cutting out inner fenders? replacing/removing PS?

I'm almost to the point where I'm ready to start cutting on my 71 dart and have lots of questions?

I want to remove the inner fenders but that leads me into how to connect the upper shock mount to the cage and is that even the thing to do? At that point should I just be looking at coil overs and ditching the T bars?

How have you gone about this? What parts did you use and how did you do it?

Power steering box, sucks and is in the way big time. What parts to change over to rack and pinion?

I don't want to go through all this work and find out I should have just done it right the first time.

I would like to just have a D shaft with a pillow block and no real steering column, any one gone this route? How dangerous is this? I do have 5 point harnes and full cage, do I still want a collapsible steering shaft? (Race car)

Thanks for all the time and advice.