Update:
I buttoned everything back up after checking that I torqued everything correctly like 3 times, pulled the distributor (discovered that my current distributor hold-down is a modified washer), primed the oil pump until the gauge showed I had good pressure, put the dizzy back in and fired it up. She runs great! Purrs right along, oil pressure is fantastic with the brand new bearings, And everything seems in good order. I'll probably pull the pan again after 500 miles just to make sure that this new thrust bearing is OK. Crank endplay was right in spec after the new thrust bearing install. This car is a manual, so yes, I know where the forward pressure comes from. Someone recently told me that his engine builder said he can look at an engine's wear pattern and tell right away if the owner starts the car in neutral vs pressing in the clutch when they start it.
Thanks again to everyone here who gave me the encouragement and confidence to do this. It was outside my comfort zone, but now I feel like I'm ready to roll bearings into anything!
I also got all the new steering and suspension parts on and have an alignment appointment on Tuesday. My home-made alignment was good enough for a cruise around the neighborhood to enjoy the feel of the new shocks and springs. I pulled the front springs out 3 times to cut them to get the exact height I wanted, but that's preferable to cutting them too far the first time...
