Here's what I did and I'm still not happy. The mounting hole for the mixture cable is still in the wrong place and that would require more surgery on the bracket. What I need is more space between firewall and cable attach points on the bracket, but that ain't happenin'.
So, I am going to order a new one from Van's, align it correctly and drill the four carb bolt holes and the intake hole. If I am not happy with those results, I will fabricate a whole new piece that best suits my needs. I will use the "Frankenbracket" (in the pics) to surgically come up with a workable template, then fabricate a clone.
Still a work in progress.....