Clair.Davis...hey man! Looks like you're right down the road from me! And yes, those mounts are pointed in a rather funky direction. You'd think the other end of the shock on the exploder was attached to the rocker panel! I'm liking the ideas everyone threw out.
My initial thought was just heat it and bend it....guess that's the caveman in me. I don't have a torch that will do the job though....so the caveman will have to sit tight. I'll look into the different shock plates. I pulled out a 7 1/4, so there was no way those plates would work...the axle tubes were as big as a broom handle. I'll let you know how it goes, and if I ever figure out how to post pictures I'll get some up. Thanks all.