Your engine guy is very wise. I just assumed most of those safety issues had been addressed. Definitely address the front brakes. Luckily whenever I bought my car [68 Cuda] my friend had already converted the front brakes to disk off a 73 Dart. I would be thinking about having a stronger DS built with 1350 joints and yokes. I had mine built by a place that does truck DS. They also build for Pro stick cars, that cost about 250 with the U joints. Do you have the Performer or the Performer RPM? I'm asking because it took me 2yrs to snag an M/1 not many people want to let them go. I got a TM/7 from the same guy. Their out there, you just have to be at the right place at the right time ,I'm usually not that lucky.