Sonny, great job on removing the exhaust, it looks good! You're going to rebuild the engine compartment correctly, Awesome, can't wait to see that done!
If you want something modern, try one of the newer Shelby Mustang kits. The 5.4 supercharged engine will look so cool in there. The 1:1 cars have more than enough power to push a Galaxie around. Some big modern chrome 5-spoke wheels with low profile tires will fill up those big fender wells nicely too.
That's just my 2 cents. You're doing a great job, keep going, I want to see this one bad!