Check the Library in my signature link and look up the illustrated parts index. Perhaps you can ID the loose parts you found just for peace of mind.

With the ignition on the dash in '68, there was no provision for ignition lock; the '69 column also incorporated a back drive linkage, even in console shift cars, to lock the column. These are not present on a '68.

If your car was originally a column shift converted to floor shift, you may want to cut off the column shift lever to prevent any interference with the headers, or replace the column with an aftermarket or factory floor shift column.