73' B3 340 Duster pro touring build

I decided to cut a mock up of a dual exhaust tip to bring through the rear bumper instead of the center tip but after holding both in place I think I'll stay with the center exit .... keep in mind, everything will be flush with the rear bumper not sticking out like in the pics. Opinions welcome on this one.
My TTi 1 7/8 headers came in today so I quickly mocked them up and checked the ground clearance..if I remove the 3 bolt flange and go with the ball and socket style I'll have 4.25" to the ground...now I'm thinking what if I shortened the tubes where the turn down by 1". Is it worth it or am I okay with what I have for room. I can't really raise the engine unless I modify the transmission tunnel.
I also Shinned my AMD doner hood and got it cut roughly to the size of the stock hood, it's a little short on the front edge so it look's like I'll be adding some metal there, I would really like to remove all the factory bump's, contour's and edge's but that might prove to be a semi challenging.