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CEL is just from wheel spin - the car is pissed about differential wheel speeds. Should clear on it's own in a few miles. Battery light is an indication that the voltage is higher at the battery or the alternator - this lamp is in series with the field flash circuit and comes on when there is a higher voltage potential at one or the other. Either the battery is bad (which can damage the alternator) or the alternator is bad. Cheap alternators are junk. See this a lot. Brake lamp is on because the alternator's bridge rectifier and smoothing caps are not generating a smooth DC current. You have AC ripple on the charging circuit and this is defeating diodes in the gauge cluster causing the brake warning lamp to illuminate. Or you are low on brake fluid (pads are worn). GD

I'm glad you were able to sort out the handle issue. Saw your search here and the resulting "no it won't fit" responses. Never been able to compare a 1st and 2nd Gen side by side myself so had no idea... this is good to know Three is a lucky number, and more manageable than seven... this sedan is a survivor and in good hands once more

So, took the gamble on a 1984 Brumby/Brat door handle. Fits perfectly. They are exactly the same part besides a slight pattern difference on the face of the handle.

Alright, so now the case is split. I dropped the bare case in the parts washer, then went to start pulling the old rings off the pistons. They're all pretty loose, except for the piston that was seized. I started with that one, then immediately found this: Yeah, this piston is junk. Looks like someone dropped it, then installed it anyway. The side is cracked, and the skirt is all bent up. AMPCO is not OEM, as far as I know, so this engine has actually been rebuilt in the past at some point, likely when the car was only a couple years old. This is very discouraging, since I can't just go and buy a set of pistons for this thing. I have many ebay search alerts on, and have searched many part numbers in foreign and domestic sights, but I have yet to come across even a single piston for sale. I know they're out there, if anyone has any leads, please let me know. In the mean time, I've been cleaning everything over and over. The cases turned out nice, they still need another round or two of cleaning before they're ready. This is more or less where I'm at now. I have obtained crank and rod bearings, so I will be pulling the crank apart to clean and rebuild it. I will be able to get the short block together, and I will be cleaning and re-doing the heads as well. After that, I'm stuck until I can solve my piston problem.

Maybe it's just me...but I feel that having the "battery and brake lights on for forever (6 months at least)", should be just as concerning as these new developments.