[NightTruckFoods]

Thanks for your detailed response again bigrigpardo, and thanks also for your input steeveedee.
First of all I 100% agree that a better trained set of eyes would be my best way out of this mess. So far no luck with the folks I've reached out to... I'll keep up the search for sure.
In the meantime I MAY be on my own here... hopefully with some advice I can force my way through this. (just cleaned up a generator carb and got the engine running again after over 5 years of sitting. I know this is a whole other ball game but just referencing that I can potentially tinker with some of this stuff enough to suffice. I guess the folks on here will let me know what to bother with and what not to.

1. Quick follow up about the charging system. I hope the alternator isnt fried. Wish i had known not to risk it, the dang autoparts place advised me to do this test... maybe he wanted me to buy a new alternator the next day... conspiracy. anyways the bigger question is:
-How do I test to make sure the charging system is working properly? Not sure how / where to meter it.
NOTE: I put in a new voltage regulator last year under suspicion that the old one was contributing to some other wiring issues. it was pretty corroded. new one may have solved some problems. Had a pricy pro shop fix some wiring in the dash (new key cylinder, wiring harness etc. lights wiring.) so its hard to say which things were the real gremlins at the time. maybe they're still lurking... Also I did have that alternator tested a year ago at the parts place and it tested ok... the alt seems only a handful of years old, definitely not original.
2 is this a rebuildable carb? how much more difficult will it be for me than the little generator carb i just did? Cleaning? new parts kit also? or just skip straight to new carb?? price?

3. previous owner had his shop redo points, coil, a couple other things in that realm, in Fall 2015. Im not sure where on the block to look for vaccum leaks. I know there has been and therefore probably still is an oil leak. theres a caked up layer of oil on most of the block. valve cover area down so maybe replace this gasket? not sure if the vacuum you meant pertains to oil tho or perhaps air intake / exhaust. exhaust manifold may need new gasket also as the oily engine surface sort of bubbles near the manifold when engine runs.

4. I suspected it is starter making the click. not sure if its the pinion not meshing or other mechanical issue, or an electrical insufficiency of sorts. Where would i look for bad ground connection? Big connections from battery to body and block seem solid. Smaller ground connections?

Sincerely thanks to anyone who replies as my degree of inexperience coupled with the size of my mess is a bit much for most. I understand that everyone probably has better things to do and no one owes me any help. Wish me luck at least!
Thanks again.