First time working on a car

Welcome to the site, good looking project you have there.
You came to the right place, lots of help and info on here.......just don't be afraid to ask!
Don't get impatient and start wrecking things anymore, a lot of these parts are hard to come by.
If you get pissed off, walk away and stomp around if you need to.

I agree. I just need to be gentle

And with Tom Waits in your siggy. I agree with that too.

Did you happen to see Tom Waits recently? He's getting very old. Saw him at Shoreline in Nor Cal around 2010 at the Bridge School Concert.