One more thought.....if you look on ebay, you should find a lot of stock steed front sump pans for sale.
Also, if your engine has an aftermarket water pump, like an aluminum pump, it looks like these can be easily modified to use a dipstick on the front. It would involve drilling a 3/8" hole in the top of the pump, then insert (with loctite) a 3/8" short piece (about 1") of tubing so that 1/2" is out of the hole. If you do this, a stock dipstick will fit nicely and be accurate with a front sump pan.
Oh yeah, you already know the
oil pump pick-up would need to be changed.
John