slant daily driver buildup

You definitely want the exhaust to breath more. Clifford makes a "shorty" header set that works early A's, but buying from them can be a hit or miss experience. They show up on eBay from time to time, though. Doug Dutra also makes the mighty Dutra Duals. Highly recommended by many a slanter if they're in your budget range.

As for the ignition, definitely go electronic. If you're a stickler for Ma Mopar, you can go with her electronic ignition package, but you're probably going to be much happier going HEI. Check out how (and why) to do that here.

Good luck!