Congrats on your early retirement project, and thank you for serving. I also bought mine as a retirement gift, which is next January 2018. I am 4mos into the build of a 289 and ready to do initial electrical systems check and fire it up pretty soon. My wife tells me I'm not spending all next summer (Ohio) working on it, which I won't. But, something will get done here and there. Hope to have painted before next winter.
Have fun, take your time, and be safe.