It's a slow day 'round here so me and the boy decided to play with the block. I showed him how to properly install the main bearings in the journals. (and made him read the tiny stamped print on the back of each bearing shell to verify that they were all the correct .010 undersize bearings).
We also painted the block with some of the leftover Bill Hirsch, Inc., engine paint that I had from when we did the 350. (1975/6 Pontiacs were painted a unique metallic blue color that looks very similar to Oldsmobile Blue engine paint. We used a sponge brush and it came out great. The stuff dries slowly enough so that no brush marks appear anywhere.