Doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun. It's nice having an understanding wife. Mine put up with a whole lot with the motor swap. The rear looks nice. How was the Brake line work? I need to swap my 7 1/4 and install the 8 1/4 here soon.
Mike, the brake lines are the sheilded type from NAPA. They were the straight universial ones and easy to bend by hand. I think they were about $12 or so. I used a new later style stock junction block with the attached rubber brake hose and used the 66's vent bolt. I saved some bucks over the repo lines and they look fine to me. On your's the 7 1/4 brake lines, wheel clys. etc. should swap over to the 8 1/4. I used the 10" backing plates, drums and hardware from my 7 1/4 on the 8 3/4.
Bob