Thermostat spacer

The only reason I'm into this thread is that I've got a dual plane M1 and I cant thread an aftermarket temp sensor in it. Mine isn't for magnums, but it's kinda the same problem. I'm gonna get the water outlet spacer for mine. It just seems like putting it in-line is a cheesy way to do it. Doesn't look anything like factory installed. Maybe I'm wrong. Can it be made to look good?