It’s my in laws and I can use it only on weekends so last weekend was a 25+ work hour marathon to get it done. It is very nice and I am very thankful for getting to use it but sometimes I get in way over my head on weekend projects.
Anytime you're limited like that it's easy to bite off more than you have time to chew and especially the parts availability bites us in the keister. I can definitely sympathize with your predicament!
Love the work though and the improvising on the core support. Nice work!
For hose clamps I've become a huge fanboy of spring-type clamps. They come off better, don't leak, and are re-usable while not being able to over-tighten the dumb hose. It's really common for people to over-tighten coolant clamps and end up messing up the hose. I use to think they were inferior but have really come around. So now everything I touch gets a spring clamp, except the huge radiator hoses. I'd use them there, too, but I've never looked into it.