How do you think he achieved this rear drop?

That's certainly an improvement but really with a decent set of shocks I wouldn't run anything less than 1" bars in the front. That's still only like a ~200 lb/in wheel rate, which is still less than the majority of newer cars. Unless of course you're planning on running bias ply tires.
not necessarily turning it into a corner carver, not sure what direction I go for with wheels/tires (14's 15's or 17's). I've been more of the moderate wheel rate w/pretty stiff roll rate kind of guy, don't necessarily want to have it ride like a lumberwagon....