Hi skinwhistle , I was very fortunate to stumble across my 1/1"4 manitou 3 with a threaded stearer, ill keep ya posted on how i get on with mine as mine have been converted to springs!! hopefully fingers crossed the bike will be built in the next week or two, good luck with your dilema!!
Fitted my 92 cromega dx with Rockshox Quadras when they first came out BITD, cost me £200 and I thought they were the bee's knee's, in the cold light of day some 20 years later I have to admit they were pretty rubbish!!!!!!