In what I can only describe as a "Top Gear" style moment of revelation, I can now confirm that a manual steering rack with a siezed damper is a lot more difficult to use than with the damper removed!
New front tyres and balanced wheels have ensured a shake-free front end and maybe a wheel alignment some day will be the icing on the cake.
I'm no longer flirting with the idea of retrofitting power steering and a sincere thanks to the good members of this community who advised me to check the steering for siezed components.
Life (and steering) has just got so much better
