Probably true that the steering box may have been adjusted once or twice by now in a 30yo car but ....

Loose steering feel is almost always a function of steering component wear on our old cars. No amount of fiddling with the steering box will correct for loose tie rod joints or steering arms.

The recirculating ball steering on our cars will never have the precise feel of rack and pinion. The specification is 24mm (1 inch) or less at the steering wheel rim.