converting slip joint to flange on side pipes

[olddog]

I put the flange plates on the side pipes and then leveled the tops of the side pipe tubes with a die grinder. With the new flange plates slipped on the side pipes, I assemble everthing on the car. Buy this I mean I put it together with the slip joints. Then I used a sharpy to mark the headers. Then removed headers and side pipes.

The cutoff saw was not able to make a perfect cut, so we cut the headers 1/8" long. Next we bolted the headers onto a 351W on an engine stand and rotated the engine to an easy to work position. Aligned the flanges to the marks. Then welded the flange to the headers. Ground the pipes off flush to the flange plate.

Tach welded the flanges to the side pipes. Then test fit everything on the Cobra. The dirvers side fit perfect. The passenger side has the side pipe about 1-1/2" low at the mounting point in the back. It looks like the flange on the header needs to be twisted clockwise. I was concerned about getting the flanges square to the pipes. It never dawned on me that they may need twisted. If I had twisted it to where it needs to be before welding it, then there would have been issues with the flanges at the head, as two pipe are on one flange and the other two a different flange.

So, my thought is mount the header to the 351 on the stand. Bolt the side pipe up. Heat the header tubes with a torch. Then twist the plate until I get the pipe where I need it. So much for saving the Jet hot coating.

Is there a better option?