No probs Marc, glad to share the experiences of my misspent youth! LOL
For what it's worth my Rover V8 engine stood for at least two years with one carb missing and the other open on the dockside in Barrow.
There are watermarks on the bores, but no pitting. I have rebuilt the engine using the same shells and rings. It shows no signs of burning oil, granted very limited test running in garage but you can smell it if it is an oil burner, it doesn't smell. I honed the bores very carefully. Time will tell...
Good luck with your build.