[formulapk]

sorry in advance for being long but hopefully i can get these questions answered and not have to search the forums for days on end to figure them all out.

i haven't bought a 400 yet but after talking to a lot of people and searching it looks like i'm going to get one. I'll try and find one locally that can be rebuilt or get one from a builder. i'm looking for 300-375hp range depending on price. i have a 79 formula with a/c and a 301 with a th350 and 2.41 rear. i want to keep the th350 and install a stage 2 shift kit and bump up the rear to 3.08s. would that be ideal for that hp range ?

right now i'm wrapping up all my body work, the car is stripped and panels removed and its basically ready to be put back together and get a coat of epoxy. was going to keep the 301 at first and modify but found out its not worth it and and my moneys gone to everything else
so an immediate swap isn't likely.

so i wanted some opinions of what route to take....should i finish the body work get the car in epoxy sealer and have the jambs and trunk area and what not painted in case of scratching or anything. or should i just paint the whole car right away? i have an engine hoist but not a cherry picker. how difficult is it to remove and install the motor or motor & tranny without ruining the paint ?
is it easier to remove/install both at once or just the motor ?
also when it comes to installation does anything have to be moved ? motor mounts ?
will a set of headers fit fine ?
should the hood be removed, or is there enough clearance ?
can the a/c components be re-used ?
can the radiator be re-used or will i face over-heating problems ? / buy a new 4-core ?
if a 4 core is bought do i need a new fan shroud ?
is the stock fan enough to cool the motor or are electric fans necessary ?
and when i comes to vacuum advance will it only be necessary to have vacuum for heat and a/c ? or does anything else run off of it ?

lastly should i just paint the car and then have a shop install the motor ?

and please chime in any other info you feel helpful.

thanks a lot for sticking in there and i'm looking forward to your replies.