New battery did crank, though engine didn't start immediately and as it was cranking slowly, I didn't want to drain battery. Checked distributor for gap and spark at points - check. pulled fuel line from front carb and cranked to check for fuel - check. Didn't have spark plug socket so couldn't pull plugs to examine. The distributor cap was for some other dizzy, though it did fit the distributor (and had gotten the car this far) - the half moon for the points bolt was @ the 1 o'clock position instad of the 8 o'clock position - I think it was an 058 cap, though not positive - he had his old cap which appeared correct, and with minor corrosion which I carefully scraped off with curved end of feeler gauge; cleaned the rotar contacting end lightly. Reassembled everything and it started right up.

A far above average body on this specimen (he found it in Tuscon and towed it back to Conn.!!), with some minor mechanical things to be sorted out. Definitely a keeper - great rust free body.
Throttle shafts tight. piston lift synchronous off idle. pretty good.

One question: After warming it up and checking the carbs over - rear carb had no damper oil, so off to find a gas station and an (almost) empty ATF container in the trash (no luck) and so to an auto parts store for a can of carb cleaner and ATF. Pulled the carbs apart and CLEANED everything before reassembling. Rear jet tube somehow popped out of float bowl, so I had to remedy that (remove float bowl, remove gland nut and washer and rubber, reassmble, blah, blah -(this is on the street with no O ring pick, but he had an awl which did the trick)

Even with ATF, the rear carb had much less resistance when lifted by hand than the front - switched the dampening rods and same happened at front carb, so it's the dampening valve - what gives? they appeared to be identical. Without disassembling them and measuring I couldn't swear that all of the bits were identical(ly worn). Did they make these with different ID brass cylinders or different thickness washers?

Fixed the heater control valve cable (came unclamped at the lever end) so he can now turn the heat off.

There's a mild thunk when hitting the brakes - I think it's probably rear brake adjustment, but could also be U joint, or front suspension (steering rod end or tie rod ends or idler arm - didn't have a floor jack. Needs a new steering coupling disk - not frayed, but distorted. THere's a bit of a leak fromt he thermostat housing - J has a new T'stat and gasket at home, so he'll watch this leak until he can replace it - he also has new upper and lower hoses, and a new heater control valve which he thought he needed , but may not now that the cable's working - there may have been a small leak at the valve; could be from deformed copper pipe and not the valve.

The plan is to get together again sometime in the future to attack some of the other maintenance. I also want to check the compression - recounts that he has blowby, or at least smoke on decelleration, so I recommended getting new valve stem seals (the ones he has are old, and brittle and not doing anything.) I'm hoping it isn't rings and that he doesn't have to do a rebuild, but compression test will tell much more.