Been going through the original engine. Just to be safe, having things checked out by a machine shop.
In the meantime, decided to get the 283 that is sitting in it running well enough to drive while I restore the extra frame, etc. Pulled the distributor and there was about 1/16 inch play in the shaft... not end play, mind you, but side to side. Amazing that it even ran. Put it in my distributor machine and the dwell would vary from 22 degrees to 35 degrees, bouncing back and forth. Got an old distributor with a 532 cam, and set it up with a B28 vac advance. In the meantime, the fuel pump quit completely.
Ordered a fuel pump and an oil filter (66 283 has a canister type). Fuel pump woes here:
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=153703
Pulled the new fuel pump off and just bypassed it with a low pressure electric pump on it. Put a block off plate on where the fuel pump goes. Still ran very rich, with gas dripping off the boosters. Floats were way high. Got things adjusted and it really doesn't run too bad. Kind of gutless. Drove it a few miles, then decided I needed pics of it with its little brother, the 69 Opel GT.