OK, got it running pretty well. I was even able to hot start it without too much trouble. It was running long enough that eventually I ran out of gas.

Once I got it running, initial timing was 26 degrees. Plate in the distributor is 13 so x 2 = 26. I remember now when I got it a few years ago I checked the timing and being surprised where it was at. Looked like almost 30 on the OE damper. Makes sense now.

As stated, I went to a hotter plug and it seemed to help a little. They were still getting a little carboned while fiddling with the idle but nowhere near as bad. I checked them at one point, no carbon at all. At least it was running and I was able to restart it.

A/F ratio was between 12.5-13 at idle. Seems like the A/F ratio is really sensitive to the idle mixture screws/throttle blades. Seems like a 1/4 turn can move the meter almost one point either way. With no load seems like the best throttle response is around 12.5. I'd like it to be leaner but I have not actually driven it yet.

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips. Took some doing to get to this basic point but I've learned some things for sure. I admit, I'm kind of a rookie at tuning. I was a tech for a while but I never dealt with carbs or distributors when I was working. I know it ain't rocket science but it can get confusing when you're chasing multiple issues.

Probably be back asking about bogs and hesitations soon.