Exhaust Manifold question

[chickenwing]

Need some advise on the double. Have my drive-train out of the truck and I found the passenger exhaust manifold cracked. This kinda @#$$%$$ me off 'cause I just put that manifold on when I got the truck going last year. It was cracked in the same place. I am convinced it has something to do with that hokey A/C bracketry not spreading the stress out on the manifold evenly.
Truck is a 72 c20 with air. It has a 91 serpentine set-up now so the brackets are no longer an issue.
My questions are"
-Should I try fixing the crack?
-Should I try finding a new used manifold?
-Should I try buying a new repro manifold?
-Should I go to a later style manifold and never have burnt plug wires again?
-Should I got to headers (long or short?) and possibly deal with exhaust leaks forever?
Money is an object. But I will burn up the charge card if I have to.
Thanks in advance.