here is what I tried today.

Finally found a tach. Holy crap no one carries those any more. Guy at a good parts store said we haven't had one of those in 20 yrs.

Anyway, got a tach, placed on coil wire told it 8 cyl Running around 11 rpm in park.

Placed vac gauge on manifold nipple, did not hold steady, but had a range of 16 - 20 inches.

Timing light on but the mark was gone with the idle up that high.

I placed the car in gear, rpms dropped. I watched vac gauge and turned dist. Got the vac back up to 16 or so. Unlike the 340 from the other thread, my car does not like too much timing.

So, with car in gear I played with the distributor and quit around 15 inches and 800 rpm in gear. Any slower it would die.

WE messed around putting it in gear and and watching rpms. Seemed OK. Kid went in house to get ready for work took mins. The car would not start.

I took lid off air cleaner, closed butterfly and it starts. It seems like my hard start problem is because it is getting too much air. I wonder, since it sat for so long, if the new fuel filter is already plugged. I am going to look at that tomorrow.

This car has a position on the carb when warm, thatthe idle set screw falls into a little notch. It is not spring returning once you open the throttle. I wonder if a spring is missing. Factory 2 bbl. When the idle screw is in that notch, if it dies, it is holding the butterfly wide open and I do not get a start.