Mustang II Rack and Pinion

[my427cobra]

OK - I'm thoroughly confused and I need enlightenment.
I'm about to redo the front end on my Cobra with bigger brakes , special Trigo hubs ( to fit my Sunburst wheels), new a-arms, balljoints etc. And since I do not know the history of my Mustang II manual rack I thought I would replace it with a new one.
Here's the confusion : Having followed countless threads on the subject, looked at countless web sites and catalogues, I still can't get a clear picture of what rack is what.
Here's what I think I know.
Mustang II is '74 to '78. Right? Summit calls it in their catalogue '72 to '74 and on their website '77 to '78, Flaming River calls it '74 to '78, and Speedway dosen't give it a year.
So let's call it 74 to '78.
Now what about ratio? Flaming River's website dosen't talk about ratio, but if you call the they say 16:1. Many discussions on this website talk about 18:1. Higher number - easier to turn but more turns lock to lock ( good for slow speed and parking , but not for performance driving) and lower number, harder to turn but fewer turns lock to lock ( harder to steer at low/parking speeds but better at high speeds and performance driving).
Am I right so far?
So what ratios and lock to lock turns come from what source?
Flaming River 1502 : 16:1 ratio and 4.15 turns (3.92 or 4.0 depending on who you talk to when you call)
Summit 770601 : ? ratio and 3.75 turns (catalogue) or 4.0 turns (website)
Speedway 91034340 : no ratio or turns info.
Where does the fewer turns rack come from?
Sooooo, is the 18:1 a stock Mustang II rack (one you'd get from a NAPA etc) and is the 16:1 (Flaming River) the only aftermarket rack avilable?
I can handle the steering effort on my car now for normal driving and don't plan on any "performance" driving, but I would like fewer turns ( my current rack is just over 4 turns).
Should I be thinking a later model rack with offset bushings? (Or does this take me into the power steering relm where I'd rather not go?)
What's the answer? (No power steering tangents please.)
When I can get enough info , I'd be happy to create a rack selection spreadsheet to help those of us that need enlightenment.
Thanks for any input you all might have.
Greg