I got it running again. Very frustrating. I kept filling the carb bowl and it would start and run great until the bowl went dry. The tank was full, but the pump lately didn't seem to be able to pull any fuel. It's a fairly new AC Delco pump, with probably less than 20 hours of running and idling.
On a hunch, I primed the pump this time and it kept going great. Maybe I need to start it more often than a few times a year.
I even drove it half a block, pulled a u-turn, and came back home without issue. I'm scared I'll get stuck and have to call AAA. My plan is to drive it at least once a week and go a little further each time and watch for issues to make sure it's reliable.
I changed one hood hinge today it was one of those "OER" brand ones from Summit.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/oer-t70297 I was able to fiddle it myself with a prop board to hold to hood up and a gymnastics pad to protect the windshield. The quality seems reasonable. I just transferred my old spring over because it looked fine. I hit the pivot points with waterproof "Sta-Lube" marine grease. That side sits way, way better now. The other side is on the way and is supposed to arrive in a few days.
Also, I ordered the AC Delco 9088C plug wire set, but have not yet installed.
I'm about to order a new stock gas tank because the original got hacked up by someone trying to remove the locked cap to steal gas back when the previous owner had it.
Progress.
And yes, I owe you some pics, but hey at least I'm documenting with part numbers and/or links. ;-)