A grand total of ~ 125 miles on fresh engine. Boy, it's been a learning process but I'm glad I tackled it myself as I've saved a mountain of cash and know a lot more now. Also was able to reason buying a hole heap of stuff that I would have found it hard to justify if I wasn't doing this.
Things I've learnt;
1. My new flash as Michael Jackson tool chest locks the drawers when you close the lid. No need to beat the shite outta it to open the drawers

2. Butane (?) torches are handy for bolts that are frozen in after a million heat cycles
3. Butane torch won't remove turbo to manifold studs. themissus cried "what, it's just turning now and become real loose" Turns out one of the studs was on it's last legs and snapped whilst tightening with a stubby 12mm open ender!
4. It takes a steady hand to redrill/tap that snapped stud when stuck in the turbo manifold
5. Not all engine stands are small enough to deal with a 1.8
6. Don't rely on friends to turn up at 0700 to lend a hand when they have let you down the last 3 weekends in a row
7. Don't have the old O ring for the oil pump lying around AFTER you have already installed everything else and put the head on ready to install. That freaked me out and had me second guessing myself.
8. Figure a timeline for the build and double it.
9. Figure a budget for the build and add at least a 1/3
10. Check that all the stuff you ordered actually arrived with everything it was supposed to (Boundary Enginering, I'm talking about your damn oil pump)
11. Video and bagging everything works really well. I can report not a single bracket or bolt left over!!
12. Don't drink whilst reading info from books or the net and work on your car.
I'm pretty happy with myself at this point. It's been small things that slowed me down but the car is up and running nicely. Just gotta break her in and then the 700cc injectors go in for the final tune of the Hydra mid November currently.
The base map from FM seems to work about 95% and I have a car for the 1st time since the end of May this year. Bloody excited.