Just a few updates: It was a long hard winter here in the Heartland. With record snowfall, the car was inaccessible for much of the winter due to where I had it stored. Safe, dry, but totally snowed in. Well its back home now. The drive was interesting; engine seems to be getting better (rings getting freer and reseated?) but the trans won't shift into drive. Consequently, I drove the 15 or so miles from my nephew's garage to home in second gear and could only cruise 35 or 40 mph (50 or so coasting down hills;) )All guestamations as the speedo doesn't work either. Checked the kickdown linkage and it seems to be in good working order and I assume the adjustment is correct since its never been removed, so I'm going to drop the pan and maybe the valve body. Maybe so crud clogging things up. I have the BB AVS tore down to put a kit in it and drilled mounting holes to match the SB manifold. Gotta find some jets cuz I boogered one up removing it. Hey! the screwdriver worked on everything else LOL Note to self: check screw to driver match before twisting on brass jets in a 40 year old carb
Also started the upholstery project. I have all but the driver's seat removed and the old covers ripped apart to use for patterns for new vinyl. WOW that was some crusty crunchey vinyl in the sun exposed areas. The piping along the back seat rest was actually fused to the parent vinyl from the years of sun beating through the back glass I couldn't get it apart without tearing up my pattern piece so I will have to "improvise, adapt, and overcome" Well its been too windy and rainy lately to get any welding done on the body so I'm mostly concentrating on mechanical stuff for now. I think I will start on the floor board(s) when I do start welding again, also entertaining the thought of frame connectors while I have the floor out, but that's another chapter...Need to rewatch some episodes of Muscle Car on Spike TV
OK, in the mean time, here's some pics. Thanks for looking.

This is the carb base after drilling new mounting holes: