Small block valve cover clearance??

I'm not any kind of UN butthole, but it seems to me that some of us(me included, at 63) seem to be getting more pissed off as we age. Come on, folks, there ain't many of these cars left, and the younger generation isn't interested if it's not electric or hydrogen powered. I'll bet we'll have to have some kind of special permit to buy fuel for internal combustion engines in 10 years from now. RRR, you're a vast book of knowledge, but you seem to be getting more bitter the past few months. I'm an old Jarhead with a broken back, shoulder, and other physical problems. My '70 Swinger 340 is an anchor in my life, and helps keep my rudder centered. The knowledge I've gained on this site has helped me immensely. I come here to escape the daily BS, and go back to 1970, when life was simpler. Maybe I'm dreaming, but that's my retirement dreams.