I was able to get bearings and the shaft seal from a vendor in France, as well as the bearings straight from GM. Trans shop is putting it back together now.
However, it seems like it will take a while for Centerforce to get a clutch solution. The last 2 emails include phrases that tell me this is going to be a 6+ month project: "Thank you for your patience on this. We do not specialize in custom products." and then "engineering has multiple projects right now." So in the meantime, when the trans is ready, I will probably install the 6-puck with heat treated pressure plate. My worry with that one is that the pedal will become really stiff and could contribute to crankwalk if it's got a huge force being applied. Changing the engine anyway but still.
Took the car to my fabricator friend's place but I mistakenly thought we were gonna work on things right then and knock it out in 1-2 days, but actually he was just squeezing me in so he's gonna do the fab stuff I need (redo charge pipe, build intake pipe, add resonator to exhaust) over the course of the next week and then we'll both install the brakes and see if they fit. If not, we'll make it work.
He also confirmed for me that it would be far better to get a rust-free Alero and strengthen its chassis (adding the half cage, fender bars, and other bracing to make it sturdy) than to go through and try to fix up this Alero. I had recently planned to just fix up the Alero I have, thinking it surely can't be too bad - you can repair any rusty stuff, and you can, but he says it's not worth it when you start adding up the time involved. So I immediately went to check Facebook marketplace and the car I was eyeing sold a few hours before. My luck.
