thanks everyone for the replys.

randyr- im not sure what the difference is b/w an '87 and '97 column either, but I also have that collar for the firewall. is it safe to shorten it on purpose like that? i assume its designed to be collapsible in the event of an accident right? the '87 doesn't use a chip in the key right? is there any anti theft issues or any problems with the stock column wiring that you have run into? what steering wheel are you using?

i am using the engine that went with this column and the computer has the anti thef edited out so whether or not i use the keys with the chip in it shouldn't matter right?