you might test fit with the hood....on the A bodies, the hood actually bows up. With the engine installed, glancing across the fenders I think...uh-oh!, but upon adding a column of plumbers putty to different spots on the intake (for a gauge) and shut the hood....amazingly there is a good 1/2" of clearance. Naturally, the factory hood insulation is always first to go.
I would guess (I'm good at that) a custom, shorter oil pan / pick-up would be way cheaper and could be a massive gain. The question on how much gain is....how far is the sump now below the bellhousing?. No sense in anything any shorter than the bottom of the bell. With the rack / pinion out front and sans the factory steering linkage, shorten the pan / pick-up and add capacity out the sides and forward of the rear sump it appears you have. Kinda like a short, fat dragster pan.
you might be in better shape than you think. I hope you do not mind the chime in, hate to be that rail-bird helper....lots of ideas / no solutions.
