4. What are the 2 screw holes for that are on the bottom side of the column, about 3 inches or so down from the top?
Are you sure they're on the bottom? There are two screw holes about that far from the steering wheel for the shifter knuckle for the 3 on the tree shifter. See the attached pic. It's possible that someone bolted the column on the gear box upside down (or maybe they did that for floor shift models.) There is also a screw hole where the horn wire comes out, with a metal clip held on by the screw.
The slight binding at the center of the wheel travel is normal. These are pretty easily cleaned up and re-lubed and adjusted. Check the Service Manual for the specs on adjustments of the worm nut and the sector engagement. It takes either an inch-pound torque wrench or a fish scale that goes down to 1 pound.
