end I was having to shift going over speed bumps. Well, not quite, but you get the point. I think Rusty has the right idea.
I put a 54 fourbarrel manifold and carb on that car and then it dawned on me I had no ignition switch, so I connected the two wires to the original backup light switch. To start the car you turned on the ignition, threw the auto lever into reverse till it started and then flipped it back into PARK. You shifted gears on the floor. My wife took her test in that car and the State Trooper said he should have passed her just because she could start it.

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