I'd say you can use either a 2WD manual or automatic transmission - the main point being that you need a 2WD transmission to go in front of the Samurai's divorced transfer case, rather than the 4WD transmissions which have the transfer case attached.
Be aware that you're looking at a lot of custom fabrication work, your question suggests that you may not have the experience to work your way through any trouble spots that you may run into, so make sure your wallet is deep enough to pay the folks who do. Track down ALL of the various articles (I think there were about eight) and read them thoroughly, I believe you'll find that the finished product deviated quite a bit from the original concept.