PICTURE-LESS UPDATE:
Max ran a few weeks ago for about 10 minutes. Sounded very happy. Than a valve seal dropped, hit the oil pump and did some damage. Myself and a friend found with the engine out that the car was dangerous to even pilot down the driveway. This car's been at some shops in the last year for header work, other than a distributor I didn't need to get in there. Came to find out that the steering shaft wasntly bolted together, engine mounts were broke AND BARELY THREADED, and that there was no dust shield on the bellhousing (water and rocks could have done some damage). It's safe to say the shop that went over it wasn't attentive and the previous owner was a crackhead to be so negligent.
The BAD:
Distributor gear's fried.
The cam was destroyed.
The engine's out of the car.
A lot of driveline components were neglected and unsafe.
The GOOD:
Found out there's forged pistons and a double roller timing chain inside this guy.
Got a bigger cam being matched to my setup this week.
My life's been spared.
All other chit's getting fixed.
I will have groundpounding video confirmation on or by the 15th. Engine will be back from rebuild probably Monday. Thanks for hanging in on the thread anyone still checking in - I really feel that above all the setbacks this final one was to save my life. I would have been out flying after the suspension was dialed in and I don't know this stuff would have been caught without the engine out of the way.