As I needed to protect the bare metal block-off plates, I decided that at the same time I could get a little taste (and hopefully motivation) of how the engine bay could progress. I used steel wool to clean the plates, then after wiping them down real well, I sprayed a self-etching primer followed by a color that nearly matches the original Wheatland Yellow (I held the plates next to the inside of the glove box door as that was the best representation of the original finish). This new color (Sunset Glow) is just a tad brighter, but that should help things pop under the hood. I left the stainless fasteners and aluminum Z-brackets natural as a contrast for now...but will consider other options in the future.
Woody