damn maybe I should have started with a different car.
Then you would suffer from boredom.....I too did a rack conversion, winter 01-02 Grand Am rack, using two universals, made entirely from junkyard parts, got lucky and found a new clean rack in a car with the engine removed....like someone tied a nice red bow on it for me.....:bounce:
35 bux, another 30 bux for many many many combinations of universal joints from various GM cars so took the joints apart and mix/matched them up to work, if you look at the stock GM joints you find the grease caps are just crimped in place from GM, I just did the same, been fine... the expensive part was getting the adapter block for the stock tie rod ends to join the rack output.....I lucky in having a commercial welder buddy who does all my welding, like the rack supports, and a modification to correct for bump steer on the rack output block I had made....I cut the stock tie rod sleeves and took 9/16 rod inserted inside it, welded, and covered with a fresh tube over the old one, welded ends on it also....looks factory and I have legit tie rod ends, not some after market rusty heim joint....:cussing:
maybe take a look at my site below for an idea I had due to a Verizon truck backing into my left front bumper and totalling out that Ecklers sugar scoop I had in there with the tall square lights, I junkyarded a couple of later Camaros for their front lights, built a new mount set on each tray, moving the lights forward about 1/2 way, traced the OEM curves on the headlight cutout, and brought forward about 1/2 way on each side so the huge opening is 1/2 size fore/aft which looks much sleeker I don't even have a plastic cover, IMO not needed due to the smaller openings....and the lights are at stock height too, so .gov approved....custom grill is hardware store aluminum TIGs up by my buddy....:goodevil: