EmTee

That could be you new "DD"...

Or, swap yours for a Saginaw 808 box from a 1969 -76 GM "B" or "C" body such as: Riviera, LeSabre, Electra, Deville, Bonneville, Catalina, etc.

For me, it's hard to beat a set of turbines on a first-gen Riviera.

This is what happens when you chase perfection! https://forums.aaca.org/topic/324816-1966-f100-short-bed-styleside-metalbodypaint-work/

This one doesn't look correct...

I would try a small pipe wrench or a basin wrench. The harder you pull on these, the tighter it will grip, unlike vice-grips or channel lock pliers).

I would try placing a block of wood a little shorter than the 'hump' at the edge of the fender that meets the hood and give it a few light hammer blows. Support the edge of the fender directly below at the points where the fender/hood alignment is acceptable. I would start with light hits, check progress and adjust the block as necessary and increase the force a bit incrementally. If moderate blows don't do anything I would look at possibly making a cut in the fender flange that bolts to the inner fender directly below the apex of the 'hump'. That should allow you to press the top of the fender into alignment. If you can have someone hold that alignment, or come up with a fixture to hold the desired position, then tack weld to refill the cut and recheck before carefully refilling the cut with a series of tacks to avoid heat distortion. It comes down to how much the current alignment bothers you. (I have a feeling I know that answer... )

New wheels and tires look good. If these are 895 wheels I presume you've installed spacers between the wheel and brake drum. The blackwalls definitely make the car look like "it means business". @JohnD1956 would approve!

I'm using it in my '38 Century.

I'm not offended by them either, though many do prefer the euro style. A friend of mine has a euro-spec SL with the composite headlights and a stick. It does give a cleaner look and if nothing else, stands out against the other 95% with sealed beams. I'll say again I like the look of the SLC and personally, I'd prefer having one over an SL. But then again, I also like the looks of the 630 CSi...

Holy cow -- I thought those had gone extinct 25 years ago!

I'd try to keep it R-12 as long as possible. I'm still running R-12 in my '67, but there is a slow leak somewhere...

Does your car have front disc brakes? If not, you can use either 853 (disc/drum) or 802 (drum brake only) wheels.

I think the cracking is indicative of the rubber outgassing as it ages and losing some of its elasticity. It will be interesting to compare the new rubber to the old. How's the transmission mount? If it looks anything like the engine mounts it would make sense to renew all of the mounts...

Yes, oil pressure and temperature were the only functional gauges until i replaced all of the stepper motors late last fall. Looking at the gauge today I'd say the indicated temp is more like 200~203° F. It has always run at that value for as long as I have owned it (the last 110K miles).

I had a '70 Chrysler Newport winter-rat with a bad fuel sender. I ran out of gas one night in the middle of a snow storm. I installed a new sender the following week!

A definite improvement!

Do you have a problem with that...?

Are you going to try to keep R-12, or convert to R134a?

Not that I'm aware of, unless you're talking about OEM vs. the replacement 'mini' gear-reduction starters.

Well, it does appear that the rubber has degraded. I know you have been focused on idle smoothness and based on the picture can't help but think these mounts are likely not as compliant as they once were. How difficult would it be to remove one of them so that you can inspect condition on your bench? Clamp one side in your vice and use a crescent wrench or vice-grips to see what happens to the rubber when you apply some torque to the mount...

OK, I could see 205° F being at the upper end of "normal". That's the temperature that my 2004 Chevrolet K1500's 5.3L V8 normally operates. What is the opening temperature of the thermostat that you're using? If you are using a 50/50 mix of EG antifreeze and water with a 15 psi radiator cap the coolant should not boil at that temperature.

Well, that's too bad, however, I guess I'm not surprised. Today I suppose we'll need to rely on hydro-dipping 3-D printed polymer parts...

I think it was common to have a 2 ~ 3 gallon 'reserve' remain when the gauge reads 'empty'.