So I thought it would be nice to "unclutter" the engine bay a bit by doing away with the steering box and reduce the number of bushings and joints in the steering linkage. The
Unisteer option would be the easiest route from what I've seen after a bit of searching. Bolts up to the frame where the steering box and idler arm bracket attach. Power steering would be a nice addition (the car is currently manual steer which is super fun with the 390 sitting in the engine bay and not in motion), but pumps, lines, and power steering fluid are soooooo 2001.
EPAS attached to the steering column would address that issue and allow a manual rack to be used but why add clutter to one area while removing it from another? Modern racks have EPAS built in of course, but most (if not all) rear steer EPAS racks have the electric motor mounted vertically since the vehicles are FWD by default and present clearance issues. Vehicles like Mustangs or Navigators have racks with the motors mounted horizontally but they are a front steer configuration.
So my thoughts are:
1) Use a rack like the one in the picture (front steer) only modified so it will be a rear steer center take-off style. That means replacing the tie rods on the rack with something to attach to the existing spindle connector rods. Also, some sort of setup will be needed to turn the input shaft of the rack in the opposite direction the steering wheel is being turned so turning the steering wheel left or right will result in a turn in the same direction. Yeesh!
2) Use the rack as designed by switching the spindles to opposite sides and converting to front steer. Then the only hurdles would be mounting the rack, attaching the steering column to the rack's input shaft, wiring it up, and most likely an alignment.
I'm not sure what clearance issues the oil pan might present if going the front steer route, but elimination of the spindle connector rods means a rear sump oil pan would be an option. I believe the rack could be mounted and not interfere with the strut that attaches to the frame and lower arm or the stabilizer bar. That leaves my biggest concern. What effect will swapping the spindles have regarding caster? Adjustments to caster can be made of course, but a visual inspection with the spindles installed is a bit inconclusive when trying to determine if a swap would be feasible or not. Thoughts?