Alright guys I'm starting to get ahead of myself so I guess it's time for an update. I'm still moving right along on the grille but all the little tedious work is slow-going so I'll just do a full post on that once it's done.
Some pretty exciting progress on other fronts though, spent my Labor Day weekend buttoning up the motor and getting ready to drop it in. Started off with my oil pan since someone apparently watched too much Dukes of Hazzard and bottomed out pretty good at some point.
"Gently used"
So I spent some time with a block of wood and a BFH straightening it out, then stripped the old paint with a wire wheel. Didn't care too much about it being perfect, just functional. Battle scars add character :icon_blackeye:
I'm guessing somewhere along the line of beating on it with the body hammer, one tiny pinhole opened up. Extremely small so I just used a flashlight under it in a dark room to check for any others. Ended up just having one, so I gave it a quick tack with the MIG and ground it smooth.
Then some etching primer and topcoated with the extra paint I had mixed up for the motor.
Checking For Oil Pickup Clearance
I didn't get any pics of this process, but when I went to bolt it back onto the motor I did a test fit to check for oil pickup clearance, I was told it needed about 1/8 to 1/4". Mine was bent slightly so I straightened it out and checked for clearance by taping a 1/4" drill to the bottom of the pickup, smeared it with some paint, and set the pan down in place. Pull it off and if its touching you'll see the paint on the inside of the pan. In my case with the 1/4" drill, it had one almost unnoticeable dot of paint, so "good to go."
Another issue I had to deal with was my exhaust studs. I had already replaced that one that was broken off in the head, but still had 2 broken ones I thought were still long enough to save. (avoiding removing any studs you don't absolutely have to is a good idea if they're old, as you risk snapping them off in the head and making a lot more work for yourself.)
Sheared off but still a good amount of thread left.
So I just shaved the damaged end off with a cutoff wheel
And chased the threads with a 5/16-24 dye I got for a couple bucks at Napa.
Each of the 2 broken studs I had to cut short were the 2nd one back from the front, on either side, which worked out conveniently since clearance is a little tight on those ones with my headers lol.
And after test-fitting the headers with no issues, I took care of some other odds and ends. Bolted the fuel pump back on, new oil pressure and water temp sending units, swapped out my old motor mounts for new ones, sandblasted/ flat cleared the hardware and bolted them on.
And one last finishing touch I'm really happy with, sanded/polished my valve covers. Started with 180 grit to get through the wrinkle finish, then stepped up through 350, 400, 800, 1000, and 2000. Then I threw them in the sink for a light scrubbing with a soft dish washing sponge to get the sanding dust off, and finished them with some "Blue Magic" alluminum polish.
So here it is with the major stuff done and ready to go home back in the engine bay
ccasion14: 
