I was checking the steering box turns on my '69 'Cuda and came up with 3 1/2 turns lock to lock. I suspect this is a fast ratio manual steering box, were these boxes standard on '69 A-bodies or only on certain cars?
Yes, 3.5 turns would be fast ratio. There are not any external markings that I'm aware of so no way to verify if it is original or not. The fast ratio boxes aren't fun driving at slow speeds but they are nice for canyon carving. We tried one in a road race car and it was too stiff for the driver. I had one in my street car for a bit and it was way too stiff for daily driving. Almost impossible to go around a sharp corner at low speeds. I eventually switched over to a 20:1 ratio box which was easier to drive and then after a few years I switched to PS.
