Find a left exhaust manifold from a 55-57 passenger car 265. It's about the narrowest manifold out there, and I believe it will give you just enough room for the steering column. Another option is offsetting the engine/trans assembly a couple of inches toward the passenger side, but that's sort of a Mickey Mouse method of dealing with the problem.

Edit: what happened to the 261 you took out? PM me if it's available.
Jerry


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