Hey, Steve. Cant wait to see pictures. I gutted my interior to a few weeks ago. I found what was left of my build sheet under the back seat tucked in the left corner of the seat. I am doing carpet, recovering the seats, hopfully a new dash to.
Other than that, I hope you have a good back and neckM and knees from knelling down and reaching under the dash to get at the bolts and pin/cotter key setup. Other than that I hope you get it fixed.
I installed a Gen V 454 into my '70 Monte. I used a Edelbrock Performer Intake with a Holly 750 carb, and 2" Hooker headers. I had to disconnect my steering shaft from the gearbox to get the left side header in. Still have about 2 to 3 " of clearance when I close my hood.