Thanks for all of the replies - I'm in the process of rounding up a short water pump and the right pulleys to fix the clearance in the front and also looking for some steel tubing to space out the steering box. The '79 Nova that I pulled the engine from has a driver's side exhaust manifold with a neat little dent where the steering box is but the steering box still needs to go out at least 1-3/4". Not the most elegant solution but it fits the budget right now.
