The ball on your linkage bridge (the piece that goes between the carbs and the linkage rod hooks to) has been raised by welding about a 1/2" spacer just under the ball, this will allow you to run your chokes as they are with out any interference, although you won't need them in at all in Texas. I would definitely keep the linkage you have and fab up the firewall bracket like Mojojoy has done using the stock firewall end. Your manifolds look like they are a copy of the old CT of London Mani's, I say copy's because I have never seen a set of CT's that weren't marked, they are a quality piece and worth keeping, check the head side of the manifold to make sure they have been tapered to to match the intake port CT never were and were left with a sharp edge it was left to the engine builder to match them up to the ports.