Steering column length reduction

Edit: Sorry, I didn't see the 'old school' hemi part. I thought you were talking about a Gen III.

I'm in the process of shortening mine now. I cut back the outer column 5 inches so it cleared the head. It just sticks out barely from the firewall. (However, I centered the engine in the bay, so I lost some room). The steering shaft itself was shortened by cutting off the stock end and putting in a double D shaft. That's where I'm at with it now. I took the steering column completely apart and cleaned/painted the parts. There was a lot of old grease and rust. It has turned out to be more work than I thought, but it's better than spending $300 for a new column. When done, I'll drop the shaft down to the top of the frame rail, add a shaft support, then go from there to the power rack and steering.