[Barry_R]

That looks like a pretty normal R&R job to me.....

Like the other guy said - cover the pretty parts of the car (I am prone to scuffing things up if I get in a hurry).

The distributor can stay in place - but as noted - its equally as easy to turn the motor to number one's top dead center on the damper, mark the spot where the distributor rotor is pointed to on its housing and the housing location on the block (I use a Sharpie pen to make a couple of lines) - and pull it out of the way. As long as you install it before turning the engine over it'll go right back in.

My preferred tool for removing gasket material is a single edge razor blade and a gentle touch. I've seen those rotary zizz wheels do a lot of damage in unpracticed hands. Your parts store sells a gasket remover spray to quickly soften any really hard pieces - DO NOT GET THE STUFF ANYWHERE NEAR PAINT - it'll take paint off so fast you'll be stunned! And P.O.d...