so im putting the exhaust manifold back onto the heads on the passenger side. the heads are remaned) all the bolts match up except the last closest to the firewall is an inch off ?! if i bolted all five in but that it would overlap the one bolt...what should i do

 

Ive never heard of that happeneing. Your idea wont work, not for a half of inch.

 

looks like you got an older set of heads, i ran into that problem once. in about 1980 they started putting seven bolt holes in the head and all the f-bodys used the extra one. you only have two options, get the shop you got the heads from to exchange them or get some headers, they all have the older style flange.

 

There is also a company that makes adapter plates to go in between the head and the manifold that has an allen head tapered bolt, that goes into the head in the rear most hole, and has a tapped hole in the correct place to bolt the manifold to. It is about 30 or 40 bucks, and works pretty well, but it's another place to worry about a leak. I wish I could remember the company that makes it though....