Manual or Automatic?

[BigFoot]

I'm in the middle of a engine rebuild and the engine I got had a automatic trans that came with it.
My truck has a manual trans in it. it seems ok, just a little sloppy in the stick. Is there an advantage to either one? Should I convert my truck to Auto? What else would I need besides a new column?
Are the drive shafts different lengths? can I use the same rear crossmember? Should I even bother?

There are only two advantages that I can see right now: I'm lazy and am sick of pressing the clutch and I could eat my breakfast on my way to work without the threat of veering off the road every time I shift and end up dropping my McMuffin and the d@mn floor.

[flyboy2610]

There are only two advantages that I can see right now: I'm lazy and am sick of pressing the clutch and I could eat my breakfast on my way to work without the threat of veering off the road every time I shift and end up dropping my McMuffin and the d@mn floor.

I can't help with the logistics of the swap, never having done one. But as to whether you should or not, I think you've answered your own question.

[ultraranger]

What engine and transmission are we talking about? Did they come out of a car or another truck? If it was another truck was it from a '77 or later model? --the neutral safety switch was moved from the lower end of the steering column, inside the truck, to the side of the transmission in the '77-later models.

How 'correct' do you want the swap to look? For instance, turn signal and gear selector levers were painted through 1969. From '70-up, they were chrome plated.

Does the truck have manual or power steering? If power, is the steering box a Bendix or a Saginaw box? Type of steering and type of gear box will determine the length of column needed for a conversion to an automatic transmission.

More details about the current truck and the possible donor engine and transmission will make it easier to advise you on what's needed for changing it over to an automatic.

[BigFoot]

What engine and transmission are we talking about? Did they come out of a car or another truck? If it was another truck was it from a '77 or later model? --the neutral safety switch was moved from the lower end of the steering column, inside the truck, to the side of the transmission in the '77-later models.

How 'correct' do you want the swap to look? For instance, turn signal and gear selector levers were painted through 1969. From '70-up, they were chrome plated.

Does the truck have manual or power steering? If power, is the steering box a Bendix or a Saginaw box? Type of steering and type of gear box will determine the length of column needed for a conversion to an automatic transmission.

More details about the current truck and the possible donor engine and transmission will make it easier to advise you on what's needed for changing it over to an automatic.

Sorry, I totally dropped the ball on the info....
My truck: 72 F250 power steering swapped in from my 71. I cant remember which box it has. After I figured out the pwr steering swap i forgot all of the details
Donor: 76 F100 360

So it sounds like I'll need a column out of a later truck then?