Well, I think I might have found a clue to my problem. I finally got around to hooking up a fuel pressure gauge. So I fire the old girl up and get her to operating temp. Fuel pressure is at 2 psi: perfect. I go about setting the timing and the idle. I look at gauge again and it reads less than 1 psi!!.
I checked for leaks: nothing. The car is at operating temp, but the carbs aren't hot to the touch. I turn the engine off and prime it manually, the gauge pushes up to 2psi as a pump.
The pump has been recently rebuilt, and I even took it apart a few days ago to make sure everything is as it should be.
Brand new filter, fuel line flows freely, what could be wrong with my pump?
I'm more confused than ever.
-s