72 petty blue twister "BACKWARDS BUILD"

Looks freakin real cool!
As far as doing a car the "wrong way", you could always set the whole car up now that the engine compartment is painted, and get it mechanically dialed in. If the car isn't painted by summer it will still be road worthy, and you can drive it like that until fall. Next winter you can blow it apart (the mock up and assy bugs will be done) and get it pretty.
I have a 69 Dart I've been driving all summer in primer. The interior is almost done, and it's mechanically on par, but the body isn't. I drove it all year with 4.56 gears and 28X9 M/T ET Drag slicks on it. Once fall came I started on the body. If it isn't ready for paint by April, guess what? It's going out in primer again this summer! LOL

Keep up the good work man, the car looks great from here.
Oh, do you think you can take a picture of the hydraulic clutch from under the car for me? I'm interested in how it actuates the clutch fork, brackets etc. I have to rethink my hyd clutch set up as I have no pedal free play and I worried about the release bearing burning up.

George