HELP! I bought a mess?

So I was able to get out to the garage on this great Veteran's Day. Thank you for your service to all of my brothers and sisters on here.

I was able to run a compression test on the 273 n the car. The motor seems to have tested out pretty well. Results were: 1 - 128, 2 - 132, 3 - 130, 4 - 135, 5 - 132, 6 - 126, 7 - 125, 8 - 132.

I am now hopeful that al of the leaking is just aged seals that have been sitting for years and are no longer doing their jobs but the engine may not have a dreadful amount of mileage and wear on it.

I am now thinking thanks to al of the information I have been able to get from you all that my best and first step will be to pull the motor, put a full gasket set into it, replace the leaking freeze plug on the back of the motor and throw it back in and see what it will do with a good maintenance and tune up. Thoughts on that course of action?

Separately, the engine has a set of Hooker long tube headers on it that I have spent most of my time working around so far and calling them every name in the book. They are a MAJOR PITA. Trying to get the #5 and #7 plugs out is a nightmare as the #5 tube comes up, goes straight back parallel to the ground past #7 and them dives almost straight down and is touching the inner side of the steering column in the engine compartment. Any suggestions for some shorty or block hugger headers that others have used tat might be easier to work around?