I've also been tinkering around trying to get the crate motor assembled. Last week Alan helped me install the intake and carb. It's minor progress, but it at least it's progress.
I bought a Lokar dipstick, basically because my local GM dealer's parts guy doesn't seem to care about selling parts. That's a whole different story itself. Anyway, I had planned on running ram horn exhaust manifolds, but I don't think my dipstick will work with those manifolds. The mounting bracket on the dipstick mounts to a header bolt, but given the thickness on the ram horns I may have to make a bracket for it to work.
Is anyone else using a Lokar dipstick and ram horns?
So long story short I'm still here slowly plugging away.