I actually started putting the engine together on Tuesday, June 22, 1999. Here is what I have done so far:

• SHORT BLOCK BUILT BY ATWELL ENGINES OVER THE EARLY PART OF JUNE
• TUESDAY JUNE 22(1 hr): Installed oil baffles, oil sump, oil pump, and oil pan. New main seals were installed front and back.
• WEDNESDAY JUNE 23(3 hrs): Bolted on the Clutchmasters lightened flywheel, ACT clutch, and cylinder head. (Keep in mind the three hours included about an hour and a half of shooting the shit with a few friends about girls, cars, and motorcycles.)
• I apologize for having no more updates since JUNE 23; Geocities changed hands to Yahoo and so did my password and login identity. Stuff has changed much to my surprise. I'll get this all sorted out before too long, but since the last posting I have installed and tuned the FM ECU, gotten a custom copper head gasket made, and had EGR block-off plates and a throttle body adaptor plate fabricated. Stay tuned for more info as I figure this web hosting crap out.
• MONDAY AUGUST 9: Well, it appears that Racing Beat (the U.S. distributor for Mazdaspeed stuff) has goofed. They incorrectly packaged the cams after they finally arrived from Japan and one got to Texas and the other one is in Never Never Land. Oh well, it's been ten weeks already; what's another few months?
• JULY-AUGUST: With the engine basically complete and with nothing else to do, I have started polishing my intake plenum by hand.
• WEDNESDAY AUGUST 4: Picked up EGR block-off plates and throttle body adapter plate from a local machine shop. I had the adapter orifice cut to 57.5mm to accommodate a +2.5mm overbore of the throttle body. It looks as if the 1.8 plenum's orifice is close to 56mm or so, so I plan to match the openings with a grinder and Dremel tool (see above pics).
• SATURDAY AUGUST 14 (1hr): Port/gasket matched the intake plenum ports with a high speed drill and cone grinder bit. Now there are no steps at all from the plenum to the gasket to the enlarged intake ports.