Welcome. Interesting swap plan, most go with a turbo 6 or v8. You lucked out it being an auto trans car. The transmission tunnel is a little wider on the auto cars so it makes swaps a little easier. Any questions just ask away.
Interesting you say this. I've talked to people at car meets that remember when these cars were new and said the same things about mechanical issues early on. One I distinctly remember was the voltmeter wiggling when the turn signals flashed when the cars were brand new.