You're not wrong about the Unisteer's performance. I have a manual Uni-rack on my Falcon, and I found that the following minor changes were necessary to make it tolerable (and pretty good):
1. A 1.5:1 ratio quickener (this makes the rack too hard to steer; see #2)
2. The Unisteer Electro-Steer (check spelling) setup: This is awesome, and is the best power steering I've ever experienced on an old car. It's pretty much the same as my 2012 Honda's steering, actually. It can also allow for me to use a 2:1 quickener, if I like.
3. Thanks to the above, my car is now way safer (I have no actual steering column, as all parts can collapse at a number of points), and way more fun to drive. I don't have to take my hands off the wheel for most turns, and I can react to crap way more quickly and effectively.
I should have just used a Flaming River box, but I still would have wanted to quicken up the 16:1 they come with, which would make the steering super-hard. That's car crap for you--it never ends, but you're young...
