Tim! That is great info. I didn't know that 72 was the year they changed from forged to cast. Lucky for you to have matching numbers engine and tranny. Was the block masked off before they painted the engine? I found out that were the cubic inch and year is stamped in front of the left cylinder head they put a piece of tejp to mask of the paint. Then they just just removed it!
Is the bolt holding the water in the engine block painted or unpainted? I know from talking with Frank Badalson that the early seventies had both versions. He might be interested in that info. He's trying to find the date were they switched in profuction.