Only problem is you have to find someone before they do the conversion, since you can buy those little adaptors to convert the power steering column for use with a manual box . I'd offer up mine, but the swap I'm doing is on my E-body, which won't help you much.
You can collapse the column, but keep in mind thats there for a reason, and its not to swap in power steering, its to keep the column from crushing your rib cage in case of an accident. If its already collapsed, there's nothing left to take up the impact.