got back home, and took front apart again. found two bad ball joints, one on each side. wtf? got them replaced, and steering is almost as easy as a power unit. it's what i wanted (finally) and the feedback is great. needed to work on some wiring, so the panel was pulled apart, to get to some wiring.

interior needs finishing to all black. have the carpet, and dash pad, just waiting for the seat to be redone, with black material to replace the red.