Okay - I just went through this on my 69 Firebird.
Just switched from power to manual steering this past May.
As far as the header question is concerned, I didn't have any clearance issues with either steering setup. No noticeable difference either way. Manual or Power.
Finding the correct pitman arm for the 69 was a serious PITA!!!
I finally found a board member here that had the setup but, the arm was still attached to the steering box. I already had a box but, he wouldn't separate them for me.
So, I ended up buying the setup and have an extra box laying on the shelf.
Should've just went with a freakin rack setup...
Anyway, the correct 69 pitman arm is curved with a hole to receive the pin from the center link.
I do know guys that changed out the whole setup on their 69 with a 68 due to parts being more available. 69's seem to be a 1 off.
I do believe that Bob here at PY (our sponsors) is working on (or finished) a complete manual setup swap for the 69's using 68 parts. I think he was working on a package deal that would include all the necessary parts.
The only other item you need to be aware of is the idler arm. I don't think the power setup is the same length as the manual setup. Need to change that out to keep the steering true.
Sorry about the long winded post. Hope that helps a bit.
joe
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