Think this through before you decide.

Are you planning on selling the car in the future? If you're going to all the trouble to keep the Ca emissions and original configuration of the engine, then I'd recommend going with the original color on the block. Some may disagree, but you'll have a wider market if it's stock, then modified.

Decide what you want to do with the car in terms of shows. There are many clubs with different kinds of judging and events. NCRS is all about originality. Condition and spiffy shine comes second to the right collection of original parts, installed correctly with the appropriate finishes. NCRS you're judged against the 'as delivered from the factory' standard. NCCC is more of a beauty or cleaning contest kind of show. Mods are great, so long as they're sparkly perfect, look good and are done well. Some of the unrestored 'Bowtie' (TM) cars at an NCRS meet will have folks drooling over them, but at an NCCC meet folks will just .

Bottom line - it's your car, so do what YOU want with it. Nobody has the right to judge it unless you ask them to.

Thanks for all of comments, I ended up painting it the stock blue color and added some braided hose covers. got it all back together. Took two days to reassebly the engine and get it back in the car running.